CO-SPONSORSHIP SPEECH
AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH) TO SET AND APPROVE THE BED CAPACITY AND SERVICE CAPABILITY OF ALL DOH HOSPITALS
Senate Bill No. 1508 under Committee Report No. 12
Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
November 12, 2025
Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, with the permission of the good Sponsor, Senator Risa Hontiveros, please allow this representation to co-sponsor Senate Bill No. 1508 under Committee Report No. 12. This proposed legislation is a decisive response to the glaring gaps exposed by the pandemic. It empowers the Department of Health (DOH) to set and approve bed capacities and service capabilities across all its hospitals, cutting through bureaucratic delays that have long hindered timely healthcare delivery.
It also mandates the continued updating of the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan (PHFDP), serving as the blueprint for modernizing government hospitals nationwide. It integrates funding needs into the DOH’s annual budget. Moreover, it compels the upgrading of equipment and facilities, from ICU units to dialysis centers, so that authorized capacities are matched by real, functional capability. These are the very reasons why I filed Senate Bill No. 963.
Ginoong Pangulo, ang panukalang ito ay hindi lamang tungkol sa bilang ng hospital beds; ito ay tungkol sa buhay na maililigtas. Sa pag-apruba nito, sinasabi natin sa ating mga kababayan na ang inyong kalusugan ay prayoridad.
I fully support and call for the immediate passage of this measure.
Thank you, Mr. President.