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Republic of the Philippines 2 DATEFES 2 1 20200
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES + Pb am

Quezon City, Metro Manila

NINETEENTH (19"") CONGRESS
1 Regular Session

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Hous? sittno, 2233

Introduced by Hon. WILTER YAP PALMA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to establish a general hospital in the Municipality of Imelda,
Province of Zamboanga Sibugay to be known as the Imelda General Hospital. This
is in pursuant to the Constitutional mandate of the State to protect and promote
the right to health of every citizen as well as make essential goods, social services
and most importantly, access to affordable healthcare for all.

In fact, Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution provides: “The State
shall protect and promote the right to health consciousness among them”.
Moreover, Article XIll, 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 underdeveloped, sick, elderly,
disabled, women and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical
care to patipers”

It is a harsh reality that the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay has the
inadequate amount of healthcare facilities and medical programs, and the advent
of the COVID-19 Pandemic has even further greatly accosted the capability of our
facilities to provide accessible and sufficient medical services to the Sibugaynons.
As such, the rapid rise of patients within the province together with the lack of
resources for the procurement of diagnostic tools, competent personnel, and bed
capacities have pushed the Province to its absolute limit. In extreme cases, patients
as well as those who are in desperate need of immediate medical attention have



no choice but to endure dreadful travel conditions to other nearby facilities while
suffering from intense pain and in extreme cases, death.

As such, it is evident that there is a pressing need to strengthen our health
care system in order to align with the provisions of the Universal Healthcare Law.
Acknowledging so, the establishment of the Imelda General Hospital is vital
towards achieving a much more refined and self-reliant health care system within
Zamboanga Sibugay. By its creation, the aforementioned hospital would in turn aid
the decongestion of the various health care facilities in the province as patients
within the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas would finally have
another available, reachable, and affordable healthcare institution that they could
run to.

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



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Philippines

NINETEENTH (19") CONGRESS
First Regular Session

* woust ano. 7233

Introduced by HON. WILTER YAP PALMA

AN ACT

ESTABLISHING A GENERAL HOSPITAL IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF IMELDA,
PROVINCE OF ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY TO BE KNOWN AS THE IMELDA GENERAL
HOSPITAL, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Establishment of the Imelda General Hospital. - There shall be
established, under the direct control and supervision of the Department of Health
(DOH), a general hospital in the Municipality of Imelda, Province of Zamboanga
Sibugay to be known as the Imelda General Hospital.

SECTION 2. Appropriations. — The Secretary of Health shall immediately
include in the Department’s program the amount needed to carry out the
provisions of this Act. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the operation
and maintenance of the herein hospital shall be included in the annual General

SECTION 3. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within three (3) months
following the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Health shall promulgate the
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.


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SECTION 4. Separability Clause. - \f any portion or provision of this Act is
declared unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected
thereby shall remain in force and_ effect.

SECTION 5. Repealing Clause — All laws, executive orders, decrees, issuances,
rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 6. Effectivity — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,