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BillHBN-834220th Congress

Soccsksargen Regional and Medical Center

In committee Filed Mar 17, 2026
◷ Where it standsIn Committee
FiledCommittee2nd Reading3rd ReadingBicamEnacted

Filed on March 17, 2026, and referred to the Committees on Health and Demography and Finance; it has been pending in committee since then with no recorded action.

Should you care?
Relevance to you
Broad

The bill addresses healthcare capacity and service quality in South Cotabato.

PatientsMedical personnelLocal communityDepartment of Health
Timeliness
Timely

The bill responds to the growing healthcare needs in the region.

Affects you ifSurallah residentsHealthcare workersPatients needing careLocal government officials
Impact assessment
AI read — verify with source
Overall impact
5.5/ 10
Long title

Soccsksargen Regional and Medical Center

Plain-language summary
✦AI Summary

This bill aims to rename the Soccsksargen General Hospital to Soccsksargen Regional and Medical Center, increase its bed capacity from 75 to 1,500, upgrade its healthcare services, and authorize an increase in medical personnel.

What this bill actually requires
RequiresRename Soccsksargen General Hospital to Soccsksargen Regional and Medical Center.
RequiresIncrease bed capacity to 1,500 beds.
RequiresUpgrade healthcare services and facilities.
RequiresIncrease medical personnel correspondingly.
FundsThe funding for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
DeadlineThis Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication.
ⓘ AI-generated — verify with the source.↗ Official Senate PDF
What changes from current law

Compared with current law:

Today

Soccsksargen General Hospital has 75 beds.

This bill

Soccsksargen Regional and Medical Center will have 1,500 beds.

Today

Current healthcare services are limited.

This bill

Healthcare services will be upgraded.

Today

Current workforce is insufficient.

This bill

Workforce will be increased correspondingly.

ⓘ AI-generated comparison — verify against the bill and the cited law.
Ask this bill

The hospital will be renamed from Soccsksargen General Hospital to Soccsksargen Regional and Medical Center.

Source · full text
Issue areas
HealthSocial WelfareHealthcare ServicesMedical personnelSouth CotabatoSoccsksargen Regional and Medical CenterDepartment of Health

✦ Dashed tags are AI-suggested nuance; solid tags follow the committee taxonomy.

Legislative history
Mar 17, 2026Senate
Introduced by Representatives FERDINAND L. HERNANDEZ, CIRIACO JR B. GATO, FELIMON M. ESPARES, KENNETH PAOLO TERENG and MIKAELA ANGELA B. SUANSING;
Mar 17, 2026Senate
Approved on Third Reading by the House of Representatives on March 16, 2026;
Mar 17, 2026Senate
Sent to the Senate requesting for concurrence;
Mar 18, 2026Senate
Read on First Reading and Referred to the Committees on HEALTH AND DEMOGRAPHY and FINANCE;
✦ AI insight

Fast-tracked: the bill was approved on third reading by the House of Representatives on March 16, 2026, just one day before it was filed, indicating strong initial support.

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Floor activity

No floor deliberations yet — this measure has not reached plenary. Its committee-stage actions appear under Legislative history above.

Full text
HBN-8342 — verbatim textAs filed

CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES TWENTIETH CONGRESS Firsi Regular Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H. No. 8342 BY REPRESENTATIVES HERNANDEZ (F.), GATO, ESPARES, TERENG AND SUANSING (M.A.) AN ACT RENAMING THE SOCCSKSARGEN GENERAL HOSPITAL IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF SURALLAH, PROVINCE OF SOUTH COTABATO, TO SOCCSKSARGEN REGIONAL AND MEDICAL CENTER, INCREASING ITS BED CAPACITY FROM SEVENTY-FIVE (75) TO ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED (1,500) BEDS, UPGRADING ITS PROFESSIONAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND FACILITIES, AUTHORIZING THE INCREASE OF ITS MEDICAL PERSONNEL, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital in the Municipality of

Surallah, Province of South Cotabato, is hereby renamed as SOCCSKSARGEN Regional and Medical Center (SRMC), which shall be under the direct supervision and control of the Department of Health (DOH).

SEC. 2. The authorized bed capacity of the SRMC shall be increased from

seventy-five (75) to one thousand five hundred (1,500) beds. Any future increase in bed capacity shall be consistent with the hospital development plan that shall be prepared by the DOH.

SEC. 3. The existing professional health care services and facilities of the SRMC

are hereby upgraded to conform with and be commensurate to the increase in bed capacity as provided for in Section 2 hereof.

SEC. 4. The existing workforce of the SRMC, which includes doctors, nurses,

and support personnel, shall be increased correspondingly.

SEC. 5. The Secretary of Health shall, in consultation with the Medical Center

Chief of the SRMC, determine the additional positions required for the operation of the SRMC, subject to applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

SEC. 6. All references to the SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital in existing

laws, rules, and regulations particularly those concerning increases in bed capacity,

budgetary allocations, and other rights and privileges, shall continue to apply to the 2. SRMC upon the effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 7. The Secretary of Health shall immediately include in its Department:

program the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 8. If any provision or part of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the

remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 9. All laws, executive orders, issuances, and rules and regulations

inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 10. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the

Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,

Reproduced from the Senate document. The official PDF is the authoritative version.