THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILJPPINES 
) .. 
First Regular Session 
$
5
 
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p,/ -a 
SEN 
S.B. No. 
Introduced by Senator LUISA “LOP’ P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Albeit breakthroughs in medical science and technology, tuberculosis continuous 
to be one of the greatest in6ectious causes of death of adults worldwide. In fact, recent 
studies conducted by the World Health Organization reveals that one person every 15 
seconds dies of tuberculosis and that an estimated 8,000,000 individuals develop active 
tuberculosis each year. 
In the Philippines, tuberculosis continues to inflict thousands of Filipinos and has 
been spreading fast due to inadequate treatment, lack of coordination among public and 
private entities, and absence of a national plan for tuberculosis prevention, treatment and 
control as a result of the devolution of health services to local government units. 
According to recent statistics of the Department of Health, there are about 
129,000 documented tuberculosis cases in the country. In the NCR alone, 20,000 people 
are reportedly needing immediate medical attention and at least 2,000 are receiving 
mediocre treatment. 
As the number is expected to significantly increase in the coming years, the 
department is currently looking for adequate resources to combat the physical, social, and 
economic devastation inflicted by this disease. 
Tuberculosis should be preventable and treatable. Without government’s support 
for education and prevention, however, this dreaded disease will continue to be a virtual 
death sentence in the country. 
Hence, this bill seeks to establish a national plan for tuberculosis prevention, 
treatment and control by increasing investment in tuberculosis control programs and 
on the government, non-governmental organizations and other concerned 
sectors to commit to putting an end to the nationwide TB epidemic. 
LUISA “LOP 
EJERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 
.. . 
, 


T ” T H  CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
First Regular Session 
OF THE P€IILlPPTNES 
H ’  
SEN AT^ 
S.B. N 6  
Introduced by Senator LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL PLAN FOR TUBERCULOSIS PREVENTION, 
TREATMENT AND CONTROL AND PROVIDING RELIABLE DRUGS SUPPLY 
AND FREE LABORATORY MONITORING SERVICE TO TB PATIENTS 
Be it enacted by the Senate a d  the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled 
SECTION 1. Short title - This Act shall be known as the “Comprehensive 
*
.
 . 
Tuberculosis Elimination Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy - It is hereby declared to be a policy of the 
State to support and expand efforts to eliminate tuberculosis in the country by increasing 
investment in tuberculosis control programs and calling upon the government, non- 
governmental organizations and other concerned sectors to commit to putting an end to 
the nationwide TB epidemic. 
SECTION 3. National plan for tuberculosis prevention, treatment and control - 
The Secretary of Health (hereinafter known as “Secretary77) shall, in consultation with 
appropriate public and private entities, 
develop and implement a national plan to 
eliminate tuberculosis by considering the recommendations of 
said institutions and 
entities regarding the elimination of tuberculosis, addressing the development and 
application of new technologies, tying up with international organizations, concerned 


with tuberculosis control for possible fbnding and assistance and reviewing the extent to 
which progress has been made toward eliminating tuberculosis. 
SECTION 4. Research, demonstration projects, education, and training- With 
respect to the prevention, control, and elimination of tuberculosis, the Secretary shall, 
directly or through grants to public or nonprofit private entities, carry out the following: 
Research, with priority given to research concerning- 
(A) 
(€3) 
(C) 
@) 
Demonstration projects, including for 
capabilities for the prevention, control, and elimination of tuberculosis; 
Public information and education programs; 
Education, training and clinical skills improvement activities for health 
diagnosis and treatment of latent infection of tuberculosis; 
strains of tuberculosis resistant to drugs; 
cases of tuberculosis that affect certain populations; and 
clinical trials, including a tuberculosis trials consortium; 
the development of regional 
professionals; 
. 
.
.
 
Support of model centers to carry out activities under paragraphs (2) 
through (4); 
Collaboration with international organizations and foreign countries in 
carrying out such activities; 
Enhancement of basic and clinical research on tuberculosis; and 
Research on the relationship between such disease and the HIV. 
SECTION 5. Establishment uf regional centers - The Secretary shall establish 
regional centers for tuberculosis control and treatment, which shall be tasked to: 
(1) 
provide free laboratory monitoring of tuberculosis cases in the 
country; 


(2) 
provide reliable drugs supply to patients for free by making sure 
that local health centers, through coordination with local 
government units concerned, have in their stock sufficient 
medicines for the communities they serve; 
undertake public information and education programs; and 
educate and train the public on basic ways and means to combat 
spread of tuberculosis; 
(3) 
(4) 
SECTION 6. Education programs - The Secretary, in coordination with the 
Commission on Higher Education, shall encourage faculty of schools of medicine, 
nursing, or osteopathic medicine to intense their program for information and education 
programs, including the development of curricula, to significantly increase the 
opportunities for students and €or practicing providers to learn the principles and 
practices of preventing, managing, and controlling tuberculosis. 
SECTION 7. Inclusion in the curriculum - The Secretary, in coordination with 
the Secretary of the Department of Education shall work for the inclusion of modules on 
the principles and practices of preventing, managing and controlli 
tuberculosis in the 
health curriculum of every public elementary and high school. 
. .  
SECTION 8. Media campaign - The Secretary, in coordination with the 
Philippine Information Agency, shall encourage local media outlets, through a 
memorandum of agreement, to launch a full-blast media campaign anent tuberculosis 
control, treatment and management, which shall be subject of print, tv and radio 
broadcast and coverage. 
SECTION 9. Reports- The Secretary shall biennially prepare and submit to the 
Committee on Health of the Senate and of the House of Representatives, a report on the 
activities carried out under this Act. 


SECTION 10. Rules and regdations - The Secretary shall formulate rules and 
regulations in order to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 11. Authorization of appropriations - There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 12. SeparabiZity Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to 
or inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 
SECTION 14. Eflectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifkeen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation, 
Approved, 
EPC/tb