Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
20h Congress 
First Regular Session 
 
 House Bill No. 673 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE EMIGDIO P. TANJUATCO III 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
When Executive Order No. 56 was promulgated, emergency hotline 911 was instituted as 
the one number to remember for emergency response across the country. This bill seeks to 
strengthen this mandate by creating the Emergency Medical Services Systems (EMSS) Council 
that shall develop national standards and protocols to be observed by our emergency responders. 
Emergency medical services are crucial in avoiding complications before hospital service 
is available. Immediate care is necessary prior to and during transportation to a hospital in order 
to improve survival and recovery rates. We must therefore ensure that our responders are 
properly trained in pre-hospital emergency care, and that a high standard of emergency medical 
response protocols are put in place. 
In a country frequently exposed to natural disasters, road accidents, armed 
conflict, and public health emergencies, the absence of a standardized, nationwide EMSS 
has resulted in delayed responses, uneven quality of care, and preventable loss of lives. 
Institutionalizing the EMSS will bridge systemic gaps in emergency response, save lives, 
and strengthen the resilience of the country’s healthcare system.   
This bill ensures that local emergency dispatch centers are fully integrated and connected 
to the national command center to guarantee efficient and timely response, minimizing the victim’s 
unaided exposure to the danger being reported. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
EMIGDIO P. TANJUATCO III 
July 1, 2025
8:00 am


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
20th Congress 
First Regular Session 
 
 House Bill No. 673
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE EMIGDIO P. TANJUATCO III 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM (EMSS), CREATING 
FOR THE PURPOSE THE NATIONAL EMSS COUNCIL, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
CHAPTER I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Emergency Medical Services 
System (EMSS) Act”.  
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect 
and promote the right to health of the people. Pursuant to this policy, the government shall 
institutionalize a comprehensive, accessible, integrated and standardized system of emergency 
medical services and provide an environment that will maximize the capability and potential of 
emergency medical services personnel. 
SEC. 3. Objectives. - This Act has the following objectives: 
(a) To create a national Emergency Medical Services System Council;
(b) To develop and institutionalize an emergency medical services system at the national,
regional and local levels of government; 
(c) To encourage and promote the active participation of the private sector in the provision
of emergency medical services; 
(d) To establish a national standard for an emergency medical services including, but not
limited to, accreditation of EMS institutions and/or training of EMS personnel, establishing 
standards for design, accreditation and regulation of emergency medical vehicles;  


 
 
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(e) To institutionalize the use of 911 as the Nationwide Emergency Hotline Number;  
 
(f) To adopt an emergency medical service protocol in times of natural and man-made 
disasters;  
 
(g) To promote public safety and accessible emergency medical services to the people 
especially those in the under-served and unserved communities; and  
 
(h) To establish and provide support services, both internal and external, to emergency 
medical services. 
 
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. – As used this Act:  
 
(a) 
Accredited training and assessment institutions refer to organizations, in good 
standing with the Emergency Medical Service System Council (EMSSC), accredited to 
offer training programs, courses, continuing education and competency-based 
assessment in emergency medical services for EMS personnel that meet the standards 
established by the EMSSC, hereinafter referred to as the Council created under this Act 
and, in case of uniformed personnel, in coordination with the Philippine Public Safety 
College (PPSC). 
 
(b) Ambulance/Emergency medical vehicle refers to a vehicle designed and equipped 
for transporting sick or injured patients to, from, and between places of treatment by land, 
water or air, affording safety and comfort to the patients and avoiding the aggraviation of 
illness or injury. 
 
(c) Basic Life Support (BLS) refers to a group of actions and interventions used to 
resuscitate and stabilize victims of cardiac and respiratory arrest. These BLS actions and 
interventions includes the recognition of a cardiac or a respiratory emergency or stroke, 
activation of the emergency response system, CPR and relief of foreign-body airway 
obstruction.  
 
(d) Competency-based assessment refers to the confirmation of an EMS personnel’s 
capability and capacity to perform one’s duties and responsibilities, through the process 
of collective evidence and judgment, in accordance with the standards and guidelines 
established by the Council.  
 
(e) Emergency Medical Dispatch refers to the immediate identification and prioritization 
of emergency situations, the timely dispatch of appropriate resources, providing essential 
pre-arrival medical instructions and full endorsement to the receiving hospital. Dispatch 
encompasses all aspects of communication including request processing, coordination 
and support, documentation and monitoring.  


 
 
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(f) 
Emergency medical services (EMS) refer to: 
 
 
(1) Emergency care refers to the independent delivery of pre-hospital emergency 
medical services by appropriately trained and certified EMS personnel, usually in 
a mobile or community setting, in full accordance with the Emergency Medical 
Services Treatment Protocols established by the Emergency Medical Services 
System Council (EMSSC), hereinafter referred to as the Council, created under 
this Act.  
 
 
(2) Advance life support refers to a set of life saving protocols and skills that 
extend beyond BLS to further support the circulation and provide an advanced 
airway and adequate ventilation. 
 
 
(a)  Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) refers to a group of interventions 
used to treat and stabilize adult victims of life-threatening cardio respiratory 
emergencies and to resuscitate victims of cardiac arrest.  
 
(b) Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) refers to a group protocol for 
managing trauma victims and designed to maximize management in the first 
hour after trauma and ensure an optimal long-term outcome.  
 
(c) Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) refers to a system of critical 
care procedures and facilities, such as intensive care nursery, for the basic 
and advanced treatment of seriously ill or injured infants and children. 
 
(d) Neonatal Advanced Life Support (NALS) refers to a group of 
interventions for the basic and advanced treatment of injured and critically ill 
new born infants. 
 
(g) 
Emergency Medical Services Personnel refers to a trained and certified 
personnel engaged in the provision of emergency medical services during emergencies. 
 
 
(h) 
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System refers to the arrangement and 
coordination of personnel, facilities, and equipment for the effective delivery of EMS 
required in the management of medical emergencies; for the management and prevention 
of further incidents or accidents and the broad range of emergency care from emergency 
care to transport in an intensive care setting. 
 
(i) 
Emergency Medical Technician refers to the EMS personnel who provide basic 
emergency medical care and transportation for critical and emergent patients who access 
emergency medical system.  


 
 
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(j) Emergency Response and Care refers to the arrival of resources at the scene and 
the timely initiation and provision of appropriate medical interventions.  
 
(k) Emergency Transport refers to the transporting of a patient to the most appropriate 
and definitive health facility with continued provision of care and appropriate interventions 
en route to the appropriate health facility. 
 
(l) Inter-Facility Referral and Transport refers to the transport of patient with medical 
escort, from one referring facility or agency to another receiving facility or agency for 
definitive care, as the patient requires, in an event that further appropriate services are not 
available in the referring facility. 
 
(m) Medical Direction refers to the communication between an EMS personnel and a 
physician from the field via radio or other means to obtain instruction on further care of a 
patient.  
 
(n) Medical Emergency refers to any acute or life-threatening condition that requires 
immediate intervention by competent medical personnel. 
 
(o)National Emergency Medical Services Treatment Protocols refer to emergency 
medical procedures outlining approved clinical practices and therapies to be observed by 
EMS personnel, as established by the Council created under Section 5 hereof. 
 
CHAPTER II 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEMS COUNCIL 
 
SEC. 5. Creation of the Emergency Medical Services Systems Council. - A body to be 
known as the "Emergency Medical Services Systems Council (EMSSC)" is hereby created under 
the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). 
 
SEC. 6. Powers and Functions of the EMSSC. - The Council shall perform the following 
functions: 
 
(a) To formulate policies on EMS systems;  
 
(b) To develop national standards of emergency medical services to include, among others, 
the skills and competencies required for EMS personnel and the development of mandatory 
national emergency medical services treatment protocols to be observed by EMS personnel 
and such other entities as it may consider appropriate; 
 
(c) To promulgate a Code of Ethics for EMS personnel; 


 
 
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(d) To develop appropriate standards of operation for EMS personnel; 
 
(e) To develop standards and protocols for the design, accreditation, construction, outfitting 
and operations of emergency medical vehicles;  
 
(f) To ensure the establishment of a system of networking and coordination among all 
existing government health agencies, LGUs, and private and non-government medical 
institutions for the effective implementation of this Act;  
 
(g) To establish a Secretariat, pursuant to Section 9 of this Act, under an Executive Director 
for the administrative and day-to-day operations of the Council;  
 
(h) To create committees and other mechanisms to help expedite the implementation of plans 
and strategies; 
(i)  To generate resources from local, national and international organizations/agencies, 
whether government or private sector, for its operation; and receive and accept donations and 
other conveyances including funds, materials and services by gratuitous title: Provided, That 
not more than thirty percent (30%) of said funds shall be used for administrative expenses; 
 
(j) To prepare an annual budget of the Council, through the Department of Interior and Local 
Government (DILG), and submit the same to the President for inclusion in the annual General 
Appropriations Act; 
 
(k) 
To advise the President on matters pertaining to EMS; 
 
(l) To investigate complaints of motu propio and impose penalties for the violation against 
any of the provisions of this Act;  
 
(m) To request any department, instrumentality, office, bureau or agency of the government, 
including LGUs, to render such assistance as it may require in order to carry out, enforce or 
implement the provisions of this Act;  
 
(n) To regulate activities inimical to the delivery of emergency medical services; and 
 
(o) To promulgate rules and regulations and policies and enforce the provisions of this Act. 
 
SEC. 7. Membership of the Council. - The members of the Council shall be composed of 
the following: 
 
 
(1) The Secretary of the DILG or duly authorized representative as Chairperson of the 
Council;  


 
 
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(2) The Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) or duly authorized representative as 
Co-Chairperson; 
(3) The Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) 
or duly authorized representative; 
(4) The Chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) or duly authorized 
representative; 
(5) The President of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) or duly 
authorized representative; and 
(6) The President of the Philippine College of Emergency Medicine (PCEM) or duly authorized 
representative;  
(7) One (1) representative of a national organization or society of emergency medical 
technicians (EMT’s) who will undergo a nomination and selection process by the Council; 
 
 
 
 
 
The Executive Director of the Emergency 911 Office, as created by Executive Order No. 
56-2018, and the Director General of TESDA, shall be required to participate in all meetings of 
the Council. Relevant stakeholders from the different government offices, private entities and civil 
society organizations (CSOs) who are involved in the practice and implementation of emergency 
medical services can be invited as resource persons or representatives in the Council’s meetings.
 
 
 
SEC. 8. Compensation and Remuneration. – The Secretaries of the DILG, DOH and 
DICT shall perform their duties as such without compensation or remuneration, subject to 
reasonable per diem allowances as approved by the Council and subject to existing rules and 
regulations of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Members thereof who are not 
government officials or employees shall be entitled to necessary travelling expenses, per diem 
and representation allowances chargeable against funds of the DILG, as approved by the Council, 
subject to existing rules and regulations of the DBM.   
 
SEC. 9. The Secretariat. –The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), an attached agency of 
the DILG, shall act as the Secretariat of the Council. The BFP shall be strengthened by 
augmenting its additional manpower and budget for its operations. 
 
SEC. 10. Meetings. - The Council shall meet at least once every quarter. 
 
SEC. 11. Program Plans. - The Council shall within six (6) months after having been 
officially constituted and finally staffed, adopt and immediately cause to be implemented, in 
coordination with medical and related agencies, a short-range program in support of relevant 
existing projects and activities and, within one (1) year, a long-range five (5)-year development 
program. This development program shall be developed and subjected to annual review and 
revision by the Council, in coordination with relevant public and private medical agencies and 
organizations.  
 


 
 
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SEC. 12. Accreditation. - The Council shall issue authorization for the following: 
 
(a) Accreditation of training institutions for EMS personnel; and  
 
(b) Accreditation of emergency medical vehicle providers. 
 
CHAPTER III 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL 
 
 
SEC. 13. Creation of Plantilla Positions for Emergency Medical Services Personnel- 
There shall be created a minimum number of plantilla positions for EMS personnel in the following 
government hospitals/health facilities within the next five (5) years upon approval of this Act: 
 
(a) Level 3 Hospitals –Five (5) EMS personnel and at least one (1) Ambulance Assistant; 
 
(b) Level 1 and 2 Hospitals – Three (3) EMS personnel and at least one (1) Ambulance 
Assistant;  
 
(c) Local Government Units: -  
 
(1) Highly-urbanized city (HUC) – Ten (10) EMS personnel and at least one (1) 
Ambulance Assistant; 
(2) Component city – Eight (8) EMS personnel and at least one (1) Ambulance 
Assistant; 
(3) First to third class municipality – Four (4) EMS personnel and at least one (1) 
Ambulance Assistant; 
(4) Fourth to sixth class municipality – Two (2) EMS personnel and at least one 
(1) Ambulance Assistant; and  
 
 
(d) Other Health Facilities - as may be deemed necessary by the Council.  
 
Upon the approval of the necessary plantilla positions for EMS personnel, the Council 
shall submit a proposed qualification standard for positions to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) 
for its approval, pursuant to E.O. No. 292, entitled “The Revised Administrative Code of 1987 on 
the Civil Service Commission”. The annual financial requirements needed to pay for the salaries 
of EMS personnel shall be included in the annual general appropriations of the respective 
hospitals, health facilities and LGUs.  
 
SEC. 14. Authorized Training Institution. - Training programs, courses and continuing 
education for an EMS personnel shall be conducted by an institution that has been granted a 
Certificate of Program Registration (COPR) by the TESDA, in case of technical non-degree 
courses falling under the TESDA jurisdiction, and the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) for 


 
 
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uniformed personnel. The requirements prescribed by the Council shall serve as the minimum 
requirement for program registration. The DOH can provide training programs for EMS personnel: 
Provided, That these shall be in accordance with the standards set by the Council.  
 
CHAPTER IV 
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM 
 
SEC. 15. Emergency Medical Vehicles. - The Council shall develop minimum 
requirements for the design, construction, performance, equipment, testing and appearance of 
emergency medical vehicles. As such, only emergency medical vehicles shall be allowed to 
display the word "Ambulance" and the universally-accepted "Star of Life" symbol. It shall also 
provide for the operation protocols of said vehicles. The Council shall design a specification and 
an accreditation systems and procedures, subject to the existing regulations of the DOH on 
licensure of medical vehicles.   
 
SEC. 16. Emergency dispatch. - All local government units are mandated to establish 
their dispatch centers where constituents can call for all cases of emergencies, with adequate 
and qualified personnel. The dispatch centers shall follow the prescribed guidelines on dispatch 
protocol as determined by the Council.  
 
SEC. 17. Emergency Response, Care, and Transport. – All LGUs shall ensure the 
availability of adequate emergency transport vehicles or ambulances with qualified EMS 
personnel. All emergency transport vehicles and the procedures to be undertaken in responding 
and caring for patients shall follow the prescribed guidelines of the Council on ambulance services 
and on emergency response and care.  
 
SEC. 18. Inter-facility Referral and Transport. – The Council shall establish the 
prescribed protocols/guidelines on inter-facility referral and transport, in accordance with 
appropriate medical direction.  
 
CHAPTER V 
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS 
 
SEC. 19. Adoption of a Free National Emergency 911 Hotline Number. - There shall 
only be one (1) free national emergency 911 hotline number to enable the public to access 
emergency medical services. The operations of the national emergency 911 hotline number shall 
be under the DILG, in coordination with the Council. 
 
SEC. 20. Compliance. - It shall be the duty of every telecommunications to provide its 
subscribers with access to the national emergency 911 hotline number in accordance with the 
implementing rules and regulations to be adopted pursuant to this Act. 
 


 
 
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SEC. 21. Prohibited Acts and Penalties on Emergency Communications. - 
 
(a) Any person making a telephone call to an emergency hotline number who annoys, 
abuses, threatens or harasses any person who is answering the telephone call shall be guilty with 
the first offense and, subject to subsection (c) of this section, shall be compelled to attend a 
seminar on the proper use of the nationwide emergency hotline number. Upon commission of the 
offense for the second time, the offender shall, upon conviction, be imposed with a fine of not less 
than Five hundred pesos (P500.00) but not more than One thousand pesos (P1,000.00). Upon 
commission of the offense for the third and succeeding times, the offender shall, upon conviction, 
be imposed with a penalty of imprisonment of not less than one (1) month but not more than six 
(6) months or a fine of not less than Two thousand pesos (P2,000.00) but not more than Five 
thousand pesos (P5,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court.  
 
 
(b) Any person making a telephone call to an emergency hotline number and, upon the 
call being answered, making or soliciting any comment, request, suggestion, proposal or sound 
which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent, shall be mandated to attend a seminar on 
the proper use of the nationwide emergency hotline number for the first offense. Upon commission 
of the offense for the second time, the offender shall, upon conviction, be imposed with a fine of 
not less than Five hundred pesos (P500.00) but not more than One thousand pesos (P1,000.00). 
Upon commission of the offense for the third and succeeding times, the offender shall, upon 
conviction, be imposed with a penalty of imprisonment of not less than one (1) month but not more 
than six (6) months or a fine of not less than Two thousand pesos (P2,000.00) but not more than 
Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court.  
 
(c) A person giving false report of a medical emergency or giving false information in 
connection with a medical emergency, or making false alarm of a medical emergency, knowing 
the report or information or alarm to be false; or making a false request for ambulance service to 
an ambulance service provider, knowing the request to be false, shall be mandated to attend a 
seminar on the proper use of the nationwide emergency hotline number for the first offense. Upon 
commission of the offense for the second time, the offender shall, upon conviction, be imposed 
with a fine of not less than Two thousand pesos (P2,000.00) but not more than Five thousand 
pesos (P5,000.00) and payment of damages. Upon commission of the offense for the third and 
succeeding times, the offender shall, upon conviction, be imposed with a penalty of imprisonment 
of not less than one (1) year but not more than three (3) years or a fine of not less than Five 
thousand pesos (P5,000.00) but not more than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) and payment 
of damages, or both, at the discretion of the court.  
 
CHAPTER VI 
OTHER PROVISIONS 
 
SEC. 22. Role of the LGUs. - The LGUs are hereby mandated to develop and 
institutionalize an emergency medical service system within their area of jurisdiction. The Council 
shall include in its programs, activities that will support and enable the LGUs to accomplish such 


 
 
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task. Non-compliance by public officials of the provisions of this Act shall be subject to 
administrative sanctions under civil service regulations. 
 
SEC. 23. Establishment of the EMSS Fund – There is hereby established an EMSS 
Fund which may be sourced from fees, donations and grants, to be administered by the Council, 
and subject to COA regulations. The amount collected shall be used to augment the budget for 
the EMSS operations of LGUs, particularly for geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas 
(GIDAs), and the Council’s administrative functions, provided, that not more than thirty percent 
(30%) of said funds shall be used for administrative expenses. 
 
SEC. 24. Appropriations. - The amount needed for the implementation of this Act shall 
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 25. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DILG, in consultation with the 
DOH, DICT, DOJ, and Philippine Red Cross, shall issue and promulgate the rules and regulations 
to implement the provisions of this Act within one hundred twenty (120) days upon constitution of 
the Council.  
 
SEC. 26. Separability Clause. - If any clause, sentence, paragraph or part of this Act 
shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect, invalidate or impact 
any other part of this Act. 
 
SEC. 27. Transitory Clause. – Pursuant to Sections 4 (a) and 14 of this Act, all existing 
rules of TESDA pertaining to the accreditation of EMS personnel shall remain effective until new 
sets of the rules are established. 
 
SEC. 28. Repealing Clause. - Any provision of laws, orders, agreements, rules or 
regulations contrary to and inconsistent with this Act is hereby repealed, amended or modified 
accordingly. 
 
SEC. 29. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,