Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

oie:

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS ime
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. _ 7283

Introduced by Rep. Dale “Along” R. Malapitan

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to rename the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital located
in Tala, Caloocan City as Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Medical Center, with
corresponding mandate for the upgrading of its existing service capabilities
and professional health care services, and an increase in the number of
medical staff.

The Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital (DJNRMH) was established in
1940 originally as the CENTRAL LUZON SANITARIUM purposely for the
treatment of patients with leprosy, a chronic infectious disease which had
spread in the country to a critical level in the 1930's.

Premised on the extreme necessity to control the growing cases of leprosy
then, Commonwealth Act No. 161 was enacted into law which mandates the
establishment of leper colonies in Manila, Cagayan Valley and Ilocos Region
designed for the segregation and treatment of leprosy patients. Thus, in 1938,
an eight hundred eight (808) hectares of land which is part of the Tala Estate
in Caloocan was acquired for the CENTRAL LUZON SANITARIUM and
declared the same as reservation and resettlement area for hansenites and
their immediate families.

In 1975, due to exigencies existing at that time, some wards of the hospital
were opened to admit non-leprosy patients. Meanwhile, in 1980, Dr. Jose
Natalio Rodriguez, a renowned Filipino leprologist and researcher, and the
first director of the Central Luzon Sanitarium, passed away, leaving a wealth
of legacy of hard work for the treatment of leprosy. On the same year, in fitting
recognition for his invaluable services that span fifty three years all devoted
to the control of leprosy, then President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Batas
Pambansa Blg. 94 renaming the Central Luzon Sanitarium as DR. JOSE N.
RODRIGUEZ MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.

By 1990, a progressive expansion of services was effected by the hospital in
order to meet the growing medical needs of the general public, concomitant
with the leprosy treatment and control responsibilities of the institution. A
re-direction of the sanitarium became imperative in 1993 which officially led
to the delivery of medical services even to Non-Hansen patients.


In 2007, premised on the growing number of in-patients and out-patients
needing tertiary health care, Republic Act No. 9420 was passed into law
converting two hundred (200) beds of the 2,000-bed Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez
Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium for tertiary general health care. The
following year, the implementing rules and regulations therefor was issued by
the Department of Health through DOH Administrative Order 2008-0032.

‘The year 2014 signaled the start of the journey of the DJNRMH towards
Quality Management System certifiable to ISO 9001:2008 which it eventually
received from Certification International Philippines, Inc. in July 6, 2015. In
September 2017, it was initially recommended for certification of its Quality
Management System to ISO 9001:2015 and got its certification on the same
year which was recertified valid for three (3) years until July 15, 2021.

On the following year, in December 2018, the DJNRMH was given by the
Department of Health the license to function as a Level III General Hospital,
thereby upgrading the hospital to a teaching and training medical center.

And finally, in April 12, 2019, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed into law
Republic Act No.11286 which further increase the bed capacity for tertiary
health care of the DJNRMH from two hundred (200) to eight Hundred (800)
bed capacity.

This proposed legislation which seeks to rename the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez
Memorial Hospital as Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Medical Center is a fitting
recognition of its development from a single-purpose hospital to a
multifunction health facility and aims to give it the right designation that
synch well with its current level as a teaching and training medical center.

Thus, premised on the foregoing, the immediate consideration and approval
of this bill is earnestly recommended.

HON. DALE “ALONG” 4 MALAPITAN


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 7883 __

Introduced by Rep. Dale “Along” R. Malapitan

AN ACT
RENAMING THE DR. JOSE N. RODRIGUEZ MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN THE
CITY OF CALOOCAN INTO DR. JOSE N. RODRIGUEZ MEDICAL CENTER,
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 94, ENTITLED “AN ACT RENAMING
THE CENTRAL LUZON SANITARIUM AT TALA, CITY OF CALOOCAN, AS
DR. JOSE N. RODRIGUEZ MEMORIAL HOSPITAL”

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

SECTION 1. The Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in the City of
Caloocan is hereby renamed as Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Medical Center.

SEC. 2. The existing service capability, professional health care services
and medical staff complement of Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital are
hereby upgraded and increased to correspond with the requirements of the
medical center.

SEC. 3. The increase in the service capability, professional health care
services and bed capacity shall conform to the hospital development plan of the
medical center.

SEC. 4. The Secretary of Health shall immediately include in the
Department's programs the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 5. Section 1 of Batas Pambansa Big. 94, entitled “An Act Renaming
the Central Luzon Sanitarium at Tala, City of Caloocan, as Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez
Memorial Hospital” is hereby amended accordingly.

SEC. 6. Within ninety (90) days from the approval of this Act, the
Secretary of Health shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Budget and
Management, promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the effective
implementation of this Act.

SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,