[1] Joint external evaluation of IHR core capacities of the Republic of the Philippines. Geneva: World Health
Organization; 
2019 
(WHO/WHE/CPI/2019.57). 
Licence: 
CC 
BY-NC-SA 
3.0 
IGO.
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/325319/WHO-WHE-CPI-2019.57-eng.pdf?ua=1; last accessed on
29 April 2020. 
[2] Id.
1 
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3 
4 
5 
Republic of the Philippines  
6 
House of Representatives 
7 
Quezon City 
8 
9 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
10 
11 
First Regular Session 
12 
13 
House Bill No. __________ 
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15 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
16 
Introduced by Representative Jernie Jett V. Nisay 
17 
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18 
19 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
20 
21 
In its Mission Report on the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of International 
22 
Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities of the Republic of the Philippines, the JEE 
23 
team recognized that the Philippines has developed capabilities in various programme 
24 
areas for public health emergency preparedness and response.[1] It highlighted, 
25 
however, that there are still challenges in achieving a harmonized approach for 
26 
implementation of the IHR. Several of the identified challenges are not only relevant to 
27 
IHR implementation but are common across the health sector and include the 
28 
implementation of policies and regulations; effective coordination between national and 
29 
local levels and among sectors, and investments in institutional capacities.[2] The JEE 
30 
team recommended, among others, that the government: 
31 
32 
●
Foster the institutional capacity of the health sector to lead the prevention,
33 
detection and response to public health events and emergencies; and
34 
●
Further optimize the public health emergency preparedness and response action
35 
at regional and local levels, through investing in advocacy, guidance, training
36 
and exercising, to improve collaboration between national and sub-national
37 
levels.
38 
39 
The onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID) - 19 pandemic actually put to test
40 
the capability and preparedness of the Department of Health (DOH) to respond to a 
41 
public health emergency of this magnitude. Like the JEE team’s findings, however, the 
42 
COVID-19 pandemic again highlighted some institutional weaknesses (e.g. disease 
43 
surveillance, contact tracing capabilities, etc.) which needed to be strengthened. 
44 
45 
At present, the responsibility for disease prevention and control is lodged with 
46 
the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB) of the DOH. While the DOH 
47 
undoubtedly employed everything within its means to control the spread of the virus, 
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September 10, 2025
3:58 pm
4505


the need to establish a separate institution attached to the DOH, especially handling 
1 
surveillance in support of disease prevention and control and complemented with 
2 
exemplary expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories and appropriate 
3 
resources --- is clearly the way forward in building the capacity and level of readiness 
4 
of the government to respond to any public health emergency that could be chemical, 
5 
biological, radioactive or nuclear in nature. 
6 
7 
This bill aims to foster institutional capacity and optimize public health emergency 
8 
preparedness by establishing a specialized institution to be called Philippine Centers 
9 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC shall be primarily responsible for 
10 
conducting routine disease surveillance, investigating outbreaks and epidemics and 
11 
measuring the effectiveness of control and preventive health measures, monitoring 
12 
infectious and non-infectious agents, as well as continuously updating pandemic 
13 
preparedness planning and readiness with capacity to deploy personnel and allocate 
14 
resources within the healthcare system in the event of a public health emergency. It 
15 
shall also be responsible in developing, testing and applying effective disease 
16 
prevention and control, and enhancing health promotion and education. 
17 
18 
Support for this bill is earnestly requested from my colleagues. 
19 
20 
21 
22 
  REP. JERNIE JETT V. NISAY 
23 
        Pusong Pinoy Partylist 
24 


1 
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5 
6 
Republic of the Philippines 
7 
House of Representatives 
8 
Quezon City 
9 
10 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
11 
12 
First Regular Session 
13 
14 
House Bill No. __________ 
15 
16 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
17 
Introduced by Representative Jernie Jett V. Nisay 
18 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
19 
20 
AN ACT 
21 
PROVIDING FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY 
22 
PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE CAPABILITIES, ESTABLISHING FOR THIS 
23 
PURPOSE THE CENTER FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL, AND 
24 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR  
25 
26 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
27 
Congress assembled: 
28 
29 
Section. 1. Short Title. –  This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Center for 
30 
Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) Act". 
31 
32 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policies. – It is the policy of the State to protect and 
33 
promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. 
34 
The State also mandates the adoption of an integrated and comprehensive approach 
35 
to health development. 
36 
Towards this end, the State shall give high priority to the allocation of material 
37 
and institutional resources to protect public health by ensuring that the Philippine health 
38 
system is well-prepared to forecast, prevent, monitor, and control diseases, injuries, 
39 
and disabilities both of national and international concern. 
40 
41 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms - As used in this Act: 
42 
(a) Communicable disease, also known as contagious disease, refers to an
43 
illness resulting from an infection, or a disease, which can be transmitted
44 
from an infected host individual or group to a particular individual or group.
45 
4505


 
It spreads through direct, bodily contact with an infected person, their 
1 
discharges, or an object or surface they have contaminated; 
2 
(b) Disease refers to an illness due to a specific toxic substance, occupational 
3 
exposure or infectious agent, which affects a susceptible individual, either 
4 
directly or indirectly, from an infected animal or person, or indirectly 
5 
through an intermediate host, vector, or the environment; 
6 
(c) Disease surveillance refers to a systematic collection, analysis, 
7 
interpretation, and dissemination of outcome and specific data for use in 
8 
the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. A 
9 
disease surveillance system includes the functional capacity for data 
10 
analysis as well as the timely dissemination of these data to persons who 
11 
can undertake effective disease prevention and control activities; 
12 
(d) Epidemic or outbreak refers to an occurrence of more cases of disease 
13 
than normally expected within a specific place or group of people over a 
14 
given period of time; 
15 
(e) Infectious disease refers to a clinically manifested disease of humans or 
16 
animals resulting from an infection which can be communicable or non- 
17 
communicable; 
18 
(f) Public health emergency refers to an occurrence or imminent threat of an 
19 
illness or health condition that: 
20 
(1) Is caused by any of the following: 
21 
(i) Bio terrorism; 
22 
(ii) Appearance of a novel or previously controlled or eradicated 
23 
infectious agent or biological toxin; 
24 
(iii) A natural disaster; 
25 
(iv) A chemical attack or accidental release; 
26 
(v) A nuclear attack or accident; or 
27 
(vi) An attack or accidental release of radioactive materials; and, 
28 
 
29 
(2) Poses a high probability of any of the following: 
30 
(i) A large number of deaths in the affected population; 
31 
(ii) A large number of serious injuries or long-term disabilities in the 
32 
affected population; 
33 


 
(iii) Widespread exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses 
1 
a significant risk of substantial harm to a large number of people in 
2 
the affected population; 
3 
(iv) International exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses 
4 
a significant risk to the health of citizens of other countries; or 
5 
(v) Trade and travel restrictions; 
6 
 
7 
(g) Quarantine refers to the physical separation and confinement of an 
8 
individual or groups of individuals, who are or may have been exposed to 
9 
a contagious or possibly contagious disease and who do not show signs 
10 
or symptoms of a contagious disease, from non-quarantined individuals, 
11 
to prevent or limit the transmission of the disease. 
12 
 
13 
 
SEC. 4. Creation of the Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and 
14 
Control. - The Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) is hereby 
15 
created as an attached agency to the Department of Health (DOH) for policy and 
16 
program coordination. 
17 
 
18 
 
SEC. 5. Powers, Functions, and Duties. - The CDC shall be the technical 
19 
authority on all matters regarding disease prevention and control. To carry out the 
20 
provisions of this Act, the CDC shall have the following powers, functions, and duties: 
21 
 
22 
(a) Policy and Standards Development: 
23 
(1) Provide technical guidance to the development of policies, programs, 
24 
standards, guidelines, and monitoring and evaluation systems on the 
25 
forecasting, prevention, monitoring, and control of diseases, injuries, and 
26 
disabilities both of national and international concern; 
27 
(2) Set the standards and the process for the establishment of Epidemiology 
28 
and Surveillance Units or its corresponding surveillance reporting units, 
29 
pursuant to law; 
30 
(3) Provide quality assurance programs to ensure the quality of testing for 
31 
laboratories; 
32 


 
(4) Conduct researches for development in support of the CDC mandate to 
1 
forecast, prevent, monitor, and control diseases, injuries, and disabilities 
2 
both of national and international concern; 
3 
(5) Recommend to the President, through the DOH Secretary, the declaration 
4 
of a state of public health emergency, in case of an epidemic of national 
5 
or international concern; and, 
6 
(6) Set the parameters for the declaration of the existence as well as the end 
7 
of an epidemic. 
8 
 
9 
(b) Capacity Building and Technical Assistance: 
10 
(1) Develop, implement, and maintain training programs on specialized fields 
11 
such 
as 
field 
epidemiology, 
health 
emergency 
of 
biological 
12 
concern,laboratory services, infectious and tropical diseases, and non- 
13 
communicable diseases; 
14 
(2) Assess and support the capabilities of health facilities and local 
15 
government units (LGUs) on forecasting, preventing, monitoring, and 
16 
controlling diseases, injuries, and disabilities both of national and 
17 
international concern; and, 
18 
(3) Provide technical assistance and expert services to DOH offices, and 
19 
collaborating and implementing agencies or offices on matters pertaining 
20 
to forecasting, preventing, monitoring, and controlling diseases, injuries, 
21 
and disabilities both of national and international concern. 
22 
 
23 
(c) Sectoral and Local Engagements: 
24 
(1) Promote coordination and collaboration with partner agencies and 
25 
organizations on matters pertaining to CDC mandate; 
26 
(2) Coordinate, collaborate, and disseminate relevant scientific and technical 
27 
information in a timely manner with partner agencies and international and 
28 
local organizations on matters pertaining to CDC mandate; and, 
29 
(3) Disseminate relevant scientific and technical information in a timely 
30 
manner with partner agencies, and international and local organizations 
31 
on matters pertaining to CDC mandate. 
32 
 
33 
(d) Surveillance: 
34 


 
(1) Develop, implement, and maintain an integrated surveillance system of 
1 
diseases, injuries, and disabilities; 
2 
(2) Provide technical guidance on the development, implementation and 
3 
maintenance, and monitoring of health system capacity such as 
4 
operational capacities of health facilities, and performance management 
5 
of the response systems, in terms of contact tracing, quarantine, isolation, 
6 
and other significant population-based health services; 
7 
(3) Investigate and respond through surveillance and disease notification, 
8 
investigation, and conduct of field studies and research to outbreaks, 
9 
epidemics, and other public health threats as the need arises; 
10 
(4) Develop and maintain a network of public health laboratories in support 
11 
of epidemiology and surveillance activities; 
12 
(5) Facilitate the issuance of appropriate warnings to the regional CDC and 
13 
health facilities in anticipation of impending public health threats and 
14 
infectious disease outbreak; 
15 
(6) Utilize various information and communication technologies (ICT) in 
16 
management of data and dissemination of early warning and other 
17 
appropriate information to stakeholders and the public; and, 
18 
(7) Develop communication methods for wider and more effective and unified 
19 
delivery of critical public health information with national or international 
20 
importance. 
21 
 
22 
(e) Provide technical guidance on the procurement of vaccines, drugs, and 
23 
diagnostics; 
24 
 
25 
(f) Provide technical guidance on the monitoring and evaluation framework for 
26 
disease prevention and control; 
27 
 
28 
(g) Certify to the existence of an epidemic which shall be treated as a public health 
29 
emergency; and, 
30 
 
31 
(h) Perform such other functions as may be mandated by law, or as may be duly 
32 
delegated by relevant authorities. 
33 


 
 
SEC. 6. Director General. - The CDC shall be headed by a Director General 
1 
with a rank of Undersecretary, who shall be assisted by two (2) Deputy Directors 
2 
General with a rank of Assistant Secretary. The Director General and the Deputy 
3 
Directors General shall be appointed by the President from a list of at least three (3) 
4 
nominees for each position to be submitted by the DOH Secretary. The Director General 
5 
and Deputy Directors General shall have at least ten (10) years of relevant experience 
6 
and proven expertise in the fields of public health and epidemiology. 
7 
 
8 
The Director General shall have the following powers and functions: 
9 
 
10 
(a) Manage and direct the activities and functions of the CDC; 
11 
(b) Advise the DOH Secretary on policy matters concerning the Center’s 
12 
activities; 
13 
(c) Recommend to the President, through the DOH Secretary, the exercise 
14 
of special powers in case of an epidemic, including the declaration of a 
15 
public health emergency; 
16 
(d) Act as the national International Health Regulations Focal Point, subject 
17 
to consultation with DOH; and, 
18 
(e)  Perform other functions and powers that may be assigned by the DOH 
19 
Secretary. 
20 
 
21 
 
SEC. 7. Transfer of DOH Units and Functions. - The following DOH units and 
22 
their concerned divisions and functions are hereby transferred to the CDC: 
23 
(a) Epidemiology Bureau; 
24 
(b) Research Institute for Tropical Medicine; 
25 
(c) Sexually Transmitted Disease - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome 
26 
Cooperative Central Laboratory; 
27 
(d) Select functions of the International Health Surveillance Division of the Bureau 
28 
of Quarantine as follows: 
29 
(1) Passive international health surveillance; and, 
30 
(2) Development of communication methods for wider and more effective 
31 
delivery of ycritical public health information with international importance; 
32 
and, 
33 


 
(e) Technical and standard setting functions of the Disease Prevention and Control 
1 
Bureau including that of the Mental Health Division, Cancer Division and Oral 
2 
Health Division. 
3 
 
4 
All powers, functions, assets, capital, records, funds, receivables, equipment and 
5 
facilities of the transferred DOH units or its division or function enumerated herein shall 
6 
be transferred to the CDC. The Department of Heath shall conduct an audit and 
7 
inventory of assets, liabilities and human resources of the transferred agencies to CDC 
8 
without need of conveyance or transfer of assignments. 
9 
 
10 
SEC. 8. Regional Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. - There shall 
11 
be established Regional Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (RCDCs) in all 
12 
regions of the country. Each Regional CDC shall be headed by a Regional Director, 
13 
who shall be under the supervision of the CDC Director General. 
14 
 
15 
The functions of RCDCs include: 
16 
 
17 
(a) Prevention, control, and surveillance of diseases; 
18 
(b) Provision of laboratory services for detection and identification of infectious 
19 
disease agents from human, environmental samples, and food; 
20 
(c) Maintenance of an integrated data management system; 
21 
(d) Implementation of quality assurance programs for clinical and environmental 
22 
laboratories through training, consultation, certification and proficiency testing; 
23 
(e) Policy development; 
24 
(f) Emergency response; 
25 
(g) Public health-related research; 
26 
(h) Training and education; 
27 
(i) Maintenance of infectious disease hospitals for referral and management of 
28 
cases; 
29 
(j) Establishment of strong communication networks; and, 
30 
(k) Other functions that may be assigned by the Director General. 
31 
 
32 
The RCDCs shall be composed of specialists in the fields of infectious diseases, public 
33 
health, epidemiology and similar fields. 
34 


 
 
SEC. 9. Structure and Staffing Pattern.   
1 
(a) The CDC shall initially have the following offices, each to be headed by 
2 
an officer with the salary and rank of Director IV: 
3 
(1) Center for Epidemic Intelligence and Disease Surveillance; 
4 
(2) Center for Research, Training, and Reference Laboratory; 
5 
(3) Center for Infectious Disease Emergency Preparedness and 
6 
Response; 
7 
(4) Center for Policy and Program Development; 
8 
(5) Communications Office; and 
9 
(6) Administrative and Finance Office. 
10 
 
11 
(b) The CDC Director General, subject to the issuance of an executive order 
12 
by the President and approval of the Department of Budget and 
13 
Management (DBM), may create or abolish units, offices, or centers as 
14 
needed to carry out all provisions of this Act. 
15 
 
16 
(c) The CDC Director General, in consultation with the DOH and the DBM, 
17 
shall: 
18 
(1) Develop the organizational structure of the CDC at the national, 
19 
regional, and local levels; 
20 
(2) Determine the divisions and specific functions of each unit, center, 
21 
or office of the CDC; and 
22 
(3) Determine 
the 
staffing 
pattern, 
qualification 
standards, 
23 
compensation, and position classification plan for the CDC subject 
24 
to the approval of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the 
25 
DBM. 
26 
 
27 
 
SEC. 10. Qualifications Standards for Appointment and Promotion. - The 
28 
DOHshall, in consultation with the CSC, and pertinent agencies as may be necessary, 
29 
develop the qualification standards in terms of education, training and experience for 
30 
all technical and non-technical positions in the CDC, and the system for promotion and 
31 
succession plan in the CDC. 
32 
 
33 


 
 
SEC. 11. Continuing Competency Development Program. - The CDC shall, 
1 
through the Director General, devise and implement a continuing competency 
2 
development program whereby all core personnel shall be required to update and 
3 
enrich competencies through attendance in programs, studies, researches, fellowships, 
4 
workshops, seminars, including training opportunities in reputable foreign CDCs. 
5 
Compliance with the Continuing Competency Development Program shall be the 
6 
mandatory basis for promotion within the CDC. The CDC shall develop mechanisms to 
7 
tap funding opportunities to implement its Continuing Competency  
8 
Development Program. 
9 
 
10 
 
SEC. 12. Modernization Pro - The Director General shall, in consultation with 
11 
the DOH and other concerned agencies of government and the private sector, develop 
12 
a modernization program that will strengthen the human health resource of the CDC, 
13 
which is the key component of the country’s disease prevention and control policy. The 
14 
modernization program shall include the acquisition and upgrading of appropriate 
15 
technologies, laboratories, facilities, equipment, other needed resources, and the 
16 
needed relocation and acquisition of additional land or location that would house the 
17 
CDC. 
18 
 
19 
Within one hundred eighty (180) days after the effectivity of this Act, the Director 
20 
General shall, upon the recommendation of the DOH and DBM Secretaries, submit the 
21 
modernization program for the consideration and approval of Congress in a joint 
22 
resolution of the House of Representatives and the Senate. 
23 
 
24 
The modernization program shall be implemented over a period of five (5) years. 
25 
 
26 
Appropriations for the modernization program shall be provided in the annual General  
27 
Appropriations Act (GAA). 
28 
 
29 
 
SEC. 13. Strengthened Epidemiology, Public Health Surveillance, and 
30 
Research Capacities. - To ensure that epidemiology and public health surveillance 
31 
services are efficient and responsive, and public health surveillance and research 
32 
capacities are strengthened and updated to international standards, the CDC shall: 
33 
 
34 


 
 
1 
(a) Prioritize investments in upgrading of ICT and adequate and capacitated human 
2 
resources for epidemiology, public health surveillance, and public health and 
3 
clinical research; 
4 
(b) Have a premier facility for clinical laboratory, epidemiologic and implementation 
5 
research, and training on infectious and tropical diseases; 
6 
(c) Develop performance-based incentives to private health facilities with 
7 
established epidemiology and surveillance functions; 
8 
(d) Re-nationalize local epidemiology and surveillance units (LESUs) that will solely 
9 
provide epidemiology and disease surveillance services and provide assistance 
10 
to the LGUs in the establishment and maintenance of surveillance systems, data 
11 
management, and generation of strategic epidemiologic information: Provided, 
12 
That the DOH, CDC, and DBM, shall develop the staffing pattern and 
13 
qualification standards: Provided, further, That LESUs shall be under the direct 
14 
supervision and control of the Regional CDCs; 
15 
(e) Retain and provide incentives to technical experts, practitioners and scientists, 
16 
whereby the scientific career system is adopted, allowing them to continue their 
17 
respective clinical and professional practice to pursue research studies and 
18 
receive grants and honoraria, in consultation with the CSC. Qualified employees 
19 
of the CDC and its attached units shall be covered by Republic Act No. 8439, 
20 
otherwise known as "Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers and 
21 
Other Science and Technology Personnel in Government;” 
22 
(f) Develop and implement training and research programs to develop more experts 
23 
and practitioners in the field of epidemiology, and disease prevention and control; 
24 
and, 
25 
(g) Develop a mechanism to ensure interoperability and accessibility of surveillance 
26 
systems. 
27 
 
28 
SEC. 14. Strengthened Disease Surveillance and Response. - The CDC shall 
29 
establish integrated disease surveillance and response systems utilizing, whenever 
30 
necessary, all technological means available while ensuring that data privacy and 
31 
patient confidentiality are maintained. The CDC and authorized public health authorities 
32 
shall have complete access and right to collect personal information and other data, as 
33 
may be deemed necessary in fulfillment of their mandate. All data or information and 
34 


 
samples collected pursuant thereto shall be used for public health concern purposes 
1 
only and shall be exempted from the provisions of R.A. No. 10173, otherwise known as 
2 
the "Data Privacy Act of 2012” on accessibility of data. 
3 
 
4 
SEC. 15. National Reference Laboratories .- The CDC shall establish a new, 
5 
state of the art facility that will serve as the National Reference Laboratory (NRL), 
6 
unifying all NRLs for biological, chemical, nuclear and radiologic emergencies under 
7 
one roof, within 5 years from the effectivity of this Act: Provided, That the existing NRLs 
8 
in the East Avenue Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the 
9 
Philippines, National Kidney Transplant Institute and San Lazaro Hospital shall continue 
10 
to be under the respective hospitals: Provided further, That these existing NRLs shall 
11 
serve as referral laboratories of the CDC and be included in the Modernization Program 
12 
of the CDC. 
13 
 
14 
The NRL shall provide technical recommendations, laboratory confirmatory services, 
15 
training, and external quality assurance, and perform surveillance, outbreak response, 
16 
kit evaluation, and research. It shall oversee the functions and performance of the 
17 
network of subnational laboratories (SNL). 
18 
 
19 
SNLs shall be established in all regions, with the capability of conducting confirmatory 
20 
testing for routine surveillance samples and performing specialized tests. SNLs, whose 
21 
functions include testing for routine surveillance and specialized tests, shall be under 
22 
CDC administratively. Hospitals housing the SNLs shall create a separate unit for their 
23 
regular hospital laboratory needs. 
24 
 
25 
The CDC, through the NRLs and SNLs, shall provide technical guidance and quality 
26 
assurance programs to biosafety levels 2, 3 and 4 laboratories in the country, which 
27 
shall be registered with, and regulated by the DOH. 
28 
 
29 
 
SEC. 16. Authority to Solicit, Negotiate, and Receive Donations, Grants, 
30 
Gifts, Legacies, Endowments, and Contributions. - The CDC may solicit, negotiate 
31 
with, and receive from any public or private domestic or foreign sources legacies, gifts, 
32 
donations, grants, endowments, contributions or other transfers of ownership and/or 
33 
possession of real or personal properties of all kinds in favor and for the benefit of the 
34 


 
CDC, which shall all be part of the special account in the general fund managed by the 
1 
Bureau of Treasury. 
2 
 
3 
The Director General shall prescribe the measures necessary for the proper use, 
4 
maintenance safekeeping, and compliance with the terms and conditions, if any, of said 
5 
donations, grants, endowments, contributions or transfers in accordance with pertinent 
6 
accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations. 
7 
 
8 
SEC. 17. Tax Exemptions. - Donations, grants, gifts, endowments, legacies, 
9 
and contributions used actually, directly and exclusively for the purpose of the CDC 
10 
shall be exempt from donor’s tax and the same shall be considered as allowable 
11 
deduction from gross income for purposes of computing the taxable income of the 
12 
donor, in accordance with Sec. 34 (H)(2)(a) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 
13 
1997, as amended. Likewise, such other transfers of ownership and/or possession of 
14 
real or personal properties of all kinds shall be exempt from all taxes. 
15 
 
16 
SEC. 18. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee - There shall be a Joint 
17 
Congressional Oversight Committee on Disease Prevention and Control, jointly chaired 
18 
by the Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, and the 
19 
House of Representatives Committee on Health. It shall be composed of five (5) 
20 
members from the Senate and five (5) members from the House of Representatives, to 
21 
be appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of 
22 
Representatives, respectively. 
23 
 
24 
SEC. 19. Appropriations. - The initial amount needed for the implementation of 
25 
this Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the offices and the 
26 
RITM herein absorbed by the CDC. Thereafter, the funding of which shall be included 
27 
in the annual GAA. 
28 
 
29 
SEC. 20. Transitory Provisions. -  
30 
 
31 
(a) Upon effectivity of this Act, the CDC shall develop a Framework for 
32 
Infectious Diseases and Pandemic Preparedness, and prioritize the 
33 
strengthening of the following functions: 
34 


 
(i) Integrated disease surveillance and response; 
1 
(ii) Sentinel surveillance; 
2 
(iii) Laboratory-based surveillance; 
3 
(iv) Periodic population-based surveillance; and, 
4 
(v) Preventing transmission of communicable diseases. 
5 
(b) CDC shall initially prioritize disease surveillance and prevention and 
6 
control of infectious diseases. Within five (5) years from its creation, and 
7 
upon positive recommendation by an independent study or body 
8 
commissioned by the DOH, the surveillance, prevention and control of 
9 
non-communicable diseases shall be included in its mandate; 
10 
(c) For the year during which this Act was approved, the unexpended portion 
11 
of the budget of the offices and units transferred shall be utilized for 
12 
establishing the CDC and initiating its operations, including the 
13 
formulation of the rules and regulations necessary for the implementation 
14 
of this Act; 
15 
(d) For the year during which this Act was approved, the unexpended portion 
16 
of the budget of the offices and units transferred shall be utilized for 
17 
establishing the CDC and initiating its operations, including the 
18 
formulation of the rules and regulations necessary for the implementation 
19 
of this Act; 
20 
(1) Be transferred to other units or offices within the DOH without 
21 
reduction in pay; or 
22 
(2) Avail of the applicable retirement benefits as provided under R.A. 
23 
6656, entitled "An Act to Protect the Security of Tenure of Civil 
24 
Service Officers and Employees in the Implementation of 
25 
Government Reorganization” and other relevant laws; 
26 
(e) Incumbent DOH officials and employees of affected DOH offices may 
27 
apply for and be transferred to the CDC, subject to an evaluation of their 
28 
competency and CSC regulations; 
29 
(f) Research grants acquired during the transition of DOH transferred units 
30 
to CDC shall be utilized solely for the grants’ intended purposes for each 
31 
of the affected units or offices, and shall not be made available for budget 
32 
realignments; 
33 


 
(g) Existing contracts and agreements entered into by the affected offices 
1 
with third parties prior to the enactment of this Act shall remain valid. 
2 
 
3 
The DBM, DOH, and CSC shall issue the implementing guidelines to ensure fair, 
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orderly, and transparent implementation of paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section. 
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SEC. 21. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within one hundred and 
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twenty (120) working days from the effectivity of this Act, the DOH Secretary shall 
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promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for its implementation. 
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SEC. 22. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared 
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invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions hereof shall remain in full force and effect. 
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SEC. 23. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations 
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or other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
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repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 24. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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