EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No.1135
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'19 
NOV-4  
P 2^25
RECEI'/EOSY.
Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto
AN ACT
CREATING 
ONE 
REGIONAL 
LUNG 
CENTER 
IN  
EACH 
OF 
THE 
ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS IN  THE PHILIPPINES, PROVIDING FUNDS 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Lung and chest diseases are one of the top 10 causes of deaths in the 
Philippines. The most common of these diseases affecting millions of Filipinos every 
year are pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis 
and other respiratory system illness which ranked 3rd, 5th, 7th and 10th' respectively, 
as leading cause of mortality. Many cases of pulmonary illnesses also remain 
unreported and untreated as most incidence occur in poorer population with no 
access to medical facilities.
For tuberculosis alone, the Department of Health (DOH) is now exerting 
efforts to detect at least 2.5 million tuberculosis cases to prevent it from spreading 
further.1 Tuberculosis is still considered as a deadly disease worldwide and the 
Philippines was reported to have the most number of cases in Southeast Asia last 
year.
Meanwhile, according to the Philippine College of Chest Physicians, one in five 
Filipinos has COPD but only 3% of them will consult a doctor and 50% are not even 
aware that they are afflicted with the disease.
1 https://new s.abs-cbn.com /llfe/08/25/19/pulm onologists-push-for-m ore-lung-disease-aw areness.


Pneumonia cases have been consistently on the rise over the years. In 2018, 
PhilHealth paid P ll Billion on claims for pneumonia, making the disease the highest 
paid medical case rate.
Other respiratory system diseases including asthma also made it to the top 
ten medical cases with highest PhilHealth reimbursements last year.
Data from the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) indicate that almost 80% 
of Filipino patients with lung diseases are aged 36 years old and above. This means 
that lung diseases hit the most productive years in a man's life. These are said to be 
caused by several factors such as unabated pollution, industrialization, and cigarette 
smoking, among others.
Respiratory diseases have been a priority concern of the government since 
many decades ago. In fact, the increasing cases of these diseases led to the creation 
of the LCP in 1981. The LCP was envisioned to provide the Filipino people with 
specialized care for lung and other chest diseases -  from prevention to treatment to 
rehabilitation.
Lung diseases to some extent, are said to be preventable and curable with 
early and adequate medical care, immunization, and through prompt and intensive 
preventive and health education programs. Hence, it is important to make the 
facilities that provide the necessary pulmonay care and services available to as many 
Filipinos as possible.
It is in this regard that this bill aims to create one Regional Lung Center in 
each of the administrative regions in the country. By doing so, the government will 
be able to bring the specialized lung and chest care closer to many Filipinos in the 
countryside as the LCP and other tertiary hospitals that provide quality medical care 
are mostly concentrated in Metro Manila. Bringing this specialized lung and chest 
care will not only lessen the burden of our fellow Filipinos in terms of cost and time


spent for travelling to the city, but it will also lead to more patients benefiting from 
specialized care, hence, will prevent the further spread of lung diseases.
The Regional Lung Centers shall be administered by the DOH and may be 
created within the existing DOH Regional Hospitals and Medical Centers. The Centers 
shall be equipped with essential pulmonary care equipment and necessary medical 
supplies and shall tap the services of lung and chest specialists and other 
professionals who shall render services at a subsidized cost.
In light of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
R ^P H Jg .
//m ksbc


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
)
^ > U i t £  ot tijf ^ 'wrt:nrp
"19 
MOV- 4  f 2  2 5
SENATE
Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto
AN ACT
CREATING 
ONE 
REGIONAL 
LUNG 
CENTER 
IN  
EACH 
OF 
THE 
ADM INISTRATIVE REGIONS IN  THE PHILIPPINES, PROVIDING FUNDS 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. 
Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Regional Lung
2 
Centers Act".
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration o f Policy. - It is hereby declared as the policy of the State
4 
to secure the well-being of its people by providing them with specialized pulmonary
5 
care services and to address the increasing incidences of lung and chest diseases in
6 
the country. It is also the policy of the state to ensure that every region in the
7 
country shall have the equal opportunity to benefit from public specialty healthcare
8 
services. Towards this end, the State shall create regional lung centers throughout
9 
the country.
10 
Sec. 3. Regional Lung Centers. -  There is hereby created one (1) Regional
11 
Lung Center in each of the administrative regions in the country. The Regional Lung
12 
Centers shall provide specialized pulmonary care services for Filipinos suffering from
13 
lung and chest diseases with special consideration for the marginalized members of
14 
the society: Provided, That the Regional Lung Centers shall pursue excellence in
15 
developing and establishing the highest level of pulmonary-related training and
16 
research for physician and paramedical personnel: Provided, further. That the
17 
operation and maintenance of the Regional Lung Centers shall be under the
18 
Department of Health (DOH): Provided, even further, That the Regional Lung
19 
Centers may be created within the existing DOH Regional Hospitals and Medical


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Centers as deemed feasible by the DOH: Provided, finally, That the Regional Lung 
Centers shall provide comparable quality of pulmonary care as that of the Lung 
Center of the Philippines.
Sec. 
4. 
Appropriations. 
-  The fund 
requirement necessary 
for the 
implementation of this Act and the initial operation and maintenance of the Regional 
Lung Centers shall be charged against the Contingent Fund. Thereafter, such sums 
as may be necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the 
subsequent annual General Appropriations Act under the budget of the DOH.
Sec. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety days (90) after 
the effectivity of this Act, the DOH and the Department of Budget and Management 
shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the proper implementation of 
this Act.
Sec. 6. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen days (15) days following 
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation or in the Official 
Gazette.
Approved,
//m ksbc