1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives ERIC G. YAP, PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, 
EDVIC G. YAP, and JEFFREY SORIANO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution guarantees an integrated and comprehensive approach to 
health development that is endeavored in making health services available to the 
people at an affordable cost.  
The country’s great majority frequently opts for specialty hospitals in the country or 
ones that specialize in a particular disease or condition, namely: Philippine Heart 
Center (PHC), National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), Lung Center of the 
Philippines (LCP), Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and Philippine Cancer 
Center which are all found in Metro Manila. However, in order to afford the expertise 
of the hospitals’ medical professionals and its advance amenities and equipment, 
patients are being encumbered by the additional expenses on transportation and 
accommodation for their medical needs to be catered, most especially those that are 
from far-flung areas or provinces.  
The Department of Health (DOH) has crafted a development plan for specialty care 
as part of the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan (PHFDP) 2020-2040, which 
primarily includes the development of 328 specialty centers across different hospitals 
in all regions. In addition, no less than the Local Government Code of 1991 (LGC) itself 
has devolved the health services to the LGUs with the objective of making quality 
health services more accessible to every Filipino. The case of decentralizing specialty 
hospitals is no different.  
Hence, this bill seeks to establish specialty hospitals across regions in the country. This 
proposed measure also ensures that three (3) years upon its enactment, at least one (1) 
specialty hospital shall be built in the Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, 
Northern Mindanao, and Southern Mindanao. The DOH has the mandate on the type 
January 24, 2023
9:33 am
6857


2 
of specialty hospital that will be built first in the said regions in accordance to the 
prevailing illnesses in these areas accordingly.  
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
ERIC G. YAP 
PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
       EDVIC G. YAP 
        JEFFREY SORIANO 


1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives ERIC G. YAP, PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, 
EDVIC G. YAP, and JEFFREY SORIANO 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING REGIONAL BRANCHES OF SPECIALTY HOSPITALS SUCH 
AS 
THE 
PHILIPPINE 
HEART 
CENTER, 
NATIONAL 
KIDNEY 
AND 
TRANSPLANT 
INSTITUTE, 
LUNG 
CENTER 
OF 
THE 
PHILIPPINES, 
PHILIPPINE CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER AND PHILIPPINE CANCER 
CENTER, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
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 “Regional Specialty 
Hospitals Act.” 
SEC. 2. Statement of Policy. - Article II, Section 15 of the Constitution states 
that: “The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill 
health consciousness among them.” Towards this end, it shall be the policy of the State 
to provide access to affordable and quality healthcare services to Filipinos, including 
the provision of specialty hospitals in the different regions of the country. 
SEC. 3. Establishment of Regional Specialty Hospitals. - There shall be 
branches of the Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, 
Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and Philippine 
Cancer Center to be established in the different regions of the country. Within three 
(3) years upon the enactment of this Act, there shall be at least one (1) specialty
hospital from the abovementioned specialty hospitals in Northern Luzon, Southern
Luzon, Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Southern Mindanao. The Department of
Health shall determine the specialty hospital to be established in the different regions,
taking into consideration the prevalent illnesses in the area.
SEC. 4. National Government Share. - The National Government shall 
constitute the necessary land, building, equipment, and facilities, to the regional 
branches of the specialty hospital, and shall pay such obligations for real, personal, 
and mixed properties arising from such undertaking under a deferred payment 
arrangement within five (5) years, at a preferred rate of interest. 
6857


 
2 
 
SEC. 5. Property of the Regional Specialty Hospital. - The property of the 
Regional Specialty Hospital shall consist of such real, personal, mixed, and other type 
of property, now owned or reserved for, or may hereafter be given, donated, acquired, 
transferred or conveyed to, the Regional Branch of the Philippine Heart Center, 
National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine 
Children’s Medical Center Visayas and Philippine Cancer Center as applicable, by the 
Philippine Government, its branches and instrumentalities, any foreign government, 
as well as by trust, foundations, corporations, or persons, alien or domestic, in order 
to carry out its purposes and objectives as set forth herein. 
 
SEC. 6. Purposes and Objectives. - The purposes and objectives of the Regional 
Specialty Hospital are: 
 
a. To construct, establish, operate and maintain regional branches of specialty 
hospitals for the public welfare; 
 
b. To promote, encourage and engage in scientific research on the prevention 
of heart, kidney, liver, cancer and pulmonary diseases and the care and/or 
treatment of such diseases and related activities, including sponsorship and 
conduct of relevant congresses, conventions, seminars, and conferences; 
 
c. To stimulate and/or underwrite scientific researches on the biological. 
demographic, social, economic, eugenic, physiological aspects of heart, 
kidney, liver, cancer and pulmonary disorders and abnormalities and its 
control; and gather, compile, and publish the findings of such researches for 
public dissemination; 
 
d. To facilitate and encourage the dissemination and exchange of ideas and 
information on the prevention, treatment and control of heart, kidney, liver, 
cancer and pulmonary diseases, to arouse, enhance and develop public 
interest on such diseases and arouse consciousness or awareness on general 
health and physical fitness; 
 
e. To encourage and/or undertake the training of physicians, nurses, medical 
technicians, health officers and social workers on the practical and scientific 
conduct and implementation of heart, kidney, liver, cancer and pulmonary 
services, and related activities: 
 
f. To assist universities, hospitals and research institutions in their studies of 
heart, kidney, liver, cancer and pulmonary anomalies, to encourage 
advanced training on matters of, or affecting the heart, kidney, liver, cancer 
and lungs, and related fields and to support educational programs of value 
to general health; 
 
g. To encourage the formation of other organizations on the national, 
provincial, city, municipal or barangay level and to coordinate their various 


 
3 
efforts and activities for the purpose of achieving a more effective 
programmatic approach on the common problems relative to the objectives 
herein enumerated; and 
 
h. To extend medical and heart, kidney, liver, cancer, and pulmonary services 
to the general public, to help prevent, relieve or alleviate the innumerable 
heart, kidney, liver, cancer and pulmonary afflictions and maladies of the 
people especially the poor and less fortunate in life, without regard to race, 
creed, color or political belief. 
 
SEC. 7. Governing Board. - The Governing Board of the Regional Specialty 
Hospitals shall be the Governing Board of their respective mother units: Provided, That 
the medical director or chief of hospital of the Regional Branch shall be present or 
invited to the Board meeting whenever matters concerning his/her Regional Branch 
are in the agenda or for discussion of the Board. 
 
SEC. 8. Tax Exemptions and Privileges. - All existing tax exemptions and 
privileges of the Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, 
Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Children’s Hospital and Philippine Cancer 
Center shall be availed of by their Regional Branches. 
 
SEC. 9. Transportation and Lodging Subsidy for Medical Specialists and 
Experts. - To encourage the assignment and/or temporary practice of medical 
specialists and experts in the Regional Branches of Specialty Hospitals, especially 
during the initial stage of their establishment, the Regional Branches are allowed to 
provide transportation and lodging subsidy and other necessary subsidies over and 
above of their salary, professional fee and other emoluments. 
 
SEC. 10. Assistance From Government Offices. - The Regional Specialty 
Hospital may call upon any Department, Bureau, Office, agency or instrumentality of 
the government, including government-owned or controlled corporations, 
particularly the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, for such assistance it may 
need in the pursuit of its purposes and objectives. 
 
SEC. 11. Government Subsidy and Contributions. - The amount of Five Billion 
Pesos (P5,000,000,000) is hereby appropriated as contribution of the National 
Government for the initial establishment, operations, and maintenance of the Regional 
Specialty Hospitals, for the year 2023. Thereafter, the amount necessary to ensure the 
continued operations and maintenance of the Regional Specialty Hospitals shall be 
duly provided for, appropriated, and released from the General Appropriations Act. 
The respective funds therefrom shall be administered by the respective Board of each 
specialty hospital. 
 
SEC. 12. Annual Report. - Each Regional Specialty Hospital shall render to their 
respective mother units, the Department of Health, the President of the Philippines, 
and the Congress of the Philippines annual reports of its activities, accomplishments, 
and recommendations. 
 


 
4 
SEC. 13. Effect of Dissolution of the Regional Specialty Hospital. - If for any 
reason the Regional Specialty Hospital is dissolved, its assets and properties 
remaining at the time of dissolution, shall revert to the Philippine Government for 
disposition in accordance with law. 
 
SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of the 
Department of Health, in consultation with the Medical Director or Chief of Hospital 
of the respective mother unit of the Specialty Hospital, shall issue such rules, 
regulations, and other issuances as may be necessary to ensure the effective 
implementation of the provisions of this Act. 
 
SEC. 15. Separability Clause. - Any portion or provision of this Act that is 
declared unconstitutional shall not have the effect of nullifying other portions or 
provisions hereof as long as such remaining portions can still subsist and be given 
effect in their entirety. 
 
SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, other 
issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act, are hereby repealed 
or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 17. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,