Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 703

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH) TO SET AND APPROVE
THE BED CAPACITY AND SERVICE CAPABILITY OF ALL DOH HOSPITALS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 11, Article XIII of the Constitution provides 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." Furthermore, Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care
Law mandates the State to adopt a people-oriented approach for the delivery of
health services that is centered on people's needs and well-being.

However, the reality is that access to health services for the common Filipino
remains elusive. Patients that come from distant places even have added financial
burdens. These troubles unnecessarily come with the agonizing wait for their turn in
seeking treatments that are only available in the city.

Many days of waiting for medical attention are not mere stories. When the Philippine
Health Facility Development Plan was approved by the President in 2017, the ratio of
general hospital beds to the population was 1:1,142, exceeding the ideal ratio of
1:1,000. Studies show that the average bed occupancy rate of DOH hospitals
reached 121%, above the benchmark range of 80 to 85%.

In health related concems, timely medical intervention is very important. Most often,
waiting is a luxury that most patients cannot afford. This is made worse by the fact
that under current regulations, a DOH hospital can only increase its bed capacity and
improve its service capability through legislation. As such, measures filed to adjust
hospital capacity and capability have to undergo the legislative process and compete
with other bills for prioritization.

PRESEN

4



This proposal expedites the process for improving the capacity and capability of
hospitals that are under the jurisdiction of the DOH by authorizing the DOH to
increase the bed capacity and service capability of its retained hospitals, and
allowing it to promulgate evaluation and approval guidelines for changes in capacity
and capability.

The approval of this bill is most earnestly sought.

Lu ~rkr

LUIS RAYM) 'LRAY” F. J|AFUERTE JR.,


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

House BILL No. 7903

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT

AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH) TO SET AND
APPROVE THE BED CAPACITY AND SERVICE CAPABILITY OF ALL DOH
HOSPITALS

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 "DOH Hospital Bed
Capacity and Service Capability Rationalization Act of 2020."

Sec. 2. Purpose, Scope and Coverage. This Act shall streamline the process for
approving changes in the authorized bed capacities and corresponding service
capabilities of all Department of Health (DOH) hospitals.

Sec. 3. Authority to Approve. — The DOH is hereby authorized to adjust and
approve the authorized bed capacities and corresponding service capabilities of its
retained hospitals. Thereafter, the DOH shall, through an administrative issuance,
determine the bed capacities and service capabilities of DOH hospitals, subject to
specific guidelines that shall be issued and promulgated, within three (3) months after
the effectivity of this Act.

Sec. 4. Annual Report to Congress. — The DOH shall provide Congress, through
the Committee on Health of the House of Representatives and Committee on Health
and Demography of the Senate, an annual report of hospitals with approved bed
capacities, along with the necessary funding requirements.


Sec. 5. Philippine Health Facility Development Plan (PHFDP). The DOH shall
develop the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan (PHFDP) to guide the
modernization and development plans of all government health facilities, and in
order to access capital outlay investment through the Health Facilities Enhancement
Program of the DOH and other national government capital outlay investment
mechanisms.

The Secretary of Health shall include in the Department's programs the funding
requirements for the adjustment in bed capacity and service capability of each DOH
hospital in accordance with the PHFDP and the hospital's modernization and
development plan, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

Sec. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRA). — The DOH shall formulate
the IRR of this Act within ninety (90) days of its effectivity.

Sec. 7. Repealing Clause — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and
regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

Sec. 8. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette, or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,