Senior citizens soon to have dedicated specialty hospital

Senior citizens may soon have a dedicated specialty hospital after the Senate earlier this month approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to establish the Philippine Geriatric Center (PGC).

In a 23-0 vote on February 3, the Senate passed Senate Bill No. 1509, which aims to create a tertiary specialty hospital under the Department of Health that will focus on preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and age-appropriate care for elderly Filipinos.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, author of the measure, said the approval brings the country closer to expanding accessible and quality healthcare services for the aging population.

“Magiging mas madali nang matupad ang good health at long life na lagi nating wini-wish tuwing birthday ng ating mga lolo’t lola dahil sa pagpasa ng Philippine Geriatric Center Act,” Hontiveros said.

A counterpart bill was passed by the House of Representatives in December 2025.

The proposal has also been identified as a priority measure by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council and is included in the Department of Health’s legislative agenda.

The Senate-approved version includes an amendment introduced by Hontiveros requiring that the Philippine Geriatric Center be constructed, fully equipped, and operational within five to seven years from the law’s enactment to ensure it does not become a “white elephant” project.

The measure also adopted amendments from:

• Robin Padilla, prioritizing indigent and low-income senior citizens and vulnerable aging populations;
• Pia Cayetano, integrating social welfare and protection programs into geriatric care and mandating age-friendly amenities and facilities; and
• Bong Go, co-authoring a provision requiring that the PGC be headed by a duly licensed physician with demonstrated experience in geriatric care and hospital administration.

Hontiveros said the amendments ensure that services for senior citizens remain aligned with the country’s universal health care framework.

The bill now awaits the next legislative steps before it can be enacted into law.

The move to establish a geriatric specialty hospital comes amid broader efforts to strengthen specialty healthcare services.

Earlier, the Department of Health announced that four government specialty hospitals, the Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and Philippine Heart Center— will each receive additional P1 billion under the 2026 national budget to support the Zero Balance Billing program.

The funding aims to reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for eligible patients, particularly indigent Filipinos, seeking specialized treatment.

If enacted, the Philippine Geriatric Center Act would become the country’s first hospital dedicated solely to geriatric care, addressing the growing healthcare demands of the senior population. — BAP, GMA Integrated News