President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed into law four measures seeking to create and upgrade hospitals in various parts of the country.

Copies of the new laws were posted on the Official Gazette and shared on social media Wednesday.

Marcos signed on Nov. 8 Republic Act (RA) 12068, which seeks to upgrade the Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center in Balanga City, Bataan to a multi-specialty hospital and increase its bed capacity from 500 to 1,000.

The President also signed RA 12069, which upgrades the Dr. Catalino Gallego Nava Provincial Hospital in the town of Jordan in the province of Guimaras into a Level II hospital and increase its bed capacity from 25 to 500.

The hospital will also be renamed Dr. Catalino Gallego Nava Medical Center.

Likewise, the President 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.

Under the new laws, the Secretary of Health is mandated to include in the Department of Health’s program the funding needed for the upgrade and establishment of these hospitals.

Meanwhile, Marcos signed RA 12072 separating the Bacungan National High School – Mangop Extension in Barangay Mangop, Leon B. Postigo town in the province of Zamboanga del Norte from the Bacungan National High School, and converting it into an independent national high school to be named Mangop National High School. (PNA)