Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _________ 
Introduced by Representative Edsel A. Galeos 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article II Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution states that the State shall protect 
and promote the right of all citizens to health of the people and instill health 
consciousness among them. Furthermore, Article XIII Section 11 states that, “The State 
shall 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. There shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged, 
sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free 
medical care to paupers.” 
The proposed measure seeks to authorize the Department of Health (DOH) to 
increase the bed capacity of its retained hospitals as necessary.   
In a recent statement1, the Department of Health (DOH) recognized that one of 
the most pressing issues faced by the country’s healthcare system is hospital 
overcrowding, especially in public hospitals. Currently, for every 1000 people, only 0.5 
hospital beds are available. Some provinces even have less than 0.5 per 1,000 
population bed density. The DOH recommends the population bed density to be tripled, 
making 1.5 beds available for every 1,000 Filipinos2.  
At present, legislation is necessary to increase the bed capacity of DOH-retained 
hospitals. This process entails the allocation of resources that could otherwise be 
directed toward other initiatives. To streamline this process and ensure responsiveness 
to the needs of the healthcare system, the DOH should be authorized to increase the bed 
capacity of hospitals in accordance with the Philippine Health Facility Development 
Plan and based on prevailing health exigencies.  
The proposed measure was passed on third and final reading in the House of 
Representatives during the 18th Congress but was not approved before the Senate due 
1 
GMA 
News 
Online, 
PH 
needs 
strong 
preventive 
care 
– 
DOH, 
available 
at 
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/941002/ph-needs-stronger-preventive-care-
doh/story/ (last updated March 29, 2025). 
2  PhilStar Global, Philippines needs to triple hospital bed capacity – DOH, available at 
https://qa.philstar.com/headlines/2025/01/16/2414683/philippines-needs-triple-hospital-bed-capacity-
doh (last visited July 24, 2025). 
August 12, 2025
8:00 am
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to lack of material time. During the 19th Congress, the measure was refiled and 
subsequently approved by the Committee on Health. 
For the foregoing reasons, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
EDSEL A. GALEOS 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _________ 
Introduced by Representative Edsel A. Galeos 
AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH) TO SET 
AND APPROVE THE BED CAPACITY OF ALL DOH HOSPITALS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:  
SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “DOH Hospital Bed Capacity 
1 
Rationalization Act.” 
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SECTION 2. The Act shall streamline the process for approving changes in the 
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authorized bed capacities of all Department of Health (DOH) hospitals. 
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SECTION 3. The Department of Health (DOH) is granted the authority to adjust 
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and approve the authorized bed capacities of all DOH hospitals. Thereafter, the DOH 
8 
shall, through an administrative order, determine the bed capacities of DOH 
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government hospitals, subject to specific guidelines that shall be issued and 
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promulgated, within three (3) months after the enactment of this Act. 
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SECTION 4. The DOH shall provide Congress, through the Committee on 
13 
Health of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health and Demography 
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of the Senate, an annual report of hospitals with approved bed capacity, along with the 
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necessary funding requirements. 
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SECTION 5. The Secretary of Health shall include in the Department’s programs 
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in the funding requirements for the increase in bed capacity of each of the hospital in 
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accordance 
with 
the 
Philippine 
Hospital 
Development 
Plan 
and 
the 
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Modernization/Development Plan of each hospital, the funding of which shall be 
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included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
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SECTION 6. The DOH shall formulate the rules and regulations to implement 
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this Act within ninety (90) days of its effectivity. 
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 SECTION 7. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, other issuances, or 
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parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
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modified accordingly. 
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SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
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the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved,   
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