Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESE) TATIVER

Quezon City

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

3121

House Bill No.

Introduced by HON. MICHAEL M. MORDEN

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The COVID 19 pandemic exposed the severe and mounting disruption to the
global supply of medical supplies and equipment as the virus raged all over. Rising
demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse are just a few of the practices that
endangered the lives of patients and frontline health care providers and responders as
they grappled with the shortage of medical supplies and equipment.

Under Republic Act No. 10121 or the "Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Act of 2010", the stockpiling of equipment and supplies is one of
the critical activities needed to be addressed in disaster preparedness. Without a
secure supply-chains, the risks to healthcare workers and eventually to all people
becomes very real and life-threatening. Add to this the fact that supplies can take
months to deliver and market manipulation can even complicate it..

The goal of stockpiling, in a national scale, is to effectively manage supply-
chains and reduce the country's vulnerability to unforeseeable production and
disruptions and over-dependence on the foreign supply of goods and materials which
may be disrupted and rendered unavailable because of disasters and emergencies. Our
country’s experience during this Covid-19 pandemic and even during the 2020 Taal
Volcano eruption saw the need for the country to institutionalize a system for the
stockpiling of essential goods and materials in order to rationalize demand and
appropriate use.

This bill mandates the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (NDRRMC) or any agency that would be established to respond to disasters,
large scale emergencies and calamities, to establish the National Emergency
Stockpile which shall be the central repository and supply reserve of medical supplies
and equipment including medicines, vaccines, antidotes, and other critical medical
supplies, food items, basic commodities, essential raw materials and other


emergency-related articles, facilities and equipment. The stockpile can only be used
in instances of a declared national or local state of calamity or emergency and with
prior approval of the NDRRMC. Stockpiles will be strategically located in the
different regions for easy and quick access and transport. Provisions for its safety and
security from any man-made and natural disasters such as fires, floods, earthquakes,
robbery and looting should be put in place.

With the passage of this bill into law, this measure will serve to ensure our
country's response and emergency management capabilities to any kinds of disasters

or calamities.

Early passage of this bill is therefore requested.

HON.IMICHAEEM. MORDEN
Abante Pangasinan Iokano (API) Party List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No, 3121

Introduced by HON. MICHAEL M. MORDEN

AN ACT
MANDATING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
NATIONAL EMERGENCY STOCKPILE, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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 as "National Emergency
Stockpile Act."

Section 2. Declaration of Policy — It is hereby declared as the policy of the State to
protect the people from the adverse effects of calamities and emergencies by ensuring
a sufficient and adequate supply of essential items and materials and preventing
whenever possible the dangerous and costly dependence of the Philippines upon
foreign nations and organizations for supplies of such items and materials and the
country's vulnerability to production and supply-chain disruptions.

Section 3. National Emergency Stockpile — The National Disaster Risk

Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) shall hereby establish the National
Emergency Stockpile (hereinafter referred to as the "Stockpile") which shall be the
central repository and supply reserve of medicines, vaccines, antidotes, and other
critical medical supplies, food items, basic commodities, essential raw materials and
other emergency-related articles, facilities and equipment. The specific items and
materials to be included in the Stockpile shall be determined by the NDRRMC, in
consultation with the Department of National Defense, Department of Health,
Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development and other
relevant government agencies: Provided, that such items and materials shall be non-
perishable or shall have shelf-lives of at least two (2) years.



Section 4. Location of the Stockpile — The NDRRMC shall determine the actual
locations of the Stockpile, taking into consideration equitable distribution among the
regions of the country, accessibility, safety and security from man-made and natural
disasters, and immediate release of the stockpile in case of disaster or emergency. The
actual locations shall be kept strictly confidential and shall not be publicly
disseminated.

Section 5. Quantity and Replenishment of the Stockpile — The quantity and volume of
the Stockpile shall be strictly and regularly monitored and maintained. Replenishment,
replacement or addition to the Stockpile shall be done in an annual basis or as often as
may be deemed necessary. Pursuant to this, a computerized system for the real-time
monitoring of the dates of expiration and shelf lives of the items and materials in the
Stockpile shall be set up to avoid unnecessary wastage and decay.

Section 6. Utilization and Deployment of the Stockpile. — The utilization and
deployment of the Stockpile shall only be done in case of a declared local or national
of calamity or emergency and with the approval of the NDRRMC. Any order of
utilization and deployment shall be accompanied with a time-specific plan for the
replenishment and replacement of the withdrawn supplies.

A first-in, first-out system or any similar arrangement shall be adopted in the utilization
and deployment of the Stockpile. Items and materials that will be near their expiration
dates or the end of the shelf lives shall be donated and transferred to appropriate
government agencies and Institutions such as the Department of Social Welfare and
Development, Department of Health, government hospitals, and local government
units, subject to immediate replenishment and replacement and/or reservation for
imminent calamities or emergencies.

Section 7. Annual Report — The NDRRMC shalll submit to the Office of the President,
the Senate and the House of Representatives, within the first quarter of every year, an
annual report relating to the progress of the implementation of this Act. The
confidentiality of the locations of the Stockpile shall be observed In the Annual Report.

Section 8. Appropriations - The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act
shall be Included in the annual General Appropriations of the year following its
enactment into law and thereafter.

Section 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations— Within sixty (60) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the NDRRMC in consultation with the Department of National
Defense, Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Social
Welfare and Development and other relevant government agencies, shall issue the
necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.


Section 10. Repealing Clause — All laws, presidential decrees, executive
orders, proclamations, rules and regulations, or any part thereof, which are Inconsistent
with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 11. Separability Clause — If any provision or part of this Act, or the 24
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held unconstitutional or invalid,
the remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby.

Section 12. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its
publication in the Official Gazette or In at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,