Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. ______
Introduced by Representative Arnan C. Panaligan
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to convert the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital (OMPH)
in Calapan City, Province of Oriental Mindoro, into a regional hospital to be
known as the MIMAROPA Regional Hospital and to upgrade its facilities to serve
the medical needs of the people of the MIMAROPA Region.  
This is a refiled bill as a similar measure was sponsored by former Rep. Doy
Leachon  in  the  Eighteenth  Congress.  It  was  approved  by  the  House  of
Representatives and transmitted to the Senate but did not become a law.  
Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution provides that “The State shall
protect  and  promote  the  right  to  health  of  the  people  and  instill  health
consciousness among them.”  
Article XIII, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution also provides that,  “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 people at affordable cost.  There shall be priority
for the needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly, disabled women, and children.
The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers.”  
These constitutional mandates highlight the fact that one of the primordial
obligations of the government is to ensure that affordable, quality, and efficient
health care services  are delivered to the Filipino people especially  the poor,
underprivileged and low-income citizens who depend largely on the public health
care system.  The public health care system that the government must deliver and
provide encompasses primary health care services offered by health centers and
primary  level  hospitals  up  to  secondary  and  tertiary-level  health  care  which
includes curative and rehabilitative services in hospitals and medical centers.  
July 18, 2022
8:42 pm
2116


Thus, the establishment and maintenance of public hospitals is an imperative
obligation and responsibility of the State in accordance with the Constitution.
Existing public hospitals should be upgraded and expanded especially in regions
and areas outside the National Capital Region where people rely largely on public
hospitals for their health care needs.  
The MIMAROPA Region, with Calapan City as the designated Regional
Government Center, still has no regional hospital. The present Oriental Mindoro
Provincial Hospital which is proposed to be converted into the MIMAROPA
Regional Hospital is presently a service and training-oriented tertiary medical
facility being managed by the Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro.  Its 150
– bed capacity serves  as  the catchment  hospital for  patients needing tertiary
specialty medical care from satellite hospitals and the rural health units in the
province as well as from neighboring provinces.  Patients with serious medical
condition from the provinces of Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon
are transported to this hospital.
Considering the above, it is ideal to convert the present Oriental Mindoro
Provincial Hospital into the MIMAROPA Regional Hospital under the control and
supervision of the Department of Health, increase its bed capacity from One
Hundred (100) to Five Hundred (500) beds, and upgrade its facilities. With this,
the hospital will be able to address the health needs of the general public most
especially the poor and the marginalized sectors not only in the province of
Oriental Mindoro but also in the whole MIMAROPA Region.  
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.  
ARNAN C. PANALIGAN


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 2116
Introduced by Representative Arnan C. Panaligan
AN ACT
CONVERTING THE ORIENTAL MINDORO PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL
IN CALAPAN CITY, PROVINCE OF ORIENTAL MINDORO  INTO  A
REGIONAL  HOSPITAL  TO  BE  KNOWN  AS  THE  MIMAROPA
REGIONAL  HOSPITAL,  UPGRADING  ITS  FACILITIES  AND  BED
CAPACITY TO FIVE HUNDRED (500) AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled: 
SECTION  1.  The  Oriental  Mindoro  Provincial  Hospital  in  the  City  of
Calapan,  Province  of  Oriental  Mindoro,  is  hereby  converted  into  a  regional
hospital, to be known as the MIMAROPA Regional Hospital, which shall be under
the direct control and supervision of the Department of Health (DOH).
SEC. 2. The bed capacity of the MIMAROPA Regional Hospital shall be
increased from one hundred (100) to five hundred (500) beds. Any future increase
in bed capacity shall be consistent to its hospital development plan to be prepared
by the DOH. 
SEC. 3. The existing professional health care services and facilities of the
MIMAROPA Regional Hospital are hereby upgraded to conform with and be
commensurate to the increase in its bed capacity as provided for in Section 2
hereof.
SEC. 4. The existing workforce of the MIMAROPA  Regional  Hospital,
which  includes  doctors,  nurses,  medical  technologists,  dietitians,  laboratory
technicians and all other support personnel shall be increased correspondingly. The
Secretary of Health shall, after consultation with the Chief of the MIMAROPA
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Regional  Hospital,  and  in  coordination  with  the  Secretary  of  Budget  and
Management  and the Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission (CSC),
determine the additional new positions to be created and filled up in the plantilla of
the MIMAROPA Regional Hospital. 
SEC. 5. The Department of Budget and Management shall, in consultation
with  the  Department  of  Health  and  the  Provincial  Government  of  Oriental
Mindoro, determine the cost of renationalized functions relative to the operations
of the MIMAROPA Regional Hospital from the latter's current National Tax
Allotment (NaTA) and thereafter and cause the allocation of the same to the DOH
chargeable  against  the  Internal  Revenue  Allotment  (IRA)  of  the  Provincial
Government of Oriental Mindoro.
SEC.  6.  The  Secretary  of  Health  shall  immediately  include  in  the
Department's program the implementation of this Act and the funding necessary
for the operations of the MIMAROPA Regional Hospital shall be included in the
annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 7. If any provision or part of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the
parts not affected thereby shall remain in force and effect.
SEC. 8. All laws, executive orders, rules and regulations and other issuances
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 9. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
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