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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S. No. 1894 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 16 provides: "The State shall protect and advance the 
right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of 
nature." 
states: 
Republic Act No. 9729, or the "CHmate Change Act of 2009," Section 3, paragraph 3 
Recognizing the vulnerability ·of the Philippine archipelago and its local 
communities, particularly the poor, women, and children, to potential dangerous 
consequences of climate change s~ch as rising seas, changing landscapes, 
increasing frequency and/or severity of droughts, fires, floods and storms, 
climate-related illnesses and diseases, damage to ecosystems, biodiversity loss 
that affect the country's environment, culture, and economy, the State shall 
cooperate with the global community in the resolution of climate change issues, 
including disaster risk reduction. It shall be the policy of the State to enjoin the 
participation of national and local governments, businesses, nongovernment 
organizations, local communities and the public to prevent and reduce the adverse 
impacts of climate change and, at the same time, maximize the benefits of climate 
change. . . 
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Climate change was described as perhaps "the biggest global health threat of the 21 st 
century." 1 
The American Public Health Association has dubbed climate change an "urgent threat" to 
health, and has emphasized that "local public health professionals around the cOlmtry 
increasingly will be dealing with the impacts of climate change on the ground, every 
• day." These threats to health from climate change require robust, comprehensive action that 
engages all levels of government. 2 
I Managing the Health Effects of Climate Change. a collaboration between The Lancet and University 
College London. UK, 13 May 2009. 
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. 2 http://www ,phLor-ginews-events/4 7 6/phi -supports-climate-change-health-protection-and-promotion-act. 
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Thus, this bill directs the Secretary of Health to develop a national strategic action plan to 
assist health professionals in preparing for and responding to the public health effects of climate 
change.3 
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• MIRIAM DEFlSNSOR iANTrfGb 
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3 http://www .gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/B1LLS-113hr2023 ih/pdf/BILLS-113hr2023 ih.pdf. 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES' 
) 
First Regular Session . 
) 
SENATE 
S.No. 1894 
Introduced by S~nator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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[JCT 24 
f'3:41 
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DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH TO DEVELOP A NATIONAL STRATEGIC 
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ACTION PLAN TO ASSIST HEAL TI} PROFESSIONALS IN PREPARING FOR AND 
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RESPONDING TO THE PUBLIC I-lEALTH EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short lYtle. - This Act shall be known as the "Climate Change Health 
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Protection and Promotion Act." . 
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SECTION 2. Sense of Congress on Public Health and Climate Change. - It is the sense 
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of the Congress that the national government, in cooperation with local government units, 
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concerned public and private organizations, and citizens, should use ali practicable means and 
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measures-
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(I) 
to assist the efforts of public health and health care professionals, first responders, 
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provinces, cities, municipalities, and local communities to incorporate measures to prepme health 
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systems (0 respond to the impayts of climate change; 
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(2) 
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to ensul'e - . 
(A) 
that the nation's health professionals have sufficient information to 
(B) 
prepare for and respond to the adverse health impacts of climate change; 
the utility and value o{scientific resemch in advancing understanding of: 
(i) 
the health impacts of climate change; and 
(ii) 
strategies to prepare for and respond to the health impacts of 
climate change; 
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(C) 
the identification of communities vulnerable to the health effects of 
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climate change and the development of strategic response plans to be 
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carried out by health professionals for those communities; 
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(D) 
the improvement of health status and health equity through efforts to 
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prepare for and respond to climate change; and 
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(E) 
the inclusion of health policy in the development of climate change 
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responses; 
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(3) 
to encourage further researdl, interdisciplinary partnership, and collaboration 
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among stakeholders in order to: 
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(A) 
understand and monitor the health impacts of climate change; and 
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(B) 
improve public health knowledge and response strategies to climate 
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change; 
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(4) 
to enh<fnce preparedness activities, and public health infrastructure, relating to 
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climate change and health; and 
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(5) 
to encourage each and every Filipino to learn about the impacts of climate change 
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on health. 
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SECTION 3. Relationship to Other Laws. - Nothing in this Act, in any manner, limits the 
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authority provided to or responsibility conferred on any department or agency by any provision 
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of any law (including regulations) or authorizes any violation of any provision of any law 
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(including regulations), including any health, energy, environmental, transportation, or any other 
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law or regulation. 
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SECTION 4. D~jinition a/Terms. - As used in this Act, the term: 
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(I) 
"Health Impact Assessment" means a combination of procedures, methods, and 
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tools by which a policy, program, or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the 
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health of a population, and the distribution ~f.those effects within the population. 
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(2) 
"National Strategic Action Plan" means the plan issued and revised under Section 
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(3) 
"Secretmy" means the Secretary of Health. 
SECTION S. National Strategic Action Plan. -
(1) 
Requirement. - . 
(A) 
'In Gimeral. - The Secretary of Health, within two (2) years after the date 
of the effectivitiy of this Act, on the basis of the best available science, 
and in consultation pursuant to pmagraph (B), shall publish a strategic 
. action plan to assist health professionals in preparing for and responding 
to the impacts of climate change on public health in the Philippines and 
other nations, particularly developing nations. 
(B) 
Consultation. -
In developing or making any revision to the national 
strategic action plan, the Secretary shall: 
(i) 
consult with the Climate Change Commission (created under R.A. 
No. 9729, or the "Climate Change Act of 2009"), the Secretary of 
Environment and Natural Resources, the Director of the National 
Institutes of Health, the Secretary of Energy, other appropriate 
government agencies, and local government units, public health 
organizations, scientists, and other interested stakeholders; and 
(ii) 
provide opportunity for public input. 
(2) 
Contents. -
(A) 
In General. - The Secretary shall assist health professionals in preparing 
for and responding effectively and efficiently to the health effects of 
climate change through measures including: 
.(i) . developing, improving, integrating, and maintaining domestic and 
international disease surveillance systems and monitoring capacity 
to respond to health-related effects of climate change, including on 
topics addressing: 
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(a) 
water, food, and vector borne infectious diseases and 
climate change; 
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(b) 
pulmonary effects, including responses to aeroallergens; 
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( c) 
cardiqvascular effects, including impacts of temperature 
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extremes; 
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(d) 
air pollution health effects, including heightened sensitivity 
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to air pollution; 
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(e) 
hazardous algal blooms; 
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(f) . 
mental and behavioral health impacts of climate change; 
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(g) 
the health of refugees, displaced persons, and vulnerable 
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communities; 
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(h) 
the imptications for commlmities vulnerable to health 
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effects of climate change, as well as strategies for 
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responding to climate change within these communities; 
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and 
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(i) 
local and community-based health interventions for 
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climate-related health impacts; 
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'(ii) . creating tools for predicting and monitoring the public health 
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effects of climate change on the international, national, regional, 
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and local levels, and providing technical support to assist in their 
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implementation; 
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(iii) 
developing 
public 
health 
communications 
strategies 
and 
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interventions for extreme weather events and disaster response 
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situations; 
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(iv) 
identifying 
and 
prioritizing 
communities 
and 
popUlations 
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vulnerable to the health effects of climate change, and determining 
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actions and communication strategies that should be taken to 
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inform and protect these commnnities and populations from the 
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health effects of climate change; 
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(v) 
developing health communication, public education, and outreach 
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programs aimed at public health and health care professionals, as 
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well as the general public, to promote preparedness and response 
strategies relatil,lg to climate change and public health, including 
the identification of greenhouse gas reduction behaviors that are 
health-promoting; 
(vi) 
developing academic and regional centers of excellence devoted 
to: 
(a) 
researching relationships between climate change and 
health; 
(b) 
expanding and training the public health workforce to 
strengthen the capacity of such workforce to respond to and 
pr~pare for the health effects of climate change; 
(c) 
creating and supporting academic fellowships focusing on 
the health effects of climate change; and 
(d) 
training senior health ministry officials from developing 
nations to strengthen the capacity of such nations to: 
(1) 
prepare for and respond to the health effects of 
climate change; and 
.. (II) 
build an international network of public health 
professionals with the necessary climate change 
knowledge base; 
(vii) 
using techniques, including health impact assessments, to assess 
various climate change public health preparedness and response 
strategies on international, national, regional, and local levels, and 
make recommendations as to those strategies that best protect the 
public health; 
(viii) 
as~isting in the development, implementation, and support of 
regional, and local preparedness, communication, and response 
plans (including with respect to the health departments of such 
entities) to anticipate and reduce the health threats of climate 
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change; and pursuing collaborative efforts to develop, integrate, 
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and implement such plans; 
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(ix) 
creating a program to advance research as it relates to the effects of 
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climate change on public health across government agencies, 
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including res~arch to: 
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(a) 
identity and 
assess 
climate 
change 
health effects 
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preparedness and r~sponse strategies; 
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(b) 
prioritize critical public health infrastructure projects 
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related to potential climate change impacts that affect 
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. public health; and 
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(c) 
coordinate preparedness for climate change health impacts, 
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including the development of modeling and forecasting 
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tools; 
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(x) 
providing 
technical 
assistance 
for 
the 
development, 
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implementation, and support of preparedness and response plans to 
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anticipate and reduce the health threats of climate change in 
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developing nations; and 
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(xi) 
carrying out other activities determined appropriate by the 
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Secretary to plan for and respond to the impacts of climate change 
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on public health. 
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(3) 
Revision. - The Secretary shall revise the national strategic action plan not later 
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than 1 July 2017, and every four (4)' years thereafter, to reflect new information collected 
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pursuant to implementation of the national strategic action plan and otherwise, including 
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information on: 
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(A) 
the status of critical environmental health parameters and related human 
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health impacts; 
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(B) 
the impacts of climate change on public health; and 
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(C) 
advances in the development of strategies for preparing for and responding 
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t.o the impacts of climate change on public health. 
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(4) 
implementation.-
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(A) 
implementation. - The Secretary shall exercise his or her authority under 
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this Act and other laws to achieve the goals and measures of the national 
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strategic action plan. 
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(B) 
Other Public Health Programs and initiatives. -
The Secretary and 
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officials of other relevant government agencies shall administer public 
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health programs and initiatives authorized by statutes other than this Act, 
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subject to the requirements of such statutes, in a manner designed to 
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achieve the goals of the national strategic action plan. 
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(C) 
In furtherance of the national strategic action plan, the Secretary shall: 
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(i) 
conduct scientific research to assist health professionals 
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preparing for and responding to the impacts of climate change on 
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public health; 
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(ii) 
provide funding for: 
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(a) 
research on the health effects of climate change; and 
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(b) 
preparedness planning on the international, national, 
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regional, and local levels to respond to or reduce the burden 
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of health effects o~ climate change; and 
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(iii) 
carry out other activities determined appropriate by the Secretary 
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to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change on 
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public·health. 
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SECTION 6. Report. - The Secretary shall submit an annual implementation report to the 
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Congress, the first of which must be made publicly available not later than one (1) year after the 
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effectivity of this Act. 
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SECTION 7. Authorization of Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, 
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there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year. 
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SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder. of the Act or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 9. Repealing Clause: - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
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with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly . 
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SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
/fldp 
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