Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO.
6324
INTRODuCED 8¥ TUTOK T0 l^rlN
PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATIVE SAM ``SV" VERZOSA
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The  1987  Constitution  mandates  the  State  to  adopt  an  integrated  and
comprehensive  approach  to  health  development  which  shall  endeavor  to  make
essential  goods,  health  and  other  social  services  available  to  all  the  people  at
affordable cost.
Currently, the specialty hospitals in the Philippines are the Philippine Heart
Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Lung Center of the Philippines, and
the Philippine Children's Medical Center. However, there is no state-run specialty
hospital offering a comprehensive and advanced range of facilities and services for
the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases.
Liver disease continues to be a problem across the globe. It has been reported
that one in 10 Filipinos have chronic Hepatitis 8, and liver cancer remains one of the
leading causes of cancer deaths in the country.1 The Philippine Statistics Authority
t DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development. Ph/.//.ppine I/.vcr Hea/th Research /n/.t/.ot/.yes
gain a spotlight at the 15th Fondazione ltaliana Fegato Annual Scientific Committee Meeting. (2021) Retr.ieved
from:https://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/news_and_updates/philippine-liver-health-research-initiatives-gain-a-
spotlight-at-the-15th-fondazione-italiana-fegato-annual-scientific-committee-meeting/


(PSA) has reported that as of February 2021, diseases of the liver ranked 13th in the top
causes of death in the country.
According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data published in
2020, liver disease deaths in the Philippines reached 7,076 or 1.05 °/o of total deaths. The
age adjusted death rate is 8.65 per 100,000 of population which ranks Philippines 135th
in the world.
To address the significant number of deaths due to liver diseases as well as to
prevent liver diseases from worsening through accessible and advanced healthcare
specializing in all kinds of liver diseases, this bill aims to establish the Liver Center of
the  Philippines,  a  government institution that shall  offer comprehensive care for
patients with liver diseases rendering quality service to the Filipino people.
The creation of the Liver Center seeks to provide a state-of-the art diagnosis,
management  and  treatment of liver  diseases including the conduct of researches
thereof.  It will serve as the lead hospital in training and teaching of medical and
paramedical professionals pertaining to liver disease treatment and transplant. Lastly,
it aims to provide a set of standards for scientific and professional establishment and
operation in treating liver diseases and liver transplant in the country.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
;.,:,;-a,.,-'-',
SAM "SV" VERZOSA
Represeritative
Tutok to Win Party-List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
•--'
HOUSE BILL NO.
632!
INTRODUCED BY TUTOK T0 l^rlN
PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATIVE SAM ``SV" VERZOSA
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE LIVER CENTER 0F THE PHILIPPINES,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be  it  ?pasted by  the  Senate  and  House  of Representatives  of the  Phiippines in  Congress
assembled:
SECTION 1. Sfeorf Tt.£fe. - This Act shall be known as the "Liver Center of the
Philippines Act. "
SEC. 2. Establishmerit Of the Liver Center Of the Philippines. -There is heresy
established a Liver  Center of the Philippines,  hereinafter referred to as the Liver
Center, a government corporate facility that will offer comprehensive care of patients
withliverdisordersincludinglivertransplantservices,astrongteachingprogramand
research capability to serve the Filipino people. The Liver Center shall be located in
Metro Manila. The Liver Center shall have the attribute of perpetual succession and
shall be vested with the powers of a corporation and shall continue to exist until
dissolved for a lawful cause and/or by joint resolution of Congress.
SEC. 3. Pwnyoses fl#d Ob/.ecfi.z7cs. - The Liver Center shall have the following
purposes and objectives:
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a.      Establish and operate a liver rehabilitation, treatment or transplant center
for the public welfare;
b.      Offer comprehensive care for patients with liver diseases;
c.       Conduct training and research on the prevention and treatment of blood
liver  diseases  and  those  related  to  liver  regeneration  and  transplant
services  including  sponsorship  and  conduct  of  relevant  congresses,
conventions, seminars and conferences;
Establish a state-of-the-art liver diseases laboratory including a molecular
laboratory;
e.      Establish a Liver stem cell transplant program and donor registry;
f.       Recruit and retain voluntary liver donors;
9.      Collect liver organs from qualified voluntary liver donors;
h.      Process whole liver into liver components;
i.       Collect liver components;
j.       Store, issue, transport and distribute whole liver to end-user hospitals and
non-hospital health facilities;
k.      Ensure that safe supply of liver and liver products to all hospitals and
other health facilities are adequate in terms of distribution and delivery;
I.       Implement  and  monitor  quality  assurance  to  selected  regional  liver
centers;
in.     Test liver infections; and
n.      Provide special and confirmatory tests and perform liver examinations.
SEC. 4. Pozuers  ¢#d Fw#cft.o#s.  - The Liver Center shall have the following
powers and functions:
a.      Adopt a code of by-laws to implement this chapter;
b.      Adopt and use a corporate seal which shall be a matter of judicial notice;
c.      Determine its organizational structure and the number and salaries of its
officers and employees in accordance with the provision of Republic Act
No. 10149, otherwise known as the Government-Owned and Controlled-
Corporation (GOCC) Governance Act of 2011;
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d.      Establish and maintain professional and technical educational systems for
the sustained development of the necessary manpower to manage and
operate its affairs and business;
e.
Invest its funds  as it may  deem proper and necessary, but  subject to
applicable rules and regulations, in any activity related to the Center,
including in any bonds or securities and guaranteed by the Government
of the Philippines;
f .       Acquire  assets,  real  or  personal,  interest  therein  and  encumber  or
otherwise dispose the same as it may deem proper and necessary in the
conduct of its business;
Borrow money from local or foreign sources as may be necessary for its
operations, subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations;
Accept  any  gifts,  contributions,  endowments,  grants,  bequests  and
devices of any kind of real or personal property which are necessary and
proper for the attainment of the purpose of the hospitals; and
Perform such acts and exercise such functions as may be necessary and
proper for the attainment of the purposes and objectives herein specified.
SEC. 5. Bo¢rd a/Tr#sfee. -The affairs and business of the Liver Center shall be
directed; its properties managed; and its corporate powers exercised, unless otherwise
provided in this Act, by its own Board of Trustees which shall be composed of seven
(7) members, as follows:
a.      The secretary of the Department of Health as chairman of the Board or
his duly authorized representative;
b.      The undersecretary/Assistant secretary of the Department of Health;
c.       One (1) member from the private sector preferably with experience in
finance, administration or management;
d.      One representative who will provide expertise in liver diseases;
e.      One representative who will provide expertise in liver transplant;
f.       One representative from non-goverrment organization; and
9.      The Liver center Executive Director.
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The term of office, marmer of appointment of the trustees and other matters
pertaining to the governance of the Liver Center shall be determined in accordance
with the pertinent provisions of R.A. No. 10149.
The  Board  of  Trustees  shall  be  governed  by  a  set  of by-laws,  which  shall
contain,  among  others,  an  enumeration  of  each  of  the  member's  responsibilities,
accountabilities, and cause of termination.
SEC. 6. Powers and Functions of the Board. - The Board of Trustees which
shall be the policy-making body of the Liver Center shall have the following powers
and functions:
a.      Determine the general policies of the Liver center within the scope of its
powers, objectives and financial resources;
b.      Establish  the  organizational  structure  of  the  Liver  Center,  define  the
duties and  responsibilities of all officials  and  employees  and  adopt a
compensation and benefit scheme, subject to the pertinent provisions of
Republic Act No. 10149;
c.      Acquire, hold and own in any manner, property of whatever nature or
description, and to dispose of such property under mode of encumbrance
or conveyance;
d.      Enter into, make, perform and carry out contracts of every kind and for
any lawful purpose with any person, firm, association or corporation,
whether public or private, domestic or foreign;
e.       Mortgage,  lease,   sell,   transfer,  convey  or  otherwise   dispose  of  its
properties;
f.       Solicit  and  receive  donations,  endowments  and  funds  in  the  form  of
contributions, whether in cash or in kind, from both public and private
sectors and from domestic or foreign sources;
9.      Open  such  accounts  in banks  and  other financial  institutions,  and  to
disburse such funds or invest the same as the Board of Trustees may direct
to accomplish or advance the purposes or interest of the Liver Center;
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h.      Invite foreign or local health specialist and similar experts in the various
medical fields to train the personnel, trainees, fellows or residents of the
Liver Center;
i.       Send the personnel of the Liver Center to research institutes,  medical
institutes or universities for advance training or observation and to attend
international   or   regional   conventions,   conferences,   congresses   or
seminars as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary to accomplish the
purposes and objectives of the Liver Center;
j.       Enter into  such  agreements  and  arrangements  with  other  medical  or
similar institutions, domestic or foreign, as may be deemed desirable by
the Board of Trustees toward promoting the purposes and objectives of
the Liver Center;
k.      Adopt   set   of   by-laws,   rules,   regulations,   policies,   guidelines   and
procedures  consistent  with  law  and  provisions  hereof  to  govern  the
administration and operation of the hospital; and
1.       Do  all  such  other  acts  and  things  as  are  or  may  be  necessary for  or
incidental to the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the
Liver Center.
SEC. 7. Duties  and Responsivilities  of the Executive Director.  -The Liver
Center shall be headed by the Executive Director who shall have the following duties
and responsibilities:
a.      Prepare  the  agenda for the meetings of the board,  and  to  submit for
consideration of the board such policies and measures as he/she believes)
necessary to carry out the purposes and objectives of this Act;
b.      Execute, administer and implement the policies and measures approved
by the board;
c.      Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties provided in the
by- laws and as vested to him by the board.
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SEC. 8. Progrfl!ou /or J„dt.ge#fs. - The Department of Health shall ensure that
the Liver Center shall adopt and enforce a program for indigents needing liver/liver
products  and  patients  with  liver  diseases  in  accordance  to  the  implementing
guidelines on classification of patients on Availment of Medical Social Services in
Goverrment Hospitals.
SEC. 9. Retention of Income. - The Liver Center is hereby authorized to retain
and utilize their income derived from its operation and non-patient related activities
for the maintenance of the other operating expenditures, including capital  outlay
especially in the acquisition of equipment and supplies, subject to auditing rules and
regulations.  Further,  no amount from such income  shall be used  to  augment the
salaries and other compensation of the Liver Center personnel beyond the amounts
determined by the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled
Corporations (GOCC), as provided for in RA No. 10149.
The Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with the Department of
Budget and Management  (DBM) shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to
implement this provision.
SEC.10. £xe"pf±.o# foow Tfl#cs. -The Liver Center shall be exempt from the
payment of taxes  on all  contributions thereto  and  all  accruals on its income  and
investment earnings.
Any donation, contribution, bequest, subsidy or financial aid which may be
made to it shall constitute allowable deduction from the income of the donor for the
income tax purposes and shall be exempt from donor's tax subject to such conditions
as provided in the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.
The Liver Center shall be exempt from all other taxes, whether direct or indirect
on its income, properties and operations.
SEC. 11. Co#fr¢cfs. - The Liver Center shall have the authority to enter into
contracts with any person or entity, domestic or foreign and with government for the
undertaking of the varied aspects of the Liver Center, including the acquisition, by
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way of purchase, lease, rent or other deferred payment arrangements of equipment
and/or raw materials and supplies, as well as for services connected therewith under
such terms and conditions as it may deem proper and reasonable.
In the acquisition and disposal of property real or personal, a bidding process
shall be necessary to conform to the requirements of public bidding as provided for
in Republic Act No. 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform
Act and related laws.
SEC. 12. S#pcro..s..o" - The Liver Center shall be under the direct supervision
of the Department of Health for purposes of policy direction and control.  It shall
submit an annual report, pursuant to the pertinent provisions of R.A. No. 10149.
SEC. 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Withi.n thity (30) days frorr\
the  completion  of  the  appointment  of  its  members,  the  Corporation's  Board  of
Trustees  shall  convene  to  formulate  the  rules  and  regulations  necessary  for  the
implementation of this Act.
SEC.  14.  Appraprt.¢f!.o#s.  -  The  amount  of  Two  Hundred  Million  Pesos
(Php 200,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the initial operation and maintenance
of the Liver Center shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 15. Sap¢rflbl.Jt.fry CJflwse. - If, for any reason, any section or provision of
this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof
which are not affected shall continue to be in full force and effect.
SEC.16. RapcflJt.#g CZ¢#sc. -Al laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations,
rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.
SEC. 17. £#ecft.tJ..fry CJ¢#sc. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.
Approved.
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