NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
S. B. No.
70
iiP TIME:
BILLS & INDEX
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR ALAN PETER "COMPANERO” S. CAYETANO
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL HEALTH PASSPORT SYSTEM AND 
STRENGTHENING THE PRIMARY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Medical record keeping plays an essential role in any healthcare system. For 
Filipinos in general, it is not a usual practice to keep such documentation - whether 
of previous check ups, diagnostic test results, medications, treatments, and 
procedures done, among others. Thus, assisting Filipinos in record keeping and 
making medical history available should also be given emphasis and priority by the 
government.
The Health Passport System can help address this gap as its purpose is to 
provide each Filipino with a document that reflects each individual's full medical 
history and other relevant data, providing both the medical practitioner and the 
patient a full picture of the latter's condition. In the event of emergencies, this will 
also be a handy tool that can be essential in saving lives.
Also, medical data recorded in the health passport cautions the patient to be 
aware of his congenital or hereditary illness consistent with the saying that to be 
forewarned is to be forearmed. Hence, an individual can make the necessary 
preparations to prevent further complication of his illness. In addition, couples will 
know the medical history of his or her partner and give them the chance to take steps 
to ensure the health of their children. The health passport will also help doctors and 
dentists monitor if their patients are being compliant with their scheduled health 
check ups and undergo recommended medical tests.
The importance of diagnostic tests may be emphasized by the fact that many 
suffer from misdiagnosed illnesses due to the absence of proper information. 
Through these tests, illnesses, medication, and other medical procedures are 
accurately determined. Recording of the results of these tests to one's health passport 
will guide physicians in making proper diagnosis, give other physicians a better 
perspective of the medical history of the patient, and prevent duplication of tests 
being done on the same patient. Furthermore, most modern hospitals in the 
Philippines are already using digitalized results of diagnostics tests, which makes it


easier for patients, especially if they have more than one doctor, to look at their 
medical results.
To use the health passport, all the patient has to do is to present it whenever 
he/she avails of the medical services of any public hospital, clinic, or other medical 
institutions. This document also intends to assist the doctor examining the patient's 
medical condition, either in a private or public medical facility. However, the health 
passport, along with PhilHealth, will not be fully and seamlessly functional if the 
primary health care system is not established.
For these reasons, more than the provision of the Health Passport System, this 
bill's objective is to strengthen the primary healthcare system to effect change that is 
felt by all. Evaluation and monitoring systems will be in place to guarantee that our 
Rural Health Units will meet the world's standard of primary healthcare.
This bill was first filed by this Representation during my first term as a District 
Representative in 2000. More than two decades after, this representation looks 
forward to seeing this proposed legislation finally come to fruition during this 
Congress. In view of the foregoing, it is my hope that this measure will be 
expeditiously passed.
ALAN PETER “COMPANERO" S. CAYETANO


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
S. B. No.JZa
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DATE:JULOTa
BY:
BILLS & INDEX
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR ALAN PETER "COMPANERO" S. CAYETANO
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iP TIME: 
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AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL HEALTH PASSPORT SYSTEM AND 
STRENGTHENING THE PRIMARY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:
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SECTION 1. Short Title.
System Act".
This Act shall be known as the "Health Passport
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and 
promote the right to health of the people and instil health consciousness among them. 
The State guarantees universal access to affordable and quality health care services 
from the government, especially to the underprivileged.
Also, the State recognizes the need to adopt an integrated and comprehensive 
approach to health development, which shall endeavour to make essential goods, 
health and other social services available to all the people at affordable costs.
It is also the policy of the State to promote scientific and technological research 
and development, foster invention, and utilize scientific knowledge as an effective 
instrument for the promotion of national progress. This includes the full utilization of 
the latest technology in the delivery of basic services to Filipinos, including healthcare 
services.
SECTION 3. National Health Passport System. - Consistent with the above 
policies, the Department of Health (DOH), in joint coordination with the Department 
of Information and Communications Technology [DICT], the Department of Science 
and Technology (DOST), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), 
the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Local 
Government Units (LGUs), shall design and implement the National Health Passport 
System.


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SECTION 4. Content and Purpose. - For purposes of this Act, the Health
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Passport shall be the personal record booklet containing:
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a. A medical patient's medical and dental history as recorded by a duly- 
licensed healthcare professional;
b. The names of duly-licensed healthcare professionals which the patient 
consulted, including the date of such consultation;
c. Results of laboratory examinations;
d. Diagnosis;
e. Immunization records;
f. Drugs and medical devices prescribed, including the quantity and 
frequency of intake or use, as the case may be, of the same;
g. Information on all medical and health related benefits provided by laws, 
including benefits from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation 
[PhilHealth);
h. Information regarding the patient's medical rights and privileges under the 
passport system; and
i. Such other details which the DOH may deem appropriate.
The Health Passport shall be used as valid identification to avail of free medical 
services, including diagnostics and treatment, in public hospitals, subject to the 
guidelines to be set by the DOH.
The DICT and DOST may utilize the latest available technology, such as, but not 
limited to, the use of a Quick Response (QR] Code which shall be linked with 
permanent PhilHealth membership number and other pertinent details, to 
implement this Act.
SECTION 5. Authority to Access Passport. - Access by proper medical 
authorities to the data recorded therein shall be made upon the passport holder's 
prior consent. In the absence of the relatives, the physician in charge of the patient 
shall be authorized to review the patient's passport.
SECTION 6. Scope of the Health Passport Program. - All Filipino citizens 
shall be entitled to a personal Health Passport, which shall be used for availing of 
medical services or treatment provided in public or private medical institutions.
The parents or legal guardians of children born after the effectivity of this Act 
shall be required to enroll their children in the Health Passport System program. 
Failure to provide the child with medical check-ups and immunization shall 
constitute an act of child abuse or cruelty, punishable under Republic Act No. 7610, 
otherwise known as the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation 
and Discrimination Act.''


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SECTION 7. Procedure. - Cities, municipalities, and Barangays, together with 
the DSWD, shall be responsible for the distribution of health passports.
SECTION 8. Digitization of Rural Health Center Records. - In the pursuit of 
seamless and efficient health care service, rural health centers in the Philippines are 
directed to digitize all medical records and evaluation results. This is to create a 
shareable database to consolidate all information that will be easily accessible in time 
of need.
SECTION 9. Senior Citizens Privileges. - All privileges granted to senior 
citizens under the Senior Citizen's Act and other laws shall also apply to senior 
citizens with health passports. Medical institutions shall give priority to senior 
citizens on their needs.
SECTION 10. Rural Health Units Assessment Report. - DOH shall submit an 
initial assessment report to the House of Representatives and the Senate on the status 
of every Rural Health Unit (RHU] within ninety (90] days of the effectivity of this Act 
to identify which RHUs do not meet the universal standards for quality primary 
healthcare.
SECTION 11. Roadmap for the Improvement of Rural Health Units. - Based 
on the Rural Health Units Assessment Report, as mandated by the preceding section, 
the DOH shall likewise prepare a comprehensive roadmap elaborating the 
recommended steps to improve the quality of primary healthcare.
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Annually thereafter, an update report pertaining to the progress of the RHUs
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shall be submitted to the House of Representatives and the Senate for purposes of
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monitoring and evaluation.
SECTION 12. Implementing Agency. - The DOH shall promulgate the 
implementing rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, 
and administer this program in coordination with the local government units 
concerned and other agencies whose functions are bound to affect the 
implementation of this system.
In this connection, the DOH is hereby mandated to conduct further study on 
this system. The Department shall also assess the capabilities of the health 
institutions in the local government units as well as the availability of laboratory 
apparatuses to put into service the provisions of this Act.
SECTION 13. Appropriation. - The sum necessary for the effective 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations 
Act.
SECTION 14. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act shall 
be held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provisions not 
otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.


SECTION 15. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, issuances or 
portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly.
SECTION 16. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15} days following 
the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2} 
newspapers of general circulation, whichever comes earlier.
Approved,