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

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 43 0

Introduced by REP. RODOLFO “OMPONG” M. ORDANES

AN ACT
CONVERTING THE DR. EVA MACARAEG-MACAPAGAL NATIONAL
CENTER FOR GERIATRIC HEALTH UNDER THE JOSE R. REYES MEMORIAL
MEDICAL CENTER AS THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR GERIATRIC HEALTH
AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS,
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Filipino elderly population is growing at an unprecedented rate. As life
expectancy increases and healthcare improves, more Filipinos enter their senior years.
However, this demographic shift brings with it increasing challenges, particularly in
ensuring that our health systems are responsive to the specific and often complex

needs of senior citizens.

Despite existing laws such as Republic Act No. 9994 or the “Expanded Senior Citizens
Act of 2010,” there remains a gap in institutionalized and specialized geriatric care.
The current healthcare infrastructure lacks the dedicated facilities, trained specialists,
and integrated services necessary to address the biological, psychological, and social
aspects of the aged population.

As such, this bills seeks to address this critical need by converting the Dr. Eva
Macaraeg-Macapagal National Center for Geriatric Health into the National Center
for Geriatric Health and Research Institute (NCGHRI) under the direct control and


supervision of the Department of Health. This transformation is envisioned to elevate
the delivery of geriatric health services in the country through expanded hospital
capacity, a multidisciplinary approach to senior health, cutting-edge research, and
capacity-building for future geriatric healthcare professionals.

The bill also establishes the NCGHRI as a national apex hospital for geriatric care and
empowers it to coordinate with national and local government agencies, research
institutions, and medical schools to build a robust and sustainable framework for
elderly healthcare.

This landmark measure was approved on Third and Final Reading in the House of
Representatives and has been formally transmitted to the Senate in the 19 Congress,
which reflects the unwavering commitment to uphold the rights and dignity of

Filipino senior citizens through responsive and specialized healthcare interventions.

In view of the urgent need to institutionalize geriatric care and prepare for the aging

Filipino society, the immediate enactment of this measure is earnestly sought.

RODOLFO “OMPO! M. ORDANES


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

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 430

Introduced by REP. RODOLFO “OMPONG” M. ORDANES

AN ACT
CONVERTING THE DR. EVA MACARAEG-MACAPAGAL NATIONAL
CENTER FOR GERIATRIC HEALTH UNDER THE JOSE R. REYES MEMORIAL
MEDICAL CENTER AS THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR GERIATRIC HEALTH
AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS,
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. ~ This Act shall be known as the “Geriatric Health Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall adopt an integrated and
comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make
essential goods, health and other social services available to all senior citizens at
affordable cost. Priority shall be given to underprivileged sick and disabled senior
citizens.

To this end, the State shall protect and promote the right to health of senior
citizens by ensuring holistic health services through the establishment of a geriatric
specialty hospital and research institute.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:

(a) Acute care refers to a specialized program that addresses the needs of

hospitalized senior citizens through a multidisciplinary team approach to
prevent functional and cognitive decline;


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(b) Apex or end-referral hospital refers to a hospital that offers specialized services
as determined by the Department of Health (DOH) which is contracted as a
stand-alone facility by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation;

(©) Geriatric health services refer to the medical services or interventions
provided by a multidisciplinary team to senior citizen patients;

(d) Geriatric medicine or Geriatrics refers to the sub-specialty of internal and
family medicine that promotes the health of senior citizens, and assesses,
diagnoses and treats a wide range of conditions, diseases, disabilities, and
complexities that affect people as they age;

(€) Geriatric palliative care refers to a specialized medical care that focuses on
providing senior citizens relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious
illness, regardless of diagnosis or stage of disease provided alongside
curative and other forms of treatment. It is a field of inter-specialty
collaboration that responds to the socio-demographic changes and
challenges of senior citizens with severe and life-limiting conditions;

(f) Geriatric specialty center refers to a unit or department in a DOH hospital that
offers specialized care to senior citizens, addressing their particular
conditions and providing specific procedures and management of cases
requiring specialized training and equipment;

(g) Geriatrician refers to a medical doctor who has passed the necessary training
and specialty licensure examination for the practice of Geriatric Medicine;

(h) Gerontology refers to the study of the biological, psychological, spiritual,
social, economic, and demographic aspects of the aging process;

(i

Multidisciplinary team refers to a team composed of health professionals
headed by a geriatrician and comprised of surgeons, organ-system
specialists, nurses, clinical pharmacists, rehabilitation therapists,
nutritionists, dentists, social workers, caregivers, family members and
patients;

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People-centered service refers to a holistic and humane approach to geriatric
care that adopts the perspectives of individuals, families, and communities,
and regards them as participants and beneficiaries of health systems and

services;


(k) Senior citizen refers to an elderly Filipino who is at least sixty (60) years old;

() Sub-acute care refers to care for patients who no longer require
hospitalization, but still need skilled medical care through rehabilitative
medicine; and;

(m) Transitional care refers to a form of health care in geriatric medicine
designed to ensure coordination and continuity of care for the safe and
effective management of both chronic and acute illness in senior citizens as
they are transferred to different locations or levels of care.

SEC. 4. National Center for Geriatric Health and Research Institute. ~ The Dr.

Eva Macaraeg- Macapagal National Center for Geriatric Health (DEMMNCGH) under
the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center is hereby converted as a national specialty
center to be known as the National Center for Geriatric Health and Research Institute
(NCGHRI), and shall be under the direct control and supervision of the DOH.

The conversion of the DEMMNCGH shall be fully realized within a period of
five (5) years from the effectivity of this Act: Provided, That the DOH shall ensure that
services shall not be disrupted during the transitory period.

SEC. 5. Scope of Services. ~ The NCGHRI shall provide the following services:

(a) Hospital-based services to ensure the availability of medical facilities
and equipment for senior citizens needing acute and sub-acute care,
geriatric palliative care, outpatient care and transitional care services;

(b) Specialized clinical, public health, and operations research and training
programs with a multidisciplinary or multi-center approach;

(©) Technical assistance and capacity building in the establishment of
geriatric specialty centers in accordance with Republic Act No. 11959,
otherwise known as the “Regional Specialty Centers Act,” and in
geriatric health services in all government primary health facilities and
hospitals under the management of local government units (LGUs); and

(d) Programs and services for the special needs of senior citizens with
disabilities.

SEC. 6. Powers and Functions. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, the
NCGHRI shalll have the following powers and functions:


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(a) Serve as an apex hospital or end-referral facility which shall specialize in
geriatric health services;

(b) Increase the bed capacity, service capabilities, healthcare facilities, and human
resource requirements of the NCGHRI based on its hospital and human
resource development plan subject to the approval of the DOH;

(©) Provide and maintain people-centered service through an efficient health
service delivery system for senior citizens;

(d) Extend medical services to senior citizens in accordance with the National
Health Insurance Program pursuant to Republic Act No. 11223, otherwise
known as the “Universal Health Care Act”;

(e) Provide an integrated and effective approach in the delivery of geriatric health
service in collaboration with concerned government agencies and stakeholders,
and LGUs;

(6 Finance, sponsor, hold or participate in local and international conventions,
conferences, congresses, seminars, workshops, and training programs on
geriatric health or related

(g) fields;

(h) Establish a standardized referral system for all geriatric health service;

(i) Provide higher and up-to-date geriatric training for professionals,
postgraduates, academics, and allied healthcare providers especially from the
geriatric specialty centers;

@) Conduct cutting edge research studies on diseases related to old age for the
development of policies, protocols, standards, and solutions for specialized
health care;

(k) Publish research studies that shall serve as information resource for the medical
and research community in coordination with concerned government offices
and relevant professional organizations;

(1) Conduct and participate in local and international gerontological research
activities;

(m) Conduct capacity and capability assessment of the services provided by
the NCGHRI;


(n) Provide consultancy service and technical assistance in the setting of standards
for geriatric wards in every tertiary level hospital, nursing home, and
residential center catering to the health needs of senior citizens, in consultation
with the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the
Department of Science and Technology, the Institute on Aging - National
Institutes of Health (IA-NIH) under the University of the Philippines, and other
relevant institutions as may be determined by the NCGHRI;

(0) Provide fellowship training in geriatric medicine;

(p) Develop and maintain a core information hub on geriatrics and gerontological
studies in coordination with the concerned offices of the DOH and its attached
agencies, the [A-NIH, and other relevant institutions as may be determined by
the NCGHRI;

(q) Identify and recommend to the DOH possible sites for the relocation of the
NCGHRI; and

(®) Study and recommend, in coordination with the Governance Commission for
Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations, the appropriate steps for
the formal establishment and incorporation of the NCGHRI in accordance with
Republic Act No. 10149, otherwise known as the “GOCC Governance Act of
2011”: Provided, That the NCGHRI shall remain under the full control and
supervision of the DOH, unless Congress shall provide otherwise.

SEC. 7. Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern. - The Secretary of the
DOH shall determine the organizational structure and staffing pattern of the NCGHRI
subject to the evaluation and approval of the Department of Budget and Management
(DBM) and in compliance with the civil service and other pertinent laws, rules and
regulations.

SEC. 8. Categorization of Patients. - The NCGHRI shall enforce a
categorization of paying and non-paying patients and shall ensure the allocation of
beds for indigent patients in accordance with existing laws and guidelines.

SEC. 9. Coordination with and Assistance from Other Government Agencies. -
The NCGHRI shall coordinate with the National Commission of Senior Citizens
(NCSC) in the development of its programs and services. It may likewise call upon

any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the government such as


the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Philippine Amusement and
Gaming Corporation, for assistance in the pursuit of the purposes and objectives of
this Act. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall, in
coordination with the DOH and NCGHRI, provide technical assistance and capacity
building in the establishment and maintenance of nursing homes and residential care
facilities and senior citizens’ wards in government hospitals pursuant to Republic Act
No. 9994, otherwise known as the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.”

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall, in coordination with the

DOH and NCGHRI, provide education programs and scholarships to pursue
excellence and the highest level of quality in the practice of the specialized field of
geriatrics and other related fields, including postgraduate training and short-term
courses for medical doctors and other allied medical health professions, in
coordination with public or private training institutes such as the [A-NIH. The CHED
shall also provide education programs in geriatrics, and gerontology subjects in
undergraduate health and allied professions, including training of students, as well as
postgraduate medical education of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, social
workers, and allied professionals.

SEC. 10. Use of Income. - All income generated from the operations of the
NCGHRI shall be deposited in an authorized government depository bank and shall
be used to augment the funds for its maintenance, other operating expenses, and
capital outlay requirements, subject to the guidelines set by the DOH and the DBM.

SEC. 11. Tax Exemptions. - All donations, endowments, contributions, grants
and bequests used actually, directly and exclusively for and in accordance with the
purposes and functions of the NCGHRI shall be exempt from donor's tax, and the
same shall be considered as allowable deductions from gross income for purposes of
computing the taxable income of the donors, in accordance with the provisions of the
National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

The NCGHRI shall be exempt from income tax and customs duty levied by the
government and its political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities subject to
the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended and
Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the “Customs Modernization and Tariff
Act.”


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The NCGHRI shall avail of the tax expenditure subsidy administered by the
Fiscal Incentives Review Board, subject to the provisions of Title XIII (Tax Incentives)
of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, Executive Order No. 93,
as amended, and the General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 12. Annual Report. - The NCGHRI shall submit an annual report to the
President of the Philippines, the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, and
the House of Representatives Committee on Health, on its activities,
accomplishments, and recommendations.

SEC. 13. Transitory Provisions. - To ensure the smooth transition towards the
full implementation of this Act, the following provisions shall apply:

(a) The buildings and equipment, fixtures and furnishings, other assets and
liabilities of the DEMMNCGH may be absorbed by the NCGHRI;

(b) The current appropriations of the DEMMNCGH may be absorbed by the
NCGHRI subject to the rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit;

(c) The existing officials and employees of DEMMNCGH shall continue to assume
the duties of their positions until new appointments are issued. They shalll be
placed in the new staffing pattern of the NCGHRI in accordance with Republic
Act No. 6656, entitled “An Act to Protect the Security of Tenure of Civil Service
Officers and Employees in the Implementation of Government
Reorganization” and the rules and regulations governing reorganization.
Officials and employees, including casual and temporary employees, who may
not be absorbed in the new staffing pattern due to redundancy shall avail of
the applicable retirement benefits and separation incentives as provided under
existing laws: Provided, That officials and employees holding permanent
appointment shall also be given the option to be transferred to other units or
offices within the DOH without reduction in rank, status, pay and benefits;

(d) Research grants acquired by the NCGHRI during the transition shall be
utilized solely for their intended purposes; and

(e) Existing contracts and agreements entered into with third parties prior to the
enactment of this Act shall remain valid.

SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the DOH shall, in consultation with the DSWD, CHED,


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and the NCSC, and other concerned agencies, promulgate the rules and regulations
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 15. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of
this Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriation of the DOH.
‘Thereafter, the funding of which shall
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 16. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is held
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall
remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations,
and other issuances or parts thereof which are contrary to or inconsistent with this
Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SEC. 18, Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,