Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Complex, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7285

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative JESUS N. SACDALAN, First District, North Cotabato

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to upgrade the services and facilities of the Cotabato Regional Medical
Center by increasing its bed capacity from 400 to 600.

Article 2, Section 15 of the Philippine Constitution provides that “the State shall
protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness
among them. It is the primary responsibility of the State to ensure that delivery of
health services is efficient and effective.

The Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, “CRMC” for brevity, is the only tertiary
hospital in Region XII and serves as the end referral for all cases that required higher
level of treatment not only in Region XII but also for the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM).

The CRMC was established in 1916, then as a 12-bed civilian hospital in a vacated
building of the Philippine Scouts located at the corner of Felipe II (now Jose Lim Sr. St)
and Makakua Street in the Municipality of Cotabato (now Cotabato City. Over those
years, the hospital had experienced ups and downs, its buildings were burned during
the Japanese occupation, but it remained resilient. In 1948, the hospital was transferred
to the PC Hill where the buildings were rebuilt out of the War Damage Commission and
Provincial Government Funds.

In 1975, then Health Minister Clemente S. Gatmaitan approved the acquisition of
101,611 square meters land from the Canizares estate, and on January 3, 1980, the
construction of new hospital buildings was started, and was completed only in 1989, its


Out-Patient Department was also inaugurated. Through series of additional bed
capacities, the hospital grew from a 12-bed to 200-bed capacity, and was accredited by
the Ministry (now Department) of Health as a regular Teaching and Training Hospital
under Department Order 60-B s. of 1983, and changed the name from Cotabato Hospital
to Cotabato Regional Hospital.

On June 30, 1997, the Cotabato Regional Hospital was upgraded into a 400 bed
capacity and was upgraded into medical center named as Cotabato Regional Medical
Center, by virtue of Republic Act No. 8316. During this period, several infrastructures
and facilities were put up like the Annex Building which housed the Operating Room,
Delivery Room, Paywards, Radiology, Emergency Room and Ortho Wards. The
Construction of the 3-Floors Training Complex and a separate buildings for Engineering,
Laundry and Supply were done. In the ensuing years, more hospital facilities were put
up, such as Cancer Care Center. Mental Health Unit, Programmatic Management of Drug
Resistant TB and Halfway House, and a 21 fully furnished air-conditioned private rooms
and 4 suite rooms.

In terms of medical equipment, CRMC has acquired various state of the art machines
and equipment, and is capable of rendering services from MRI, CT scan, digital-X-ray ,
3D Ultrasound, Genexpert machine and EEG, Bronchoscopy, colonoscopy, gastroscopy,
laparoscopy, VATS, hysteroscopy, and expansion of 14 hemocialysis units among others.
Indeed, CRMC is one of the most competitive medical centers in the country in terms of
delivery of healthcare services. From a very few personnel in 1916, consisting of 1
physician, 4 nurses, 4 nursing attendants, 1 administrative officer, 1 clerk and some
helpers, the hospital as of September 2016 has 1,046 personnel consisting of 106
doctors, 394 nursing staff, 100 allied and ancillary staff, 109 administrative staff, and
337 job order staff. CRMC has been an ISO 9001:2008 certified since August 2014 by
the TUV Rheinland Philippines, and was re-certified in 2015 and 2016.

In the last five (5) years, the CRMC has experienced an average of 9.5% yearly
increase in bed occupancy rate. From the average of 227 occupied beds in 2011, by
the end of 2015, the average bed occupancy already rose to 325, in 2016, the daily
occupancy has increased to 375 and in 2017 already reached its full bed capacity.

With this situation, the management of the Cotabato Regional Medical Center is
anticipating for an upward trend for in-patients , and the objective of the hospital is for
it to be ready to respond to the ever-increasing flow of patients at its doorstep. Its aims
is for the hospital to be able to serve all the patients that seek for medical care with
the right quality of service.

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

foc —
REP. JESI . SACDALAN


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Complex, Quezon City

‘SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7285

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative JESUS N. SACDALAN, First District, North Cotabato

An Act Upgrading the Services and Facilities of the Cotabato Regional
and Medical Center in Cotabato City, and Increasing its Bed Capacity to Six
Hundred (600), Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 8316, and
Appropriating Funds Therefor.

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

Section 1. Section 1, Republic Act No. 8316, approved on June 30, 1997 is hereby
amended to read as follows:

“Sec. 1. The Cotabato Regional Hospital in Cotabato City is hereby upgraded
into a medical center, correspondingly increasing its bed capacity to six hundred (600)
beds, under the supervision of the Department of Health, to be known as the
Cotabato Regional and Medical Center.”

Section 2. Section 3 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Sec. 3. The number of medical personnel, the budget for personnel services
and maintenance and other operating expenses of the Cotabato Regional and Medical
Center shall correspondingly be increased. The Department of Health, in coordination
with the Department of Budget and Management, shall determine the additional
plantilla positions to be created pursuant to this Act.”

Section 3. There is hereby added a new Section 4, to read as follows:
“Sec. 4. The increase in bed capacity of the Cotabato Regional and Medical

Center from four hundred (400) to six hundred (600) beds shall be implemented
immediately upon approval of this Act.”


SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newpaper of general circulation.

Approved.