SENATE APPROVES HB 8471 CREATING ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY MEDICAL CENTER
Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay-The proposed Zamboanga Sibugay Medical Center has moved closer to becoming a reality after the Senate approved House Bill No. 8471 on third and final reading on September 28.
HB 8471 seeks to establish in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, a Level III general hospital to be known as the Zamboanga Sibugay Medical Center, with the facility to operate under the Department of Health. The measure also provides for the necessary funding for its establishment and operation.
The House measure was principally authored by Zamboanga Sibugay Second District Representative Dr. Marly Hofer-Hasim, who has been pushing for the establishment of a government-run medical center to address the province’s need for more comprehensive healthcare services.
During the Senate committee deliberations, Hofer-Hasim personally presented and defended the proposal, emphasizing the need to bring higher-level medical services closer to Sibugaynons. She cited the importance of having a government hospital capable of providing more specialized and tertiary healthcare services within the province.
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The proposed Level III medical center is expected to expand the province’s capacity to provide advanced medical care, improve referral and emergency services, and help reduce the need for patients to travel outside Zamboanga Sibugay when they require more specialized treatment.
The Senate approval completes the congressional approval process for HB 8471. The measure now awaits presidential action, with the President’s signature needed before it can become law.
Once enacted, the law will provide the legal foundation for the establishment of the Zamboanga Sibugay Medical Center in Ipil and allow the Department of Health to proceed with the necessary planning and implementation.
The measure was among the proposed hospital projects evaluated by the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, chaired by Sen. Risa Hontiveros. The committee conducted deliberations on HB 8471 and other proposed hospital measures, including the proposal for the Malangas Medical Center.
For Zamboanga Sibugay, the Senate approval marks a significant legislative development in the effort to establish a DOH-run Level III hospital in the province—bringing the proposed medical center one step closer to serving Sibugaynons.
