EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S.B.NO. 2083
•21 HAR-2 P6:15
I.VM .. 
•
Introduced by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel HI
AN ACT MODERNIZING THE PHILIPPINE 
ORTHOPEDIC CENTER, UPGRADING ITS SERVICE 
FACILITIES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) is the only specialized 
orthopedic government hospital in the country. It is a 700-bed tertiary 
hospital under the Department of Health tasked to provide quality 
orthopedic and rehabilitation services relating to musculoskeletal disorder 
and related conditions. It also serves as a training center for orthopedic 
surgeons, anesthesiologists, physiatrists, pathologists and other 
paramedical persoimel.1
Last year, 2020, the POC celebrated its 75th founding aimiversary. 
But like other government owned hospitals in the country, it suffers from 
lack of medical equipment and facilities needed to provide quality 
healthcare services. Incidentally, the Department of; Health (DOH) 
admitted that no “major renovation or improvement has taken place” in 
the POC since the construction of the hospital’s main building along 
Banawe Avenue, Quezon City in 1963 “primarily due to budgetary
constraints»» 2
The state of our public hospitals mirrors the country’s public health 
care system and critical to uplifting and reforming the sector is 
modernizing and upgrading public health facilities that service majority 
of our population, especially the poor. In terms of orthopedic care.
1 http://www.poc.doh.gov.ph/index.Dhp/9-transDarencv/about-us. last accessed on 2Q April 2020.
2 httPs://www.change.org/p/president-benigno-simeon-aauino-lii-stop-the-Drivatization-of-the-philipplne-
orthopedic-center, last accessed on 26 April 2020.


modernizing the POC is a step towards mending the broken bones of our 
public healthcare system — one that has been crippled for the longest 
time.3
With the increase in orthopedic and trauma cases in the country, the 
government should prioritize modernizing and upgrading the POC. When 
modernized, it will be better equipped to serve the poorest of the poor.4
Therefore, to meet the ever increasing demand and to provide 
quality health services, this bill proposes to modernize and revitalize POC 
through the repair, rehabilitation and construction of necessary health 
equipment and facilities. The undersigned envisions a Philippine 
Orthopedic Center that provides world class trauma and orthopedic care 
accessible to all.
For these reasons, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
AQtJILINO “KOKO” PIMENTEL III
3 Feature Article in the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center website, accessed last July 15,2019.
4 Ibid.


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 2083
71 IWR -2 P6 ;15
R'Xt.!
Introduced by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III
AN ACT MODERNIZING THE PHILIPPINE 
ORTHOPEDIC CENTER, UPGRADING ITS SERVICE 
FACILITIES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled:
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the 
Philippine Orthopedic Center Rehabilitation and Modernization Act of 
2021
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of 
the State to modernize the health care delivery system to a level where it 
can fully and effectively perform its constitutional mandate to protect 
and promote the right to health of the people and instill health 
consciousness among them.
Towards this end, the State shall undertake the modernization of 
the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC), which is the country’s only 
tertiary special hospital under the Department of Health tasked to 
provide quality orthopedic, rehabilitation and other services relating to 
musculoskeletal disorder and related conditions.
SEC. 3. Objective. - There shall be developed a POC 
Modernization Plan which shall have the following objectives:


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a) Undertake the repair and rehabilitation of the POC to be a 
premier specialty tertiary orthopedic hospital, referral center, 
and training institute;
b) Upgrade, modernize, acquire and procure state-of-the-art 
medical equipment, the latest model of critical apparatus, 
instruments, the renovation and modernization of its facilities 
and the application of the new technologies to improve the 
hospital’s capabilities in providing timely and reliable medical 
services for its patients; and
c) Render quality health and medical care services to indigent 
patients by maintaining seventy percent (70%) allocation of 
beds for government-sponsored patients.
SEC. 4. POC Modernization Plan. - The POC Modernization Plan 
shall principally be a re-tooling of POC with modem equipment and 
facilities, including but not limited to, procurement of the latest and 
most up-to-date medical instmments, tools and apparatus; repair major 
areas which need to be rehabilitated such as patient rooms and wards, 
operating rooms, lavatory areas and comfort rooms, and other physical 
facilities; and repair and repainting of POC buildings and its 
environment.
SEC. 5. POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Council. - For 
the purposes of formulating and adopting the POC Modernization Plan, 
there is hereby created a POC Rehabilitation and Modernization 
Council composed of seven (7) members which shall be headed by the 
Secretary of Health as its Ex-Officio Chairman and the POC Medical 
Center Chief as Co-Chairman. Its members shall be composed of 
representatives of academic and medical communities in the field of 
Orthopedic medicine and other stakeholders as may be determined by 
the Secretary of Health.
SEC. 6. POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Fund. - There is 
hereby created the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) - Rehabilitation 
and Modernization fund which shall be used exclusively to fund the 
modernization plan provided under this Act.
The initial amount of Five Hundred Million Pesos 
(PhP500,000,000) to comprise the said fund shall be included in the


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General Appropriations Act of the year immediately following the 
approval of this Act.
The total amount allocated herein shall be used exclusively for the 
rehabilitation and/or repair, renovation of POC, the procurement of 
hospital materials, equipment, furniture and fixtures pursuant to the 
program and guidelines as determined by the Council.
SEC. 7. Rules and Regulations. - The DOH shall, within ninety 
(90) days from effectivity of this Act, issue the rules and regulations 
necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.
SEC. 8. Annual Report. - The Council shall submit to the Office 
of the President and Congress, through the House and Senate 
Committees on Health, an annual report on the outcome and progress of 
its activities.
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - Should any provision or part of 
this Act be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions and 
parts hereof, insofar as they are separable from the invalid ones, shall 
remain in full force and effect.
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, 
issuances rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent 
with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) 
newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,