Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) suffer from many
physical limitations due to their illness. As the condition is chronic, CKD
patients are further burdened financially by high costs of maintenance
medicines and dialysis treatments. Failure to receive treatment results in
the decline of their physical and mental health. Aside from this, patients
diagnosed with CKD, especially in the more advanced stages, face daily
difficulties leading normal lives, including maintaining their jobs.
At present, persons diagnosed with chronic kidney disease still do not fall
within the definition of persons with disabilities (PWDs) afforded with
privileges under RA 7277 or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability as
amended by RA 10754. This is because CKD is still categorized merely as a
chronic disease and not a disability.
Undoubtedly, CKD patients suffer similar troubles with PWDs and the
legislature has the moral duty to help alleviate their suffering by granting
them privileges and benefits to help them meet their basic needs.
It is for the foregoing premises that the approval of this Bill is
earnestly sought.
ALFRED C. DELOS SANTOS
Representative, Ang Probinsyano Party-List
September 23, 2022
2:17 pm
5136


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
AN ACT
MANDATING THAT PATIENTS DIAGNOSED 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 the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of
the State to protect and promote the right of the people to health, instill
health awareness among them, and to make available and accessible
essential goods, medicines, health care and other social services to all
citizens at affordable cost.
SECTION
2.
Disability
Benefits
to Persons with Chronic Kidney
Disease. – Persons with Chronic Kidney Disease shall be entitled to the
same benefits granted to Persons With Disability such as, but not limited to:
a) At least twenty percent (20%) discount and exemption from the
value-added tax (VAT), if applicable, on the following sale of goods and
services for the exclusive use and enjoyment or availment of the PWD:
1) On the fees and charges relative to the utilization of all services
in hotels and similar lodging establishments; restaurants and
recreation centers;
2) On admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses, concert
halls, circuses, carnivals and other similar places of culture,
leisure and amusement;
3) On the purchase of medicines in all drugstores;
4) On medical and dental services including diagnostic and
laboratory fees such as, but not limited to, x-rays, computerized
tomography scans and blood tests, and professional fees of
attending doctors in all government facilities, subject to the
guidelines to be issued by the Department of Health (DOH), in
5136


coordination with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation
(PhilHealth);
5) On medical and dental services including diagnostic and
laboratory fees, and professional fees of attending doctors in all
private hospitals and medical facilities, in accordance with the
rules and regulations to be issued by the DOH, in coordination
with the PhilHealth;
6) On fare for domestic air and sea travel;
7) On actual fare for land transportation travel such as, but not
limited to, public utility buses or jeepneys (PUBs/PUJs), taxis,
asian utility vehicles (AUVs), shuttle services and public
railways, including light Rail Transit (LRT), Metro Rail Transit
(MRT) and Philippine National Railways (PNR); and
8) On funeral and burial services for the death of the PWD:
Provided, That the beneficiary or any person who shall shoulder
the funeral and burial expenses of the deceased PWD shall
claim the discount under this rule for the deceased PWD upon
presentation of the death certificate. Such expenses shall cover
the purchase of casket or urn, embalming, hospital morgue,
transport of the body to intended burial site in the place of
origin, but shall exclude obituary publication and the cost of the
memorial lot.
b) Educational
assistance
to
PWD,
for
them
to
pursue
primary,
secondary, tertiary, post tertiary, as well as vocational or technical
education, in both public and private schools, through the provision of
scholarships, grants, financial aids, subsidies and other incentives to
qualified PWD, including support for books, learning materials, and
uniform allowance to the extent feasible: Provided, That the PWD shall
meet the minimum admission requirements;
c) To the extent practicable and feasible, the continuance of the same
benefits and privileges given by the Government Service Insurance
System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS), and Pag-IBIG, as the
case may be, as are enjoyed by those in actual service;
d) To the extent possible, the government may grant special discounts in
special programs for PWDS on purchase of basic commodities, subject
to the guidelines to be issued for the purpose by the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA); and
e) Provision of express lanes for PWD in all commercial and government
establishments; in the absence thereof, priority shall be given to them.
The abovementioned privileges shall be available only to PWDs including
patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) who are Filipino citizens upon
submission of any of the following proof of his/her entitlement thereto:
1) An identification card issued by the city or municipal mayor or
the barangay captain of the place where the PWD resides;
2) The passport of the PWD concerned; or


3) Transportation discount fare Identification Card (ID) issued by
the
National
Council
for
the
Welfare
of
Disabled
Persons
(NCWDP).
The privileges may not be claimed if the PWD claims a higher discount as
may be granted by the commercial establishment and/or under other
existing laws or in combination with other discount program/s.
The establishments may claim the discounts granted in subsection (a),
paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (5), (6), (7), and (8) as tax deductions based on the
net cost of the goods sold or services rendered: Provided, however, That the
cost of the discount shall be allowed as deduction from the gross income for
the same taxable year that the discount is granted: Provided, further, That
the total amount of the claimed tax deduction net of value-added tax, if
applicable, shall be included in their gross sales receipts for tax purposes
and shall be subject to documentation and to the provisions of the National
Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), as amended.
SECTION 3. Discounted Dialysis Sessions for All Patients Diagnosed
With CKD, Except Those Diagnosed With End-Stage Renal Disease – Patients
diagnosed with CKD, to the exclusion of those diagnosed with end-stage
renal disease or CKD5, shall be entitled to at least twenty (20) percent
discount on the cost of the needed hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and
other Department of Health (DOH) approved dialysis procedure, provided
such
treatment
is
availed
of
at
PhilHealth
accredited
hospitals
and
freestanding dialysis centers. Provided further, that only those procedures
that use the dialysis solutions included in the latest edition of the Philippine
National Drug Formulary (PNDF) shall be discounted and reimbursed by the
PhilHealth. Provided finally, that only laboratory procedures and supplies
considered necessary shall be discounted.
The accredited hospitals and freestanding dialysis centers granting the
above discount may claim reimbursement of total discounts granted to CKD
patients from PhilHealth.
SECTION 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). – The National
Council
for
Disability
Affairs
(NCDA),
in
coordination
with
relevant
government
agencies,
shall
issue
rules,
regulations,
and
guidelines
necessary to carry out the implementation and purposes of this Act within
six (6) months from date of effectivity.
SECTION 5. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act shall be
declared unconstitutional or invalid, such declaration shall not invalidate
other parts thereof which shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION
6.
Repealing
Clause.
–
All
laws,
executive
orders,
presidential decrees or issuances, letters of instruction, administrative


orders, rules, and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions
of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.
Approved,