Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 926

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

It is our avowed State policy to look after the indigent children as contained in Section 3
(2) of Article XV of the Constitution as well as in Article 3 (4) of Presidential Decree No.
603 or the Child Welfare Code.

This proposed measure opens new hope since it makes it mandatory for all government
and private hospitals, medical centers, clinics, infirmaries, and puericulture centers to
give free medical and dental assistance to indigent children in danger of dying or may
have suffered physical injuries requiring immediate medical attention.

For income tax purposes, these incurred expenses or losses for the medicines, facilities
or services extended for the care and treatment of indigent children by said private
hospital, medical center, clinic, infirmary or puericulture center shall be deductible
expenses/losses.

The rights of the child take paramount consideration, hence the immediate passage of
this bills is earnestly prayed for.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2926

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo

AN ACT
REQUIRING ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS, MEDICAL CENTERS,
CLINICS, INFIRMARIES, AND PUERICULTURE CENTERS TO GIVE FREE MEDICAL AND
DENTAL ASSISTANCE TO INDIGENT CHILDREN

Be it enacted in the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of the
Philippines in Congress assembled"

SECTION 1. All government and private hospitals, medical centers, clinics,
infirmaries, or puericulture centers duly licensed to operate as such, are hereby required
to render free medical and dental services to indigent children, regardless of whether or
not they are in danger of dying and/or may have suffered physical injuries requiring
immediate medical attention

For purposes of this Act, an “indigent child” is an unemancipated child below
eighteen (18) years of age who has health problems requiring medical and dental
services for his care and treatment, taking into account the following factors:

._ the age of the child;
. the financial condition of the family;
the degree of deprivation of parental care and support; and
the inability of his parents to exercise parental authority

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SEC. 2. The expenses and losses of earnings incurred by a private hospital,
medical center, clinic, infirmary or puericulture center, or by an individual physician or
dentist for medicine, facilities and services extended to the care and treatment of an
indigent child as required herein in an amount not exceeding 500,000.00 per year,
shall be deductible expenses and losses for income tax purposes which may be carried
over a period of five (5) years.

SEC. 3. Any hospital director, administrator, officer-in-charge, physician or
dentist in a hospital, medical center, clinic, infirmary, or puericulture center who shall
refuse or fail without good cause to render appropriate medical or dental service
pursuant to Section 1 of this Act, after this case has been brought to his/her attention, or
any nurse, midwife, medical or dental attendant who shall refuse to extend the
appropriate assistance, subject to existing rules, or neglects to notify or call the attention


of a physician or dentist in attendance, shall be punished with imprisonment of at least
‘one (1) year or a fine of not more than Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00), or both at
the fine discretion of the Court.

SEC. 4. The Department of Health (DOH) in coordination with the Department of
of Social Welfare and Development shall have the authority to promulgate the
necessary rules and regulations for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of
this Act.

SEC. 5. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations or parts
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers.

Approved,