Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

RECEIVED
Z_ DATE_July 28, 2022
* TIME 4:43pm

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NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. _2711

introduced by

HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE VETERINARY HOSPITAL, DEFINING ITS
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The State is mandated to protect and promote the health and welfare of
all animals in the Philippines through the efficient and effective provision of
globally-competitive, cost-effective, compassionate, and accessible veterinary
services and facilities. This bill seeks to fulfill this constitutional mandate by
constructing, establishing, and operating a veterinary hospital for the welfare of
all animals, which shall be the primary medical facility for the hospitalization
and medical care of animals.

The proposed Philippine Veterinary Center shall engage in scientific
research on the prevention and treatment of animal diseases, the prevention of
transmission of animal diseases to people, and other related activities. The
Center will also be instrumental in assisting universities, hospitals, and
research institutions in their studies of animal and zoonotic diseases to
encourage advanced training on matters of or affecting animal health and
related fields and to support educational programs of value to general animal
health and welfare.


More importantly, it is envisioned that through this bill, we will be able to
encourage and/or undertake the training of veterinarians and animal care and
service workers on the practical and scientific conduct and implementation of
veterinary services and related activities.

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

Rep. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
Representative, Tingog Sinirangan

Rep. JUDE. ACIDRE
Representative, Tingog Sinirangan


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No.__ 2711.

introduced by

HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE VETERINARY HOSPITAL, DEFINING ITS PURPOSE
AND OBJECTIVES, PROVIDING 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 “Philippine Veterinary
Hospital Act.”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. \t is hereby declared the policy of the State
to protect and promote the health and welfare of all animals in the Philippines through
the efficient and effective provision of globally-competitive, cost-effective,

compassionate, and accessible veterinary services and facilities.

Section 3. Creation of the Philippine Veterinary Hospital. \t is hereby
created a corporate body to be known as the Philippine Veterinary Hospital which shall
be under the supervision and contro! of the Bureau of Animal Industry.

Section 4. Purposes and Objectives Functions of the Philippine
Veterinary Hospital. To ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of
quality animal healthcare, the Philippine Veterinary Hospital shall:


Construct, establish, operate, and maintain a veterinary hospital for the
welfare of all animals, which shall be the primary medical facility for the
hospitalization and medical care of animals;

. Provide comprehensive veterinary services, including but not limited to the
prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting the
health of domestic and wild animals and the care and treatment of injured
animals;

. Promote, encourage, and engage in scientific research on the prevention
and treatment of animal diseases, the prevention of transmission of animal
diseases to people, and relative activities, including but not limited to,
sponsorship and conduct of relevant congresses, conventions, seminars,
and conferences;

|. Stimulate and/or underwrite the above-mentioned scientific researches, and
gather, compile, and publish the findings of such researches for public
dissemination;

. Facilitate and encourage the dissemination and exchange of ideas and
information on the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of animal
diseases to arouse, enhance, and develop public interest on animal health
and welfare consciousness;

Encourage and/or undertake the training of veterinarians and animal care
and service workers on the practical and scientific conduct and
implementation of veterinary services and related activities;

|. Assist universities, hospitals, and research institutions in their studies of
animal and zoonotic diseases to encourage advanced training on matters
of or affecting animal health and related fields and to support educational
programs of value to general animal health and welfare; and,

. Encourage the formation of other veterinary hospitals and clinics on the
national, provincial, city, municipal, or barangay level and coordinate their
various efforts and activities for the purpose of achieving a more effective
and programmatic approach on the common problems relative to the
objectives herein enumerated.


Section 5. Powers and Functions of the Philippine Veterinary Hospital. For
the attainment and/or furtherance of the above purposes and objectives, the Philippine
Veterinary Hospital, as a body corporate, acting through its Board of Trustees, shalt
have all the powers pertaining to a juridical person, and is therefore authorized, among
other things to:

a. Acquire and hold in any property of whatever nature or description, and

dispose of such property under any mode of encumbrance or conveyance;

b. Contract and be contracted with;

c. Mortgage, lease, sell, transfer, convey, or otherwise dispose of its
properties;

d. Solicit and receive donations, endowments, and funds in the form of
contributions, whether in cash or in kind, from both the public and private
sectors;

e. Open such accounts in banks and other financial institutions and disburse
such funds or invest the same as the Board may direct to accomplish or
advance the purposes or interest of the Philippine Veterinary Hospital;

f. Invite foreign veterinarians and similar experts in the various medical fields
to train the personnel or trainees or residents of the Philippine Veterinary
Hospital;

g. Send the personnel of the Philippine Veterinary Hospital to research
institutes, medical institutes, or universities for advance training or
observation and attend international or regional conventions, conferences,
congresses, seminars as the Board may deem necessary to accomplish the
purposes and objectives of the Philippine Veterinary Hospital;

h. Adopt a set of by-laws, rules, and regulations not inconsistent with law and
the provisions hereof to govern the administration and operation of the
affairs of the Philippine Veterinary Hospital; and,

i. Do all such other acts and things as are or may be necessary or incidental
for the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the Philippine
Veterinary Hospital.

Section 6. Board of Trustees. The Philippine Veterinary Hospital shall be


administered by a Board of Trustees, hereafter referred to as the Board, composed of
seven (7) members, to be appointed by the President of the Philippines. The Director
of the Philippine Veterinary Hospital shall be appointed by the Board.

The six appointive members of the Board shall serve without compensation for
a period of three (3) years and until their successors shall have been appointed and
qualified. Any vacancy in the Board shall be filled by appointment by the President of
the Philippines, and the appointee shall serve for the unexpired term. The Board of
the Philippine Veterinary Hospital shall elect a Chairman from among themselves, who
shall be the presiding officer of the Board.

The Director of the Philippine Veterinary Hospital shall serve as the Vice-
Chairman of the Board. The Director shall act as the chief executive officer of the
Philippine Veterinary Hospital, with authority, among others, to appoint, remove, and
fic the compensation of the personnel thereof, subject to the approval of the Board.

Four (4) members of the Board shall constitute a quorum to transact business
and any decision of such four (4) members on any matter duly presented to the Board
shall constitute a valid and binding act of the Philippine Veterinary Hospital.

Section 7. Government Contributions. The Government shall constitute the
necessary land, building, equipment, and facilities to the Philippine Veterinary
Hospital, and shall pay such obligations for real, personal, and mixed properties arising
from such undertaking and under a deferred payment arrangement within five (5)
years, at a preferred rate of interest.

Section 8. Property of the Phillipine Veterinary Hospital. The property of
the Philippine Veterinary Hospital shall consist of such real, personal, mixed, and other
type of property, now owned or reserve for, or may hereafter be given, donated,
acquired, transferred, or conveyed to the Philippine Veterinary Hospital by the
Philippine Government, its branches and instrumentalities, any foreign government,
as well as by trust, foundations, corporations, or persons, aliens or domestic, in order
to carry out its purposes and objectives as set forth herein.

Section 9. Tax Exemptions, etc. All donations, contributions, or endowments


which may be made by entities or persons to the Philippine Veterinary Hospital shall
be exempt from income and donor's taxes, and the same shail be further deductible
in full for purposes of computing the maximum amount deductible under Section 30
(h) of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended

The Philippine Veterinary Hospital shall be exempt from the payment of all
taxes, charges, and fees imposed by the Government or any political subdivision or
instrumentality thereof for a period of ten (10) years.

Ail income earned by foreign doctors who shall use the facilities of the Philippine
Veterinary Hospital shall be exempt for a period of ten (10) years from the date of
effectivity hereof.

Section 10. Assistance from Government Offices, etc. The Philippine
Veterinary Hospital may call upon any department, bureau, office, agency, or
instrumentality of the Government, including government-owned or -controlled
corporations, for such assistance as it may need in the pursuit of its purposes and
objectives.

All individuals, entities, and institutions are hereby enjoined to render full
assistance and corporation to the Philippine Veterinary Hospital in the
accomplishment of its objectives and activities.

Section 11. Appropriations. An amount of one hundred million pesos (Php
100,000,000.00) shail be appropriated for the establishment and initial operations of
the Philippine Veterinary Hospital. Subsequently, the Secretary of Agriculture shall
include in the Department's program the implementation of this Act, the funding of
which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 12. implementing Rules and Regulations. Within sixty (60) days
from the approval of this Act, the Department of Agriculture, specifically the Bureau of
Animal industry, shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations to carry out
the provisions of this Act.

Section 13. Auditing. The books and accounts of the Philippine Veterinary


Hospital shall be subject to periodic auditing by the Chairman of the Commission on

Audit, or his duly authorized representative.

Section 14. Annual Report. The Philippine Veterinary Hospital shall render to
the President of the Philippines an annual report of its activities and recommendations.

Section 15. Effect of Dissolution of the Philippine Veterinary Hospital. \f,
for any reason, the Philippine Veterinary Hospital is dissolved, its properties remaining
at the time of such dissolution shall revert to the Philippine Government for disposition
in accordance with the law.

Section 16. Effectivity. This Act shail take effect fifteen days (15) after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,