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

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No,__7020

INTRODUCED BY REP. JOSE “BON

"” J. TEVES, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Geriatrics or geriatric medicine is defined as the field of medicine that deals with the
problems and diseases of old age and medical care and treatment of aging people.’ Based on
the 2020 census of the Philippine Statistics Authority, there are over 9,000,000 who are at least
sixty (60) years old in the Philippines, and compared to the 2015 census, the said age group
increased by 7.5%.

As Filipinos, our culture teaches us to give paramount importance to our elderly
citizens. By this reason, many laws such providing priority, assistance, and support to our
senior citizens were enacted through the years like Republic Act No. 9994 or the “Expanded
Senior Citizens Act of 2010”. An addition to those existing laws is this proposed measure to
provide our senior citizens a specialty hospital which can cater to their medical needs which
are brought about by their age.

Also, this measure is in consonance with Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Constitution

which provides that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and
instill health consciousness among them.

+ nttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geriatric


Likewise, a similar measure through House Bill 10697 was filed by Rep. Bienvenido
Abante, Jr. during the 18 Congress which was approved on third reading by the House of
Representatives.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

HON. JOSE ” J. TEVES, JR.
Representative, TGP Party-List


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

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No._7020

INTRODUCED BY REP. JOSE “BONG” J. TEVES, JR.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR GERIATRIC HEALTH
AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS,
CREATING REGIONAL GERIATRIC SPECIALTY CENTERS IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH-RETAINED HOSPITALS, AND APPROPRIATI!
FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and 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. ~ It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the
right to health of senior citizens all over the country by ensuring that holistic health services
are available and accessible to them through the establishment of a specialized hospital and
research institute as well as geriatric specialty centers in the Department of Health (DOH) -
retained hospitals in every region.

Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act:
a, Acute care refers to a specialized program that addresses the needs of hospitalized
older adults in a multidisciplinary team approach to prevent functional and cognitive

decline and to improve outcomes;


b. Apex or end-referral hospital refers to a hospital offering specialized services as
determined by DOH, which is contracted as a stand-alone facility by the Philippine
Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth);

2

Geriatric health services refer to the medical services or interventions provided by a

multidisciplinary team to older adult patients;

a

Geriatric medicine or Geriatrics refers to the sub-specialty of internal and family
medicine that diagnoses and treats a wide range of conditions and diseases that affect
people as they age and aims to promote health and treat disabilities of older adults;

°

. Geriatric palliative care refers to a specialized medical care that focuses on providing
elderly patients relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness, regardless
of diagnosis or stage of disease, and provided alongside curative and other forms of
treatment. It is a field of inter-specialty collaboration to respond to the socio-
demographic changes and challenges of older adults with severe and life-limiting

conditions;

-

Geriatric specialty center refers to a unit or department in a DOH-retained hospital
that offers specialized care to the aging population, particularly to frail older persons,
addressing their particular conditions and providing specific procedures and
management of cases, requiring specialized training and/or equipment;

we

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

=

. Gerontology refers to the study of the biological, psychological, spiritual, social,

economic, and the demographic aspects of the aging process;

Home-based healthcare and re-ablement program refers to a community-based
service which primarily caters to the frail older persons who have lost or are

experiencing problems with mobility;

Integrated delivery of geriatric health services refers to hospital and community-
based medical and psycho-social services provided to senior citizens by a

multidisciplinary team;

~

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

1. People-centered service refers to an approach to geriatric care that consciously adopts

‘the perspectives of individuals, families, and communities, and sees them as


participants as well as beneficiaries of trusted health systems that respond to their
needs and preferences in holistic and humane ways;

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

n, Sub-acute care refers to care for patients who no longer require hospitalization, but
still need skilled medical care through rehabilitative medicine. Sub-acute
rehabilitation is recommended when a patient is not functionally able to return home;
and,

©. Transitional care refers to a form of health care in geriatric medicine designed to
ensure coordination and continuity of care as patients transfer between different
locations or different levels of care, and the safe and effective management of both

chronic and acute illness in older adults.

Sec. 4, National Center for Geriatric Health and Research Institute. — The National
Center for Geriatric Health (NCGH) is hereby classified as a teaching, research, and training
hospital that shall specialize in geriatric care and serve as an apex hospital or end-referral

facility for senior citizens in the country. The NCGH shall be renamed as the National Center
for Geriatric Health and Research Institute (NCGHRI) and shall be under the direct control and
supervision of the DOH. The bed capacity, service capabilities, healthcare facilities, expansion,
organizational structure and human resource requirements of the NCGHRI shall be based on
the hospital and human resource development plan to be prepared by the NCGHRI and
approved by the DOH.

Sec. 5. Powers and Functions. — To carry out the provisions of this Act, the NCGHRI
shall have the following powers and functions:

a. Serve as an apex hospital or end-referral facility which shall specialize in geriatric
health services:

b. Formulate a hospital development plan which shall be regularly updated to reflect
the expansion and future development of the NCGHRI;

c. Provide and maintain affordable, quality, and timely people-centered hospital care
through an efficient health service delivery system for senior citizens;

d. Provide higher and up-to-date geriatric training for professionals, postgraduates,
academics and allied healthcare providers especially from the geriatric specialty
centers in the regions and LGUs, and other government hospitals;


e. Develop and implement cutting edge research studies on diseases related to old age
with a view to translating research outcomes into policy and specialized health care
solutions, and publish research studies that shall serve as a critical information
resource for the medical and research community, in coordination with the
Philippine Council on Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and the Institute
on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (IA-NIH);

=

Conduct and participate in international and local gerontological research activities;

co

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 and functioning needs of senior citizens, in coordination with
the PCHRD and the [A-NIH;

Develop and maintain a core information hub on geriatrics and gerontological studies

e

in coordination with the [A-NIH and concerned offices in the DOH and its attached
agencies, such as the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau and the Knowledge
Management and Information Technology Service;

Extend medical services to senior citizens pursuant to the goals, objectives, and rules
of the National Health Insurance Program and in accordance with Republic Act No.
11223, otherwise known as the “Universal Health Care Act”;

Provide an integrated and effective approach in the delivery of geriatric health
services in collaboration with other government agencies, local government units
(LGUs) and other stakeholders;

Conduct specialty training and technical assistance in collaboration with concerned

fm

DOH offices and other relevant professional organizations;

Finance, sponsor, hold or participate in congresses, conventions, conferences,
seminars, workshops, and training programs on geriatric health services or related
fields in the Philippines and abroad; and

m, Establish a standardized referral system for psychosocial services.

Sec. 6. 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,
transitional and outpatient care services, and such other necessary services;

b. Community-based services utilizing multidisciplinary team approaches such as home
based healthcare and reablement programs, research and external resource


outsourcing for community-based integrated geriatric health services and trainings
necessary for the psycho-social functioning of senior citizens and their families, in
coordination with LGUs;

c. 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 41 of 2010";

d. Technical assistance and capacity building in the establishment of geriatric specialty
centers and services to strengthen the network of geriatric care service providers
across the country and ensure the delivery of quality health services for senior
citizens;

e. 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 the [A-NIH; and

f. 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, allied professionals, pharmacists, dentists, and
social workers. The Geriatric Specialty Fellowship Training Program of the
NCGHRI shall seek and maintain full accreditation status in the Philippine College
of Geriatric Medicine. The NCGHRI shall ensure the accessibility of all its programs
and services and take into consideration the special needs of senior citizens with
disabilities.

Sec. 7. Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern, — The Secretary of the DOH
shall determine the organizational structure and staffing pattern of the NCGHRI in accordance
with the revised compensation and position classification system subject to the evaluation and
approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and in compliance with the

civil service laws, rules and regulations

Sec. 8. Establishment of Geriatric Specialty Centers. — Geriatric specialty centers
are hereby established in DOH regional hospitals, which shall serve as apex or end-referral
hospitals of the health care provider networks and training and research facilities on geriatric

specialty care services. Geriatric health services shall be available in all government primary


health facilities. The level of geriatric services and corresponding facilities in specialty centers
and their respective health human resource requirements shall be determined by the DOH, in
coordination with NCGHRI and other stakeholders: Provided, That the standards to be adopted
thereon shall be consistent with the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan and Section
6 of this Act.

Sec. 9. Categori

ition of Patients. - The DOH shall ensure that the NCGHRI shall
adopt and enforce a categorization of paying and non-paying patients. The allocation of beds
for non-paying patients shall be not less than seventy percent (70%) of the total number of
hospital beds.

Sec. 10. Income Retention. — 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 allocated for its maintenance, other operating expenses and capital outlay
requirements, subject to the guidelines set by the DOH and the DBM.

Sec. 11. Privilege. - The NCGHRI may request and receive assistance from the
different agencies, bureaus, offices or instrumentalities of the government, including the
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation,
in pursuit of its purposes and objectives.

Sec. 12, 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 donor, 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.” The NCGHRI shall
avail of the tax expenditure subsidy administered by the Fiscal Incentives Review Board
(FIRB), 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. 13, Coordination with and Assistance from Other Government Agencies. ~
The NCGHRI shall collaborate 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 for assistance, in the pursuit of the

purposes and objectives of this Act.

Sec. 14. 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. 15. Annual Report. — The NCGHRI shall submit an annual report to the President
of the Philippines, the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, the House of
Representatives Committee on Health, and the NCSC, on its activities, accomplishments and
recommendations to further improve the delivery of geriatric health services.

Sec. 16. Transitory Prot

ns. — In accomplishing organizational changes and
improvements that have to be implemented, the following transitory provisions shall be
complied with:

a. The National Center for Geriatric Health (NCGH) currently under the Jose R. Reyes
Memorial Medical Center (IRRMMC) shall be absorbed by NCGHRI including its
existing personnel regardless of status, and all buildings and equipment, fixtures and
furnishings, other assets and liabilities, and current appropriations;

The independence of the NCGHRI from the JRRMMC shall be fully realized within
a period of two (2) years, The DOH shall ensure that no disruption of service will

¢

occur during this transitory period;

c. The existing officials and employees of NCGH shall continue to assume the duties
of their positions until new appointments are issued. They shall be placed in the new
staffing pattern of the NCGHRI in accordance with R.A. 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 shall 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;

Research grants acquired by the NCGHRI during the transition shall be utilized
solely for their intended purposes and of the affected units or offices; and

a

e

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

Sec. 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations. ~ The Secretary of Health shall, in
consultation with the Secretary of Budget and Management, Secretary of Social Welfare and
Development, and the Chairperson of the NCSC, promulgate rules and regulations for the
effective implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days after its effectivity

Sec, 18. 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. 19, 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. 20. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,