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

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

F 6391
House Bill No. __-

Introduced by Representatives PAUL RUIZ DAZA, JOSE “JUN” L. ONG JR.,
FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ and YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The attached bill is similar to a bill introduced by Former Deputy Speaker Raul A. Daza
during the 13" Congress which was approved by the House of Representatives and referred to
the Senate, which was unable to consider it due to time constraints.

Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution specifically provides:

“Section 15. The State shall protect and promote the right to health of
the people and instill health consciousness among them.”

Section 11, Article XIII of the same Constitution also provides:

“Section 11. 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 the people at affordable cost.
There shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly,
disabled, women, and children. The Sate shall endeavor to provide free medical
care to paupers.””

Pursuant to the above constitutional mandate, this bill seeks to improve the delivery of
health services and make the same available to the people of Northem Samar and the
neighboring provinces of Samar and Eastern Samar by converting the Northern Samar
Provincial Hospital into a Tertiary Level III Regional Hospital

‘The Northern Samar Provincial Hospital used to be one of the premier public hospitals
in the Visayas. However, the said hospital has been downgraded due to devolution of health
services as mandated by the Local Government Code. As a result, the hospital is always short


in medicines and medical supplies. The medical facilities are substandard and poorly
maintained. Its medical staff and personnel have low moral due to poor incentives. The increase
in population adds to the present problems of the hospital. These are but few of the reasons
why there is a need to convert the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital into Tertiary Level IIT
Regional Hospital. The conversion will not only serve Northern Samar but the whole Samar
Island, which is the third largest island in the country. The existing Regional Medical Center
is located in Tacloban City, which is 7 hours land travel from Northern Samar.

In the field of education, students from the University of Eastern Philippines in
Catarman, Northern Samar and other schools in the province as well as in Samar and Eastern
Samar, who are taking up medicine, nursing and other health related courses and in need of
clinical training, would benefit from the proposed Tertiary Level III Regional Hospital

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

-AUL RUL AWA

First District, Northern Samar

Ss

First District, Leyte

YEDDA MARIH/K. ROMUALDEZ
Representative[/Tingog Sinirangan


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

Eighteenth Congress

First Regular Session

House Bill No,

Introduced by Representatives PAUL RUIZ DAZA, JOSE “JUN” L. ONG JR.,
FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ and YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ

AN ACT CONVERTING THE NORTHERN SAMAR PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL IN
CATARMAN, NORTHERN SAMAR INTO THE NORTHERN SAMAR MEDICAL
‘CENTER, INCREASING ITS BED CAPACITY TO THREE HUNDRED (300),
UPGRADING ITS SERVICE FACILITIES AND PROFESSIONAL HEALTH CARE,
AUTHORIZING THE INCREASE OF ITS MEDICAL PERSONNEL, PLACING THE
CENTER UNDER THE SUPERVISION, CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION I. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall protect and promote the right to
health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. Towards this end, the State
shall give adequate, accessible and affordable primary, secondary and tertiary health services
toall the citizens.

SEC. 2. Objectives. -

(a) To upgrade the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital into a Tertiary Hospital — Level
IM;


(b) To provide easy and affordable accessibility to tertiary health care for the less
fortunate Filipinos in Samar Island, especially the poor and

(©) To provide teaching, training and research facilities for students in medicine,
nursing, therapy, x-ray technology and other allied health profession in Samar Island through
the Northem Samar Medical Center.

SEC. 3. Conversion. - The Northern Samar Provincial Hospital in the Municipality of
Catarman, Northem Samar is hereby converted into a Tertiary Hospital ~ Level III to be known
as Northern Samar Medical Center, increasing its bed capacity to three hundred (300). It shall
be under the full administrative and technical supervision, control and management of the
Department of Health.

SEC. 4. Upgrade. - The existing service facilities and professional health care services
of the Northem Samar Medical Center are hereby upgraded to conform with its objective under
Section 2 hereof and shall be commensurate to the bed capacity increase as provided in Section
3 hereof.

SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. ~ The Department of Health shall issue
the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act. Provided that,
the plantilla employees of Northem Samar Medical Center which include physicians, nurses
and support personnel shall also be increased correspondingly commensurate to the increase in
its bed capacity. The Secretary of Health, in coordination with the Secretary of Budget and
Management, Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission and the Northem Samar Medical
Center, shall determine the additional plantilla positions to be created pursuant to this Act.

‘SEC. 6. Appropriations. ~The provincial government of Northern Samar shall continue
to provide the same level of financial assistance to the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital
until such time that the national goverment shall have fully funded the capital outlay
requirements of the hospital, its operating expenses and personnel compensation in the annual
General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 7. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,