Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

House Bill No, 8858

Introduced by HON. JUMEL ANTHONY I. ESPIN'

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The COVID 19 pandemic exposed the severe and mounting disruption to
the global supply of medical supplies and equipment as the virus raged all over.
Rising demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse are just a few of the practices
that endangered the lives of patients and frontline health care providers and
Tesponders as they grappled with the shortage of medical supplies and equipment.

Under Republic Act No. 10121 or the "Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Act of 2010", the stockpiling of equipment and supplies is one
of the critical activities needed to be addressed in disaster preparedness. Without
a secure supply-chains, the risks to healthcare workers and eventually to all people
becomes very real and life-threatening. Add to this the fact that supplies can take
months to deliver and market manipulation can even complicate it.

The goal of stockpiling, in a national scale, is to effectively manage
supply-chains and reduce the country's vulnerability to unforeseeable production
and disruptions and over-dependence on the foreign supply of goods and materials
which may be disrupted and rendered unavailable because of disasters and
emergencies. Our country’s experience during this Covid-19 pandemic and even
during the 2020 Taal Volcano eruption saw the need for the country to
institutionalize a system for the stockpiling of essential goods and materials in
order to rationalize demand and appropriate use.

This bill mandates the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (NDRRMC) to establish the National Emergency Stockpile which shall
be the central repository and supply reserve of medical supplies and equipment
including medicines, vaccines, antidotes, and other critical medical supplies, food
items, basic commodities, essential raw materials and other emergency-related
articles, facilities and equipment. The stockpile can only be used in instances of a
declared national or local state of calamity or emergency and with prior approval


of the NDRRMC. Stockpiles will be strategically located in the different regions
for easy and quick access and transport. Provisions for its safety and security from
any man-made and natural disasters such as fires, floods, earthquakes, robbery
and looting should be put in place.

With the passage of this bill into law, this measure will serve to ensure our

country's response and emergency management capabilities to any kinds of
disasters or calamities.

Early passage of this bill is therefore requested.

HONY I. ESPIN'
nd

2 ict, Pangasinan



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

8858

House Bill No.

Introduced by HON. JUMEL ANTHONY I. ESPINO

AN ACT
MANDATING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
NATIONAL EMERGENCY STOCKPILE, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title — This Act shall be known as "National Emergency
Stockpile Act."

Section 2. Declaration of Policy — It is hereby declared as the policy of the State
to protect the people from the adverse effects of calamities and emergencies by
ensuring a sufficient and adequate supply of essential items and materials and
preventing whenever possible the dangerous and costly dependence of the
Philippines upon foreign nations and organizations for supplies of such items and
materials and the country's vulnerability to production and supply-chain
disruptions.

Section 3. National Emergency Stockpile — The National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) shall hereby establish the
National Emergency Stockpile (hereinafter referred to as the "Stockpile") which
shall be the central repository and supply reserve of medicines, vaccines, antidotes,
and other critical medical supplies, food items, basic commodities, essential raw
materials and other emergency-related articles, facilities and equipment. The
specific items and materials to be included in the Stockpile shall be determined by
the NDRRMC, in


consultation with the Department of National Defense, Department of Health,
Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development and
other relevant government agencies: Provided, that such items and materials shall
be non- perishable or shall have shelf-lives of at least two (2) years.

Section 4. Location of the Stockpile — The NDRRMC shall determine the actual
locations of the Stockpile, taking into consideration equitable distribution among
the regions of the country, accessibility, safety and security from man-made and
natural disasters, and immediate release of the stockpile in case of disaster or
emergency. The actual locations shall be kept strictly confidential and shall not be
publicly disseminated.

Section 5. Quantity and Replenishment of the Stockpile — The quantity and volume
of the Stockpile shall be strictly and regularly monitored and maintained.
Replenishment, replacement or addition to the Stockpile shall be done in an annual
basis or as often as may be deemed necessary. Pursuant to this, a computerized
system for the real-time monitoring of the dates of expiration and shelf lives of the
items and materials in the Stockpile shall be set up to avoid unnecessary wastage
and decay,

Section 6. Utilization and Deployment of the Stockpile. — The utilization and
deployment of the Stockpile shall only be done in case of a declared local or
national of calamity or emergency and with the approval of the NDRRMC. Any
order of utilization and deployment shall be accompanied with a time-specific plan
for the replenishment and replacement of the withdrawn supplies.

A first-in, first-out system or any similar arrangement shall be adopted in the
utilization and deployment of the Stockpile. Items and materials that will be near
their expiration dates or the end of the shelf lives shall be donated and transferred
to appropriate government agencies and Institutions such as the Department of
Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, government hospitals,
and local government units, subject to immediate replenishment and replacement
and/or reservation for imminent calamities or emergencies,

Section 7. Annual Report — The NDRRMC shall submit to the Office of the
President, the Senate and the House of Representatives, within the first quarter of
every year, an annual report relating to the progress of the implementation of this
Act. The confidentiality of the locations of the Stockpile shall be observed In the
‘Annual Report

Section 8. Appropriations - The amount necessary for the implementation of this
‘Act shall be Included in the annual General Appropriations of the year following
its enactment into law and thereafter.

Section 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations— Within sixty (60) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the NDRRMC in consultation with the Department of
National Defense, Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department
of Social Welfare and Development and other relevant government agencies, shall
issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.


Section 10. Repealing Clause — All laws, presidential decrees, executive
orders, proclamations, rules and regulations, or any part thereof, which are
Inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

Section 11. Separability Clause — If any provision or part of this Act, or the 24
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held unconstitutional or
invalid, the remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby.

Section 12. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from
its publication in the Official Gazette or In at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,