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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, ERIC G. YAP, 
and EDVIC G. YAP 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution highlights the need for an integrated and comprehensive 
approach to health development that will make health services available to the people 
at an affordable cost.  
Despite such Constitutional guarantee, medical and dental check-ups remain 
unreachable to the vulnerable, especially to the poorest of the poor. Regular health 
check-ups play a vital role to the children’s development because these check-ups help 
detect and address health concerns and ensure that a child's growth and development 
are on track. 
As a response, this bill seeks to mandate the hospitals, medical centers, clinics and 
other health institutions that provide frontline medical services in the country to 
provide free medical and dental treatment to the indigent children, to be headed by 
the Department of Health, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and 
Development.  
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
       ERIC G. YAP 
EDVIC G. YAP         
April 17, 2023
12:36pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives ERIC G. YAP, PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, and 
EDVIC G. YAP 
AN ACT 
TO REQUIRE THE GIVING OF FREE MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICE TO 
INDIGENT CHILDREN, 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 "Indigent Children 
Free Medical and Dental Service Act". 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - Children are the future of Philippine society. 
Upon this premise, it is hereby declared the policy of the state to provide all the 
possible assistance it could provide to children especially those who are unfortunate 
to have no means of support or no one to support them. 
SEC. 3. Indigent Children; Definition. - Indigent children are those below 
eighteen (18) years old of age who has no visible means of support or whose parents 
or guardians have no means of providing for their immediate medical and dental 
needs. 
SEC. 4. Free Medical Service. - All hospitals, medical centers, clinics and other 
health institutions that provide frontline medical services throughout the Philippines 
are hereby mandated under this Act to provide free medical treatment to indigent 
children. 
SEC. 5. Free Dental Service. - All dental clinics, medical centers and other 
health institutions that provide frontline dental healthcare throughout the country are 
mandated under this Act to provide free dental healthcare to indigent children. 
SEC. 6. DSWD and DOH Function. - The Department of Social Welfare and 
Development (DSWD) in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) shall be 
the lead agencies in the implementation of this Act. The DSWD shall determine if the 
child is indeed an indigent while the DOH shall coordinate with the implementation 
of the free medical and dental services to indigent children. 
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SEC. 7. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of 
this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its 
enactment into law and thereafter. 
 
SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected 
thereby shall remain in force and effect. 
 
SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decrees or issuance, 
executive orders, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation 
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, 
modified or amended accordingly. 
 
SEC. 10. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the date 
of its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,