Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
______________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative Mercedes K. Alvarez 
______________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to petition that persons diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) at any 
stage be considered as a person with disability (PWD), and that they be entitled to receive PWD 
benefits as well. 
The burden of disability in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is high and is associated with 
disability across a wide range of pathophysiological manifestations of CKD which likely limit 
working, physical activities and activities of daily living (ADL) caused by mental and physical 
declines. Hence, CKD patients deserve no less than the privileges granted to other PWDs. 
Currently, the National Council for Disability Affairs have yet to categorize CKD as a disability 
as they categorize CKD as merely a chronic illness or disease. However, it is clear thar the 
association of disability with CKD is generally attributable to comorbid conditions, medications, 
dialysis, and even associated depression especially as the disease process progresses.  
The debilitating complications of CKD entail enormous costs not only to the individual but also 
to his or her family. This condition causes limitations that can keep one from working. Disability 
benefits granted unto them will relieve them from such financial burden.   
MERCEDES K. ALVAREZ, MNSA 
July 19, 2022
3:58 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
______________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative MERCEDES K. ALVAREZ 
______________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT MANDATING THAT PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE BE 
GIVEN THE SAME PRIVILEGES AS PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (PWD), AND 
FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. DECLARATION OF POLICY – It is the declared policy of the State to 
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protect and promote the right to health of the people, instill health awareness among them, to 
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make available essential goods, health and other social services to all citizens at affordable cost 
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and to deliver medical care to indigents free of charge. 
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SEC 2. DISABILITY BENEFITS TO PERSONS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY 
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DISEASE – Persons with Chronic Kidney Disease shall be entitled to the same benefits granted 
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to Persons With Disability such as, but not limited to,: 
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(a) At least twenty percent (20%) discount and exemption from the value-added tax
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(VAT), if applicable, on the following sale of goods and services for the exclusive use and 
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enjoyment or availment of the PWD: 
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(1) On the fees and charges relative to the utilization of all services in hotels and
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similar lodging establishments; restaurants and recreation centers; 
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(2) On admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses,
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carnivals and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement; 
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(3) On the purchase of medicines in all drugstores;
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(4) On medical and dental services including diagnostic and laboratory fees such
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as, but not limited to, x-rays, computerized tomography scans and blood tests, and 
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professional fees of attending doctors in all government facilities, subject to the 
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guidelines to be issued by the Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with 
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the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth); 
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(5) On medical and dental services including diagnostic and laboratory fees, and 
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professional fees of attending doctors in all private hospitals and medical 
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facilities, in accordance with the rules and regulations to be issued by the DOH, in 
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coordination with the PhilHealth; 
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(6) On fare for domestic air and sea travel; 
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(7) On actual fare for land transportation travel such as, but not limited to, public 
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utility buses or jeepneys (PUBs/PUJs), taxis, asian utility vehicles (AUVs), 
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shuttle services and public railways, including light Rail Transit (LRT), Metro 
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Rail Transit (MRT) and Philippine National Railways (PNR); and 
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(8) On funeral and burial services for the death of the PWD: Provided, That the 
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beneficiary or any person who shall shoulder the funeral and burial expenses of 
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the deceased PWD shall claim the discount under this rule for the deceased PWD 
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upon presentation of the death certificate. Such expenses shall cover the purchase 
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of casket or urn, embalming, hospital morgue, transport of the body to intended 
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burial site in the place of origin, but shall exclude obituary publication and the 
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cost of the memorial lot. 
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(b) Educational assistance to PWD, for them to pursue primary, secondary, tertiary, post 
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tertiary, as well as vocational or technical education, in both public and private schools, through 
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the provision of scholarships, grants, financial aids, subsidies and other incentives to qualified 
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PWD, including support for books, learning materials, and uniform allowance to the extent 
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feasible: Provided, That PWD shall meet the minimum admission requirements; 
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(c) To the extent practicable and feasible, the continuance of the same benefits and 
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privileges given by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System 
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(SSS), and Pag-IBIG, as the case may be, as are enjoyed by those in actual service; 
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(d) To the extent possible, the government may grant special discounts in special 
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programs for PWD on purchase of basic commodities, subject to the guidelines to be issued for 
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the purpose by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture 
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(DA); and 
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(e) Provision of express lanes for PWD in all commercial and government 
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establishments; in the absence thereof, priority shall be given to them. 
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The abovementioned privileges are available only to PWD inclduing patients with Chronic 
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Kidney Disease (CKD) jwho are Filipino citizens upon submission of any of the following as 
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proof of his/her entitlement thereto: 
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(i) An identification card issued by the city or municipal mayor or the barangay 
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captain of the place where the PWD resides; 
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(ii) The passport of the PWD concerned; or 
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(iii) Transportation discount fare Identification Card (ID) issued by the National 
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Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP). 
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jThe privileges may not be claimed if the PWD claims a higher discount as may be granted by 
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the commercial establishment and/or under other existing laws or in combination with other 
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discount program/s. 
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The establishments may claim the discounts granted in subsection (a), paragraphs (1), (2), (3), 
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(5), (6), (7), and (8) as tax deductions based on the net cost of the goods sold or services 
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rendered: Provided, however, That the cost of the discount shall be allowed as deduction from 
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the gross income for the same taxable year that the discount is granted: Provided, further, That 
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the total amount of the claimed tax deduction net of value-added tax, if applicable, shall be 
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included in their gross sales receipts for tax purposes and shall be subject to proper 
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documentation and to the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), as 
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amended. 
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SEC 3. IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS. – The Department of 
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Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in consultation with the Department of Health 
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(DOH), the Department of Finance (DOF), and the National Council on Disability Affairs 
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(NCDA), shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation 
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of the provisions of this Act: Provided, That the failure of the concerned agencies to promulgate 
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the said rules and regulations shall not prevent the implementation of this Act upon its 
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effectivity. 
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SEC 4. REPEALING CLAUSE. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
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regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
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modified accordingly. 
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SEC 5. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE. – If, for any reason, any section or provision of 
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this Act is held unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof shall not be 
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affected thereby. 
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SEC 6. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE. – This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
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from its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general 
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circulation whichever comes earlier. 
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Approved,