The Senate has approved four measures aimed at establishing or upgrading public hospitals in different parts of the country, expanding access to healthcare services outside Metro Manila.
The measures cover the establishment of the Subic General Hospital in Zambales and the Zamboanga Sibugay Medical Center, as well as the upgrading of the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital and the Kalinga Provincial Hospital.
The Kalinga Provincial Hospital is set to be upgraded into the Northern Cordillera Regional Medical Center, expanding its capacity to provide specialized healthcare services to residents of Kalinga and nearby areas.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said the measures would help address deficiencies in hospital infrastructure across different regions. She thanked her colleagues for supporting initiatives intended to bring hospital services closer to communities in Subic, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon and Kalinga.
The hospital measures form part of broader legislative efforts to strengthen the country’s healthcare system by improving medical facilities and increasing access to government hospital services in underserved areas.
The Senate has also approved other health-related measures, including legislation strengthening protections against the detention of patients and their families over unpaid hospital bills. That measure seeks to expand existing safeguards while providing mechanisms for financially incapable patients to settle legitimate medical obligations.
The latest hospital bills now move forward in the legislative process, with their implementation ultimately depending on the required enactment and government funding.
