Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

3218

House Bill No.

Introduced by Rep. Maria Vanessa C. AUMENTADO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to amend Presidential Decree No. 673 which created the
Philippine Heart Center in Asia by placing branches of Philippine Heart Center
hospital facilities including personnel in the Visayas, particularly, to be located in
Bohol, and in Mindanao, particularly in Davao City. It aims to improve the much
needed medical care and services around the country and not concentrated in Metro
Manila. By establishing the Visayas and Mindanao hospital facilities of the Philippine
Heart Center in the entire Philippines, the delivery of medical care and services will
become closer to the Filipino people. The range of the hospital services will cover
around the country in its entirety not just limiting to the National Capital Region. By
‘expanding the services delivered by the Philippine Heart Center to the rest of the
islands will definitely give hope to every Filipinos whenever situated. If established,
transportation, medical supplies and equipment will not be an ispue anymore as it
will become available within reach

The Philippine Heart Center is a specialty hospital which research center has
the most modern facilities and state of the art equipment for heart and related
diseases in the country. It has gained the reputation as one of the best Congenital
Heart Surgery Center, not only in the Philippines, but in the ASEAN Region as well
In this regard, this important comprehensive health care must not only be found in
one location but must be located in at least three (3) hospital facilities nationwide so
as to give the Filipinos the necessary health care it deserves. Presently, the
population of the Filipino people is one hundred billion (107) billion and still
increasing.

Thus, the government must ensure that the Filipinos should be given specialty
hospitals (level 3) and that this should be widely distributed geographically
throughout and across the country being an archipelagic state, instead of
concentrating it in the National Capital Region


To support this proposal, the 1987 Philippine Constitution particularly Section
15, Art. Il and Sec.11, Art. XIll provides that “the State protect and promote the right
to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them” and that “the
State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development
which shall endeavour 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 under-privileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children. The State shall
endeavour to provide free medical care to paupers."

Accordingly, it is for the best interest of the Filipino people to ensure that the
problems besetting the present system of a central delivery of medical and health
services of the Philippine Heart Center in the National Capital Region should be
addressed. By establishing Philippine Heart Center hospital facilities in the Visayas
and Mindanao, it will address the needs of the its less fortunate inhabitants on the
burden of travelling to the National Capital Region as well as the expenses that
might be defrayed from it

The President mentioned establishing of specialty hospitals in the entire
country during his first SONA. Services of the Philippine Heart Center hospital is
much needed by the citizenry in all areas of the archipelago. Worth mentioning is
that this bill has been filed during the 18" Congress. Hence, immediate passage of
this bill is therefore, earnestly sought.

MARIA VANESSA C. AUMENTADO
Representative, 2" District of Bohol


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

3218

House Bill No.

Introduced by Rep. Maria Vanessa C. Aumentado

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING PHILIPPINE HEART CENTERS IN BOHOL FOR VISAYAS AND
DAVAO CITY FOR MINDANAO AMENDING SECTIONS 1 AND 8 OF
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 673, ENTITLED: AN ACT CREATING THE
PHILIPPINE HEART CENTER FOR ASIA, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES,

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

SECTION 1. Section 1 of Presidential Decree No. 673, is hereby amended to
read as follows:

Section 1. Creation of the Philippine Heart Center; Board of
Trustees. There is hereby created a trust, for the benefit primarily of the
Filipino people, under the name and style of “Philippine Heart Center for
Asia” hereinafter referred to as the Philippine Heart Center.

a. The Philippine Heart Center SHALL ESTABLISH AND
MAINTAIN THREE (3) HOSPITAL FACILITIES IN THE
PHILIPPINES, NAMELY: ONE (1) FOR LUZON WHICH
SHALL BE LOCATED IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
REGION, ONE FOR VISAYAS LOCATED IN BOHOL, AND
ONE FOR MINDANAO LOCATED IN DAVAO CITY.

b. The Philippine Heart Center shall be administered by a Board
of Trustees, composed of seven (7) members, to be appointed
by the President of the Philippines WHO SHALL BE THE
GOVERNING BOARD OF ALL THE HOSPITAL FACILITIES
OF THE PHILIPPINE HEART CENTERS WHEREVER THEY
ARE SITUATED.


c. The EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR shall be appointed by the
President of the Republic upon the recommendation of the
Board of Trustees.

d. ALL HOSPITAL FACILITIES OF THE PHILIPPINE HEART
CENTER SHALL BE HEADED BY HOSPITAL DIRECTORS
APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES UPON THE
RECOMMENDATION OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR
A PERIOD OF SIX (6) YEARS ON THE BASIS OF SEARCH
PROCESS TO BE DETERMINED BY THE BOARD. THE
HOSPITAL DIRECTORS SHALL BE UNDER THE DIRECT
SUPERVISION OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

The six appointive members of the Board of Trustees shall serve
without compensation for a period of four (4) years and until their successors
shall have been appointed and qualified. Any vacancy in the Board shall be
filled by appointment by the President of the Philippines, and the appointee
shall serve for the unexpired term. The Board of Trustees of the Philippine
Heart Center shall elect a Chairman from among themselves, who shall be
presiding officer of the Board of Trustees.

The EXECUTIVE Director of the Philippine Heart Center shall serve as
Vice-Chairman of the Board. The EXECUTIVE Director shall act as the chief
executive officer of the Philippine Heart Center, with authority, among others,
to appoint, remove, and fix the compensation of the personnel thereof, subject
to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Sec. 2. Section 8 of Presidential Decree No. 673 is hereby amended to
read as follows:

Sec. 8. Government Contribution. The amount of P10,000,000.00 is
hereby appropriated as contributions of the National Government for the initial
operations and maintenance of the Philippine Heart Center. THE SUM
AMOUNT OF ONE BILLION (P1,000,000,000.00) PESOS SHALL BE
APPROPRIATED FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ALL
THE HOSPITAL FACILITIES OF THE PHILIPPINE HEART CENTER,
INCLUDING THE LAND ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION, AND THE
ACQUISITION OF HOSPITAL EQUIPMENTS, FURNITURES, FIXTURES,
AND PERSONNEL SERVICES. Thereafter, the necessary amount to support
the continued operation and maintenance of the Philippine Heart Center shall
be appropriated IN THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR
THE CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT and released, subject
to the approval of the President.

Sec. 3. - Separability Clause. - |f, for any reason, any part or provision of
this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining provisions hereof which
are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.


Sec. 4. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and
regulations or portions thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Sec. 5. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,