Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
______________________________________________________________________ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE JURDIN JESUS M. ROMUALDO 
______________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to establish a modern and efficient blood services network in the country 
and the institutionalization of hospital-based blood centers to cater effectively and 
efficiently to the needs of patients.  
Blood is a necessary fluid component of the body; it carries oxygen, minerals and all 
other component that is needed for the body to function properly. Blood is a source of 
life and yet most of the time taken for granted. The need for it is usually appreciated 
when only there is an emergency, trauma, pending operation and basically during the 
life threatening situations. The shortage of blood is a prevalent case experienced by our 
health care professionals, hospitals and patients nationwide especially during the height 
of the pandemic, extreme natural disasters and emergencies.  
This proposed measure complements the existing law, Republic Act No. 7719 otherwise 
known as the “National Blood Services Act of 1994” wherein it promotes voluntary blood 
donation to provide adequate supply of safe blood and regulating blood banks. 
At present, the leading provider of donated blood comes from the Philippine National 
Red Cross with 100 blood service facilities nationwide. It supplies majority of the blood 
supply requirements of patients especially those from the vulnerable sectors. The rest of 
the blood supplies are sourced from government hospitals, private hospitals, non-
hospital based facilities, and national reference laboratories like the Research Institute 
for Tropical Medicine and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.  
There is a need to adopt an online national registry of blood donors, accurate inventory 
of blood availability, and provide the means of dispatching or transporting this when the 
need arises. To safeguard the integrity of the data, the Department of Health shall 
provide the appropriate technology for the implementation of this system nationwide 
with adequate professional personnel to manage this system. 
Thus, the need to institutionalize a Philippine Blood Center as the repository and 
administrator of the national blood services network. The staffing requirements and the 
budget for the operationalization of the Philippine Blood Center, institutionalizing a 
digital blood services network and registry as well as coordinating the requirements of 
all blood centers nationwide shall be included in the annual budget of the Department of 
Health.  
The DOH shall maintain its coordinative and complementary relationship with the 
Philippine National Red Cross and such other institutions that highly supports the 
voluntary blood donation program of the government.  
April 17, 2023
4:38pm
7872


We hope to have a Blood Center that can respond and serve effectively the needs of 
our health sector especially the vulnerable members of our society. 
The strong support of the Members of Congress is earnestly sought for the approval of 
this bill.  
JURDIN JESUS M. ROMUALDO 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
______________________________________________________________________ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE JURDIN JESUS M. ROMUALDO 
______________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A PHILIPPINE BLOOD SERVICES NETWORK AND PROMOTING 
SAFE AND ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF BLOOD IN ALL BLOOD CENTERS 
NATIONWIDE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Blood Services Network Act”. 
2 
3 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote 
4 
the right of patients to appropriate and non-discriminatory quality health and medical 
5 
care in all health care facilities within its competence, available manpower, and facility 
6 
resources especially during critical situations and emergencies.    
7 
8 
The State shall adopt an integrated and relevant approach with the use of available 
9 
technology to improve health services and health management particularly in providing 
10 
adequate and safe essential health products and supplies to all patients at an affordable 
11 
cost. 
12 
13 
The Department of Health is mandated to spearhead and promote regular nationwide 
14 
voluntary blood donation drives to ensure the availability of blood stocks in all blood 
15 
centers nationwide and promote a blood registry system for easy reference in the 
16 
national blood services network. Towards this goal, the DOH may coordinate and 
17 
collaborate with the Philippine National Red Cross, various institutions and foundations 
18 
to generate awareness, participation and understanding of the voluntary blood donation 
19 
activities. 
20 
21 
Sec. 3. Creation of the Philippine Blood Center (PBC). – A Philippine Blood Center 
22 
(PBC) shall be created under the Department of Health with office at the vicinity of the 
23 
Lung Center of the Philippines. It shall established a Philippine Blood Services Network 
24 
(PBSN), a digital portal as a repository of the blood registry of regular blood volunteers, 
25 
patients with blood availments in all health facilities nationwide and those availing blood 
26 
typing requirements.  
27 
28 
The PBC shall coordinate with the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) and all health 
29 
institutions to get its voluntary blood donors data and register it in the national registry 
30 
and ensure data integrity in compliance with the existing Data Privacy Act of 2012 
31 
otherwise known as Republic Act No. 10173.  
32 
33 
It shall provide basic identification protocols which will be used as reference to contact 
34 
volunteers during voluntary blood donation campaigns in their area and when the need 
35 
arises during critical blood supply shortage and with the consent of the volunteers to 
36 
donate blood on these situations.  
37 
7872


 
1 
The PBC and all blood centers shall be allowed to collect reasonable fees for the 
2 
collection, processing and transport of blood based on the guidelines prescribed by the 
3 
Department of Health.   
4 
 
5 
Sec 4.  Organizational Structure of the Philippine Blood Center. – The Philippine Blood 
6 
Center shall be headed by an Executive Director with at least ten (10) years relevant 
7 
experience.   
8 
 
9 
The PBC Executive Director shall sit as a regular member of the Philippine Blood 
10 
Coordinating Council. 
11 
 
12 
The staffing requirements for the functional, technical and operational requirements of 
13 
the Center shall be submitted by the Department of Health in accordance with the 
14 
Organization Structure and Staffing Pattern (OSSP) of the Department of Budget and 
15 
Management.  
16 
 
17 
Sec. 5. Role and Authority of the Philippine Blood Center. – The Center shall handle the 
18 
following functions: 
19 
1.) Issuance of the Certificate of Inclusion in the blood services network; 
20 
2.) Approve the schedules of voluntary blood donation activities nationwide in 
21 
partnership with the regional centers for health development and in 
22 
coordination with different health facilities and volunteer organizations; 
23 
3.) Consult and coordinate with local government units and various stakeholders 
24 
in recruitment and invitation of voluntary blood donors; 
25 
4.) Prepare the protocols for collection of blood,  appropriate storage, distribution 
26 
and transport of blood in all health facilities including non-hospital based 
27 
blood banks and national reference laboratories; 
28 
5.) Conduct training and accreditation of health professionals for all blood bank 
29 
nationwide; 
30 
6.) Conduct appropriate clinical research, trials, and examination of blood 
31 
samples; 
32 
7.) Provide facility and equipment standards for all blood banks in the blood 
33 
services network including inspection for compliance purposes; 
34 
8.)  Processing of whole blood into blood components including related activities; 
35 
9.) Extract and Collect blood from volunteers and patients with their consent as 
36 
part of the continuity plan to ensure ready supply of blood; 
37 
10.) 
Ensure the safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products to all 
38 
health facilities in accordance with the requirements of each facility based on 
39 
the digital portal registry data;  
40 
11.) 
Classify, accredit and establish regional blood centers and allow mobile 
41 
blood centers in highly urbanized areas; 
42 
12.) 
Promote mobile and health facility-based voluntary blood donation; and 
43 
13.) 
May perform such other functions consistent with the provisions of this 
44 
Act. 
45 
  
46 
Sec. 6. Regional Blood Centers. – Every regional DOH Center for Health Development 
47 
(CHD) including the BARMM shall have one blood center equip with adequate health 
48 
professional and staff with appropriate space and necessary equipment to manage and 
49 
handle the blood requirements of patients and collaborate with the various health 
50 
stakeholders. 
51 
 
52 
It shall provide the Philippine Blood Center with accurate data for its inventory of blood 
53 
stocks in their area of jurisdiction and provide alternate solutions for the easy and fast 
54 
dispatch of blood requirements to meet the demand of patients and health providers. 
55 
 
56 


The budgetary requirements for the additional CHD personnel for their blood center will 
1 
be included in the annual regional budget of the DOH to effectively implement the 
2 
provisions of this Act. 
3 
 
4 
Sec. 7. Provincial Blood Centers. – There should be a blood center established in every 
5 
Provincial Hospital. It shall provide the Philippine Blood Center with accurate data for its 
6 
inventory of blood stocks in their facility.  
7 
 
8 
The budgetary requirements for the health care professional, essential manpower 
9 
requirements and the necessary equipment if needed, shall be included in the annual 
10 
budget of the respective provincial hospital.  
11 
 
12 
The construction for the appropriate space for the blood center in the provincial hospital 
13 
shall be included in the annual DOH Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP).  
14 
 
15 
Sec. 8. Tax Exemptions. – The PBC with clearance from the Department of Health shall 
16 
be allowed to import Blood Bank Equipment, blood bags, reagents, and such other 
17 
related supplies. It shall be exempted from all government taxes and duties when the 
18 
importation is made by the PBC for its facility use and for the use of all regional Center 
19 
for Health Development with a certification from the Department of Health duly 
20 
submitted to the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Customs. 
21 
 
22 
The PBC shall be allowed to accept donations, grants, contributions, gifts and other 
23 
kinds of gratuitous acts in connection with its institutional mandate and all these 
24 
gratuitous acts shall be exempted from all national taxes. The donors of these 
25 
donations, gifts and gratuitous acts shall be allowed to deduct this from their gross 
26 
income consistent with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, 
27 
as amended and the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act” (CMTA), otherwise known 
28 
as “Republic Act No. 10863”. 
29 
 
30 
Sec. 9. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Act 
31 
shall be charged against the current budget of the Department of Health.  
32 
 
33 
For the succeeding years, the amount necessary for the Philippine Blood Center shall 
34 
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
35 
 
36 
Sec. 10. Trust Fund. – A separate trust fund shall be maintained by the PBC for cash 
37 
donations and can be utilized by the PBC upon submission to the Department of Health 
38 
the proposal for its utilization but shall not be used for Personal Services.  
39 
 
40 
Sec. 11. Annual Report. – The PBC shall submit an annual report to the Department of 
41 
Health, the Office of the President, the Senate of the Philippines and the House of 
42 
Representatives on its performance and accomplishments.  
43 
 
44 
Sec. 12. Transitory Provision. – The existing Philippine Blood Center shall be given a 
45 
period of three (3) months from the date of implementation of this law to wind down its 
46 
activities.  
47 
 
48 
Pertinent equipment, supplies and existing facility will be transferred to the new PBC 
49 
supported with appropriate inventory. 
50 
 
51 
All personnel of the Philippine Blood Center shall be transferred to the new PBC subject 
52 
to their qualification and availment of plantilla positions under the new PBC approved 
53 
OSSP.  
54 
 
55 
Those affected by this law shall be provided with the appropriate benefits provided 
56 
under existing laws. 
57 


 
1 
The Department of Health shall appoint in transition the officers and staff of the new 
2 
PBC while complying with the OSSP for continuity of health services to the public. 
3 
 
4 
Sec. 13. Implementing Guidelines. – The Department of Health shall draft the 
5 
implementing guidelines in consultation with various relevant stakeholders within thirty 
6 
days (30) from the approval of this Act. 
7 
 
8 
Sec. 14.  Separability Clause.  
9 
 
10 
Sec. 15. Repealing Clause. 
11 
 
12 
Sec.  16. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication 
13 
in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
14