EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
SENATE
S.B. NO. 
119
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ky CT'iii lit i:>" S'- 
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'19 JUL-1 P6«3
_EL
Introduced by Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay
AN ACT
REQUIRING ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS, MEDICAL 
CENTERS, CLINICS, INFIRMARIES AND PUERICULTURE CENTERS TO 
GIVE 
FREE 
MEDICAL 
AND 
DENTAL 
ASSISTANCE 
TO 
INDIGENT 
CHILDREN
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to provide free medical and dental assistance to indigent children 
in consonance with the State's recognition of the need to promote the physical 
well-being of children, including promoting their right to health, and making 
health services adequate to all. In order to achieve this end, all government and 
private hospitals, medical centers, clinics, infirmaries and puericulture centers are 
required to render medical and dental services to indigent children and at the 
same time provide tax incentives to these covered institutions.
MARIA LOURDE^ANCY S. BINAY 
Senator


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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
SENATE
S.B. NO. 
J J ^
1 US '
^4'
-
.
tJiliu ofiyi » i  r^taiv
*19 JUL-1 P6«3
Introduced by Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay
r
— -
AN ACT
REQUIRING ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS, MEDICAL 
CENTERS, CLINICS, INFIRMARIES AND PUERICULTURE CENTERS TO 
GIVE 
FREE 
MEDICAL 
AND 
DENTAL 
ASSISTANCE 
TO 
INDIGENT 
CHILDREN
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
Section 1. Title. -  This Act shall be known as "The Indigent Children Free 
Medical and Dental Service Act."
Sec. 2. Declaration o f Policy. -  In consonance with the State's recognition 
of the need to promote the physical well-being of children, including promoting 
their right to health, and making health services adequate to all, it is hereby 
declared the policy of the State to provide for all possible assistance it could 
provide to children especially those who are unfortunate to have no means of 
support or have no one to support them.
Sec. 3. Indigent Children. -  For purposes of this Act, an indigent child 
shall refer to an unemancipated child below eighteen (18) years of age who have 
no visible means of support or whose parents or guardians have no means of 
providing for their immediate medical and dental needs.
Sec. 4. Duty o f the DSWD and DOH -  The Department of Social Welfare 
and Development ("DSWD") and the Department of Health ("DOH") shall be
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tasked with the primary responsibility of implementing the provisions of this Act. 
For this purpose, the DSWD shall promulgate the necessary guidelines in order 
to determine if a child in need of medical and/or dental service may be 
considered indigent, taking into account the following factors:
1. 
Age of the child;
2. 
Financial condition of the family;
3. 
Degree of deprivation of parental care and support; and
4. 
Inability of his parents to exercise parental authority.
The DOH, on the other hand, shall coordinate and establish the necessary 
mechanisms and regulations to govern both government and private hospitals, 
medical 
centers, 
clinics, 
infirmaries 
and 
puericulture 
centers 
in 
the 
implementation of this Act.
The DSWD and DOH shall have the authority to promulgate the necessary rules 
and regulations for the purpose of carry into effect the provisions of this Act.
Sec. 5. Free Medical and Dental Services. -  All government and private 
hospitals, medical centers, clinics, infirmaries and puericulture centers duly 
licensed to operate as such, are hereby required to render medical and dental 
services to indigent children, regardless of whether or not they are in danger of 
dying and/or may have suffered physical injuries requiring immediate medical 
attention.
Sec. 6. Incentives for Private Hospital, Medical Center, Clinic, Infirmary 
and/or Puericulture Centers. -  The expenses and losses of earnings incurred by a 
private hospital, medical center, clinic, infirmary or puericulture center, or by an 
individual physician or dentists, for medicine, facilities and services extended to 
the care and treatment of an indigent child as required herein, in the amount not
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exceeding Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P500,000.00) per year, shall be 
considered deductible expenses and losses for income tax purposes, which may 
be carried over for a period of five (5) years.
To ensure compliance with the provisions of this Act, all indigent children treated 
by private hospitals, medical centers, clinics, infirmaries or puericulture centers 
shall secure a certification from the social worker assigned to the hospital, 
medical center, clinic, infirmary or puericulture center. The Certification shall 
contain the following information:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Name of patient;
That the patient is indigent and supporting proof thereof;
Service/s rendered to the patient;
Cost of such service/s based on the existing price list of the 
hospital, medical center, clinic, infirmary or puericulture center at 
the time of treatment; and
Attestation from the social worker that all information contained 
therein are true and correct to his/her knowledge.
Sec. 7. Pena! Cause. -  Any hospital director, administrator, officer-in- 
charge, physician or dentist in a hospital, medical center, clinic, infirmary or 
puericulture center who shall refuse or fail without good cause to render the 
appropriate medical and dental services pursuant to this Act, after the child has 
been brought to his/her attention; or any nurse, midwife, medical or dental 
attendant who shall refuse to extend the appropriate assistance, subject to 
existing rules, or neglects to notify or call the attention of a physician or dentist 
in attendance, shall be punished with imprisonment of at least one (1) year or a 
fine of not more than One Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (P150,000.00), or both 
fine and imprisonment, at the sound discretion of the court. The penalty herein


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imposed shall not prejudice any administrative sanctions that may be imposed by 
law.
Sec. 8. Separability Cause. -  If any portion or provision of this Act is 
declared void and unconstitutional, the remaining portions or provisions hereof 
shall not be affected by such declaration.
Sec. 9. 
Repealing Cause. -  All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
regulations, other issuances, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 10. Effectivity Cause. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its complete publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general 
circulation.
Approved,