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BillSBN-164320th Congress

Dental Service Office in Every City or Municipality Act

In committee Filed Dec 17, 2025
◷ Where it standsIn Committee
FiledCommittee2nd Reading3rd ReadingBicamEnacted

Filed on December 17, 2025, and referred to the Committees on Health and Demography, Local Government, and Finance; it has been pending in committee since January 26, 2026, with no recorded action since then.

Should you care?
Relevance to you
Moderate

The bill addresses the need for improved dental health services across the country.

Residents of cities and municipalitiesDental patientsHealth care providers
Timeliness
Timely

The bill responds to the growing need for accessible dental health services in the Philippines.

Affects you ifCity health unitsDental health workersLocal government unitsCommunity health services
Impact assessment
AI read — verify with source
Overall impact
7.5/ 10
Long title

Dental Service Office in Every City or Municipality Act

Plain-language summary
AI Summary

This bill aims to create a dental service office in every city or municipal health unit in the Philippines, as part of a primary health care approach to improve access to dental health services.

What this bill actually requires
RequiresEstablish a dental service office in every city or municipal health unit under the supervision of the Department of Health (DOH).
RequiresThe Department of Health (DOH) must issue implementing rules and regulations within 60 days of the law's effectivity.
FundsInitial funding will come from the current fiscal year's appropriation for the Department of Health (DOH).
FundsSubsequent funding will be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
Deadline60 days for DOH to issue implementing rules and regulations after effectivity.
Deadline15 days after publication for the law to take effect.
ⓘ AI-generated — verify with the source.↗ Official Senate PDF
What changes from current law

Compared with current law:

Today

No dental service offices exist in every city or municipality.

This bill

Dental service offices will be established in every city or municipal health unit.

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

The bill aims to create a dental service office in every city or municipal health unit to improve access to dental health services as part of a primary health care approach.

Source · full text
Issue areas
HealthLocal GovernmentSocial WelfareLocal Government UnitsDepartment of HealthDental health servicesPrimary health careCommunity health services

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

Legislative history
Dec 17, 2025Senate
Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR;
Jan 26, 2026Senate
Read on First Reading and Referred to the Committees on HEALTH AND DEMOGRAPHY; LOCAL GOVERNMENT and FINANCE;
✦ AI insight

Stalled: the bill has been pending in committee for over 9 months with no action since its referral on January 26, 2026.

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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
SBN-1643 — verbatim textAs filed

Sentat Oftige st the Secreiarp TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session BEC 17 P6:15 SENATE REGEIVED BY: S. No. 1643 Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR AN ACT CREATING A DENTAL SERVICE OFFICE IN EVERY CITY OR MUNICIPAL HEALTH UNIT AS PART OF THE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE APPROACH IN THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE Article 13, Section 11 of the Constitution provides that, "The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost." Good oral/dental health translates to general health. Nourishment begins in the oral cavity; thus, oral health is recognized as an integral and indivisible component of Filipinos total health.' However, it is frequently ranked last in an individual's priorities. In the Philippines, there is a high prevalence of oral health problems across all age groups. Some governments have lauded primary health care (PHC) as the only viable way to provide any type of health care to rising populations in weak economies.? The PHC is the most efficient and successful means to attain health for all since it is focused on how to deliver health care services to everyone, everywhere. 1 National Policy on Oral Health, Department of Health Administrative Order 101, s. 2003 as cited in https://actamedicaphilippina.upm.edu.ph/index.php/acta/article/download/2590/1885/ 2 Phillips, D. R. (1986). Primary health care in the Philippines: banking on the barangays? Social Science & Medicine (1982), 23(10), 1105-1117. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(86)90269-8

Thus, the establishment of a dental service office in every city or municipal health unit, as part of the primary health care approach, strengthens the state's capacity to provide quality and accessible oral health care services, and it ensures the equitable delivery of basic oral health care services to the people and the community. For this purpose, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. MARK A. VILLAR NDC

. • Senate Ditire of the Coccretary REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REFUELE OF THE PREPREE? First Regular Session DEC 17 P6:15 SENATE MEGEIVED BY: S. No. 1643 Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR AN ACT CREATING A DENTAL SERVICE OFFICE IN EVERY CITY OR MUNICIPAL HEALTH UNIT AS PART OF THE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE APPROACH IN THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES, 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 "Dental Service Office in

Every City or Municipality Act."

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to pursue the Primary

Healthcare Approach in the delivery of health services and to undertake the 5 appropriate health human resources development for this policy as well as to promote preventive dental healthcare.

Sec. 3. Creation of Dental Service. - As part of the Primary Health Care

8 Approach, there is hereby created a dental service offices in every city or municipal health unit, under the supervision of the Department of Health (DOH).

Sec. 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the

11 effectivity of this Act, the Department of Health (DOH) shall promulgate the 12 implementing rules and regulations for the proper implementation of this Act.

Sec. 5. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation

of this Act shall be funded from the current fiscal year's appropriation for the Department of Health. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,

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