Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 7° peg

‘Quezon City PECEIVED aN
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NINETEENTH CONGRESS ue. tp) *)
First Regular Session aa a)

HouSE BILL No.__283 “cy

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introduced by: Rep. Keith Micah “Atty, Mike" D.L, Tan Ss
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH SECURITY COUNCIL AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 15 of Article Il of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines
declares 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) Constitution, on the
other hand, states that “the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and
security and is dependent upon the fullest co-operation of individuals and States.”

According to the WHO, “Pandemics, health emergencies and weak health systems not
only cost lives but pose some of the greatest risks to the global economy and security faced
today. Further, universal health coverage and health security are two sides of the same coin’
improved access to health care and strengthened health systems provide a strong defense
against emerging threats, whether natural or man-made.”

The report by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB), an independent
monitoring and advocacy body that aims to assess the worid’s ability to protect itself from health
emergencies and identify critical gaps to preparedness across multiple perspectives, warns that
humankind is stumbling toward the 21st-century equivalent of the 1918 influenza pandemic,
which affected one-third of the world’s population and killed approximately 50 million people

Based on the report, only one third of countries, as of 2018, have the capacities required
under the International Health Regulations (IHR) and that the great majority of national health
systems would be unable to handle a large influx of patients infected with a respiratory
pathogen capable of easy transmissibility and high mortality,

The Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of IHR Core Capacities of the Republic of the
Philippines reveals that "While the Philippines has developed capabilities in various programme
areas for public health emergency preparedness and response, there are still challenges in
achieving a harmonized approach for implementation of the |HR. Several identified challenges
are not only relevant to IHR implementation but are common across the health sector and
include the implementation of policies and regulations; effective coordination between national
and local levels and among sectors, and investments in institutional capacities.”

Accordingly, "To capitalize on the momentum generated by the JEE in the Philippines,
the overarching priority recommendations of the JEE team are for the government to:

+ Enhance high-level political commitment and accountability at all levels to advance
implementation of IHR, with adequate resourcing and engagement of all relevant sectors.

+ Develop an over-arching national action plan for health security, which is costed, map
risk- based priorities to optimise resources within and across sectors, and guide investment and
the harmonized implementation of the IHR.

+ Strengthen monitoring and evaluation practices and foster a culture of continuous
improvement by feeding the lessons from after-action reviews into ongoing refinements of the
system

+ Designate an overall, high-level, multi-sectoral body, with leadership from the health
sector, to oversee and set direction for the continued implementation of the national action plan,


with the National IHR Focal Point playing a key role to improve coordination among all relevant
stakeholders.

+ Foster the institutional capacity of the health sector to lead the prevention, detection
and response to public health events and emergencies.

+ Further optimize the public health emergency preparedness and response action at
regional and local levels, through investing in advocacy, guidance, training and exercising, to
improve collaboration between national and sub-national levels.”

In this light, the billproposes to establish the Philippine Health Security Council that will
craft a health security national action plan - a country owned, multi-year, planning process that
can accelerate the implementation of IHR core capacities. It captures national priorities for
health security, brings sectors together, identifies partners and allocates resources for health
security capacity development. It also serves as an overarching process to capture all ongoing
preparedness initiatives in a country along with a country's governance mechanism for
emergency and disaster risk management.

It also seeks to provide and strengthen the mechanism for the health security interface;
optimize health security based on the country's unique risks, challenges, and resources; and
develop an effective system of risk communication, among others.

Amid the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and other health threats, we need to develop a
national SOP/equivalent that describes the coordination and communication among the multiple
agencies in the implementation of the IHR and strengthen the strategic health emergency risk
assessments using multiple sources of information, with focus on health risk, health impacts and
the vulnerability of health system.

This piece of legislation, which was approved by the House and transmitted to the
Senate during the 18" Congress, serves to institutionalize and strengthen the role of IHR
capacities and operations in the country and facilitate necessary coordination among the
different entities involved in implementation and-help to ensure continuity in the midst of the
spectre of a health emergency that is looming large in the globe today.

As the country continues to face threats from disease outbreaks and other public health
emergencies, we need to proactively establish the systems and engagement needed to detect
and control potential disease outbreaks.

Hence, the need for the immediate approval of this measure that is set to complement
the provision of Universal Health Care for all Filipinos by investing in health emergency
preparedness that is designed to improve health outcomes and contribute in the realization of
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

mz
Keith Micah “Atty. Mike” D.L. Tan
4th District, Quezon


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No: 283

Introduced by: Rep. Keith Micah “Atty. Mike” D.L. Tan

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH SECURITY COUNCIL AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House ofRepresentatives ofthe Philippines inCongress
assembled:

CHAPTER | PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Health Security Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - Section 15 of Article 11 of the Constitution of the Philippines
declares that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill
health consciousness among them. Section 11 of Article XIII of the Constitution mandates the
adoption of an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development.

By virtue of its obligations under the International Health Regulations (MR) 2005 of the World
Health Organization (WHO), the Philippines is required to build its core capacities in protecting
its citizens, along with the citizens of other countries, from the spread of diseases and other
health hazards.

Towards this end, the State shall:

(a) Protect the physical and mental health of the Filipinos, limit economic losses, and preserve
confidence in government by strengthening public health and health care systems to effectively
and swiftly confront the devastating consequences ofhealth risks, such as emerging infectious
diseases that could lead to a pandemic; use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear
weapons; health-related cyber warfare; and catastrophic natural disasters and human-caused
incidents, through multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary approaches for effective alert and
response systems;

(b) Prepare, mobilize, and coordinate the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach
to bring the full spectrum of public health capabilities in the event of a public health emergency,
disaster, or attack.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:

(a) Cybersecurity refers to the collection of tools, policies, risk management approaches,
actions, training, best practices, assurance and technologies that can be used to protect the
cyber environment and organization and user's assets;

(b) Cyber warfare refers to the use of technology to launch attacks on nations, governments and
citizens, causing comparable harm to actual warfare using weaponry;

(c) Emerging infectious diseases refer to newly identified diseases and previously unknown
infections that have not occurred in humans before due to mutant or resistant strains of a
causative organism which cause public health problems either locally or internationally;

(d) Health security refers to the activity required, both proactive and reactive, to minimize the
danger and impact of acute public health events that endanger people's health;


(e) Health security interface refers to public health activities the performance of which involves
the security sector such as during outbreak response operations in times of conflicts and wars,
events involving the intentional use of chemical or biological agents to cause harm, issues
related to mass gatherings like major sporting events, festivals, and regular religious migrations;
and activities that may arise in the course of a natural disease outbreak;

(f) International health regulations (IHR) refer to legally binding instruments ofinternational law
that set standards and protocols to be observed by states in order to prevent the spread of
diseases and other health risks, save lives, protect livelinoods and avoid the unnecessary
curtailment of international trade and travel;

(g) National action plan for health security (NAPHS) refers to a country-owned, multi-year
planning process that can’accelerate the implementation of MR core capacities and is based on
one health and whole-of-government approach for all hazards. It captures national priorities for
health security, brings sectors together, identifies partners, and allocates resources for health
security capacity development. The NAPHS also provides an overarching process to capture all
‘ongoing preparedness initiatives in a country along with a country's governance mechanism for
emergency and disaster risk management;

(h) One-health refers to an approach or design in implementing programs, policies, legislation,
and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better
publichealth outcomes. The areas of work in which a one-health approach is particularly
relevant include food safety, the control of zoonoses, and combatting antibiotic resistance;

(i) Pandemic refers to a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease across international
boundaries that is usually affecting a very large number of people;

@ Public health emergency refers to an occurrence or imminent threat of an illness or health
condition that;

(1) ls caused by any ofthe following:
(i) Bio terrorism;

(ji) Appearanceofanovelorpreviouslycontroliedoreradicatedinfectiousagentor biological toxin;
(ii) A natural disaster;

(iv) A nuclear attack or accident; or

(v) An attack or accidental release ofharmful chemicals or radioactive materials; and

(2) Poses a high probability ofany ofthe following;

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

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

(i) Widespread exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses a significant risk of
substantial harm to a large number of people in 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; (k) Public health risk refers to an event;
(a) That might adversely affect the health of human populations; and

(b) That satisfies any one or more of the following conditions where the health effects ofthe
event might;

(i) spread within the Philippines;
(ii) spread between the Philippines and another country;
(ii) spread between two (2) other countries; or,


(iv) present a serious and direct danger to public health;

()) Re-emerging infectious diseases refer to diseases which are known and have occurred
previously but affected only small numbers of people in isolated areas or were once majorhealth
problems but have fallen to levels so low that they were no longer considered a public health
problem. Re-emerging infectious diseases often reappear in epidemic proportions; and,

(m) Zoonoses refer to infectious diseases caused by an infectious agent, such as a bacterium,
virus, parasite, or prion that has transferred from an animal to a human.

SEC. 4. National Action Plan. - There shall be established a Philippine Health Security
National Action Plan (PHSNAP) to strengthen the country’s institutional capacity to implement
disease prevention, surveillance, control, response systems and contingency plans to deal with
public health events and emergencies, including deliberate release of biological or chemical
agents intended to harm civilian populations or attack to the health care delivery system.

CHAPTER II
PHILIPPINE HEALTH SECURITY COUNCIL

SEC. 5. Creation. - There is hereby created the Philippine Health Security Council (PHSC),
which shall be an inter-agency body administratively attached to the Department of Health
(DOH) and tasked to formulate and update the PHSNAP. It shall review all existing national
programs, plans, and activities pertinent to health security and public emergency, identify and
prioritize activities, and implement evidence-based actions for sustainable capacity development
to improve IHR capacities.in health systems for health security.

‘SEC. 6. Powers and Functions. - The PHSC shall have the following powers and functions:
(a) Formulate and operationalize the PHSNAP in collaboration with relevant government
agencies,

civil society organizations (CSOs), and other stakeholders;
(b)Establishpartnershipswithforeignandinternationalorganizationsthatenablethegenerationand

exchange ofvital information through collaborative activities in research, data collection, and the
provision ofessential services;

(c)Prepare the policies and guidelines for the effective and efficient implementation ofthe
PHSNAP;

(d) Institute efficient mechanisms to ensure the security of medical devices and hospital
networks and prevent cyber-related breaches that may affect the operation of medical devices
and compromise the integrity ofhealth-related information;

(e) Ensure adherence by national government to the Philippines’ commitment to the IHR 2005
of the WHO and take appropriate actions based on the IHR Joint External Evaluation
recommendations and the present situation ofthe country;

(f) Authorize concerned agencies to purchase, store, or distribute anti-toxins, serums, vaccines,
immunizing agents, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical agents or medical supplies and
devices considered advisable in the interest of preparing for or controlling a public health
emergency, with the right to take immediate possession thereof,

(g) Monitor, assess, and evaluate the implementation ofthe PHSNAP;

(h) Accept donations, whether from local or foreign sources, and ensure that funded programs
are aligned to the national response;

(i) Recommend to Congress the enactment of policies vital to the maintenance of health security
and ensure that all executive policy issuances are aligned with the PHSNAP;

(Source funds for the PHSNAP;


(k) Assist Local Government Units (LGUs) in the formulation of their respective Health Security
Local Action Plans (HSLAP) in accordance with Chapter HI hereof;

()) Facilitate and support health security initiatives and activities of the LGUs; and (m) Submit an
annual report to the Office of the President and the Congress.

The member agencies of the PHSC under Section 7 of this Act shall formulate and implement
their respective action plans pursuant to the PHSNAP.

The Chairperson ofthe PHSC may call upon any government office or instrumentality, including
government-owned or -controlled corporations, government financial institutions, LGUs,
Nongovernment organizations, and the private sector for assistance during public health
emergencies or as the circumstances may require.

The Chairperson of the PHSC may recommend to the President the enlistment of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines to supplement the Philippine National Police and other law
enforcement agencies for the purpose of enforcing the quarantine of specific areas or facilitating
the transport of emerging infectious disease patients, and for such other purposes for the
effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 7. Membership and Composition. - The PHSC shall be composed ofthe following,
(a) Secretary ofHealth;

(b) Secretary ofNational Defense;

(c) Executive Secretary;

(d) National Security Advisor;

(e) SecretaryofForeignAffairs;

(f) Secretary of Interior and Local Government;

(g) SecretaryofJustice;

(h) SecretaryofBudgetandManagement;

(i) Secretary of Trade and Industry;

() Secretary of Agriculture;

{k) SecretaryofEnvironmentandNaturalResources;

(l) Secretary of Tourism;

(m) Secretary of Transportation;

(n) Secretary of Information and Communications Technology;

(0) SecretaryofLaborandEmployment;

(p) Secretary of Science and Technology;

(q) SecretaryofPublicWorksandHighways;

(1) ChairpersonoftheCommissiononHigherEducation;

(s) SecretaryofEducation;

(t) Secretary of Agrarian Reform;

(u) Director General of National Economic and Development Authority;
(W) Secretary ofthe Presidential Communications Operations Service:
(W) ChiefofStaffofthe Armed Forces ofthe Philippines;

(x) Chief of the Philippine National Police;


(y) DirectoroftheNationalBureauofinvestigation;

(2) DirectorGeneraloftheNationallntelligenceCoordinatingAgency;

(aa) Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority;
(bb) Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission;

(cc) Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs;

(dd) Director General of the Philippine Information Agency;

(ee) Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development;
(ff) President of the Philippine Health insurance Corporation;

(gg) Director General of the Food and Dmg Administration;

(hh) Director of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine;

(ii) President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines;

(j) President of the League of Provinces of the Philippines;

(kk) President of the League of Cities of the Philippines;

(ll) President of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines;

(mm) President of the Liga ng mga Barangay;

(nn) President of the Government Service Insurance System;

(00) President of the Social Security System;

(pp) Chairperson of the National Anti-Poverty Commission;

(aq) Chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council;
(rr) Chairperson ofthe National Commission of Senior Citizens;

(ss) Chairperson of the National Council on Disability Affairs;

(tt) Chairperson ofthe Philippine Commission on Women;

(uu) Presidential Adviser for Religious Affairs;

(vv) Secretary General of the Philippine Red Cross;

(ww) Four (4) representatives from the CSOs;

(00) Four (4) representatives from the private sector;

(yy) Four (4) representatives from the health sector; and

(zz) Four (4) representatives from the academe.

The Secretary of Health shall be the permanent Chairperson of the PHSC and the Secretary of

National Defense its Co-Chairperson.

The PHSC, upon the vote of 2/3 of all members present comprising a quorum, shall be allowed

to include additional members as it may deem necessary.

The President shall, upon the recommendation of the PHSC, appoint the representatives of the
CSOs and private sector based on a short list to be provided by the members, in accordance
with the criteria and mechanism to be established by the PHSC. They shall serve for a term of
three (3) years, renewable upon the recommendation of the PHSC for a maximum of two (2)

consecutive terms.

The Secretary ofthe member agencies shall designate a permanent alternate member to the

PHSC, preferably an Undersecretary who is a certified career service officer.


The PHSC may invite the Administrator ofthe Supreme Court, the Chairperson ofthe Committee
‘on Health and Demography of the Senate of the Philippines and the Chairperson of the
Committee on Health of the House of Representatives to its meetings.

The PHSC shall convene not later than thirty (30) days after the date of the enactment ofthis
Act. It shall meet at least once every quarter on dates and in places it shall determine. The
Chairperson of the PHSC may call for a special meeting as the need arises. The PHSC shall
formulate internal rules to govern the conduct of its meetings

SEC. 8. Secretariat. - The Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB) of the DOH shall
‘serve as the Secretariat ofthe PHSC and perform the following functions:

(a) Coordinateandmanagethe day-to-dayaffairsofthePHSC;
(b) Assistintheformulation, monitoring andevaluationofthepoliciestothePHSNAP;

(c) Provide technical assistance, support, and advisory services to the PHSC and its external
partners;

(d) Assist the PHSC in identifying and building internal and external networks and partnerships;
(e) CoordinateandsupporttheeffortsofthePHSCanditsmemberstomobilizeresources;
(f) Serveasrepositoryofhealthsecurityinformation;

(g) Disseminate, updated, accurate,relevant,andcomprehensiveinformationaboutthecountry's
health security situation to PHSC members, policy makers, and the media; and

(h) ProvideadministrativesupporttothePHSC

The Secretary of Health, as Chairperson of the PHSC, may assign other staff from the DOH to
assist the HEMB in the performance of its functions as Secretariat of the PHSC.

CHAPTER III
HEALTH SECURITY AT THE REGIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL

SEC. 9. Health Security Management and Organization at the Regional Level. - There shall
be established a Regional Health Security Council (RHSC) in every administrative region of the
countrywhichshallberesponsibleinthedevelopmentandimplementationoftheHealthSecurityRegion
alAction Plan

The RHSC shall establish an operating facility to be known as the Regional Health Security
Management Operations Center whenever necessary

The Regional Directors of the DOH shall serve as Chairpersons of the RHSC. Its Vice
Chairpersons shall be elected by the members. In the case of the Bangsamoro Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Chief Minister shall be the RHSC Chairperson, The
existing regional offices of the DOH shall serve as secretariat of the RHSCs. The RHSCs shall
be composed of the executives of the regional offices and field stations at the regional level of
the government agencies and concerned institutions and authorities including representatives
from the CSOs, private sector, the academe, and the health sector.

SEC. 10. Organization at the Local Level. - Provincial, City, and Municipal Health Security
Councils shall be established. The Local Health Security Council shall be composed ofthe Local
Health Emergency Response Team and concerned institutions and authorities, including
representatives from the CSOs, private sector, the academe, and the health sector.

(a) Composition. Thelocalhealthsecuritycouncilsshallbecomposedofthefollowingriembers
(1) LocalChiefExecutiveaschairperson;

2) HighestrankingofficeroftheArmedF orcesofthePhilippinesassignedintheprovince,city,
municipality, or barangay, respectively;


(3) Head ofthe Local Health Office;
(4) Local Planning and Development Officer;

(6) Head of the local Social Welfare and Development Office; (6) Head ofthe local Agriculture
Office;

(7) Head ofthe local Veterinary Office;
(8) Head ofthe local Engineering Office;

(9) Head ofthe local Budget Office;

(10) Head ofthe Business Permit and Licensing Office; (11) Head ofthe Transportation Office;
(12) Head ofthe Communication Affairs Office;

(13) Head ofthe local Community Relations Department;

(14) Head ofGeneral Services Department;

(15) Head of Cultural and Tourism Affairs Office;

(16) Head of Office of the Building Official;

(17) Head of Public Order and Safety Office;

(18) Head of Environmental Protection and Waste Management Office;

(19) Head ofthe Housing and Community Development and Resettlement Office; (20) Division
or Superintendent of Schools ofthe DepEd, respectively;

(21) Provincial Director/City/Municipal chiefofthe Philippine National Police; (22) President of the
Association of Barangay Captains;

(23) Philippine National Red Cross;

(24) Four (4) accredited CSOs;

(25) Four (4) private sector representatives;

(26) Four (4) representatives from the academe; and,

(27) Four (4) representatives from health community.

(b) The local health security councils shall have the following functions:

(1) Develop, operationalize, and implement their respective HSLAP in accordance with the
PHSNAP and the provisions ofthis Act;

(2) Localize public health emergency preparedness and ensure efficient local response to
assess, monitor, contain, control, and prevent the spread of any potential epidemic or public
health risks,

(3) Support the health security initiatives of the national government;

(4) Pass timely and relevant ordinances that will strengthen the provision ofhealth security; and
(5) Convene the local health security council once every three (3) months or as necessary,

SEC. 11. Local Government Support and Cooperation. - During a state of public health
emergency, local government officials are hereby mandated to provide all the necessary
support and cooperation to the national government in accordance with Section 105 of Republic
Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code

The refusal of local government officials to provide support and cooperation during public health
‘emergencies shall constitute an offense and shall be dealt with disciplinary action as provided
for in the Local Government Code

CHAPTER IV.


PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

SEC. 12. Declaration of State of Public Health Emergency. - The President, upon the
recommendation ofthe Secretary ofHealth, may declare a State ofPublic Health Emergency.
The basis for such a declaration shall be made public by the PHSC through the mass media
and a written report shall be submitted to both Houses of Congress.

The State of Public Health Emergency shall last for a period of sixty (60) days, unless extended
or terminated earlier by the Council

During the State of Public Health Emergency, the PHSC may exercise, in coordination with
national government agencies, local governments, and other organizations responsible for the
implementation ofthe PHSNAP, the following powers

(a) To direct and compel the evacuation of, or to decontaminate or cause to be decontaminated,
or to close any facility of which there is reasonable cause to believe that it may endanger the
public health;

(b) To require privately-owned health care facilities to provide services or to allow the use of
their facilities within reasonable and necessary grounds for emergency response to a public
health emergency; and,

(c) To control, restrict and regulate the use and rationing of pharmaceutical agents and/or
medical supplies and equipment it considers essential during a public health emergency

CHAPTER V MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

SEC. 13. Creation ofHealth Security Advisory Group. - A Health Security Advisory Group
(HSAG) shall be established as an advisory body to the PHSC and the President of the
Philippines on matters of health security. The HSAG shall consist of former health secretaries,
public health specialists, Filipino scientists and scholars, and other health professionals and
experts that the PHSC may deem necessary. All members who shall be appointed to the HSAG
must be of good moral character and of recognized probity and independence, and have no
pending case or criminal and administrative record.

SEC. 14. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC, 15. Annual Report. - The PHSC, through its Chairperson, shall submit an aimual report to
the Office of the President, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, within the first
quarter of the succeeding year.

SEC. 16. ImplementingRules andRegulations. - The Secretary ofHealth shall, in consultation
with the members ofthe PHSC, issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective
implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days from its effectivity.

SEC. 17. Congressional Oversight Committee. - There is hereby created a Congressional
Oversight Committee which shall monitor and review the proper implementation of this Act
composeof five (5) members from the Senate of the Philippines and five (5) members from the
House ofRepresentatives with the Chairpersons of the Committees on Health of both the
Senate and the House ofRepresentatives as joint Chairpersons of this Committee. The four (4)
other members from each Chamberand
tobedesignatedbytheSenatePresidentandtheSpeakerofthe HouseofRepresentatives, respectively.

The minority shall be entitled to proportional representation but shall have at least one (1)
representative from each Chamber.

SEC. 18. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, issuances and rules and regulations or
parts thereofinconsistent with the provisions ofthis Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 19. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or
invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.


SEC. 20. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,