Senior Citizens' Hospital Act of 2025

Senate Offier of the entriap TWENTIEH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session JUL 10 P4:42 SENATE RECEIVED BY S. No. 411 Introduced by Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" T. Go AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE SENIOR CITIZENS HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE Elderly individuals often suffer from chronic illnesses due to their advanced age. Their conditions often manifest in functional decline and cognitive impairments which require long-term care, rehabilitation, and palliative services. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the number of senior citizens in the country is projected to reach over 14 million by 2030. This growing population of senior citizens underscores the need for a dedicated specialized healthcare service that is appropriate for the urgent and specialized needs of aging individuals. While the Dr. Eva Macaraeg-Macapagal National Center for Geriatric Health (DEMMNCGH) is existing, it is not a stand-alone hospital dedicated for senior citizens since its under the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center. Given this, limitations in the health services offered by the DEMMNCGH exist. This bill seeks to establish a dedicated senior citizens' hospital to be known as the Philippine Senior Citizens Hospital and Research Institute to provide comprehensive, dedicated care for senior citizens, promote geriatric research and training, and serve as a national model for elder care. The proposed hospital aligns

with national health goals provided under Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Heaith Care (UHC) Act, and the objectives of Republic Act No. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act. In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. SENATOR CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE "BONG" T. GO

JOffice of il TWENTIEH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 25 JUL 10 P4:42 SENATE RECEIVEI S. No. 411 Introduced by Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" T. Go AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE SENIOR CITIZENS HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Senior Citizens'

Hospital Act of 2025."

SEc. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and promote

5 the right to health of senior citizens all over the country by ensuring that holistic health 6 services are available and accessible to them through the establishment of a 7 specialized hospital and research institute.

Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:

(a) Geriatric health services refer to the medical services or interventions provided by a multidisciplinary team to older patients; (b) Geriatric medicine or Geriatrics refers to the sub-specialty of internal and family medicine that diagnoses and treats a wide range of conditions and diseases that affect people as they age and aims to promote health and treat disabilities of older adults; (c) Geriatric specialty center refers to a unit or department in a DOH-retained hospital that offers specialized care to the aging population, particularly to

frail older persons, addressing their particular conditions and providing specific procedures and management of cases, requiring specialized training and/or equipment; and (d) Geriatrician refers to a medical doctor who has passed the necessary training and specialty licensure examination for the practice of Geriatric Medicine.

SEc. 4. Philippine Senior Citizens Hospital and Research Institute. - There shall

be established a tertiary specialty hospital for geriatrics under the direct control and supervision of the Department of Health (DOH) to be known as the Philippine Senior Citizens Hospital and Research Institute (PSCHRI). The PSCHRI shall be distinct and separate from the Dr. Eva Macaraeg-Macapagal National Center for Geriatric Health (DEMMNCGH) under the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC). The PSCHRI shall be headed by a Medical Center Chief who is a licensed physician with experience in hospital administration and management for at least five (5) years. The Medical Center Chief shall be appointed by the Secretary of Health.

SEC. 5. Powers and Functions. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, the

PSCHRI shall have the following powers and functions: (a) Formulate a hospital development plan which shall be regularly updated to reflect the expansion and future development of the PSCHRI; (b) Provide and maintain affordable, quality, and timely people-centered hospital care through an efficient health service delivery system for senior citizens; (c) Provide an integrated and effective approach in the delivery of geriatric health services in collaboration with other government agencies, local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders; (d) Provide consultancy service and technical assistance in the setting of standards for geriatric wards in every tertiary-level hospital, nursing home and residential center catering to the health and functioning needs of senior citizens; (e) Provide technical assistance and capacity building in the establishment and maintenance of nursing homes and residential care facilities and senior

citizens' wards in government hospitals pursuant to Republic Act No. 9994, otherwise known as the "Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010". (f) Provide higher and up-to-date geriatric training for professionals, postgraduates, academics, and allied healthcare providers, especially from geriatric specialty centers, LGUs, and other government hospitals; (g) Develop and implement research studies on diseases related to old age with a view to translating research outcomes into policy and specialized health care solutions, and publish research studies that shall serve as a critical information resource for the medical and research community, in coordination with the Philippine Council on Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and the Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (IA-NIH); (h) Develop and maintain a core information hub on geriatrics studies in coordination with the IA-NIH and concerned offices of the DOH and its attached agencies; and (i) Finance, sponsor, hold or participate in congresses, conventions, conferences, seminars, workshops, and training programs on geriatric health services or related fields in the Philippines and abroad.

SEc. 6. Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern. - The Secretary of the

DOH shall determine the organizational structure and staffing pattern of the PSCHRI, subject to the evaluation and approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and in compliance with civil service laws, rules and regulations.

SEc. 7. Coordination with and Assistance from Other Government Agencies. -

26 The PSCHRI shall collaborate with the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) in the development of its programs and services. It may likewise call upon any 28 department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the government for assistance, in the pursuit of the purposes and objectives of this Act.

Sec. 8. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of this

32 Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriation of the DOH. Thereafter,

the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of Health shall, in

consultation with the Secretary of Budget and Management and the Chairperson of 5 the NCSC, promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days from its effectivity.

SEc. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or

9 unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other provisions hereof.

SEc. 11. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, decrees, executive orders, and rules

and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from its

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