EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session y
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
H.B. No. 6383

Introduced by Representative TEODORICO T. HARESCO, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

With the outbreak of the 2019 novel Corona Virus (2019-nCoV), now officially
called by the World Health Organization, as the Corona Virus Disease, 2019 or “COVID-
19,” which has infected more than 40,000 people in the world and killed more than
1,000, there is a need for an independent body that will lead the country for a prompt
and effective public response to manage communicable diseases and outbreaks.

This bill seeks to establish a Philippine National Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, which shall be the principal health protection agency of the Philippines
tasked to prevent, protect and manage the spread of communicable and infectious
diseases and other health threats originating domestically and internationally

This is a dire reminder that communicable and infectious diseases and public
health threats respect no borders. As such, it is timely and in the nation’s interest for
the Philippines to join the global fight in combating infectious diseases and other
potential health threats, by creating an independent and competent national Center for
Disease Control and Prevention. It also aims to provide effective measures to track and
control infectious diseases, which include engaging in global health surveillance of
current and emerging/re-emerging communicable diseases and granting broad
quarantine powers to the Secretary of Health and the CDC.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is urgently sought.

Aer:
TEODORICt HARESCO, JR.


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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. No. 6383

Introduced by Representative TEODORICO T. HARESCO, JR.

AN ACT
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION,
DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES:

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

Section 1. Title - This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Center for Disease Control
and Prevention Act”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy - It is hereby declared the policy of the State:

a) To protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health
consciousness among them;

b) To adopt, support, establish and maintain an effective health mechanism
responsive to the country’s health needs, emergency;

©) To ensure the health and wellbeing of Filipinos and protect them from
communicable diseases;

d) To prevent the emergence and transmission of serious diseases;

e) To provide a framework for communicable disease control and prevention in
the country; and

f} To establish a health protection agency to save lives and protect people from
health threats.

Section 3. Creation of the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention -
There is hereby created an independent body to be known as the Philippine Center for
Disease Control and Prevention, hereinafter referred to as "CDC".

The CDC shall be the principal agency tasked to identify, assess and communicate
current and emerging threats to human health posed by communicable diseases. It shall
carry out activities for the prevention and control of communicable diseases for
promotion of public health.

The CDC shall be attached to the Department of Health for policy and program
coordination.


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Section 4. Powers and Functions - The CDC shall exercise the following powers
and functions :

a)

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establish procedures for systematically searching for, collecting, collating and
analyzing information and data to identify emerging health threats in the
country

undertake research activities in the diagnosis, control and prevention of
communicable diseases that are major causes of mortality and morbidity in
the country

investigate disease outbreaks and other threats to public health

conduct clinical trials aimed at better understanding and control of
communicable diseases in the country

foster the development of sufficient capacity for diagnosis, detection,
identification and characterization of infectious agents which may threaten
public health

coordinate data collection, validation, analysis and provide health information
to protect against expensive and dangerous health threats

ensure that the public and any interested party are rapidly given objective,
reliable and easily accessible information with regard to the results of its work
provide information, expertise, advice and risk assessment to local
government units in the control and prevention of communicable diseases
assist local government units in the control of a broad range of communicable
diseases

formulate an early warning and response system to make available
information for the general public

confront global disease threats through advanced computing and lab analysis
of data to quickly find solutions

maintain the database for epidemiological surveillance

m) provide independent scientific opinions, expert advice, data and information

n)
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promote and initiate scientific studies necessary for the prevention and
control of communicable diseases

submit to Congress an annual evaluation of the current and emerging threats
to health in the country

Section 5. Early Warning and Response System - The CDC shall operate an Early
Warning and Response System which will ensure that the national government and local
government units are able to respond in a timely and coordinated manner to emerging
health threats in the country.

‘The CDC shall take action to ensure that the early warning and response system is
efficiently and effectively linked with other forms of community alert systems.

Section 6. Obligation of Local Government Units - Local government units must
provide the CDC in a timely manner available health and technical data relevant to the
prevention and control of communicable diseases.


Section 7. Transfer of Agencies and Personnel - The following offices and agencies
are hereby abolished and their powers and functions, applicable funds and
appropriations, records, equipment, property and personnel transferred to the CDC:

a) Infectious Diseases for Elimination Division (under the Disease Prevention
and Control Bureau of the Department of Health)

b) Infectious Diseases for Prevention and Control Division (under the Disease
Prevention and Control Bureau of the Department of Health)

©) The Epidemiology Bureau of the Department of Health

d) The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine

Section 8. Executive Director - The CDC shall be headed by an Executive Director,
with the rank of Undersecretary, who shall be appointed by the President on the basis of
technical expertise, academic background and appropriate work experience.

The Executive Director shall perform the following functions and powers :

a)

Manage and direct the activities of the Philippine Center for Disease Control

and Prevention

b) Coordinate CDC response to health emergencies

c) Certify to the existence of an epidemic, which shall be treated as a public health
emergency

d) Recommend to the President the exercise of special powers in the case of an

epidemic

Coordinate international health activities relating to disease prevention and

control

f) Liaise with other government agencies, international organizations, including

the World Health Organization, learning institutions and other outside groups

Appoint employees of CDC in accordance with civil service law, rules and

regulations.

e)

8)

Section 9. Structure and Staffing Pattern.- The Secretary of Health, in
consultation with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), shall determine the
organizational structure, qualification standards, staffing pattern and compensation of
the newly created CDC, in accordance with existing laws, rules and regulations.

Section 10. Appropriations - The amount needed for the initial implementation of
this Act shall be taken from the current fiscal year’s appropriation of the offices and
agency herein absorbed by the CDC. Thereafter, the amount needed for the operation
and maintenance of the CDC shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

Section 11. Separability Clause - If any provision of this Act shall be declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in
full force and effect.

Section 12. Repealing Clause - All laws, orders, rules and regulations, other
issuances, or parts thereof, inconsistent with any provision of this Act, are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.


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Section 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following
its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,