Duterte signs Bicol Medical Center Law
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go’s measure expected to improve the delivery of quality medical and health care services in Region 5 or the Bicol Region.
“President Duterte has approved the measure seeking to further upgrade the Bicol Medical Center. This is for our Bikolano compatriots,” Go said in Filipino. The lawmaker is chairman of the Senate health and demography committee.
Duterte signed Republic Act ( RA) 11478, “An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of Bicol Medical Center from 500 beds to 1,000 Beds, Upgrading its Service Facilities and Professional Health Care Services, Authorizing the Increase of its Medical Workforce Complement,
Amending for the Purpose Republic Act 8053, and Appropriating Funds.”
“As chairman of the Senate health committee, we continue to work in order to further upgrade the quality of our public hospitals wherever in the country, especially now that we are facing [ the coronavirus] pandemic,” he added.
Since last week, this is the fourth similar health- related measure signed into law by the President.
He also signed into law three other local hospital bills: RA11472, which increases the bed capacity and upgrades the services of the Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City from 150 to 500 beds; RA 11473, which upgrades the Talisay District Hospital in Talisay City, Cebu into a medical center to be known as the Cebu South Medical Center; and RA 11474, which also upgrades the Maria L. Eleazar District Hospital in Tagkawayan, Quezon province into a Level 3 general hospital to be known as the Maria L. Eleazar General Hospital.
“For every health- related bill that we have passed and enacted into law, we’re saving our countrymen from illnesses,” Go said.