Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1953

Introduced by Representative CIRIACO B. GATO, JR., M.D., FPSO-HNS

EXPLANATORY NO’

This bill secks to re-nationalize [tbayat District Hospital in the province of Batanes
pursuant to the Constitutional mandate of the State to protect and promote the right to health
of every Filipino and make essential goods, health and other services available to all.

‘The Municipality of Itbayat is one of the most geographically-isolated and remote
municipalities in the Philippines. Located in the northernmost part of the country, Itbayat is
accessible only through sea or air travel, both of which are often limited by weather and
logistical constraints. These factors severely affect the availability and accessibility of
essential health services for its residents.

Currently, the Itbayat District Hospital operates under the management of the
Provincial Government of Batanes. However, it faces persistent limitations in funding,
staffing, medical equipment, and infrastructure upgrades. This has prevented the hospital
from fully meeting the needs of Itbayat's population, particularly in times of medical
emergencies, disasters, and outbreaks.

The reversion to the national government will allow the hospital to benefit from direct
national funding through the General Appropriations Act; receive necessary infrastructure,
facility, and equipment upgrades; improve its workforce capacity by hiring DOH-deployed
healthcare professionals and specialists; and provide essential health services including basic
medical, surgical, maternity, laboratory, and pharmacy services. It will ensure that Itbayat,
despite its remote and isolated location, will receive the health services its people
deserve—services that are timely, sufficient, and nationally supported.

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

~
CIRIACO B. GATO, JR,, M.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL Ni

Introduced by Representative CIRIACO B. GATO, JR., M.D., FPSO-HNS

AN ACT RE-NATIONALIZING THE ITBAYAT DISTRICT HOSPITAL LOCATED
IN THE PROVINCE OF BATANES, PLACING IT UNDER THE DIRECT
CONTROL, MANAGEMENT, AND SUPERVISION 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 1. Short Title. —This Act shall be known as the “Re-nationalization of the
Itbayat District Hospital Act.”

SECTION 2, Re-nationalization of the Itbayat District Hospital. The management,
operation, and maintenance of the Itbayat District Hospital, located in the Municipality of
Itbayat, Province of Batanes, is hereby reverted to the national government and placed under
the direct control and supervision of the Department of Health (DOH), and shall be known as.
the “Itbayat General Hospital”

SECTION 3. Appropriations. The amount necessary for the initial implementation of
this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of the Department of Health.
Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued operation, maintenance, and
upgrading of the Itbayat District Hospital shall be included in the annual General
‘Appropriations Act (GAA).

SECTION 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days after the
enactment of this Act, the Department of Health, in consultation with the Department of
Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Civil
Service Commission (CSC), shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the
effective implementation of this Act.


SECTION 5. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and
effect.

SECTION 6. Repeating Clause. All laws, executive orders, rules, and regulations
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

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

Approved,