Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The National Blood Services Act of 1994, or Republic Act No. 7719, sought the 
strengthening of voluntary blood services nationwide in the advent of the rise of blood-
borne infections, HIV threats, and dengue fever. To complement this law, this 
proposed measure intends to make sure that the adequate supply of blood assured 
by RA 7719 is coupled with appropriate research and laboratory centers for 
hematologic disorders. It also aims to help decrease the cases of hematologic 
diseases in the country. 
Further, this bill seeks to establish the Philippine Blood Disease and Transfusion 
Center to cater to Filipinos with hematologic disorders. It shall offer comprehensive 
care for patients and provide transfusion services with the latest and best management 
and treatment of blood diseases. The Center will be under the direct supervision of the 
Department of Health and be managed by its own Board of Trustees for policy direction 
and control. The Center is also mandated to adopt and enforce a program for indigents 
needing blood or blood products, as well as to attend to those with blood diseases. 
The approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
 MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE 
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA 
NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 
August 23, 2022
2:00 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 
AN ACT  
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE BLOOD DISEASE AND TRANSFUSION 
CENTER, DEFINING ITS OBJECTIVES, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Blood Disease 
and Transfusion Center Act.” 
SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall be 
defined as follows: 
a.
Apheresis Facility – shall refer to a blood service facility where blood collection
procedure is done in which blood is removed, a selected component
separated, and the remainder returned to the donor;
b.
Blood – shall refer to the human blood for transfusion;
c.
Blood Center – shall refer to the Philippine Blood Disease and Transfusion
Center established pursuant to this Act;
d.
Blood Component – shall refer, but not limited to, whole blood, red cells,
granulocytes, plasma, platelets, cryoprecipitate and cryosupermate prepared
in the Blood Center;
e.
Blood Disease – shall refer to a blood condition that involves problems with
the red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, blood vessels, bone marrow,
lymph nodes, spleen, or other proteins involved in bleeding and clotting
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(hemostasis and thrombosis). Blood diseases and blood disorders are used 
interchangeably in this Act; 
f. 
Blood Product – shall refer to a therapeutic substance derived from whole 
blood or plasma; 
g. 
Blood Transfusion – shall refer to the process of transferring blood or blood-
based products from one person into the circulatory system of another; 
h. 
Hematology – shall refer to the branch of medicine that is concerned with the 
study of blood, the blood-forming organs and blood diseases; 
i. 
Voluntary Blood Donor – shall refer to a donor who gives blood freely and 
voluntarily without any form of payment. 
 
SECTION 3. Mandate. – There is hereby established a Philippine Blood Disease and 
Transfusion Center, hereinafter referred to as the Blood Center, a government 
corporate entity that will offer comprehensive care for patients with blood diseases, 
including blood transfusion services, for public welfare. The Blood Center shall also 
undertake teaching programs and research activities to successfully accomplish its 
mandate. 
 
SECTION 4. Purposes and Objectives. – The Blood Center shall have the following 
purposes and objectives: 
a. 
To construct, establish, operate and maintain a specialty hospital, with at least 
two hundred fifty (250) bed capacity, which shall offer comprehensive care for 
patients with blood diseases; 
b. 
To establish and operate a blood transfusion center and a state-of-the-art 
hematology laboratory (which should be able to offer more services than a 
regular medical center), including a molecular laboratory for public welfare; 
c. 
To establish and operate a Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplant program and 
donor registry; 
d. 
To collect blood from qualified voluntary blood donors, and process whole 
blood into blood components; 
e. 
To ensure the safety, as well as the adequate supply, of blood and blood 
products delivered to hospitals and other health facilities; 
f. 
To promote, encourage and engage in medical and scientific research on the 
prevention and treatment of blood diseases, and on the proper operation of 


blood bank technology and blood transfusion services to ensure the safety of 
both blood donors and donees; 
g. 
To gather, compile and publish the findings of its medical and scientific 
researches; 
h. 
To conduct studies and develop teaching programs, in collaboration with 
universities, hospitals and/or research institutions, on the prevention and 
treatment of blood diseases; encourage and grant scholarships for advanced 
training and specialization in hematology, and support educational programs 
of value to general public health; 
i. 
To finance, sponsor, hold or participate in congresses, conventions, 
conferences, seminars, workshops and training programs on the prevention 
and treatment of blood diseases; and 
j. 
To encourage and assist in the education and training of physicians, nurses, 
health officers, social workers and medical and technical personnel in the 
practical and scientific implementation of services to patients with blood 
diseases. 
 
SECTION 5. Powers and Functions. – The Blood Center shall have the following 
powers and functions: 
a. 
To have the attribute of perpetual succession and shall be vested with the 
powers of a corporation; 
b. 
To adopt and use a corporate seal which shall be a matter of judicial notice; 
c. 
To enter into contracts with any person or entity, whether public or private, 
domestic or foreign; 
d. 
To own, possess, and/or acquire assets, real or personal, or any interest 
therein, and encumber or otherwise dispose the same, under any mode of 
encumbrance or conveyance, as it may deem proper and necessary in the 
conduct of its business; 
e. 
To invest its excess funds, subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations, 
in any activity related to the Blood Center, as well as in any bonds or securities 
issued and guaranteed by the Government of the Philippines; 
f. 
To collect reasonable fees from the public for its services; 


g. 
To solicit and accept any gifts, contributions, endowments, grants, bequests 
and devices of any kind of real or personal property which are necessary and 
proper for the attainment of the purpose of the hospital; and 
h. 
To perform such acts and exercise such functions as may be necessary and 
proper for the attainment of the purposes and objectives herein specified. 
 
SECTION 6. Board of Trustees. – The affairs and business of the Blood Center shall 
be directed, its properties managed, and its corporate powers exercised, unless 
otherwise provided in this Charter, by its own Board of Trustees, which shall be 
composed of seven (7) members, as follows: 
a. 
The Secretary of the Department of Health as Chairman of the Board, or his 
duly authorized representative; 
b. 
The Department of Health Undersecretary in charge of supervising specialty 
hospitals; 
c. 
One (1) member from the private sector, preferably with experience in finance, 
administration or management; 
d. 
One (1) representative who is an expert in hematology; 
e. 
One (1) representative who is an expert in blood transfusion; 
f. 
One (1) representative from an NGO involved in health advocacy; and 
g. 
The Blood Center Executive Director. 
 
The terms of office, manner of appointment of the trustees and other matters 
pertaining to the governance of the Blood Center shall be determined in accordance 
with the pertinent provisions of RA 10149, otherwise known as the “GOCC 
Governance Act of 2011”. 
 
SECTION 7. Powers and Functions of the Board. – The Board of Trustees, which 
shall be the policy-making body of the Blood Center, shall have the following powers 
and functions: 
a. 
Set the policies and direction of the Blood Center in order to accomplish its 
mandate; 
b. 
Adopt a set of by-laws, rules, regulations, guidelines and procedures 
consistent with existing laws and the provisions hereof to govern the 
administration and operation of the Blood Center; 


c. 
Establish the organizational structure of the Blood Center, defines the duties 
and responsibilities of its officials and employees, and adopt a compensation 
and benefit scheme, subject to the pertinent provisions of RA 10149; 
d. 
Establish and maintain professional and technical education systems for the 
sustained development of the necessary manpower to manage and operate 
its affairs and business; 
e. 
Authorize the expenditures of the Blood Center as may be necessary or proper 
for its efficient and effective management, operation and administration; 
f. 
Send the personnel of the Blood Center to research institutes, medical 
institutes or universities for advance training or observation and to attend 
international or regional conventions, conferences, congresses or seminars 
as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary to accomplish the purposes 
and objectives of the Blood Center; 
g. 
Enter into such agreements and arrangements with other medical or similar 
institutions, domestic or foreign, as it deems desirable toward promoting the 
purposes and objectives of the Blood Center; 
h. 
Appoint, remove, suspend or otherwise discipline the Executive Director and 
other officers of the Blood Center occupying executive and senior 
management positions; and 
i. 
Undertake such other acts as may be necessary for or incidental to the 
accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the Blood Center. 
 
SECTION 8. Executive Director of the Blood Center. – The Blood Center shall be 
headed by an Executive Director, whose rank and emoluments shall be approved by 
the Board, taking into account the prevailing practice in other specialty hospitals, and 
subject to the pertinent guidelines issued by the Governance Commission for GOCCs 
(GCG). The Executive Director shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 
a. 
Direct and supervise the operations and administration of the Blood Center; 
b. 
Execute, administer and implement the policies and measures approved by 
the Board; 
c. 
Prepare the agenda for the meetings of the Board, and to submit for 
consideration of the Board such policies and measure as he/she believe(s) 
necessary to carry out the purposes and objectives of this Act; 


d. 
Represent the Blood Center in all dealings, i.e. meetings, contracts, 
negotiations, etc., with all other offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the 
government and with all persons and other entities, domestic or foreign; 
e. 
Appoint, remove, suspend or discipline all other officers and employees of the 
Blood Center, the authority of which is not vested with the Board; and 
f. 
To exercise such powers and perform such other duties provided in the by-
laws and as vested to him by the Board. 
 
SECTION 9. Program for Indigents. – The Blood Center shall adopt and enforce a 
program for indigents needing blood or blood products, as well as to indigent patients 
with blood diseases, in accordance with the implementing guidelines on classification 
of patients and on Availment of the Medical Social Services in Government Hospitals. 
The Department of Health shall ensure that this program for indigents is effectively 
implemented. 
 
SECTION 10. Income Retention. – The Blood Center is hereby authorized to retain 
and utilize the income derived from its operation for the continuous improvement of its 
services and facilities, subject to auditing rules and regulations. No amount from such 
income, however, shall be used to augment the salaries and other compensation of 
the Blood Center personnel beyond the amounts determined by the Governance 
Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG), as provided 
for in RA 10149. 
 
SECTION 11. Exemption from Taxes. – The Blood Center shall be exempted from 
the payment of taxes on all contribution thereto and all accruals on its income and 
investment earnings. 
 
Any donation, contribution, bequest, subsidy or financial aid which may be made to it 
shall constitute allowable deduction from the income of the donor as provided in the 
National Internal Revenue Code. 
 
The Blood Center shall be exempt from all other taxes, whether direct or indirect, on 
its income, properties and operations. 
 


SECTION 12. Supervision. – The Blood Center shall be under the direct supervision 
of the Department of Health for purposes of policy direction and control. It shall submit 
an annual report to the Department of Health, pursuant to the pertinent provisions of 
RA 10149. 
 
SECTION 13. Assistance from Other Government Offices. – The Blood Center may 
call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the government, 
including government-owned or controlled corporations, for such assistance as it may 
need in the pursuit of its purposes and objectives. 
 
SECTION 14. Appropriations. – The amount of Eight Hundred Fifty Million Pesos 
(Php 850,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the initial operation and maintenance 
of the Blood Center. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for the continued 
operation of the Blood Center shall be included in the annual General Appropriations 
Act. 
 
SECTION 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The Department of Health 
shall issue the necessary Rules and Regulations to implement the provisions of this 
Act within sixty (60) days from its effectivity. 
 
SECTION 16. Separability Clause. – Should any provision herein be declared 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity of the other provisions of this 
Act. 
 
SECTION 17. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations 
or other issuances or parts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 18. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect in fifteen (15) days after 
publication in the Official Gazette or in one (1) newspaper of general circulation in the 
Philippines. 
 
Approved,