Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
Introduced by Representative TEODORICO “NONONG” T. HARESCO, JR. 
AN ACT 
CONVERTING THE IBAJAY DISTRICT HOSPITAL IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF IBAJAY, 
PROVINCE OF AKLAN INTO A TWO-HUNDRED BED CAPACITY HOSPITAL TO BE 
KNOWN AS THE WESTERN AKLAN GENERAL HOSPITAL, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall protect and 
promote the right to health o the Filipino people and instill health consciousness among them. 
The Ibajay District Hospital was established under Republic Act No. 2759 on June 19, 
1960 with a bed capacity of twenty-five (25). From a remodeled Puericulture Center Building 
near the town hall of the Municipality of Ibajay where it was housed, it opened its doors to the 
public on March 1963 as Ibajay Emergency Hospital, catering to out-patients only. In June 
1963, with the filling up of the required number of personnel, the former Ibajay Emergency 
Hospital started admitting patients. Ten years later, sometime in 1974, the hospital was 
transferred to its present location at Barangay Agbajo, Ibajay, Aklan, along the national 
highway, just a kilometer west from its former site. The Ibajay Emergency Hospital was later 
renamed as Ibajay District Hospital in the early 1980's, serving also the other towns in the 
western district of Aklan Province. 
With the implementation of the Local Government Code of 1991, the administration and 
supervision of the Ibajay District Hospital were devolved to the local government unit of the 
Province of Aklan in January 1993. Prior to the devolution, Ibajay District Hospital operated as 
a twenty-five (25) bed Level II hospital. However, Ibajay District Hospital's licensing category 
was downgraded to level I a year after the devolution to the Province of Aklan. 
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The Ibajay District Hospital is the Core Referral Hospital of five (5) municipalities in 
the newly-created Second (2nd) District of Aklan Province, namely Tangalan, Ibajay, Nabas, 
Malay, and Buruanga with a catchment population of 179,891 based on the 2015 census. It also 
serves the residents of the five (5) barangays of the neighboring town of Pandan, Antique. 
Hence, there is an urgent demand to improve the health care services of the Ibajay District 
Hospital by converting it into the Western Aklan General Hospital and increasing its authorized 
bed capacity to two hundred (200), to meet the increasing medical needs of our beloved 
Aklanons. 
 
In the view of the foregoing, immediate passing of this bill is earnestly sought for. 
 
 
TEODORICO T. HARESCO, JR


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
 REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
Introduced by Representative TEODORICO “NONONG” T. HARESCO, JR. 
AN ACT 
CONVERTING THE IBAJAY DISTRICT HOSPITAL IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF IBAJAY, 
PROVINCE OF AKLAN INTO A TWO-HUNDRED BED CAPACITY HOSPITAL TO BE 
KNOWN AS THE WESTERN AKLAN GENERAL HOSPITAL, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the "Western Aklan General Hospital."
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SECTION 2. The Ibajay District Hospital shall be converted and renamed into 
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the Western Aklan General Hospital, with its authorized bed capacity to be 
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increased from twenty-five (25) to two hundred (200), which shall be 
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implemented for a period of not more than three (3) years from the approval 
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of this Act. 
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SECTION 3. The amount necessary for the establishment and initial 
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operation, including the acquisition of additional personnel, medical 
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equipment and facilities, and the construction of needed infrastructure of the 
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Western Aklan General Hospital shall be included by the Secretary of Health 
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in the Department of Health's projects and programs proportional to the 
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successful establishment, manning, provisioning and equipping of the 
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Western Aklan General Hospital, with the initial appropriation to be charged 
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against the current year's appropriations and thereafter, such sums as may 
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be necessary for its continued operations shall be included in the annual 
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General Appropriations Act. 
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SECTION 4. All laws, presidential decrees, letters of instruction, rules and 
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regulations that are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
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accordingly. 
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SECTION 5. Should any provision of this Act or any part thereof be declared 
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invalid, the other provisions, so far as they are separable from the invalid 
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ones, shall remain in force and in effect. 
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SECTION 6. All laws, decrees, orders, proclamations, rules and regulations 
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or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, 
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amended, or modified accordingly. 
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SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the 
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Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved,  
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