fe’ RECEIVED

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 1133

Introduced by Representative
ZIAUR-RAHMAN “ZIA” ALONTO ADIONG

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution affirms that the State shall protect
and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness
among them. Likewise, Article XIII, Section 11 mandates the adoption of an
integrated and comprehensive approach to health development. In line with these
constitutional directives, the State further reiterates its commitment to the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, which calls on nations
to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for alll at all ages.

Recent global and local health emergencies—including the COVID-19 pandemic—
have laid bare the urgent need to improve our nation’s surge capacity in terms of
human health resources. While infrastructure and supplies are critical, so too is the
availability of trained, deployable, and ready professionals who can be mobilized
quickly to address the unpredictable demands of a public health crisis. This bill
proposes to institutionalize a national reserve pool of health workers and trained
volunteers to be known as the Health Emergency Auxiliary Reinforcement Team
(HEART).

The HEART shall be composed of licensed and practicing health professionals,
retirees, allied health workers, and qualified health-related graduates and students.
This volunteer-based force shall serve to reinforce the country’s health system in
times of calamity, epidemic, disaster, or any public health threat. Organized under
the Department of Health (DOH), the HEART will be activated through local and
national mechanisms and supported by a multi-agency HEART Board to ensure
coordination, readiness, and accountability.

Among the key features of the proposed measure are: the establishment of
mobilization centers across the country; a national database and registry of
volunteers; clear guidelines for training, deployment, demobilization, and legal
protections; and the provision of allowances, incentives, and insurance coverage for
those deployed.

This measure builds on the Filipino spirit of Bayanihan—the unselfish commitment
to serve others in times of great need. It is a strategic and forward-looking
investment in our national resilience, ensuring that our healthcare system remains

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strong, adaptive, and people-centered, especially during moments of national
vulnerability.

This bill was passed on Third Reading in the House of Representatives during the
19th Congress.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly
sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 1199

Introduced by Representative
ZIAUR-RAHMAN “ZIA” ALONTO ADIONG

AN ACT
CREATING THE HEALTH EMERGENCY AUXILIARY REINFORCEMENT
TEAM UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Health Emergency
Auxiliary Reinforcement Team (HEART)” Act.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The Constitution affirms the duty of the State to
protect and promote the right to health of every Filipino. Article II, Section 15
mandates this obligation, while Article XIII, Section 11 calls for an integrated and
comprehensive approach to health development. In line with these constitutional
directives, the State likewise upholds its commitment to achieving Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) 3: to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all,
at all ages.

To fulfill these mandates, the State recognizes the importance of establishing a
reserve force of highly trained, health-oriented professionals and volunteers who
can be readily mobilized to reinforce the healthcare system during periods of crisis
or when public health demands surge beyond ordinary capacity.

Accordingly, it is the policy of the State to:

a) Safeguard the health of all Filipinos—whether in the country or abroad—by
ensuring a strong, resilient, and responsive healthcare system that can act swiftly
and effectively during all forms of public health emergencies; and
b) Promote the spirit of Bayanihan by strengthening the nation’s ability to rapidly
scale up human health resources through the creation and mobilization of a Health


Emergency Auxiliary Reinforcement Team, ready to serve in times of disaster,
epidemic, or national health emergencies.

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

a. Allied health professionals refer to professions who are involved with the
delivery of health or related services such as the identification, evaluation and
prevention of diseases and disorders, dietary and nutrition services, and
rehabilitation and health systems management. Allied health professionals, shall
include, among others, dental hygienists, diagnostic medical sonographers,
dietitians, medical technologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists,
radiographers, respiratory therapists, and speech language pathologists;

b. Bayanihan refers to the value of communal unity through helping others to
achieve a certain goal without expecting anything in return;

c. Deployment refers to the actual movement of workforce to the assigned area
within a prescribed period;

d. Health Emergency Auxiliary Reinforcement Team refers to a group of individual
volunteers who are in the field of medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other
allied health-related fields who are ready to be deployed to complement the health
workforce in the event of a public health emergency and health threat;

e. Health threat refers to a condition, agent, or incident that greatly impacts the
health that leads to disease, accident, injury, and loss of life;

f. Mobilization refers to the process and procedures for activating, assembling, and
transporting the needed health workforce to respond to a public health emergency
and health threat;

g. Mobilization center refers to the establishment where the Health Emergency
Auxiliary Reinforcement Team shall report upon receipt of the order for mobilization,
coordinate their mission order and mobilization-related issues and concerns, and
submit their report upon receipt of the order for demobilization;

h. Public health emergency refers to an occurrence that poses an imminent threat
of an illness or health condition as defined in Republic Act No. 11332, otherwise
known as Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public
Health Concern Act.

SEC. 4. Scope. - This Act provides for the organization of the Health Emergency
Auxiliary Reinforcement Team, hereinafter referred to as the HEART, the
development of policies, plans, guidelines, and the implementation of actions
pertaining to the mobilization, services, and protection of the HEART in times of
disasters, public health emergencies and health threats.

SEC. 5. Health Emergency Auxiliary Reinforcement Team. - There is hereby
established a HEART under the Department of Health (DOH) to augment the health
workforce in times of disasters, public health emergencies and health threats. The
HEART shall be composed of the following individuals who shall voluntarily register
with the DOH:

a. Licensed professionals in the fields of medicine, nursing, medical technology,
and other allied health fields including those who are retired and those who are no
longer practicing their professions in a health facility setting.

b. Graduates of medicine and allied health courses and medical students who have
completed a one-year medical internship and who have not yet been issued licenses
to practice their respective professions, but due to the need for their services may
be issued a limited and special authorization to render medical services during
public health emergencies or health threats.


SEC. 6. The Health Emergency Auxiliary Reinforcement Team Promotion
Program. - There is hereby established the Health Emergency Auxiliary
Reinforcement Team Promotion Program, which shall refer to the comprehensive
set of objectives, targets, strategies, and activities for the promotion, recruitment,
and selection of a reserve force of highly skilled and health-oriented professionals
and volunteers.

It shall include, but not be limited to, the following areas of concern: the provision
of initiatives that shall underscore the importance of volunteerism to improve the
health and safety of communities; the utilization of a medical reserves pool who
want to donate their time and expertise to prepare for and respond to emergencies
and to support ongoing preparedness initiatives; and the building of partnerships
and ensuring the sustainability of the HEART with the end goal of maintaining its
capacity to meet surges in the demand for healthcare system and provide
assistance in times of public emergencies.

SEC. 7. Creation of the HEART Board. - A HEART Board, hereinafter referred to
as Board, is hereby created to ensure efficient and effective mobilization of the
HEART. It shall be chaired by the Department of Health (DOH) and composed of
representatives of the following, as members:

a. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);

b. Department of National Defense (DND);

c. Commission on Higher Education (CHED);

d. Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC);

e. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP);

f. Office of Civil Defense (OCD); and

g. One representative from a non-governmental health professional organization.

The members of the Board shall designate a representative, with a rank not lower
than Assistant Secretary or its equivalent, to represent their respective offices in
the Board: Provided, That the representative must be fully authorized to decide on
behalf of the member-agency.

The AFP shall designate a representative from the Office of the Surgeon General
with a rank not lower than Colonel as its Board representative.
The representative from a non-governmental health professional organization shall
have a two (2)-year term of office. The Board shall select the representative based
on the guidelines it shall promulgate: Provided, That the non-governmental health
organization is national in scope and has a good track record in providing
emergency health services.

The Board shall establish close coordination with the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council and the Philippine National Volunteer Service
Coordinating Agency. It may call upon any government office or instrumentality,
including government-owned or controlled corporations and local government units
(LGUs), as necessary. The Board may likewise closely coordinate and collaborate
with non-governmental health organizations and the private sector, especially those
with actual programs in the delivery of emergency health services.

SEC. 8. Powers and Functions of the Board. - The Board shall have the
following powers and functions:

a) Define and develop the organization, management, mobilization, demobilization,
and reporting mechanisms, policies, and guidelines for the HEART;

b) Oversee the effective and efficient functioning of the HEART in responding to
public health emergencies and health threats;

c) Coordinate with concerned national government agencies and other
stakeholders in responding to public health emergencies and health threats; and

d) Conduct regular meetings every quarter or as often as may be necessary in


times of disasters, during public health emergencies or in the occurrence of health
threats.

SEC. 9. Creation of a HEART Unit. - A HEART Unit shall be created by the DOH
which shall serve as the secretariat of the Board. It shall oversee program
implementation, including the maintenance of the database or information system
of the HEART.

The DOH shall determine the organizational structure and staffing pattern of the
HEART unit subject to the evaluation and approval of the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) and in accordance with the civil service laws, rules, and
regulations.

The regional counterparts of the HEART Unit shall likewise be allocated additional
staff and personnel to ensure the grassroots implementation of this Act.
All LGUs shall ensure that a HEART Unit shall be operationalized under their
respective Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office which shall act as
mobilization centers in times of disasters, public health emergencies, or health
threats.

SEC. 10. Registration and Training. - The Board shall prescribe a
comprehensive guideline for the recruitment and selection of a HEART volunteer.

The Board shall also prescribe a training program through written, practical, and
simulation activities on various aspects of health emergency management and
response in different health emergency scenarios. To this end, all volunteers must
undergo:

(a) Basic training on disaster and health emergency response; and
(b) Skill enhancement activities with relevant agencies in both public and private
sectors.

Completion of the basic training or acceptable substitute or equivalent certification
shall be a requisite for admission to the HEART.

SEC. 11. Registry and Accounting of Members. - HEART Volunteers shall be
issued with individual registration numbers which shall serve as their identification
during deployment.
A registry or database that contains the names of the volunteers, their registration
numbers, address, contact details and other personal information as may be
necessary, shall be maintained and regularly updated in accordance with Republic
Act No. 10173, otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act.
The HEART registry or database shall be integrated or linked to existing registries
such as the National Health Workforce Registry pursuant to Republic Act No. 11223,
otherwise known as the Universal Health Care Act, Section 25 (c).
All volunteers covered under this Act are required to update their addresses and
contact details on file through the registry system or database as necessary.

SEC. 12. Mobilization. - The Board shall approve the prompt mobilization of the
HEART upon receipt of a request from municipal and city mayors and provincial
governors in connection with a public health emergency, threats to public health, or
a disaster, whether of local or national scale. The HEART may be mobilized partially
or in full, as may be necessary.

The Board shall promulgate a mechanism that shall ensure efficient implementation
of deployment, assignment areas, deployment periods, how deployment orders are
communicated to each volunteer, and to which mobilization center the volunteers
will report taking into consideration Section 13 on “Accreditation, Mobilization, and
Protection of Disaster Volunteers and National Service Reserve Corps, CSOs, and


the Private Sector” of Republic Act No. 10121, otherwise known as the Philippine
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

SEC. 13. Deployment Order. - The President of the Philippines, upon the
recommendation of the HEART Board through a resolution, may order the
nationwide mobilization of the HEART to augment the health workforce in case of a
declaration of a state of public health emergency, state of calamity, and other
threats to public health.

Orders of deployment sent to the volunteers’ addresses and through the contact
details on file in the registry system or database shall be sufficient notice for
purposes of deployment.

SEC. 14. Mobilization Centers - Mobilization Centers shall be established in each
province as needed where volunteers shall report to once deployment is ordered.
A mobilization center may be any establishment that can adequately house the
volunteers, their equipment, and supplies during the period of deployment,
including a multi-purpose hall, gymnasium, and other similar structures.
The Board shall, in consultation with the local executives, prescribe the location of
the mobilization centers. The concerned municipal and city mayors and provincial
governors shall disseminate information on the location of mobilization centers to
the widest extent possible.

SEC. 15. Essential Emergency Commodities. - The Board shall ensure that the
minimum essential individual and organizational commodities and medical
equipment and supplies shall be procured, stored, and managed to enhance the
rapid transition to readiness required for deployment of HEART teams in the
shortest possible time.
The Board shall ensure and maintain its capacity to scale up the procurement of
these equipment and supplies as needed during the period of deployment.

SEC. 16. Incentives. - In recognition and appreciation of the HEART volunteers’
service rendered during the period of actual mobilization, implementing agencies
may provide volunteers with an allowance as may be determined by the
Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with the Department of Budget and
Management, subject to availability of funds, and other existing civil service,
budgeting, accounting, and auditing rules and regulations. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, nothing in this Act, shall be construed as creating an employer-employee
relationship between the government and HEART volunteers.

SEC. 17. Legal Liability. - No volunteer shall be held liable for the death or injury
to any person or for the loss of, or damage to the property of any person where
such death, injury, loss, or damage was proximately caused by the circumstance of
an actual public health emergency or its subsequent conditions.
This Section shall not preclude liability for civil damages because of gross
negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct.

SEC. 18. Public Health Emergency Insurance. - The DOH is mandated to secure
an insurance policy that would insure HEART volunteers from injury, death, damage
to, or loss of property, and for any legal liability asserted against or incurred by the
volunteer arising from the lawful performance of his duty.

SEC. 19. Termination of Deployment or Demobilization. - Upon the
declaration of the President, or as determined by the Board that the need for the
HEART is no longer necessary, or upon the expiration of the deployment or end of
mission there being no approved extension thereof, volunteers who are deployed
pursuant to the declaration of a public calamity, a public health emergency or
health threat shall be discharged from the performance of HEART duties.


Upon order of the demobilization of the HEART, the deployed volunteers shall be
reverted to inactive status. Mobilization Centers shall ensure reports on the mission
are duly submitted and the certificate of services rendered pertaining to the
deployment are promptly issued.

SEC. 20. Annual Report. - The HEART Unit shall prepare and submit an annual
report to the Office of the President, through the DOH Secretary, containing the list
of accomplishments, status of the operations, and program implementation of the
HEART.

SEC. 21. Appropriations. - The funds necessary for the initial implementation of
this Act shall be charged against the available funds of the implementing agencies
comprising the HEART Board. Thereafter, the funding shall be included in the
budget of the DOH under the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 22. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the HEART Board shall, in consultation with other
stakeholders, promulgate the necessary guidelines for the effective implementation
of this Act.

SEC. 23. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the validity of other provisions shall not be affected
thereby.

SEC. 24. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations,
other issuances, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 25. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,