Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.____ 
Introduced by Representative MA. VICTORIA CO-PILAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippine Constitution explicitly recognizes the duty of the State to promote and 
protect the right to health of every Filipino, with particular emphasis on vulnerable sectors, 
including senior citizens. Article XIII, Section 11 provides that the State shall adopt an integrated 
and comprehensive approach to health development and prioritize the needs of the 
underprivileged, sick, elderly, and disabled. In line with this constitutional mandate, there is an 
urgent need to strengthen the country’s healthcare system to adequately serve the aging population. 
The Philippines is experiencing a demographic shift. As of the latest data from the 
Philippine Statistics Authority, senior citizens—defined as individuals aged sixty years old and 
above—comprise an increasingly significant portion of the population. Projections suggest that by 
2030, one in every five Filipinos will be a senior citizen. With longer life expectancies come 
complex medical, psychological, and social needs. Unlike younger adults, elderly patients often 
suffer from multiple chronic conditions, experience frailty, cognitive decline, and have distinct 
responses to treatment. However, the existing public health infrastructure remains largely ill-
equipped to meet these age-specific needs. 
Currently, the Dr. Eva Macaraeg-Macapagal National Center for Geriatric Health 
(DEMMNCGH) under the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center is the only government facility 
dedicated solely to geriatric health. Despite its importance, the center remains limited in scope, 
resources, and capacity. It lacks the comprehensive mandate, funding, and institutional 
independence to serve as a national leader in geriatric healthcare and research. Inadequate staffing, 
insufficient facilities, and limited outreach and training programs have prevented it from fulfilling 
its potential as a model for elder care. 
This bill addresses that gap by proposing the conversion of the DEMMNCGH into the 
National Center for Geriatric Health and Research Institute (NCGHRI). Under this proposal, the 
NCGHRI will be placed under the direct supervision of the Department of Health (DOH), and its 
July 24, 2025
4:01 pm
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functions will be expanded to encompass not only hospital-based care but also clinical research, 
professional training, technical assistance, and nationwide coordination of geriatric health services. 
As an apex hospital, it will serve as the highest referral center for elderly patients requiring 
complex or specialized treatment, while also training geriatricians and allied health professionals 
in state-of-the-art practices. 
This measure is a forward-looking and compassionate response to the evolving needs of 
our senior citizens. It is not only about improving healthcare facilities—it is about reaffirming the 
dignity, value, and rights of the elderly. Through the establishment of the NCGHRI, the 
government affirms its commitment to ensure that Filipino senior citizens age with health, care, 
and respect. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought. 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.____ 
Introduced by Representative MA. VICTORIA CO-PILAR 
AN ACT 
1 
CONVERTING THE DR. EVA MACARAEG-MACAPAGAL NATIONAL CENTER 
2 
FOR GERIATRIC HEALTH UNDER THE JOSE R. REYES MEMORIAL MEDICAL 
3 
CENTER AS THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR GERIATRIC HEALTH AND 
4 
RESEARCH INSTITUTE, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND 
5 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR  
6 
7 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in  Congress   
8 
assembled: 
9 
10 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Geriatric Health Act.” 
11 
12 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive 
13 
approach   to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health 
14 
and other social services available to all senior citizens at affordable cost. Priority shall be 
15 
given to underprivileged sick and disabled senior citizens.  
16 
17 
To this end, the State shall protect and promote the right to health of senior citizens by 
18 
ensuring holistic health services through the establishment of a geriatric specialty 
19 
hospital and research institute.  
20 
21 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
22 
23 
(a) Acute care refers to a specialized program that addresses the needs of
24 
hospitalized senior citizens through a multidisciplinary team approach to
25 
prevent functional and cognitive decline;
26 
27 
(b) Apex or end-referral hospital refers to a hospital that offers specialized services as
28 
determined by the Department of Health (DOH) which is contracted as a stand-
29 
alone facility by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation;
30 
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1 
(c) Geriatric health services refer to the medical services or interventions provided 
2 
by a multidisciplinary team to senior citizen patients;  
3 
  
4 
(d) Geriatric medicine or Geriatrics refers to the sub-specialty of internal and family 
5 
medicine that promotes the health of senior citizens, and assesses, diagnoses 
6 
and treats a wide range of conditions, diseases, disabilities, and complexities 
7 
that affect people as they age;  
8 
  
9 
(e) Geriatric palliative care refers to a specialized medical care that focuses on 
10 
providing senior citizens relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious 
11 
illness, regardless of diagnosis or stage of disease provided alongside curative 
12 
and other forms of treatment. It is a field of inter-specialty collaboration that 
13 
responds to the socio-demographic changes and challenges of senior citizens 
14 
with severe and life-limiting conditions;  
15 
  
16 
(f) Geriatric specialty center refers to a unit or department in a DOH hospital that 
17 
offers specialized care to senior citizens, addressing their particular conditions 
18 
and providing specific procedures and management of cases requiring 
19 
specialized training and equipment;  
20 
  
21 
(g) Geriatrician refers to a medical doctor who has passed the necessary training 
22 
and specialty licensure examination for the practice of Geriatric Medicine;   
23 
       
24 
(h) Gerontology refers to the study of the biological, psychological, spiritual, social, 
25 
economic, and demographic aspects of the aging process;   
26 
  
27 
(i) Multidisciplinary team refers to a team composed of health professionals headed 
28 
by a geriatrician and comprised of surgeons, organ-system specialists, nurses, 
29 
clinical pharmacists, rehabilitation therapists, nutritionists, dentists, social 
30 
workers, caregivers, family members and patients;   
31 
  
32 
(j) People-centered service refers to a holistic and humane approach to geriatric care 
33 
that adopts the perspectives of individuals, families, and communities, and 
34 
regards them as participants and beneficiaries of health systems and services;  
35 
  
36 
(k) Senior citizen refers to an elderly Filipino who is at least sixty (60) years old;  
37 
  
38 
(l) Sub-acute care refers to care for patients who no longer require hospitalization, 
39 
but still need skilled medical care through rehabilitative medicine; and  
40 
  
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(m) Transitional care refers to a form of health care in geriatric medicine designed to 
42 
ensure coordination and continuity of care for the safe and effective 
43 
management of both chronic and acute illness in senior citizens as they are 
44 
transferred to different locations or levels  of care.  
45 
  
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SEC. 4. National Center for Geriatric Health and Research Institute. – The Dr. Eva 
1 
Macaraeg-Macapagal National Center for Geriatric Health (DEMMNCGH) under the 
2 
Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center is hereby converted as a national specialty center 
3 
to be known as the National Center for Geriatric Health and Research Institute 
4 
(NCGHRI), and shall be under the direct control and supervision of the DOH.  
5 
  
6 
The conversion of the DEMMNCGH shall be fully realized within a period of five (5) 
7 
years from the effectivity of this Act: Provided, That the DOH shall ensure that services 
8 
shall not be disrupted during the transitory period.  
9 
  
10 
SEC. 5. Scope of Services. – The NCGHRI shall provide the following services:  
11 
  
12 
(a) Hospital-based services to ensure the availability of medical facilities and 
13 
equipment for senior citizens needing acute and sub-acute care, geriatric 
14 
palliative care, outpatient care and transitional care services;  
15 
(b) Specialized clinical, public health, and operations research and training 
16 
programs with a multidisciplinary or multi-center approach;   
17 
(c) Technical assistance and capacity building in the establishment of geriatric 
18 
specialty centers in accordance with Republic Act No. 11959, otherwise known 
19 
as the “Regional Specialty  Centers Act,” and in geriatric health services in all 
20 
government primary health facilities and hospitals under the management of 
21 
local government units (LGUs); and  
22 
(d) Programs and services for the special needs of senior citizens with disabilities.  
23 
  
24 
SEC. 6. Powers and Functions. – To carry out the provisions of this Act, the NCGHRI 
25 
shall have the following powers and functions:  
26 
  
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(a) Serve as an apex hospital or end-referral facility which shall specialize in 
28 
geriatric health services;  
29 
(b) Increase the bed capacity, service capabilities, healthcare facilities, and human 
30 
resource requirements of the NCGHRI based on its hospital and human 
31 
resource development plan subject to the approval of the DOH;  
32 
(c) Provide and maintain people-centered service through an efficient health 
33 
service delivery system for senior citizens;   
34 
(d) Extend medical services to senior citizens in accordance with the National 
35 
Health Insurance Program pursuant to Republic Act No. 11223, otherwise 
36 
known as the “Universal Health Care Act”;  
37 
(e) Provide an integrated and effective approach in the delivery of geriatric health 
38 
service in collaboration with concerned government agencies and stakeholders, 
39 
and LGUs;  
40 
(f) Finance, sponsor, hold or participate in local and international conventions, 
41 
conferences, congresses, seminars, workshops, and training programs on 
42 
geriatric health or related fields;   
43 
(g) Establish a standardized referral system for all geriatric health service;  
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(h) Provide 
higher 
and 
up-to-date 
geriatric 
training 
for 
professionals, 
1 
postgraduates, academics, and allied healthcare providers especially from the 
2 
geriatric specialty centers;  
3 
(i) Conduct cutting edge research studies on diseases related to old age for the 
4 
development of policies, protocols, standards, and solutions for specialized 
5 
health care;   
6 
(j) Publish research studies that shall serve as information resource for the medical 
7 
and research community in coordination with concerned government offices 
8 
and relevant professional organizations;   
9 
(k) Conduct and participate in local and international gerontological research 
10 
activities;  
11 
(l) Conduct capacity and capability assessment of the services provided by the 
12 
NCGHRI;  
13 
(m) Provide consultancy service and technical assistance in the setting of standards 
14 
for   geriatric wards in every tertiary level hospital, nursing home, and 
15 
residential center   catering to the health needs of senior citizens, in consultation 
16 
with the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the 
17 
Department of Science and Technology, the Institute on Aging – National 
18 
Institutes of Health (IA-NIH) under the University of the Philippines, and other 
19 
relevant institutions as may be determined by the NCGHRI;  
20 
(n) Provide fellowship training in geriatric medicine;  
21 
  
22 
(o) Develop and maintain a core information hub on geriatrics and gerontological 
23 
studies in coordination with the concerned offices of the DOH and its attached 
24 
agencies, the IA-NIH, and other relevant institutions as may be determined by 
25 
the NCGHRI;  
26 
(p) Identify and recommend to the DOH possible sites for the relocation of the 
27 
NCGHRI; and  
28 
(q) Study and recommend, in coordination with the Governance Commission for  
29 
Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations, the appropriate steps for 
30 
the formal establishment and incorporation of the NCGHRI in accordance with 
31 
Republic Act  No. 10149, otherwise known as the “GOCC Governance Act of 
32 
2011”: Provided, That the NCGHRI shall remain under the full control and 
33 
supervision of the DOH, unless Congress shall provide otherwise.   
34 
  
35 
SEC. 7. Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern. – The Secretary of the DOH shall    
36 
determine the organizational structure and staffing pattern of the NCGHRI subject to the 
37 
evaluation and approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and in 
38 
compliance with the civil service and other pertinent laws, rules and regulations.  
39 
  
40 
SEC. 8. Categorization of Patients. – The NCGHRI shall enforce a categorization of 
41 
paying and non-paying patients and shall ensure the allocation of beds for indigent 
42 
patients in accordance with existing laws and guidelines.   
43 
  
44 
SEC. 9. Coordination with and Assistance from Other Government Agencies. – The 
45 
NCGHRI    shall coordinate with the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) in 
46 


  
  
the development of its programs and services. It may likewise call upon any department, 
1 
bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the government such as the Philippine 
2 
Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, 
3 
for assistance in the pursuit of the purposes and objectives of this Act.  
4 
  
5 
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall, in coordination with 
6 
the DOH and NCGHRI, provide technical assistance and capacity building in the 
7 
establishment and maintenance of nursing homes and residential care facilities and 
8 
senior citizens’ wards in government hospitals pursuant to Republic Act No. 9994, 
9 
otherwise known as the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.” The Commission on 
10 
Higher Education (CHED) shall, in coordination with the DOH and NCGHRI, provide 
11 
education programs and scholarships to pursue excellence and the highest level of 
12 
quality in the practice of the specialized field of geriatrics and other related fields, 
13 
including postgraduate training and short-term courses for medical doctors and other 
14 
allied medical health professions, in coordination with public or private training 
15 
institutes such as the IA-NIH. The CHED shall also provide education programs in 
16 
geriatrics, and gerontology subjects in undergraduate health and allied professions, 
17 
including training of students, as well as postgraduate medical education of physicians, 
18 
nurses, pharmacists, dentists, social workers, and allied professionals.  
19 
  
20 
SEC. 10. Use of Income. – All income generated from the operations of the NCGHRI shall 
21 
be deposited in an authorized government depository bank and shall be used to augment 
22 
the funds for its maintenance, other operating expenses, and capital outlay requirements, 
23 
subject to the guidelines set by the DOH and the DBM.    
24 
  
25 
SEC. 11. Tax Exemptions. – All donations, endowments, contributions, grants and 
26 
bequests used actually, directly and exclusively for and in accordance with the purposes 
27 
and functions of the NCGHRI shall be exempt from donor’s tax, and the same shall be 
28 
considered as allowable deductions from gross income for purposes of computing the 
29 
taxable income of the donors, in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal 
30 
Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.  
31 
  
32 
The NCGHRI shall be exempt from income tax and customs duty levied by the 
33 
government and its political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities subject to the 
34 
provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended and Republic Act 
35 
No. 10863, otherwise known as the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.”  
36 
  
37 
The NCGHRI shall avail of the tax expenditure subsidy administered by the Fiscal 
38 
Incentives Review Board, subject to the provisions of Title XIII (Tax Incentives) of the 
39 
National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, Executive Order No. 93, as 
40 
amended, and the General Appropriations Act.    
41 
  
42 
SEC. 12. Annual Report. – The NCGHRI shall submit an annual report to the President 
43 
of the Philippines, the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, and the House of 
44 
Representatives Committee on Health, on its activities, accomplishments, and 
45 
recommendations.  
46 


  
  
  
1 
SEC. 13. Transitory Provisions. – To ensure the smooth transition towards the full 
2 
implementation of this Act, the following provisions shall apply:  
3 
  
4 
(a) The buildings and equipment, fixtures and furnishings, other assets and 
5 
liabilities of the DEMMNCGH may be absorbed by the NCGHRI;  
6 
  
7 
(b) The current appropriations of the DEMMNCGH may be absorbed by the 
8 
NCGHRI subject to the rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit;  
9 
(c) The existing officials and employees of DEMMNCGH shall continue to assume 
10 
the duties of their positions until new appointments are issued. They shall be 
11 
placed in the new staffing pattern of the NCGHRI in accordance with Republic 
12 
Act No. 6656, entitled “An Act to Protect the Security of Tenure of Civil Service 
13 
Officers and Employees in the Implementation of Government Reorganization” 
14 
and the rules and regulations governing reorganization. Officials and 
15 
employees, including casual and temporary employees, who may not be 
16 
absorbed in the new staffing pattern due to redundancy shall avail of the 
17 
applicable retirement benefits and separation incentives as provided under 
18 
existing laws: Provided, That officials and employees holding permanent 
19 
appointment shall also be given the option to be transferred to other units or 
20 
offices within the DOH without reduction in rank, status, pay and benefits;  
21 
(d) Research grants acquired by the NCGHRI during the transition shall be utilized 
22 
solely for their intended purposes; and  
23 
(e) Existing contracts and agreements entered into with third parties prior to the 
24 
enactment of this Act shall remain valid.  
25 
  
26 
SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days from the 
27 
effectivity of this Act, the DOH shall, in consultation with the DSWD, CHED, and the 
28 
NCSC, and other concerned agencies, promulgate the rules and regulations necessary 
29 
to carry out the provisions of this Act.    
30 
  
31 
SEC. 15. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act 
32 
shall be charged against the current year’s appropriation of the DOH. Thereafter, the 
33 
funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
34 
  
35 
SEC. 16. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this Act is held invalid or  
36 
unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force 
37 
and effect.  
38 
  
39 
SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations, and other 
40 
issuances or parts thereof which are contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby 
41 
repealed, amended,  or modified accordingly.  
42 
  
43 
SEC. 18. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
44 
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.  
45 


  
  
  
1 
Approved,  
2