Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4403

House Bill No.

Introduced by HON. MARIA FE R. ABUNDA
Representative, Lone District, Eastern Samar

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The first half of the year 2020 saw immediately how the Covid-19 pandemic has greatly
affected the country and the lives of many Filipinos, It has shown the entire country that one of
the most important sectors of our society is the health sector. With the pandemic came the
realization that there is a time-restricted need to better address patients’ needs, the efficiency of
our health systems, the quality and modemization of our hospitals especially those located in the
provinces.

It is enshrined under Section 11, Article XIII of the 1987 Constitution 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 the 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.” It provides that the
government must be able to further improve health services and prioritize those who need it the
most. More importantly this should apply for provinces and its hospitals that do not have the
necessary medical equipment and supplies, medicines, doctors and nurses to cater to the needs of
its citizens.

In light of the growing health concems that have affected our country and the health
concems of Filipinos based in far-flung provinces such as Eastern Samar, it is imperative that the
Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital be upgraded into a Tertiary Level III Regional Hospital. The
province of Eastern Samar is home to roughly 467,160 /:sfehanons whose medical needs have to
be met. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the lack of medical equipment and supplies of the
provincial hospital was exposed. There is not a single ventilator nor is there a dialysis machine
that is available in the provincial hospital or any other hospital within the province of Eastern
Samar. Many of the residents of Eastern Samar would have to travel at least 4 hours to Tacloban,
Leyte to receive the appropriate and necessary healthcare.



Itis of utmost importance that the poorly maintained facilities of the hospital be upgraded
to be able to prepare the province of Eastern Samar with the necessary tools in order to overcome
future health crises that may arise.

I seeks to increase the bed capacity to three hundred (300) beds and to upgrade
ies, equipment and to augment the number of personnel in the hospital to be able to
cater to the needs of the hundreds of thousands of Estehanons, This will tremendously improve
the delivery of the proper health care services to the people of Eastern Samar.

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



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No, _*403

Introduced by HON. MARIA FE R. ABUNDA
Representative, Lone District, Eastern Samar

AN ACT CONVERTING THE EASTERN SAMAR PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL IN
BORONGAN, EASTERN SAMAR INTO THE EASTERN SAMAR MEDICAL CENTER,
IN THE CITY OF BORONGAN, PROVINCE OF EASTERN SAMAR, UPGRADING AND
MODERNIZING ITS FACILITIES, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

Section 1. Declaration of Policy. - In line with the standing policy of the State to adopt an
integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make
essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost. The
State shall provide accessible and affordable tertiary health services to all its citizens

Section 2. Objective. - The general objective is to provide the province of Eastern Samar
with necessary medical equipment, facilities, supplies and funding in order to cater to the needs of
the public.

The specific objectives are:

(a) To upgrade the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital into a Tertiary Hospital - Level III;

(b) To provide affordable tertiary health care which is easily accessible for the poor and less
fortunate Filipinos of Eastern Samar,

(c) To provide the necessary medical equipment such as, but not limited to, ventilators, dialysis
machines, medicines, x-rays;

(d) To provide teaching, training and research facilities for students in nursing and medicine
and other health professions in the province of Eastern Samar.

Section 3. Conversion, Upgrading and Modernization. - The Eastern Samar Provincial
Hospital in the City of Borongan, Easter Samar is hereby converted into a Tertiary Hospital - Level
III to be known as the Eastern Samar Medical Center, increasing its bed capacity to three hundred
(300). The Eastern Samar Medical Center shall upgrade and modernize its equipment and facilities


to ensure that it will be able to cater to the needs of Filipinos in the province of Eastern Samar. It
shall be under the full administrative and technical supervision, control and management of the
Department of Health.

Section 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of Health shall issue
the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act. Upon consultation
with the Eastern Samar Medical Center, the Secretary of Health, in coordination with the Secretary
of Budget and Management, Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission, shall determine the
additional plantilla positions to be created pursuant to this Act. Provided that the plantilla
employees of the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital which include physicians, nurses and other
support personnel shall also be increased commensurate to the increase in its bed capacity

Section 5. Appropriations, - The Secretary of Health shall include in the Department's
programs the funds necessary for the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation

Approved,