Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

18" CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 677

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE MARICEL NATIVIDAD-NAGANO

AN ACT STRENGTHENING NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TO
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 11332 signed into law on April 26, 2019 envisioned to provide an efficient
and effective disease surveillance of notifiable diseases including emerging and re-emerging
infectious diseases, diseases for elimination and eradication, epidemics and health events
including chemical, radio-nuclear and environmental agents of public health concern.

The State recognizes pandemics, epidemics, and other public health emergencies as threats
to public health and without doubt, to national security because their occurrence undermines
to a very large extent and magnitude the social, economic, cultural and political functions of
the State.

In as much as the protection and promotion of the right to health of the people and the noble
goal to inculcate health consciousness among them is a State policy under Section 15, Article
lof the 1987 Philippine Constitution, this representation therefore is proposing to strengthen
national preparedness and response to public health emergencies, most notably during
epidemics, pandemics or other notifiable emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases.

It is even very regrettable that 20% of the infected with COVID19 are frontline health workers
and many of those who succumbed to the disease are doctors and nurses tending to the
thousands already infected.

Extraordinary measures in the economic and social aspects of our daily lives are now in place
and may very well be the norm in the coming days and years ahead thus this measure hopes
to give us a distinct advantage in our fight for survival and have normal lives.

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

MARICEL NATIVIDAD-NAGANO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City
18"" CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 6770

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE MARICEL NATIVIDAD-NAGANO

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 "Pandemic and All-
Hazards Preparedness Act of 2020."

SECTION 2. Creation of a National Health Strategy for Public Health
Emergencies - The Secretary of Health shall spearhead the creation of a national
health strategy to address public health emergencies. This strategy shall provide
for integrated policy coordination and strategic direction with respect to all
matters related to national public health and medical preparedness and
execution and deployment of national response before, during, and following
public health emergencies.

SECTION 3. Components of a National Health Strategy. - The National
Health Strategy shall include:

(a) Provisions for 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, critical care, and
trauma care and emergency medical systems.


(c) Provisions to account for the unique needs of individuals with
disabilities in a public health emergency.

(d) Strategic initiatives to advance countermeasures to diagnose,
mitigate, prevent, or treat harm from any biological agent or toxin or any
chemical, radiological, or nuclear agent or agents, whether naturally, occurring,
unintentional, or deliberate

(e) Conduct OF periodic evaluations of national and local preparedness
and response capabilities which shall include drilly and exercises to ensure
medical surge capacity for events without notice

SECTION 4. Creation of Task Force on Public Emergencies, - (A) A task force
under the control of the Secretary of Health shall be established to conduct
research necessary for the creation of the Strategy. The Task Force shall be
composed of representatives from:

(1) The Department of Health

(2) The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
(NDRRMC)

(3) The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)

(4) The National Security Adviser; and

(5) The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC)

The Task Force shall:

(I) Monitor emerging issues and concerns as they relate to medical and
public health preparedness and response for at-risk individuals in the
event of a 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, following public health
emergencies in as timely a manner as is practicable, including from the
time a public health threat is identified; and


(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.

SECTION 5. 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 needed
during public health emergencies

SECTION 6. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, the
Secretary of Health shall immediately include in the Department's programs the
operationalization of the National Health Strategy for Public Health
Emergencies, the funding of which shall be authorized to be appropriated in
such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year in the General Appropriations
Act.

SECTION 7. 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 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative’ order, rule, or regulation
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed,
modified, or amended accordingly

SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved