6 hospital laws to boost nationwide healthcare access signed

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Go marked a milestone in his continued efforts to improve health care access in the Philippines with the enactment of six new laws focused on establishing and upgrading key public hospitals across the country.

As chairman of the Senate committee on health, Go served as the principal sponsor of all six measures, each designed to address urgent infrastructure needs in critical health care facilities, particularly in underserved and remote areas.

“Not all Filipinos can afford to seek treatment in large hospitals located in cities. That is why we continue to push for laws that bring medical services to every corner of the country,” Go said in Filipino.

The new laws include Republic Act 12203, increasing the bed capacity of the Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City, Pangasinan from 600 to 1,500 beds; RA 12204, expanding the capacity of the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina City from 500 to 1,000 beds, and RA 12205, raising the bed capacity of San Pedro District Hospital in Laguna from 15 to 50 beds.

Also signed into law were RA 12206, establishing the Zamboanga del Sur First District Hospital in the municipality of Ramon Magsaysay; RA 12207, upgrading the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, from 400 to 800 beds, and RA 12208, establishing the Calamba City General Hospital in Calamba City, Laguna.

“These laws represent our concrete efforts to uplift the quality of public healthcare and ensure that no Filipino is left behind,” Go said. “As someone from the province who knows the difficulty of not having a nearby hospital, I will make sure that you are not neglected.”

He said the six laws form part of his legislative agenda in the Senate. To date, he has authored 18 laws, principally sponsored 90 measures, including 88 specifically for the establishment and improvement of public hospitals, and has co-authored or co-sponsored 190 laws overall.

The senator underscored that enhancing health care access remains central to his brand of public service.

Dubbed “Mr. Malasakit” for championing the Malasakit Centers program, he reiterated that his ultimate goal is to ease the burden on ordinary Filipinos seeking medical care.

“Health is one of the most essential needs of every Filipino. When the people are healthy, the nation is stronger,” he said.