Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BILL No.__ 6718

Introduced by Representative Ferdinand L. Hernandez

AN ACT CREATING THE PHILIPPINE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
AND PREVENTION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Disease Control and Prevention Bureau (DCPB) of the Department of
Health (DOH) was created pursuant to Executive Order No. 366', which directed a
strategic review of the operations and organizations of the Executive Branch. The
creation of the Bureau has done much to streamline the operations of the DOH with
respect to maintaining public health and safety by controlling the spread of
infectious, occupational, environmental, and lifestyle-related diseases.

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged the efficiency and effectiveness of the
organization in maintaining public health and safety. The DCPB has done alll it can
in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19. However, we have also realized that in
order to stop pandemics of a global scale in the future, disease control and
prevention must be given priority in terms of funds, operational efficiency, and
logistics.

This bill aims to create the Philippine Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), a government agency attached to the DOH for policy
coordination and administrative supervision. Akin to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in countries such as the US and China, the proposed CDC
shall become the country’s leading institution in matters of public health. It shall be
headed by an Executive Director, who will have the rank of undersecretary. By

* https://www.doh.gov.ph/orgchart-dpcb


giving such a center more operational leeway and funding, the Philippines may yet
become more prepared for future public health and safety emergencies.

Considering the rationale stated above, urgent passage of this bill is earnestly
sought.

FERDIN. L. EZ


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. ents

Introduced by Representative Ferdinand L. Hernandez

AN ACT CREATING THE PHILIPPINE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
AND PREVENTION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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 and cited as the
“Philippine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy ~ It is the declared policy of the State to protect
and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among
them. Towards this end, the State shall protect the people from public health threats
by establishing efficient and effective disease surveillance and providing an effective
response system through a dedicated and highly-specialized institution imbued with
suitable expertise and technological resources to decisively address epidemics and
other public health emergencies.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall
mean:

(a) “Disease” refers to an illness due to a specific toxic substance, occupational
exposure or infectious agent, which affects a susceptible individual, either directly or
indirectly, as from an infected animal or person, ot indirectly through an
intermediate host, vector, or the environment;

(b) “Disease contro!” refers to the reduction of disease incidence, prevalence,


morbidity or mortality to a locally acceptable level as a result of deliberate efforts
and continued intervention measures to maintain the reduction;

(©) “Disease surveillance” refers to the ongoing systematic collection, analysis,
interpretation, and dissemination of outcome-specific data for use in the planning,
implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. A disease surveillance
system includes the functional capacity for data analysis as well as the timely
dissemination of these data to persons who can undertake effective prevention and
control activities;

(d) “Epidemic/outbreak” refers to an occurrence of more cases of disease than
normally expected within a specific place or group of people over a given period of
time;

(©) “Infectious disease” refers to a clinically manifested disease of humans or
animals resulting, from an infection;

() “Public health emergency” refers to an occurrence or imminent threat of an illness
or health condition that:

(1) Is caused by any of the following:
(i) Bio terrorism;

(i) Appearance of a novel or previously controlled or eradicated
infectious agent or biological toxin;

(iii) A natural disaster;

(iv) A chemical attack or accidental release;

(v) A nuclear attack or accident; or

(vi) An attack or accidental release of radioactive material; and
(2) Poses a high probability of any of the following:

(i A large number of deaths in the affected population;

(i) A large number of serious injuries or long-term disabilities in the
affected population;

(iii) Widespread exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses a


significant risk of substantial harm to a large number of people in 24 the
affected population;

(iv) International exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses a
significant risk to the health of citizens of other countries; or

(v) Trade and travel restrictions;

(g) “Public health threat” refers to any situation or factor that may represent a
danger to the health of the people; and

(h) “Response” refers to the implementation of specific activities to control further
spread of infection, outbreaks or epidemics and prevent re-occurrence. It includes
verification, contact tracing, rapid risk assessment, case measures, treatment of
patients, risk communication, conduct of prevention activities, and rehabilitation.

SEC. 4. Creation of the Philippine Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. - There is hereby created the Philippine Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, hereinafter referred to as the “CDC,” a government agency attached to
the Department of Health (DOH) for policy coordination and administrative
supervision.

SEC. 5, Mandate and Functions. - The CDC shall be the principal agency
responsible for tracking and monitoring diseases and risk factors among Filipinos to
inform policy and action at national and local levels. It will be the focal point for the
implementation at the local level of international health regulations and other
international initiatives for global health security and outbreak response. It shall
perform the following functions:

(a) Conduct routine surveillance of infectious diseases, _ non-communicable
conditions, risk factors, violence and injuries, and mental health conditions
throughout the life course;

(b) Formulate programs for preparedness and response to chemical, biological,
radiation and nuclear events, bioterrorism, and global health security;

(©) Investigate reported outbreaks and epidemics through patient interviews, review
of medical records, contact tracing, collection, storage, transport and testing of
samples and specimens, risk assessments, laboratory investigations, population
surveys, and sampling of environmental contaminants, among others;

(@) Develop and maintain technical cooperation programs with domestic and
international entities;


(&) Conduct research to develop technology and scientific methodology to test
pathogens and participate in randomized clinical trials in line with global efforts to
develop tests, vaccines and medicines for the effective control of infectious diseases;

() Administer national programs to improve the performance of laboratories in
identifying and classifying infectious diseases as well as other hazardous substances;

(g) Develop and administer health standards to ensure readiness for the emergence
of new infectious diseases and regularly report on the status of recurrent and new
diseases in localities;

(h) Assess and support the capabilities of local government units (LGUs) in
preventing the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases;

(i) Set the standards and the process for the establishment of Epidemiology
Surveillance Units (ESUs) as mandated under Section 8 of Republic Act No. 11332,
assist DOH-retained hospitals, local health facilities and laboratories in establishing
ESUs, assess their performance and accredit them based on the standards set by the
CDC;

(j) Recommend such measures and policies as may be necessary to prevent the
transmission of infectious diseases and to reduce risk factors for other diseases and
conditions;

(k) Establish the parameters for the declaration of the existence of an epidemic;

() Recommend to the Secretary of Health the declaration of an epidemic or public
health emergency;

(m) Maintain and administer a national stockpile of medical supplies and equipment
to provide medical help in case of an epidemic or a public health emergency; and

(n) Perform such other functions as may be mandated by law, or as may be
delegated by relevant authorities.

SEC. 6. Disease Surveillance and Response Systems. - The CDC shall
establish real-time disease surveillance and response systems utilizing, whenever
necessary, all technological means available while respecting, to the extent possible,
the rights of the people to liberty, bodily integrity, and privacy. All data or
information collected pursuant thereto shall be used for public health concern
purposes only and shall be exempted from the provisions of the Data Privacy Act on
accessibility of data.


SEC. 7. CDC Executive Director; Deputy Executive Director. - The CDC
shall be headed by an Executive Director with a rank of Undersecretary. He shall be
assisted by a Deputy Executive Director with a rank of Assistant Secretary.

‘The Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director shall be appointed by the
President from a list of at least three (3) nominees for each position to be submitted
by the Secretary of Health. No person shall be appointed as Executive Director or
Deputy Executive Director without at least fifteen (15) years of exemplary
performance, relevant experience and proven expertise in the fields of public health,
medicine and/or epidemiology, and at least a Masters degree in any of the
aforementioned fields.

‘The Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director may be removed only for
cause.

SEC. 8. Organization and Personnel of the CDC. - Within sixty (60) days
from appointment, the Executive Director shall, in consultation with the Secretary of
Health, draw up the organizational structure, staffing pattern, qualification
standards, compensation and position classification plan for the CDC. The
qualification standards and the compensation and position classification plan shall
be subject to the approval of the Civil Service Commission and the Department of
Budget and Management, respectively.

All subordinate personnel of the CDC shall be appointed by the Executive Director
based on merit, qualifications and competitive examinations. Technical officers must
have a Masters degree in public health, epidemiology, biotechnology or other
relevant areas of scientific endeavor as specified by the CDC.

The CDC shall also be authorized to engage the services of consultants in highly
specialized research programs.

‘The CDC shall maintain the highest achievable standards for the use of information
technology to track and trace diseases as well as monitor the impact and
effectiveness of interventions.

SEC. 9, Partner Institutions. - The CDC shall develop a network of scientific
partner institutions from existing institutions in the public and private sector and
may designate a research agency or health facility as a “center of excellence” for
research or innovation that becomes part of the “Centers” as a partner institution.

SEC. 10. Continuing Competency Development Program. - The CDC
performs functions that require knowledge and expertise of superior degree. As


such, it is imperative that all personnel tasked with carrying out its primary mandate
are competent, equipped, and updated with the current developments and best
practices in relevant fields. For this purpose, the CDC, through the Executive
Director, shall devise and implement continuing competency development
programs such as the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), the Field
Management Training Program (FMTP) and other initiatives to build competencies
for public health and epidemiology throughout the country. Members of the
technical staff of the CDC are required to participate at regular intervals in trainings
and workshops and will be required to undertake research and publish results on a
yearly basis. Failure to comply or complete the continuing competency development
program without justifiable reason shall constitute a ground for removal from office.

SEC. 11. Establishment of a Public Health Laboratory Network. - The CDC
shall establish and oversee a network of high containment laboratories with
Biosafety Level 4 and initially five (6) Biosafety Level 3 laboratories to be equitably
located and operated at such strategic places in the country as the CDC may
determine. The network will expand the development of Biosafety Level 2
laboratories throughout the country as part of the national pandemic preparedness
and response plan and as the needs and resources of the CDC warrant.

The provision of the preceding paragraph, notwithstanding, the CDC shall, upon the
initiative of the LGUs, assist in the establishment of similar laboratories in their
respective localities. The cost of establishing and operating the laboratories shall be
borne by the LGUs concerned.

‘The specifications of the LGU-operated laboratories and the qualifications of their
personnel complement shall strictly comply with the standards and qualification
requirements prescribed by the CDC.

SEC. 12. Authority to Solicit, Receive Donations, Grants and the Like. - The
CDC may solicit, negotiate with, and receive in trust from any public or private
domestic or foreign sources legacies, gifts, donations, grants, endowments,
contributions or other transfers of ownership and/or possession of real or personal
properties of all kinds in favor and for the benefit of the agency: Provided, That full
disclosure is made by the CDC through annual reports; Provided further, That the
CDC submit such annual report to Congress. The Executive Director shall prescribe
the measures necessary for the proper use, maintenance and safekeeping of said
donations, grants, endowments, contributions or transfers and the compliance of the
terms and conditions thereon, if any, in accordance with pertinent accounting and
auditing laws, rules and regulations.

SEC. 13. Appropriation. - The amount of Two Hundred Fifty Million Pesos
(P250,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated and shall be made available from the funds


of the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Thereafter, the amount
necessary for the continuous implementation of the provisions of this Act shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 14, Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of Health
shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations within ninety (90) days from
the effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 15. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any part or provision of this
‘Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts or provisions not affected
shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Approved.