Ti-!lRTEENTi--i CONGRESS C:- 
THE 
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REPUSLiC OF THK PHILIPPINES 
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Secmd Regular Session 
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SENATE 
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INTROD~JCED 
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BY HON. MANNYTILLAR 
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EXPLANATOZY NOTE 
SARS is an atyqical pneumonia that pubI!ic health experts believe is caused by a 
prei,iously unrecognized corona virus. Public health experis said SARS is spread by close 
contact between people -when someone sick with the disease coughs droplets into the air and 
someone else breathes them in. They said it is possible that SARS also can spread more 
hro3dly through the air or from touching objects that have become contaminated.' 
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that since the SARS's initial recognition in 
Hong Kong and China in February 2003 up until April 15, 2003, 3,235 probable SARS cases 
have been reported in twenty-four countries. The countries with the largest number of probable 
SARS caseswere China (1,41G), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1,232), United 
States (l93), Singapore (162), Canada (IOO), Vietnam (63), and Taiwan (23). WHO reports that 
each of these countries also had local chain(s) of transmission through which SARS may be 
spreading. As of April 15, 2003, SARS had caused 154 deaths worldwide. Last April 22, 2004, 
another SARS outbreak in China had again been reported. 
In addition to the public health problems SARS has created, the epidemic has also 
caused sigrificant economic damage in countries affected by it, especially those in the Asian 
region. The airline and tourist industries have been adversely afiected by the SARS outbreak, 
and WHO has responded to concerns about possible trade restrictions being implemented 
against goods and animals exported from SARS-afflicted areas 
This bill authorizes isolation and quarantine as measures to control infectious diseases 
even before those who are infected enter the country. It establishes an emergency 
preparedness plan to prevent and suppress the spread of emergency infectious diseases and 
other epicicrnics by undertaking mediczl examination and treatment oi overseas Filipino workers 
abroad, especially those returning to the Philippines. The medical examination will be 
undertaken by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in coordination with other 
appropriate government agencies and international organizations. 
This bill also provides for a notification and reportorial system for the prevention and 
suppression of spread of emergency infectious disease in the event that the disease is 
introduced in the country. Heads of the family, person's in-charce of places and medica1,officers 
are charred with ;le 
duty to report cases of emergency infectious diseases to city or municipal 
health oiiicers. City or municipal health officers are also empowered to enter and inspect any 
premises in which he has reason to believe that someone is suffering from, or had recently 
suffered from an emergency infcdious disease. I ;i; city or municipz! health officer may 
meclic.-!ly exainine any person in w:ch premises for the purpose of ascertaining whether such 
person is suffering or has recently suffered from any emergency infecti6us disease. 
In view of :he foregoing, the enxtment ofthis bill is Earnesiiy sou~ht 
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MA 


Tl-!lETEENTli CONGRESS OF TEE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PI-IILIPPINES 
Second Regulir Session 
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IdTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
AN b.CT ESTABLISHING A!+ EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PIAN TO PREVENT AND 
SUPPRESS THE SPREAD OF EMERGENCY IiYFECT!OUS DISEASES APID OTHER 
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Re if enacfed by the Senate m d  the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the "Infectious Disease 
Emergetxy Preparedness Act of 2005." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - In the pursuit of an independent foreign policy and 
while considering national sovereignty, territorial integrity, naiional interest and ,the right to self- 
determination paramount in ils relations with other states, the State shall, at all times, give 
paramorint importance to the health of its citizens whether in the country or overseas, in 
general, and Filipino migrant workers, in pariicular. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - 
(a) Emergency infectious disease - refers to a select number of the deadliest diseases 
such as sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), plague, cbola and other diseases simi!arly 
situated as certified by the Secretary of Health; 
(b) Quarantine - rekrs to separation and restriction of movement of persons who are 
exposed or may be infected to protect the public from the disease. Quarantine may be practiced 
by individuals in their homes; and 
(c) Isolation - refers to separation or restriction of movement of an ill person from healthy 
persons by way of seclusion in lhospitals or designated health care fzciiities; 
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PROTECTION OF OVERSEAS WORKERS 
SECTIGN 4. Medical Examination and Treatment oi Overseas Workers. - The Overseas 
Wv'ters \.F..'::i"~o PdrrinisZrction (C\NV\IA) , in coordina6ion wiZh the Philippine Overseas 
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Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Commission on 
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Filipinos Oversex (CFO) and appropriate inierna'iional organizations, s:haii unde~ake the 
medical examination and treatment of overseas workers and their families in cases of epidemics 
or possible outbreaks of an emergency infectious disease or similar events abroad. All costs 
attendant to the medical examination and treatment shall be borne by the OWWA. 
SECTION.5. Where Undertaken. - The medical examination shall be uneerlalten in most 
populated foreign cities, especiclly in countries affected by an epidemic or possible outbreak of 
emergency infectious diseases, and shall be administered compulsorily to citizens who are 
relun?ing to the Philippines. 
SECTION 6. Appropriate Clinical Procedures to be Mandatorily Applied. - The 
appropriate clinical management procedure, which includes quarantine and isolation, shall be 
mandatorily applied to persons found to have been infected or suspected of being infected. 
SECTION 7. Penalty for Violation of Orders of Medical Officers. - Any person who 
refuses or violates the order of the medicai officer deployed by OWVA shall be arrwted without 
prejudice to the applicable laws of foreign countries, and denied entry into the Philippines until a 
medical clearance has been issued to him by OWWA. In addition, he shall be sentenced to an 
imprisonment of not more than six (6) months or a firme of not more than Twenty thousand pesos 
(P20,000.30) or both upon the discretion ofthe Court. 
SECTION 8. Creation of Emergency Fund. -There is hereby created and estabiished an 
emergercy fund for the medical examination and treatment of overseas workers under the 
adminiskation, control and supervision o? the OWWA, initially to consist of One hundred million 
pesos (2100,000,000.00), which shall be taken from the existing fund controlled and 
administered by the OWWA. 
SECTION 9. Authority of OWWA. - The functions and responsibilities of OWWA shall 
include: 
a. the formulation and implementation of measures and programs, in consu;'ia'tion with 
appropriate agencies, to safeguard the health of overseas workers and their families abroad; 
b. the forging of memorandum of agreements with the POEA, the DOH, the DFA, the 
CFO and other appropriate international organizations in connection with the purpose of this 
Act; and 
c. the management of the emergency fund and fund resources in accordance with law. 
SECTION 10. The Functions of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. - The CFO shall 
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a. Provide advice and assistance io the OWWA in the formukion rneasurcs affecting 
the purpose of this Act; 
b. Coordinate and monitor the implementation oi the medical examination and treatment 
of overseas workers for emergency infectious diseases with the Philippine embassies and 
consulates; 
c. Undet?ake the inclusion of a master list of Filipino migrant workers who have been 
modically examined and treated for the purpose of this Act in the shared Scjvernment 
information system for migration established under Republic Act No. 8042, otherwise known as 
the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995; and 
d. Other functions and responsibilities as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs may order in 
furtherance of this Ad. 
SECTION 11. The Responsibility of the Department of Foreign Affairs. - The DOF, 
through its home office or foreign posts, shall take priority action or make representation with 
the foreign authority concerned to protect the health of overseas Filipinos and extend immediate 
assistance to the GWWA in the implementation of the meciicz! examination and treatment .for 
emergency infectious diseases. 
SECTION 12. The Responsibility of the Depariment of Labor and Employment. - The 
Deparf!w:nt of Labor and Employment shall see to it that public health laws in the foreign 
coui-,:iies arc .fairly applizd to migrant workers and whenever applicable, to other Overseas 
Filipinos. 
SECTION 13. The Responsibility of the Dqartrnent of Health. - The D0I-l shail function 
as follows: 
a. Provide for health services, facilities and other requirements as may be needed: 
b. Propagate health inrormation and educate overseas workers on matters involving 
emergency infectious diseases; 
c. Assist, coordinate or collaborate with the OWWA for purposes of this Act 
d. Collect, analyze and disseminate health statistical and other relevant irformation on 
the health situation of overseas workers. 


coordination with the Department of Health shall have the power to examine aliens concerning 
their right to enter or remain in the fjiiilippines. It shall also have the following functions and 
powers: 
a. 
emergency infectious diseases; 
to arrest, without warrant, any alien who refuses to be examined or treated for 
b. to establish a shred data base system with the Department of Health regarding 
aliens who have been medically examined and treated for infectious diseases; 
c. to investigate aliens who are infected or suspected carriers of emergency infectious 
diseases; and 
d. to deport any alien who has been found guilty of violating public health laws of the 
Philippines. 
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SECTION I O .  Duty oi: i-leads oi Families, Person In-Charge of Places. -Where a person 
living in a building used fo: :;urnan habitation is suffering from any emergency infectious 
disease, the head of the family or the relatives shall as soon as he becomes aware of the 
disease, send notice of it to the nearest city or miinicipal health office. 1; it is a child 
attending a school, orphanage or other such institution, or a person residing in any hotel 
boarding house or other such institution. the person in charge of such a place,shall send 
notice of ihe infectious disease to their nearest city or municipal health officer and give the 
officer a list of scholars or residents, together with their addresses. 
SECTION 11. Duty of Medical Practitioners. - Every medical practitioner who attends to 
a patient suffering from any emergency infectious disease shall send to the nearest city or 
municipal health office a certificate stating the name of the patient, the situation of the 
building and the emergency infectious disease from which the patient is suffering from. 
A y  medical practitioner who becomes aware, by post-mortem or other means, that any 
person had died of a emergency infectious disease shall immediately give to the nearest city 
or municipal health office a certificate of such disease and inform the head of the household, 
person in charge of school, orphanage, hotel and so on the infectious nature of the disease 
and the precautions to be taken to prevent its conveyance to others. 
SECTION 12. Penalty for Breach of Duty. - All persons, under a duty to inform the 
nearest city or municipal health office of the infectious disease, who fail or neglect to inform 
the same shall be sentenced to zn imprisonment of not more than six (6) months or a fine of 
not more than Twenty thousand pesos (P20,OOO.OO) or both upon the discretion of the 
CO!lrC.. 


SECl'ICN 73. Power of City or Municipnl Health Officers. - A city or municipal health 
of?icer may at any time enter and inspect any premises in which he has reason to believe 
ihqt scineone is suffering from, or Ihad recently suffered from a emergency infectious 
disease. I he city or municipal health officer may medically examine any person in such 
premises for the purpose of sscerioinins whether $uch person is suffering or has recently 
suffered from any emergency infectious disease 
He may also order the arrest, 
apprehension, detention or conditional release of individuals to prevent the transmission or 
spread of suspected emergency infectious diseases. 
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SECTION 14. Duty of City or Municipal liealth Officers. - If 6 city or municipal health 
officer is of the opinion that the cleansing and disinfecting of arty building or any part of the 
building, and any articles in the building whicii are likely to retain infection, would tend to 
prevent or check infectious diseases, I: shall be his duty ;o give notice iii writing to the owner 
or occupier of the building specifying the steps to be taken to cleanse and disinfect the 
biiilciing and atticles within a specified time. 
Ill. 
M/i:SCELLANTOUS PR0V;SIONS 
SECTION 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within thirty (30) dsys from 
prorr,trlgation oflhis Act, the OW'A, the POEA, the DOLE, the DOH, the Bl3, the CFO and 
the DFA shall issue necessary rules and regulations to make this Act operative. 
SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, rules or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby 
repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 17. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circu!ation. 
Approved,