HOUSE OF REPR

Republic of the Philippin Onn
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES #22 CESVED
Quezon City | 03 AUG 2016
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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session |

House Bill No._@4u4 0. =

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ARTHUR C. YAP

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to develop and expand public health infrastructure and
services in the Philippines, utilizing a portion of the reserve funds of the
Philippine Insurance Corporation, or the Philhealth.

This is a re-filing of House Bill No. 204, filed in the Sixteenth
Congress by the undersigned. Under this bill, the poorest municipalities
and/or barangays, without, or without sufficient, public healthcare
infrastructure and services, as determined by the Department of Health,
Philhealth and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG),
shall enjoy priority in the funding. Also, after its construction, the operations
of such health facilities shall be operated by the Barangay Government
under the joint supervision of the DOH and Philhealth.

It is a conceded fact that there are several gaps in the accessibility of
free heath care. This is the reality, most especially in the far-flung
countryside, wherein there are without or even no functional public health
care systems and services. There is a grave need to construct public health
care centers and clinics. And, these should be sufficiently equipped, not just
with facilities and equipment, but with manpower, properly trained health
workers.

Yet, the predicament of scarcity of funding by the National
Government always hangs in the air.

Nevertheless, government owned and controlled corporations, like the
Philhealth, (which is really owned by its members) can be sought to provide
assistance. Philhealth reported a net reserve fund of more than P100 Billion.
Fifty percent of this amount would go a long way in developing and

ENTATIVES


expanding to the poorest of the poor Filipinos free public health
infrastructure and services.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of the bill is earnestly
sought.

ARTHUR C. YAP
Representative


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 2404

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ARTHUR C, YAP

AN ACT

DEVELOPING AND EXPANDING PUBLIC HEALTH
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES, UTILIZING AND
APPROPRIATING A PORTION OF THE RESERVE
FUND OF THE PHILHEALTH FOR THE PURPOSE,
AMENDING SECTION 27 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7875,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "NATIONAL HEALTH
INSURANCE ACT OF 1995, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Public
Health Infrastructure and Services Development and Expansion Act of
2016”.

SECTION 2. Utilization of a Portion of Phithealth Reserve Funds
to Fund the Development and Expansion of Public Health Infrastructure
and Services.— Section 27 of Republic Act No. 7875, otherwise known as
the "National Health Insurance Act of 1995", is hereby amended to read as

follows:


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"SECTION 27. Reserve Fund. - The Corporation shall
set aside a portion of its accumulated revenues not needed to
meet the cost of the current year's expenditures as reserve
funds: Provided, That the total amount of reserves shall not
exceed a ceiling equivalent to the amount actuarially estimated
for [two] ONE years’ projected Program expenditures:
Provided, further, That whenever actual reserves exceed the
required ceiling at the end of the Corporation's fiscal year, the
Program's benefits shall be increased or member contributions
decreased prospectively in order to adjust expenditures or
revenues to meet the required ceiling for reserve funds. Such
portions of the reserve fund as are not needed to meet the
current expenditure obligations shall be invested in short-term
investments to earn an average annual income at prevailing
rates of interest and shall be known as the "Investment Reserve
Fund" which shall be SET ASIDE TO BE USED FOR THE
FOLLOWING PURPOSES:

1. FIFTY PERCENT (50%) OF THIS AMOUNT
SHALL BE AUTOMATICALLY EARMARKED TO
AUGMENT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S (DOH)
HEALTH FACILITIES ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND SHALL BE
KNOWN AS THE "EXPANDED PUBLIC HEALTH

CARE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES FUND."


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THE POOREST MUNICIPALITIES AND/OR
BARANGAYS, WITHOUT, OR WITHOUT SUFFICIENT,
PUBLIC HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE AND
SERVICES, AS DETERMINED BY THE DOH,
PHILHEALTH AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (DILG),
SHALL ENJOY PRIORITY IN THE FUNDING.

AFTER ITS CONSTRUCTION, THE
OPERATIONS OF SUCH HEALTH FACILITIES SHALL
BE OPERATED BY THE BARANGAY GOVERNMENT
UNDER THE JOINT SUPERVISION OF THE DOH AND
PHILHEALTH.

2. THE REMAINING FIFTY PERCENT (50%)
SHALL BE invested in any or all of the following:

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SECTION 3. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act, or

any part thereof, is declared unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the
validity and effectivity of the other portions.

SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders,
presidential decrees, proclamations, rules, regulations, issuances and
enactments of parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

SECTION 5. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
from its complete publication in the Official Gazette of in a newspaper of

general circulation in the Philippines, whichever comes earlier.


APPROVED.