SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No, 15 31 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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The cases of cancer, cardio vascular diseases and other life threatening illnesses 
are steadily increasing every year. This brings not only financial concerns but 
more importantly, emotional sufferings to the patients and their families. 
This bill proposes that all government and private hospitals and health centers 
provide palliative care and end-of-life services to all patients with life-threatening 
illness. 
Provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays shall establish 
community-based hospice units and palliative care centers in every barangay in 
their respective jurisdiction. 
Further, this measure proposes that there shall be continuing research and 
collection of data on palliative and end-of-life care. The public shall have an 
access to good health data, including socio-economic issues on palliative and 
end-of-life care, and the physical, mental and economic impact on the patients, 
their families and informal caregivers. 
In addition, immediate family members or relatives who actually look after or take 
care of a critically-ill patient, shall be entitled to an appropriate care leave benefit 
of sixty (60) days a year with full pay, whether in public or private employment 
sector. 
A Palliative Care Trust Fund is hereby established exclusively for the financial 
support and assistance for the medical needs of indigent patients. 
This bill was inspired by the innovative initiative of Canadian Senator Sharon 
Carstairs who pioneered on this work to help make life somehow pleasant for the 
people of her country up to the very last hours of their existence. 
In view thereof, the immediate approval of this bill is requested. 
GOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'\3 SEP -5 P 1 :49 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 
1 5 3 1 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE, APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "The Palliative and End-
of-Life Care Act of 2013". 
SEC 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State guarantees the right of the people to 
quality health care. 
It is likewise mandated by the Constitution to adopt an 
integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall 
endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to 
all people at affordable cost even to patients suffering from life-threatening and 
degenerative diseases. The services aim to improve the quality of life of the 
patients and their families, and as far as practicable, alleviate their physical, 
emotion, psychosocial and spiritual diseases. 
Palliative care and end-of-life services include, but not limited to the following: 
1. Pain management; 
2. Support to terminally-ill patients to live as best as possible a comfortable 
life; 
3. Prolong as far as practicable, the life span of critically-ill patients through 
therapies, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and other natural or 
alternative methods of healing; 
4. Provide support and counseling to the families of terminally-ill patients, 
especially in times of distress and bereavement; 
5. Integrate physiological, emotional and spiritual assistance to patients and 
their families; 
6. Enhance the quality of life of the patients and their families. 
SEC 3. Mandatory Palliative Care and End-oF-Life Services. - All government 
and private hospitals and health centers shall provide palliative care and end-of-
life services to all patients with life-threatening illness. 
Provinces, cities and 
municipalities shall jointly establish community-based hospice units and palliative 
care centers in their respective jurisdiction. 


SEC 4. Education and Training of Health Care Professionals and Volunteers. -
Physicians, nurses, midwives, 
social workers, pharmacists, occupational 
therapists, nutritionists, private volunteers, caregivers, or members of religious 
community shall undergo multi-disciplinary education and specialized training 
with respect to an integrated and coordinated approach towards palliative and 
end-of-life care support services. 
SEC 5. 
Continuing Research. -
There shall be a continuing research and 
collection of data on palliative and end-of-life care. The public shall have access 
to good health data, including socio-economic issues of palliative and end-of-life 
care, including the physical, mental and economic impact on the patients, their 
families and informal caregivers. 
SEC 6. Compassionate Care Leave Benefits. - Notwithstanding any law, rules 
and regulations to the contrary, immediate family members or relatives who 
actually look after or take care of a critically-ill patient, shall be entitled to a 
compassionate care leave benefit of sixty (60) days a year with full pay, whether 
in public or private employment sector. 
Employees availing of this leave privilege shall submit to their employers the 
following: 
1. Name of patient-relative undergoing palliative treatment; 
2. Copy of Medical Abstract .of th~ patient-relative; 
3. A Certification from the hospital or hospice providing palliative services to 
a critically-ill patient; and, 
4. The nature of the care that are required of them under the circumstances. 
SEC 7. Disqualification from Leave Benefits. - The following employees shall 
not be allowed to avail of this leave: 
1. Those who are absent from work without official leave; 
2. Those who·are on vacation, sick, forced or study leave; 
3. In times of emergency, those whose services are necessary to prevent 
loss of life or damage to property, brought about by serious accidents, 
fires, floods, typhoons, earthquake, epidemic or other disasters. 
SEC 8. Establishment of Palliative Care Trust Fund. - A Palliative Care Trust 
Fund, hereafter referred to as the Fund. is hereby established exclusively for the 
financial support and assistance for the medical needs of indigent patients. 
Indigent patient who needs palliative and end-of-life care who has no money or 
property sufficient and available for food, shelter, and basic necessities for him 
and his family, shall be eligible for assistance in payment for the palliative care 
treatment. 
The Fund shall be subject to the following: 
(a) The contribution to the Fund shall be sourced from the following: 
(1) The amount of Fifty million pesos (P50,OOO.00Q.00) shall be 
allotted in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the 
next five (5) years starting from the enactment of this law; 


(2) The amount of Fifty million pesos (P50,000,000.00) shall be taken 
from 
the Philippine Amusement and 
Gaming 
Corporation 
(PAGCOR) fund at Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) per month 
for ten (10) months; 
(3) Another Fifty million pesos (P50,000,000.00) shall be taken from 
the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PC SO) at Five million 
pesos (P5,000,000.00) per month for ten (10) months; 
(4) Ten percent (10%) of the health budget of all local government 
units shall be contributed annually to such fund. 
(b) Only the interest drawn from the Fund from sources cited in Section 9 
(a1), (a2) and (a3) shall be awarded as grants to qualified patients; 
(c) The grants can be awarded only after one (1) year from the organization 
of the Fund; 
(d) Government-owned and lor controlled corporations are authorized to give 
grants to the Fund at their discretion; 
(e) Private donations and other conveyances including funds, materials, 
property and services, by gratuitous title are also allowed and encouraged 
under this Act; 
(f) Contributions to the FU[1d shall be exempt from the donor's tax and the 
same shall be considered as allowable deductions from the gross income 
of the donor, in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal 
Revenue Code of 1997, as amended. 
SEC 9. The Palliative Care Assistance Board. - There is hereby created for 
every province, city or municipality a Palliative Care Assistance Board, 
hereinafter referred to as the Board. The Board shall be composed of five (5) 
members who shall be Chaired by the Governor or the Mayor of the local 
government concerned. 
The other four (4) members of the Board shall be composed of: (1) a 
representative from the Department of Health; (2) the Chair of the Committee of 
Health of the Sanggunian concerned; (3) a representative of the opposition party 
or parties in the Sanggunian concerned; and (4) a representative of the families 
or family organization mentioned in Article XV (3 [4]) of the Constitution. 
The members of the Board shall serve for a term of three (3) years; Provided, 
That no member shall serve for rnore than two (2) consecutive terms. 
The members of the Board shall serve and continue to hold office until their 
successors shall have been appointed and qualified. 
Should the private 
representative member of the Board fail to complete his or her term, the 
successor shall be replaced by the families or family associations mentioned 
above only for the unexpired portion of the term. 
No person shall be appointed to the Board unless he or she is a citizen of the 
Philippines, at least thirty (30) years of age, and of good reputation and probity. 


The members of the Board shall receive such per diems and allowances as may 
be authorized for every meeting actually attended and subject to pertinent laws, 
rules and regulations. 
For the sound and judicious management of the Fund, the PCAB shall appoint a 
government financial institution, with a sound track record on fund management, 
as portfOlio manager of the Fund, subject to guidelines promulgated by the 
PCAB. 
The PCAB shall prepare the implementing guidelines and decision-making 
mechanisms, subject to the following: 
(1) No part of the seed capital of the Fund, including earnings thereof, 
shall be used to underwrite overhead expenses for the 
administration. 
(2) There shall be an external auditor to perform an annual audit of 
the Fund's performance. 
SEC 10. Accreditation of Private Hospices. - The Department of Health with the 
participation of the duly authorized member of families or family associations 
mentioned in Article XV (3[4]) of the Constitution shall promote the rules and 
guidelines for the accreditation of private hospices providing palliative and end-
of-life care to patients to ensure standard quality services. 
" 
. 
SEC 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from 
the effectivity of this Act, the rules and regulations necessary to effectively 
implement its provisions shall be promulgated by the Department of Health with 
the assistance of the duly authorized representative of the families or family 
associations mentioned in the Constitution. 
SEC 12. Appropriations. - For the initial implementation of this Act, the amount 
of One hundred million pesos (P100,000,000.00), in addition to the budget of the 
Department of Health, is hereby allotted. The amount shall be equitably allotted 
to the provinces, cities and municipalities to start the implementation of this Act. 
Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its continued implementation shall 
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act and shall be apportioned 
accordingly. 
SEC 13. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, rules and regulations or 
any part thereof inconsistent herewith are deemed repealed, modified or 
amended accordingly. 
SEC 14. Separability Clause. - In case any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions hereof which are not affected 
thereby shall continue in full force and effect. 
SEC 15. 
Effectivity. -
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,