Republic of the Philippines

2 LATE: JUN 03
House of Representatives | « TIME: S'1vam

Quezon City 2s ii
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Eighteenth Congress See INDEXSS
Second Regular Session

House Bill _ 6932 te

Introduced by Representative Mario Vittorio A. Marifio

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This proposed measure seeks to create a National Strategy for Public Health
Emergencies that will serve as a framework for a national or localized response to
counteract the threat of emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases and protect the
general welfare of the affected sectors of society. It shall provide a unified and
integrated policy and direction with respect to all matters related to national public
health and medical preparedness and execution and deployment of national response
before, during, and immediately after public health emergencies. In World Health
Organization's parlance, this shall serve as our country’s Emergency Response Plan.

Drawing heavily on present experiences addressing the COVID 19 threat, this
National Strategy will duplicate best practices, improve on others while discard the
processes and procedures that are deemed ineffective.

Tasked with the formulation, implementation and overseeing this National
Strategy, the Public Health Emergency Management and Response Center is
Proposed to be created in this measure. This proposal follows the World Health
Organization's guidelines in the establishment of an emergency operations center in
order to achieve a goal-oriented response to public health emergencies and unity of
effort among the responding agencies. The Center integrates public health services
with emergency management, including a component of disaster relief and response.

A Steering Committee much like that of IATF-EID will be created to guide and
assist the Center in formulating the National Strategy and its implementation.

Thus in response to Covid-19 and future outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic, and

other public health emergencies, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly
sought.

HON. MARIO VITTORIO A, MARINO



Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

House Bill 6932 Ls m
SSS
Introduced by Representative Mario Vittorio A. Marifio

—_..

AN ACT STRENGTHENING NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TO
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES

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 the “National Strategy for
Public Health Emergency Act”.

SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. — The terms are defined as follows:

a. Public Health Emergency — occurrence of imminent threat of an illness or
condition caused by
bio terrorism, epidemic or pandemic disease, or a novel and highly fatal
infectious agent or
biological toxin, that poses a substantial risk of a significant number of human
facilities or
incident or permanent or long-term disability;

b. Surge capacity — ability to obtain additional resources when needed during
an emergency;

¢. Surveillance — ongoing collection of epidemiological data, with real time
analysis.

d. At-risk individuals - people with access and functional needs that may
interfere with their ability
to access or receive to access or receive medical care before, during, or after
a disaster or
emergency.

SECTION 3. Creation of a National Strategy for Public Health Emergencies. —
There shall be created a national strategy to address public health emergencies. This
strategy shall be the framework for a national or localized response to counteract the


threat of emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases and protect the general welfare
of the affected sectors of society. It shall provide a unified and integrated policy and
direction with respect to all matters related to national public health and medical
preparedness and execution and deployment of national response before, during, and
immediately after public health emergencies,

The National Health Strategy shall be reviewed every 5 years, or more
frequently as the Secretary of Health determines to be necessary.

SECTION 4. Components of a National Strategy for Public Health Emergency.
- The National Strategy shail include:

A. Provisions for acquiring resources and increasing the preparedness,
response capabilities, and surge capacity of ambulatory care facilities, dental health
facilities, and critical care service systems;

B. Plans for optimizing a coordinated and flexible approach to the medical surge
capacity of hospitals, other health care facilities, and critical care, and trauma care and
emergency medical systems;

C. Provision for increasing, maintaining, or establishing laboratory facilities,
capabilities, and systems;

D. Develop plans, procedures, and guidelines for timely and relevant public
affairs and risk communication;

E. Provisions on epidemiological investigation and contact tracing, basic
systems for morbidity, mortality, syndromic, and mental/behavioral surveillance, and
registries, with appropriate data archiving systems;

F. Plans for transportation and comprehensive quarantine plans in the local and
national levels;

G. Plans for an integrated national approach on health, economic and social
amelioration measures and other support activities for affected businesses and
individuals, while considering the unique needs of senior citizens, PWDs and other
marginalized sectors in a public health emergency;

H. Provide for an Incident or Reportorial Management System so that all issues,
concerns, incidents in the local level in need of resolution can be immediately reported
to and addressed by the national government agencies concerned.

H. Strategic initiatives, including mandatory installation of decontamination and
misting tents and detection apparatus in all airports, seaports, and land ports of the
Country to advance countermeasures to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or harm from any
biological agent or toxin or any chemical, radiological, or nuclear agent or agents,
whether naturally occurring, unintentional, or deliberate;


|. Provide for the conduct of Periodic evaluations of national and local
Preparedness and response capabilities which shall include drills and exercises to
ensure medical surge capacity for events without notice.

J. Provide for the establishment of a concept of operations, describing how and
when to engage different branches and levels of government as well as other partners
(including intemational agencies) in managing the public health emergency,
Specifically the responsibility of designated agencies at the national, regional or local
level as well as the structure and organization of the overall response.

K. Provide for the conduct of hazard vulnerability and risk assessment in all
areas.

L. Provide for the conduct of a capacity assessment defining the resources of
the public health system, including private health care providers and the local
governments.

M. Develop plans, procedures, and guidelines that are nationally consistent and
consistent with those used by international response agencies and organizations:

N. Provide for resource typing and credentialing of personnel, resources, and
assets for emergency response.

O. Provide for the training and certification of all public health personnel in
safety and health practices, including the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
for designated personnel.

P. Provide orientation and training to local public health response personnel,
including volunteers, on the emergency operations plans, procedures, guidelines,
command and management systems and authorities, and reporting system

‘SECTION 5. Creation of Public Health Emergency Management and Response
Center. There shall be created a Public Health Emergency Management and
Response Center, hereinafter referred to as the Center, attached to the Department
of Health.

The Center shall be the primary agency tasked to formulate, develop,
implement, and oversee the National Strategy for Public Health Emergencies in
consonance with Section 4 of this Act.

SECTION 6. Other Functions of the Center.

1. Monitor emerging issues and concerns as they relate to medical and public
health preparedness and response for at-risk individuals in the event of public health
emergency;

2. Identify and minimize gaps, duplication and other inefficiencies in medical
and public health preparedness and response activities and the actions necessary to
overcome these obstacles;


3. Disseminate and update novel and best practices of outreach to and care of
at-risk individuals before, during, and immediately after public health emergencies in
a timely manner, including from the time of public health threat is identified;

4. Ensure that public health and medical information distributed by the
government during a public health emergency is delivered in a manner that considers
the range of communication needs of the intended recipients, including at-risk
individuals;

5. Ensure compliance with the International Health Regulations;

6. Adopt measures to strengthen the emerging and re-emerging infectious
disease program of the DOH or its equivalent in other local health units;

7. Set the parameters for the declaration of a public health emergency, local or
national.

8. Call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of
government, including Govemment Owned or Controlled Corporations (GOCCs),
government financial institutions (GFls), local goverment units (LGUs), non-
government organizations (NGOs) and the private sector for assistance as the
circumstances and exigencies may require.

SECTION 7. Center Executive Director. — The Center shall be headed by an Executive
Director who shall be appointed by the President upon the effectivity of this Act, with
the rank of Undersecretary, and who shalll have the following powers and functions.

1. Act as the primary lead and oversee the national government response in times of
public health emergencies;

2. Manage and direct the activities of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center;
3. Provide leadership for the implementation of the Center's mandate as the primary
agency tasked in the formulation, planning, and implementing the National Health
Strategy Framework:

4. Advise the Secretary of Health on policy matters concerning the Center's activities;
5. Recommend to the President and the Secretary of Health the exercise of special
powers in the case of an epidemic;

6. Certify to the existence of an epidemic, which shall be treated as a public health
emergency;

7. Provide liaison with other governmental agencies, international organizations
including the World Health Organizations, leaming institutions, and other outside
groups;

8. Coordinate international health activities relating to disease prevention and control;
9. Provide leadership, coordination, and assessment of administrative management
activities;

10. Coordinate with appropriate DOH staff offices on administrative and Program
matters; and,

11. Provide leadership, policy guidance, coordination, technical expertise, and
services to promote the development and implementation of the Center's national
programs


SECTION 8. Health Emergency Coordination Council (HECC). - There shall be
created a Health Emergency Coordinating Council (HEC), hereinafter referred to as.
the Council, composed of the following:

a. Secretary of Health as Chairperson;

b. The Secretary of Interior and Local Government as Co-Chairperson;
c. The Secretary of Finance as Member

d. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs as Member,

e. The Secretary of National Defense as NDRRMC Chairman as Member;
f. The Secretary of Justice as Member,

g. The Secretary of Budget and Management as Member,

h. The Secretary of Trade and Industry as Member;

i. The Secretary of Agriculture as Member;

j. The Secretary of Labor and Employment as Member;

k. The Secretary of Social Welfare and Development as Member;

|. The Secretary of Transportation as Member;

m. The National Security Adviser as Member;

n. The Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross as Member;

Other government agencies not under the authority or jurisdiction of standing
members of the Council may be included should their inclusion be determined by the
Council as necessary.

The Coordinating Council shall serve as the Steering Committee of the Center in doing
its primary mandate and other functions. The Center shall act as. Secretariat of HECC.

The Coordinating Council shall serve as the Steering Committee of the Center in doing
its primary mandate and other functions.

The HECC shall meet at least once every quarter, and shall meet as often as
recommended by the Executive Director. Upon the motion of the Executive Director,
it shall be the duty of the HECC to declare a state of health emergency upon a vote of
the majority of its members. Only the council may declare a state of health emergency
which may national, or local as defined.

SECTION 9. Creation of Medical Reserve Corps. - The Secretary of Health shall
establish a medical reserve corps composed of volunteer health professionals. The
Medical Reserve Corps shall be called into duty, if necessary, during public health
emergencies.

SECTION 10. Staffing. ~ The Secretary of Health, in consultation with the Department
of Budget and Management (DBM), shall determine the organizational structures
including regional or field offices, qualification standards, staffing pattern and
compensation of the newly created Center in accordance with existing laws, rules and
regulations.

SECTION 11. Appropriations. - The sums necessary to carry out the provisions of
this Act is hereby authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year.


SECTIONS 12. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. — There is hereby created
a joint Congressional Oversight Committee to monitor the implementation of this Act.
‘The Committee shall be composed of three (3) senators and three (3) representatives
to be appointed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively. The
oversight committee shall be jointly chaired by the Chairpersons of the Senate
Committee on Health and Demography and the House of Representatives shall be
equitably represented therein; Provided further, that the mandate given to the Joint
Congressional Oversight Committee under this Act shall be without prejudice to the
performance of duties and functions by the respective existing oversight committees
of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

SECTION 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall
remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 14. Repealing Clause. — Any provision of law, decree, order, rule or
regulation inconsistent with this Act is hereby repealed and/or modifies accordingly.

SECTION 15, Effectively Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after is
Publication in this Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,