Marcos approves laws to establish and upgrade hospitals nationwide

DAVAO CITY – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed into law four new measures aimed at establishing and upgrading hospitals across the Philippines, improving healthcare access and capacity in key regions.

The Official Gazette published copies of these newly signed laws, which were also shared on social media on Wednesday. The laws were signed on November 8.

Among the measures, Republic Act (RA) 12068 upgrades the Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center in Balanga City, Bataan, to a multi-specialty facility, doubling its bed capacity from 500 to 1,000 beds.

Marcos also signed RA 12069, which converts the Dr. Catalino Gallego Nava Provincial Hospital in Jordan, Guimaras, into a Level II hospital, significantly increasing its bed capacity from 25 to 500 beds. This hospital will be renamed Dr. Catalino Gallego Nava Medical Center.

In addition, Marcos signed RA 12070 and RA 12071, establishing the Victorias City General Hospital in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, and the Laguna Regional Hospital in Bay, Laguna, respectively. These new hospitals aim to serve as primary healthcare facilities for their regions.

Under these new laws, the Secretary of Health is directed to allocate funding within the Department of Health’s budget to support the upgrade and establishment of these healthcare facilities.

In a separate measure, Marcos signed RA 12072, which separates the Bacungan National High School – Mangop Extension, located in Barangay Mangop, Leon B. Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte, from its parent school. This school will now operate as an independent institution, to be known as Mangop National High School.