EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. B. No.1645
RECEIVED
NDEX
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
MANDATING THE CONDUCT OF BASELINE POLYMERASE CHAIN 
REACTION COVID-19 TESTING FOR THE VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF 
SOCIETY TO STOP THE TRANSMISSION OF THE DISEASE
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution states that "the State shall protect 
and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among 
them."
The World Health Organization (WHO) identified two important components in 
the battle against the corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: quarantine and testing. 
These two should be utilized simultaneously in order to see a significant decrease of 
COVID-19 infections. While the entire country had undergone stringent quarantine 
measures, our testing capacity remains to be miserably low.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the estimated maximum 
testing capacity for COVID-19 infection is pegged at thirty thousand (30,000) per day. 
However, data from the Department of Health (DOH) shows that the actual number 
of tests done daily remained well below the target, the latest of which reaching only 
up to eleven thousand two hundred twenty one (11,221) on 3 June 2020.
While there is effort to ramp up the testing capacity, DOH Undersecretary Maria 
Rosario Vergeire referred to Department Memorandum 2020-0151, as reiterated by 
Department Circular No. 2020-0179, in the identification of priority sub-groups for the


expanded testing, to wit: (1) patients or healthcare workers with severe or critical 
symptoms and history of travel or exposure, and (2) patients or healthcare workers 
with mild symptoms, relevant history of travel or exposure, and considered vulnerable 
[e.g. sixty (60) years old or older, has other illnesses such as hypertension and 
diabetes, or is immunocompromised].
This bill seeks to mandate the testing of a much wider "vulnerable group" who, 
by reason of their profession or background, are more at risk of being exposed to the 
virus in order to fast track the identification, isolation and contact-tracing efforts of the 
country in the fight against COVID-19.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
IMEE R. MARCOS


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. B. No. 1645
RECEIVED
FILED
TIME
noex
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
MANDATING THE CONDUCT OF BASELINE POLYMERASE CHAIN 
REACTION COVID-19 TESTING FOR THE VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF 
SOCIETY TO STOP THE TRANSMISSION OF THE DISEASE
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Expanded COVID-19
2 
Mandatory Testing Act."
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of the Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and
4 
promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
5 
Towards this end, the State shall safeguard the citizenry from the threat of the recent
6 
global pandemic by requiring them to undergo testing so that coronavirus disease-
7 
2019 (COVID-19) cases are detected early enough and managed properly, and the
8 
safety of the people in their homes and places of work is assured.
9 
Sec. 3. Objectives. - This Act seeks to achieve the following objectives:
10 
a. 
Sustain the gains of the government in the initial lockdown, as the Filipino
11 
people enter the "new normal')
12 
b. 
Implement measures to contain and control the transmission of COVID-
13 
19 by locating every possible human host to the COVID-19;
14 
c. 
Reduce COVID-19 mortality through early detection and management;


1 
d. 
Significantly slow down the doubling time of COVID-19 infections in the
2 
country; and
3 
e. 
Maximize government resources by applying cost-effective methodology
4 
and utilizing Pooled Baseline Polymerase Chain Reaction COVID-19 Testing among the
5 
vulnerable members of society.
6 
For purposes of this Act, '"'new normal" refers to the emerging behaviors,
7 
situations, and minimum public health standards that will be institutionalized in
8 
common or routine practices and which will remain even after the pandemic until the
9 
disease is totally eradicated by means of widespread immunization, among other
10 
measures. These include actions that will become second nature to the general public
11 
as well as policies that ban large gatherings.
12 
Sec. 4. COVID-19 Testing. - The Pooled Baseline Polymerase Chain Reaction
13 
Testing, or Pooled Baseline PCR Testing is hereby established as the protocol for
14 
COVID-19 testing for the vulnerable members of society as defined in Section 5 of this
15 
Act.
16 
As used in this Act, Pool Baseline Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing or Baseline
17 
PCR Testing refers to the individual collection of nasopharyngeal and/or oropharyngeal
18 
swabs from vulnerable asymptomatic persons, which are subsequently grouped into
19 
ten (10) or five (5) samples, mixed together, and from which mixture an aliquot is
20 
taken and tested using Baseline PCR Testing.
21 
For this purpose, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging
22 
Infectious Diseases (lATF-MEID), in coordination with the Department of Health
23 
(DOH), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department
24 
of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and
25 
the Bureau of Immigration (BI), shall ensure that the COVID-19 testing centers are
26 
available, affordable and accessible.
27 
Sec. 5. Coverage. - The following vulnerable members of society shall undergo
28 
Pooled Baseline PCR Testing:


1 
a. Patients or healthcare workers with severe or critical symptoms, mild
2 
symptoms, and those who demonstrated no symptoms but with relevant history of
3 
travel or contact: However, patients or health workers who are deemed to be high risk
4 
due to their exposure to COVID-19 may be tested individually;
5 
b. Non-health frontliners responding against COVID-19 including the following:
6 
1. Personnel manning temporary treatment and quarantine facilities of the
7 
government at the local and national levels;
8 
2. Personnel manning quarantine control points, including those from the
9 
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP),
10 
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and other agencies;
11 
3. National and Regional Local Risk Reduction and Management Teams;
12 
4. Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams and barangay officials
13 
providing barangay border control and those performing COVID-19 related
14 
tasks;
15 
5. Personnel of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the Bureau of Jail
16 
Management and Penology (BJMP);
17 
6. Personnel manning one-stop-shops in the management of Returning
18 
Overseas Filipinos;
19 
7. Personnel serving at the COVID-19 swabbing center;
20 
8. Social workers providing amelioration and relief assistance to communities
21 
and performing COVID-19 related tasks; and
22 
9. All personnel directly involved in the response against COVID-19.
23 
c. Those persons returning to work with co-morbidities such as diabetes,
24 
hypertension, heart disease, pulmonary diseases, cancer, renal failure, obesity,
25 
pregnancy, old age, and the immunocompromised who are returning to work;
26 
d. Persons entering the Philippine Territory coming from abroad;


1 
e. Workers who are holders of quarantine passes who do most of the errands
2 
for their families during quarantine;
3 
f. Patients required by their physicians to submit Baseline PCR test result prior
4 
to a procedure, operation or treatment.
5 
Foreign nationals shall bear the cost of testing. Priority should be given to
6 
healthcare workers, sales personnel in pubiic markets, groceries and supermarkets,
7 
food handlers, factory workers, construction workers, security guards, drivers of public
8 
utility vehicles, banks and transfer fund facilities personnel, laundry shop workers,
9 
house helpers, caregivers, pregnant women, embalmers, wellness and salon workers,
10 
uniformed personnel, media personnel, barangay health workers, and family members
11 
whose household has a dweller who went abroad last December 2019 until the present
12 
time.
13 
The Phiiippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) shall cover the full cost
14 
of testing, including the cost of services of the pathologist, laboratory specialist and
15 
other laboratory staff: Provided, That the PhilHealth coverage shall not be more than
16 
the prevailing market cost.
17 
Sec. 6. Testing Allocation in COVID-19 Testing Centers. - Upon the effectivity
18 
of this Act, the COVID-19 testing centers shall allocate a percentage of their daily
19 
testing capacity specifically for the testing of the vulnerable members of society as
20 
provided in Section 5 of this Act. The lATF-MEID shall determine the percentage rate
21 
based on the total maximum daily Baseline PCR Testing capacity and the total number
22 
of Baseline PCR Tests available In the country.
23 
Sec. 7. Whoie-of-Government Approach. - In order to effectively mitigate the
24 
effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, a whole-of-government approach shall be adopted
25 
in the implementation of the objectives of this Act. In line with this approach,
26 
engagement with the business sector, micro, small and medium-scale enterprises,
27 
community-at-large and other stakeholders shall consistently undertake to ensure the
28 
full and effective implementation on the mitigation strategies of the government in
29 
containing COVID-19.


1 
In particular, the following agencies shall implement the necessary measures
2 
and protocols in administering the Baseline PCR testing:
3 
a. 
Department of Health (DOH);
4 
b. 
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);
5 
c. 
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA);
6 
d. 
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);
7 
e. 
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
8 
f. 
Department of Finance (DOF);
9 
g. 
Department of Budget and Management (DBM); and
10 
h. 
Department of Transportation (DOTr).
11 
Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within fifteen (15) days after
12 
the approval of this Act, the lATF-MEID, in coordination with the Secretaries of Health,
13 
Interior and Local Government, Social Welfare and Development, Foreign Affairs, Labor
14 
and Employment, Trade and Industry, Finance, Budget and Management, and
15 
Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission, shall promulgate the rules and regulations
16 
to carry out the purposes of this Act:
17 
Provided, That the protocols and algorithms shall be done in consultation and
18 
coordination with the Philippine Society of Pathologists (PSP) and the Philippine
19 
Association of Medical Technologists (PAMET); Provided, further, That the algorithmic
20 
approach may be amended, as the case may be, to include antigen testing and other
21 
new validated assays to further refine the testing methods, and make them more
22 
economical, scientifically sound and relevant to ensure that this Act is attuned to new
23 
scientific developments and is not outdated.
24 
Sec. 9. Sunset Clause. - This Act shall continue to be effective until Presidential
25 
Proclamation No. 922, series of 2020, declaring a state of public health emergency
26 
throughout the Philippines shall have been lifted through another presidential
27 
proclamation or similar issuances.


1 
Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. - All law, executive orders, rules, and regulations
2 
or any part thereof inconsistent herewith are deemed repealed or modified accordingly.
3 
Sec. 11. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act shall be
4 
declared unconstitutional and invalid, such declaration shall not invalidate other parts
5 
thereof, which shall remain in full force and effect.
6 
Sec. 12. EffectMty. - This Act shall take effect immediately after its publication
7 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,