Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

are,
HOUSE BILL NO. 5531

Introduced by REP. RACHEL MARGUERITE B. DEL MAR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to increase the bed occupancy of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center
located at B. Rodriguez Street, Cebu City from Eight Hundred (800) Beds to One Thousand Two
Hundred (1,200) Beds.

The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center is the biggest government run medical center in
Region VII. It is an 800 bed capacity hospital which does not only served patients from Metro
Cebu and the Cities and the provinces of Region VII but also serves patients from Region VIII and
parts of Mindanao. Because of the increasing cost of medical care in private hospitals and the lack
of facilities and services in government district hospitals, more and more patients flock to
VSMMC. Its hospital statistical data would reveal that in the past ten years, it s occupancy rate has
been steadily increasing from 100% to 121.95%.

This proposed bill likewise go hand in hand with the present thrust of the Department of
Health to provide universal health care among Filipinos dubbed as the “Kalusugang Pangkalahatan”
that seek to address the three strategic thrust of: (1) financial risk protection through expansion of
the national Health Insurance program coverage and benefit delivery; (2) health facilities
enhancement to improve access to quality care and (3) a focused and scaled up public health effort
to attain health related Millennium development goals.

While improving a hospital is a difficult task, this however, should not discourage the
government in pursuing its commitment in improving the heath of our countrymen specially the
poor.

Although the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center has continued to evolve and improve
its basic and tertiary health care services responsive to the changing need of the community, its
present capacity, however, will prevent the Medical Center from serving its increasing number of
patients, which in effect defeat the very purpose of providing universal health care to as many
patients as possible.

In view of the foregoing considerations, approval of this bill is earnestly recommended.

RACHEL MARGUERITE B. DEL MAR


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRE: TATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 653
Introduced by REP. RACHEL MARGUERITE B. DELMAR

AN ACT
INCREASING THE BED CAPACITY OF VICENTE SOTTO MEMORIAL
MEDICAL CENTER, LOCATED IN CEBU CITY, FROM EIGHT HUNDRED (800)
TO ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED (1,200) BED CAPACITY, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFORE

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

SECTION 1. The bed capacity of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center is hereby
increased from Eight Hundred (800) to One Thousand Two Hundred (1,200) beds.

SEC. 2. The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be
included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and
thereafter,

SEC, 3. The Department of Health is directed to implement this Act.

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in two (2)
national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,