EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Second Regular Session
)
SENATE 
S.B. No. 1850
NDEX
Introduced by SENATOR SONNY ANGARA
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A HOSPITAL IN STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 
OFFERING MEDICAL DEGREES NATIONWIDE, AND PROVIDING FUNDS 
THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exposed several weaknesses in 
our country's capability to handle and solve public health emergencies - the most 
glaring one being the lack of health care institution and medical professionals 
especially in areas outside of urban centers. In fact, the Department of Health (DOH), 
in order to augment the existing manpower of medical professionals, has constantly 
been recruiting healthcare workers through its emergency hiring for Human Resources 
for Health (HRH). As of 5 September 2020 data, DOH was able to hire 7,575 healthcare 
workers.
However, it is clear that our healthcare system is already at a disadvantage 
even before this health crisis. According to the study conducted by the University of 
the Philippines (UP) entitled "Estimating Local Healthcare Capacity to Deal with 
COVID-19 Case Surge: Analysis and Recommendations," there are only 3.7 doctors 
per 10,000 population in the Philippines - beiow the World Health Organization (WHO) 
recommendation of 10 doctors per 10,000 population. In fact, only the National Capital 
Region (NCR) has achieved the WHO recommendation while other regions, such as 
Region IV-B with only 1.8 and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim 
Mindanao (BARMM) with only 0.8 doctor per 10,000 population, are barely able to fill 
the recommended ratio.


Furthermore, the UP study also cited that the country's hospital bed per 10,000 
population is only at 6.1 with the NCR having the highest ratio at 13.5 and Region IV- 
B with only 1 - contrary to the data from DOH which shows the ratio is at 9.4 hospital 
beds per 10,000 population. Hence, the data reported that six out of ten Filipinos die 
without seeing a medical professional is not surprising, but is certainly alarming. This 
dilemma has even become more evident recently, when over 80 medical societies 
issued a strong position stressing that the country's healthcare system has been 
overwhelmed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Therefore, to strengthen the country's capability to cater to the health services 
needs of Filipinos, the proposed measure seeks to create new hospitals which will be 
attached to state colleges and universities (SUCs) offering medical degree programs. 
In addition, these hospitals to be created within the SUCs will enable its medical 
students to have the proper training ground for them to fully acquire the needed skills, 
knowledge and experience.
With more healthcare institutions and healthcare workers to support the full 
implementation of Republic Act No. 11223 of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, 
more Filipinos - especially the underprivileged - will be able to access the needed 
healthcare services so as not to succumb to preventable, diagnosable, and treatable 
Illnesses. In addition, the establishment of more hospitals will help prevent the high 
attrition rate of our very capable healthcare workers as there will be more hospitals to 
employ them. It is the goal of this measure to help achieve the prescribed ratio of 
medical professionals to the population as well as increase the ratio of hospital beds 
to the population. Thus, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
INNY ANGARA


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Second Regular Session
)
SENATE 
S.B. No. 1850
NDEX
Introduced by SENATOR SONNY ANGARA
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A HOSPITAL IN STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 
OFFERING MEDICAL DEGREES NATIONWIDE, AND PROVIDING FUNDS 
THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. -This Act shall be known as cited as the "Healthcare
2 
Facility Augmentation" Act.
3 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The 1987 Constitution guarantees the right
4 
to health of the people and mandates the State to make health services available to
5 
all the people at affordable cost. Towards this end, the State shall empower the state
6 
colleges and universities (SUCs) in the country to contribute in providing health care
7 
services to the community as well as enabling its medical students to have the
8 
appropriate training ground.
9 
SEC. 3. Establishment of Hospitals in State Colleges and Universities.
10 
- There is hereby established a hospital, with a bed capacity of not less than 50 beds,
11 
in every state university and college (SUC) offering a medical degree. The Department
12 
of Health (DOH), through its nearest regional hospital, and in coordination with the
13 
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the concerned SUCs, shall provide the
14 
necessary technical assistance on the construction of said hospitals to ensure
15 
conformity with the standards set by the department.
16 
The management and operations of the hospital including the hiring of required
17 
medical personnel shall be with the concerned SUCs: Provided, That to ensure proper
18 
coordination with existing policies and programs of the DOH, the concerned SUCs shall


1 
elect or appoint the DOH Regional Director in the governing boards of the hospital:
2 
Provided further, That any income derived from the operation of the hospital shall be
3 
retained by the concerned SUCs to answer for expenses and upgrading cost of their
4 
hospitals: Provided finaiiy. That hospitals established under this Act as well as those
5 
already existing in SUCs shall remain operational during public health emergencies
6 
including, but not limited to, outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics.
7 
SEC. 4. Construction and Site of the Hospital - After a period of planning
8 
not exceeding one (1) year upon the effectivity of this Act, the hospital and the
9 
necessary equipment for its operations shall be established and put in place within the
10 
grounds of the concerned SUC: Provided, That the construction of the hospital shall
11 
be completed within five (5) years after the period of planning as stated under this
12 
Section.
13 
SEC. 5. Ttaining for Medical Students - Hospitals established under this
14 
Act as well as those already existing in SUCs shall serve as the training ground for
15 
medical students in the concerned SUCs: Provided, That graduates of the medical
16 
degree programs in the concerned SUCs who availed of a government scholarship
17 
program shall be required to render their return service in the hospital of the SUC
18 
which they graduated from.
19 
SEC. 6. Reportoriai Requirements. - The concerned SUCs shall submit
20 
through CHED, on an annual basis, a detailed report on the progress of the
21 
implementation of this Act to the Senate Committees on Higher, Technical and
22 
Vocational Education and Health and Demography, and the House Committees on
23 
Higher and Technical Education and Health.
24 
SEC. 7. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions
25 
of this Act shall automatically be included in the annual appropriations of the SUCs for
26 
the next five years upon the implementation of this Act.
27 
SEC. 8. Separability Clause. -If any provision of this Act is declared invalid
28 
or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in
29 
full force and effect.
30 
SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. -All laws, decrees, executive orders or rules and
31 
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
32 
repealed or modified accordingly


1 
SEC. 10. Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
2 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of the general
3 
circulation.
Approved,