Be it enacted by the senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The mandate and services of the Bicol Sanitarium located in the Municipality of cabusao, Province of camarines Sur is hereby expanded to include sanitaria, general hospital services, and specialized health care services for adult and ageing population, as well as a center for research and development in the field of geriatric medicine.

The Bicol Sanitarium shall be renamed as the Bicol Region General Hospital and Geriatric Medical Center (BRGHGMC).

SEC. 2. The existing hospital facilities and professional health care services of the BRGHGMC are hereby upgraded and increased to conform with and be commensurate to the increase in bed capacity. The facility will continously work to manage and support the leprosy eradication program of the Department of Health (DOH) especially in Bicol. The number of medical personnel shall be correspondingly increased.

SEC. 3. All personnel, medical and non-medical records, assets and properties, including land and buildings, facilities, and equipment, sites, and improvements thereof, obligations, funds, and appropriations of the Bicol Sanitarium, including the Bicol Sanitarium, including the Bicol Skin Clinic located in Legazpi City, Province of Albay are hereby transferred to BRGHGMC.

SEC. 4. The DOH, in coordination with the Civil Service Commission, the Department of Budget and management and DOH Regional Health Office V, shall promulgate the conversion plan and organizational and staffing pattern of the said specialty medical center.

SEC. 5. The Secretary of Health shall immediately include in the Department's programs the operationalization of the BRGHGMC for a period of not more than three (3) years, the initial funding of which shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the Bicol Sanitarium. Thereafter, the amount necessary for its continued operation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 6. The DOH, through its Regional Health Office V Director and Medical Center Chief, in coordination with concerned national and local government units, shall also prepare the mechnisms for sourcing supplementary funds to augment the operations of the BRGHGMC.

SEC. 7. Act 1711 of the Philippine Commission on the establishment of the Bicol Treatment Station in Legazpi City, Albay, is hereby repealed. All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules and regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

(SGD.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO   Speaker of the House   of Representatives

(SGD.) VICENTE C. SOTTO III   President of the Senate

This Act was passed by the Senate of the Philippines as Senate Bill No. 1654 on July 24, 2018 and adopted by the House of Representatives as an amendment to House Bill No. 6551 on September 10, 2018.

(SGD.) DANTE ROBERTO P. MALING   Acting Secretary General   House of Representatives

(SGD.) MYRA MARIE D. VILLARICA  Secretary of the Senate

Approved: OCT 30 2018

(SGD.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
  President of the Philippines