Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No.__3479

Introduced by Representative Lorenz R. Defensor,
James “Jojo” A. Ang, Jr. and Michael B. Gorriceta

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to establish the Philippine Children’s Medical Center for
Visayas.

Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Constitution provides that “The State
shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health
consciousness among them.” Further, Paragraph 2, Section 3 of Article XV
states that “Zhe State shall defend the right of children to assistance, including
proper care and nutrition, and special protection from all forms of neglect,
abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their
development.”

Section I], Article XIII provides that “The State shall adopt an
integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall
endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to
all the people at affordable cost. There shall be priority for the needs of the
underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women and children. The State shall
endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers.””

Consistent with the above-cited constitutional provisions, this bill aims to
establish specialized medical centers and provide a full range of health care
services to children in the Visayas.


Currently, only residents of Metro Manila and its nearby provinces are
able to avail of government-sponsored medical care for infants and children
through the PCMC in Quezon City. Its location is not accessible to those living
in Visayas.

With the ever increasing population of the Visayas, it is imperative for
the government to establish medical centers in the said regions that will cater to
the medical needs of children especially from poor families. Iloilo City and
Davao City are ideal locations for the children’s medical center because of its
proximity to other provinces.

The establishment of PCMC-Visayas will alleviate the plight of parents
and children in these regions of additional costs and burden of travelling to
Quezon City in order to avail of the medical services of PCMC. These medical
centers will ensure the availability and accessibility of medical services for
children in the Visayas. It will also enable the children to avail of specialized
health care for the prevention and treatment of pediatric diseases.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is earnestly
sought.

JAMES*JO A ; LORENZ Rj DEFENSOR

MICHAEL B. GORRICETA


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Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

“3479
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representatives Lorenz R. Defensor,
James “Jojo” A. Ang, Jr. and Michael B. Gorriceta

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER
FOR VISAYAS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. — \t is the policy of the State to protect
and promote the right to health of the people, especially the children, including

proper care and nutrition and to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to

health development. Towards this end, the State shall ensure the accessibility of

medical services and the availability of specialized health care to children in the
Visayas and Mindanao regions.

SEC. 2. Philippine Children’s Medical Center for Visayas.— There shall be
established, under the supervision of the Department of Health, a Philippine

Children’s Medical Center in the Province of Hoilo to be known as the Philippine


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Children’s Medical Center for Visayas, hereinafter referred to as PCMC ~ Visayas.
The PCMC-Visayas shall be specialty hospitals.

The PCMC - Visayas shall have a bed capacity of at least one hundred fifty
(150).

SEC. 3. Medical Director. - The PCMC -Visayas shall each be headed by a
Medical Director who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines.

The Medical Director shall exercise the following powers and functions:

(a) Execute the policies, guidelines and programs approved by the Board, and
be responsible for the efficient discharge of management and operational functions;

(b) Submit for the consideration and approval of the Board proposed
measures, policies, guidelines and programs as may be deemed necessary or proper
for the effective implementation of the purposes and objectives of this Act:

(c) Direct and supervise the management. operation and administration of the
PCMC -Visayas, and may delegate this power and any or some of his administrative
responsibilities and dutics to the other officers of the hospital;

(d) Execute, all contracts and agreements which the latter may enter into, and
to execute, accomplish and deliver any and all documents relative to such contracts

and agreements;



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(e) Represent the PCMC - Visayas, on behalf of the, in all dealings with other
offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the government, and all other persons or
entities, whether domestic or foreign and whether government or private:

(f) Recommend the appointment, promotion, transfer, dismissal, and
suspension of the officers and employees of the hospitals; and

(g) Exercise such other powers and perform such duties as may be vested upon
him or her by law.

SEC. 4. Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern, — The DOH shall
determine the organizational structure and staffing pattern of the PCMC - Visayas
subject to the evaluation by the Civil Service Commission and of the Organization,
Position Classification and Compensation Bureau of the Department of Budget and
Management.

SEC. 5. Program for Indigents. - The PCMC - Visayas shall adopt and
enforce a program for indigents. The number of beds allocated for indigent patients
shall not be less than forty percent (40%) of the total number of hospital beds.

SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The Secretary of Health.
shall formulate and promulgate, the rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of
this Act.

SEC. 7. Appropriations.-The amount of Ten billion pesos

(P10,000,000,000.00) out of the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated is


hereby appropriated for the establishment, initial operation and maintenance of the
PCMC - Visayas.Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for the continued
operation and maintenance of the PCMC - Visayas shall be included in the annual
General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. -All laws, decrees, orders, proclamations, rules
and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SEC. 9. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,