Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 6870

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The impact of the COVID-19 hit the world unexpectedly. Its swift and robust attack
immobilized our country in so many ways that itis certain that the effects of this pandemic
will be carried by our country for a long time. In order to be equipped and prepared for
the continuation of economic and social activities once the COVID-19 pandemic is
contained, measures defining the “new normal’ is hereby proposed.

This bill is intended to provide guidelines that
19 restrictions are lifted. Included in this bill are universal and mandatory safety
measures, guidelines on management of public spaces, management of public
transportation, monitoring of schools and learning institutions, monitoring of private
commercial and industrial workplaces, and other related matters. This bill institutionalizes
a new way of life in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or any other infectious
disease.

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

Eric ou NaRez ?



Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
6870
House Bill No.

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

“AN ACT ESTABLISHING POLICIES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE NEW
NORMAL FOR THE WORKPLACE AND PUBLIC SPACES AND
INSTITUTING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEREOF”

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

SECTION 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as the “The New Normal for the
Workplace and Public Spaces Act of 2020”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - Considering the repercussions brought
about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it shalll be the declared policy of the State to prioritize
the holistic being of the Filipino people by implementing measures in preventing the
spread of the virus while taking into account the mobilization and resumption of economic
and social activities in the country.

SECTION 3. Standards of “New Normal”. - Subject to prevailing guidelines of
the World Health Organization (WHO) and of the Department of Health (DOH) on the
effectivity of the following measures, including the consensus of the intemational medical
community on the need thereof should the threat of COVID-19 be subsequently contained
or eradicated through a viable vaccine, the standards for ‘new normal’ shall be as follows:

3.1 Universal and Mandatory Safety Measures

a. The mandatory wearing of masks in public places and workplaces and
the institution of appropriate penalties for violations thereof;


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). The availability of handwashing/sanitizing stations in places frequented

by the public or those high-touch areas;

.. Mandatory physical and social distancing measured at least one (1) but

preferably two (2) meters between individuals in all public spaces;

|. Mandatory temperature checks in all enclosed and semi-enclosed areas

and, if possible, open areas in the locality where two (2) or more people
shall be gathered;

. The procurement of and/or authorization for the use of COVID-19 testing

kits (including rapid and antibodies testing kits), personal protective
equipment (PPEs) or establishment of testing laboratories or facilities
towards the mass-testing of the population including the installation of
drive-through, phone-in, and other contactless modes of testing
individuals for the COVID-19 virus;

. Contact-tracing systems for individuals who have been confirmed

positive for the COVID-19 virus;

. The placement of relevant on-site signages and online information

materials bearing reminders to practice physical distancing, regular
handwashing and sanitizing, medical and health information, updates on
local cases and initiatives of the government as well as directional
signages to appropriate handwashing and sanitizing stations, testing
stations or facilities, quarantine facilities, and other such information;

|. The implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of a planned schedule

for individuals traveling to and from their respective workplaces in
coordination with private sector entities within the local government's
territorial jurisdiction and, if applicable, the chartering of various means
of transporting residents and workers to and from their respective
destinations;

. Establishment and proper management of government-operated

quarantine facilities in partnership with health authorities for individuals
mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and/or the Department
of Health (DOH) regulations to undergo mandatory quarantine and
cannot undergo the same in their respective places of residence;

|. Establishment of various forms of electronic / digital (e-governance)

mechanisms in coordination with other national goverment agencies
and the private sector as provided for in Section 5 of this Act;

. Continuous profiling and monitoring of residents; and


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|. Continuous implementation of existing measures in dealing with
residents or any other individual in the locality who has been confirmed
positive for COVID-19 by authorized testing/medical facilities.

3.2. Management of Spaces

a. Gatherings as well as the flow of people in government-managed public
spaces (e.g. public markets, parks, plazas, covered courts, promenades,
gymnasiums, arenas, cockpits, amusement and recreation centers, etc.)
shall be highly regulated and subject to the guidelines onset and upon
issuance of the new normal permit by the local government unit, if
necessary;

Provided, that activities of agencies of the national government
and/or their provincial or regional divisions for the distribution of all forms
of public assistance or the facilitation thereof shall in no way be impeded
nor be required a permit;

Provided further, that gatherings under this category shall observe
the Universal and Mandatory Safety Measures enumerated in the
preceding section; and

Provided finally, that local government units shall provide
assistance to national, regional, and provincial agencies and/or their
attached offices to carry out their activities requiring the presence or
participation of a significant number of the population;

b. Privately-organized gatherings in privately managed spaces shall be
highly regulated and shall be dispersed by the local government unit after
determination by authorities that the said gathering is not observing the
Universal and Mandatory Safety Measures enumerated above. The local
government unit shall enact the necessary and appropriate ordinance to
set penalties and/or fines for violators.

3.3. Management of Public Transportation

a. The government shall monitor the implementation of the Universal and
Mandatory Safety Measures in the monitoring and management of public
transportation queuing/ticketing lines, queuingfticketing areas/offices as
well as interiors of vehicles and observance of such measures by their
respective passengers/drivers/conductors;

b. The operation of motorcycle taxis shall remain suspended to prevent the
spread of the virus through shared helmets and close physical contact
between the passenger and driver;


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c. Passengers in all types of public transportation vehicles shalll be required
to wash their hands or sanitize prior to boarding the vehicle and be seated
a seat apart and be at all times in face masks;

d. “Contactless” payment mechanisms and other such practices that will
minimize the risk of transmission shall be implemented;

e. Agencies and/or authorities tasked to manage transport hubs such as
airports, ports, harbors, and the like shall coordinate with local
government units in the implementation of the Universal and Mandatory
Safety Measures enumerated above and shall consider the following
special measures:

i. The establishment of public health corridors in airports and
ports;

ji, The mandatory quarantine (home or in an authorized
government facility) of all arriving passengers and the
maintenance of a database of information for contact tracing;

ili, The thorough sanitizing and disinfection of all arriving and
departing vessels;

iv. If possible, the mandatory regular testing of all employees,
personnel, staff, and crew attached to vessels and or have
assisted passengers; and

v. If possible and available, the rapid testing of arriving and
departing passengers;

f. The national government authorities, in coordination with the transport
sector, shall establish green lanes in roads, avenues, highways and other
transport infrastructure networks for healthcare, emergency, peace and
order, and supply-chain vehicles transporting or delivering individuals,
goods, equipment, or in pursuit of services deemed essential and critical.

3.4 Monitoring of Schools and Learning Institutions

a. Subject to the consultation with the Department of Education (DepEd)
and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), all classes and
school activities including sports, athletics, cultural, and academic
meets, exhibitions, and/or competitions as well as extra-curricular
field/exposure trips and exchanges shall remain suspended until
further notice without prejudice to the academic freedom and levels of
autonomy enjoyed by institutions of higher learning in the governance
of their own academic affairs (i.e. grading status, promotion and
retention mechanisms, etc.)



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Provided, that no student shall be unreasonably penalized for
their inability to participate in online means of learning due to issues
in connectivity or availability of gadgets or equipment;

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. Public and private education institutions including private and public
colleges and universities shall prioritize the establishment of online
platforms of learning, instruction, and evaluation;

. Funding for the research, curriculum development, monitoring and
evaluating, benchmarking, and the development of systems for
learning continuity during times of crisis shall be made available by the
national government and made available for application from among
local research institutes, academic organizations, local govemment
units or their school boards as well as individual researchers; and

d. Sanggunian Kabataan officials are mandated to establish information
drives and campaigns promoting the measures identified in this Act
among the local youth and in coordination with the Council for the
Welfare of Children and the National Youth Commission and shall
serve as channels for monitoring the elt, of pupils and students
in relation to their academic

Monitoring Private Commercial and Industrial Workplaces

a. The National Government, in cooperation with the local government
units, shall maintain database profiling of all the private commercial,
industrial, and other forms of businesses operating in their areas of
jurisdiction which shall include information such as the number of
employees, working hours, workspace conditions, office floor areas,
and the like;

b. All private commercial, industrial, and other forms of business
operating within the territorial jurisdiction of the local government unit
shall be asked to submit a “New Normal Workforce and Workplace
Management Plan” to the local government unit which shall detail the
said compliance of such businesses with the necessary safeguards
and the Universal Safety Measures identified above prior to their
resumption of operations;

Provided, that essential business operations which have
remained open and operational with a skeletal workforce during the
enhanced community quarantine period shall no longer be required
unless they shall increase the number of personnel and workforce in
which case the same plan shall be required of them;

3.6 Activating Inter-Local Government Unit Task Force / Coordinating

Council. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), in
coordination with the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), shall


issue appropriate guidelines in the establishment of inter-local
government unit coordinating councils or activate existing councils
composed of adjacent local government units within their respective
provinces or regions to harmonize the localization and implementation
of policies identified in this Act.

3.7. Implementation of the Universal and Standard Safety Measures for
the New Normal. All goverment agencies/offices shall be mandated to
implement with the same stringency the Universal and Standard Safety
Measures for the New Normal enumerated in Section 3.1 of this Act.

SECTION 4. The Role of Local Government Units. - \ocal government units
shall, in their respective territorial jurisdictions, be primarily responsible for instituting
localized policies and legislation in the implementation and monitoring of the “new normal”
practices instituted in this Act and defined in Section 3 hereof and other directives and
issuances of the National Government related to the same subject. Each local
government unit has the following responsibilities:

4.1. Enact the necessary and appropriate ordinance for the local implementation
of the provisions of this Act;

4.2. Ensure the proper implementation of the provisions of this Act within their
respective territorial jurisdiction;

4.3. Collect all the “New Normal Workforce and Workplace Management Plan”
to be submitted by the private companies and establishments;

4.4. Orient applicants of the new normal permit of the guidelines on the
management of spaces as mentioned in Section 3.2 of this Act before the
issuance of said permit;

4.5. Initiation by the local government transportation office in cooperation with
the Land Transportation Office of information campaigns with the respective
transportation schemes in their localities in accordance to Section 3.3 of this

4.6. Provide immediate assistance to COVID-19 confirmed resident patient in
coordination with the Department of Health (DOH)

4,7, Establish an Inter-Local Government Unit Task Force in accordance to the
appropriate guidelines of the National Government, specifically the DILG as
mentioned in Section 3.6 of this Act.

SECTION 5. Workplace-Specific Protocols and Measures. — In addition to the
Universal and Mandatory Safety Measures stipulated in Section 3 of this Act, and subject
to prevailing guidelines of the WHO and the DOH on the effectivity of the following
measures, including the consensus of the international medical community on need



therefor should the threat of the COVID-19 be subsequently contained or eradicated
through a viable vaccine, the following should also be implemented:

5.1. Food Service Workplaces (Restaurants, Cafes, etc.)

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5.2. Commer
Supermarkets and Shopping Malls, etc.)

a. Resume operations with take-out/delivery service only and re-introduce
gradually dine-ins;

b. Cut back on food items and temporarily discontinue buffets and salad bar
service;

c. Create more spaces in the dining area and maintain two-meter distances

between tables when dine-in service resumes;
d. Provide disposable (non-shared) menu booklets;

e. Provide alcohol-based wipes for patrons and/or touchless soap
dispensers in wash areas;

f. Promote contactless service for dine-in patrons;

g. Provide disposable cutlery and non-disposable cutlery with effective soap
‘solutions on warm water;

h. Mark spacing distances in food centers with queue lines;
i. Frequently disinfect common spaces

jal Stores and Centers (Banks, Boutiques, Groceries,

a. Establish a maximum number of people inside the store, shop, center, or
mall at any given time and limit entry points;

b. Promote online transactions and shopping services;
c. Implement cashless and/or contactless sales and customer service;

d. Frequently sanitize items for sale and other high-touch objects in the
store

5.3. Offices in Buildings (Call Centers, Standard Offices)

a. Limit the number of people who use elevators;

b. Put markers on flooring materials to create visual boundaries around
desks, plexiglass shields between desks that face each other, and signs
that direct walking traffic in a single direction;


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c. Tape off areas to promote physical and social distancing especially in
elevators;

d. Promote the installation of vending machines in order to limit use of
cafeterias;

e. Discourage physical meetings and implement online methods of
communication

5.4. Salons, Parlors and Spas
a. Frequent handwashing and sanitizing of used salon tools;
b. Mandatory use of face masks and gloves;
c. Application of best cleaning and disinfection practices in the facility;

d. Implement protocols on sick employees and clients with flu-like symptoms
and other infectious diseases

5.5. Construction Sites, Factories, and Related Industrial Workplaces

a. Adjust on-site and production schedules;

b. Conduct consultative dialogues between owners, managers, supervisors,
and construction workers and agree on collaboratively determined work
and/or production schedules;

c. Provide mechanisms for work-site mobility and transportation;

d. Limit the use of co-workers’ tool and equipment;

e. Monitor and implement individualized shifts for the use of equipment,
vehicles, tools, and other construction materials

5.6. Schools, Colleges, Universities and other Learning/Training Institutions
a. Integrate online classes in the curriculum and promote creative ways of
student leaming and engagement without physical contact and/or reporting

to the classroom;

b. Provide staggered school days and smaller class sizes upon resumption of
classes;

c. Implement changes to assemblies, physical education, and recess upon
resumption of classes;

d. Establish floor plans for the effective implementation of physical distancing;


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e. Provide daily temperature checks for students and staff, as well as weekly
health check-ups;

SECTION 6. The Role of the Private Sector. - The New Normal Workforce and
Workplace Management Plan must be implemented in workplaces of private sector

entities in

6.1

6.2.

addition to the measures provided for under Sec. 5 of this Act, to wit:

. All private sector entities including non-profit organizations, charities, and the
like must submit and cause the publication and distribution to employees of
their respective New Normal Workforce And Workplace Management Plan
which shall be submitted to the government through the immediate local
government unit which exercises territorial jurisdiction over their workplace
prior to resumption of operations. Failure to submit the said plan as well as
failure to abide by the provisions laid out in the said plan shall be sanctioned
pursuant to the provisions of this Act or other existing and applicable laws;

The New Normal Workforce and Workplace Management Plan shall detail,
among others:

a. The total number of employees in the specific workplace covered by the
plan

b. The overall strategy for the reporting of the workforce which may be
rotational, staggered, telecommuting, and on a remote/work-from-home
basis including the relevant time specifications and periods as well as the
number of workforce assigned in the ingress and egress;

c. The total number of workers at any given time in the workplace on a daily
basis;

d. The number of workers per area of space and the spacing mechanisms
to be implemented in compliance with physical distancing protocols;

e. The mechanisms for maintaining personal hygiene and cleanliness
among the employees and in areas including the availability of
handwashing or hand sanitizing implements;

f. The physical changes in space management introduced or to be
introduced in the workplaces to protect employees and implement
physical distancing such as plastic barriers between customers and
personnel or between and among customers or other individuals within
the workplace;

g. The signages, reminders, and other information installed in key areas of
the workplace in order to provide the workers constant reminders of the
proper application of the mandatory safety behavior and actions;


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6.3.

64.

65.

6.6.

h. The mechanisms for maintaining physical distancing in community shared
areas in the workplace (e.g. cafeterias, restrooms, conference rooms,
etc.) including safeguards or the prohibition of sharing of tools,
implements, utensils, equipment, and supplies;

i, The physical and personal protective equipment provided or to be
provided by the private entity to their respective employees in order to
implement inclusively the practices mandated in this Act;

|. The mechanisms for managing employees exhibiting symptoms and/or
confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19 including the system of
the company or business for contact tracing from within and among other
employees; and

k. Other relevant information that may be determined and included in the
Implementing Rules and Regulations of this Act.

All employees entering a building or an area to report for work shall be
subjected to a thermal scan prior to being allowed entry. Employees whose
recorded body temperature render them a suspected COVID-19 patient, said
employee shall be asked to undergo the appropriate procedure for quarantine
in coordination with authorized medical facilities;

If possible, the provision of shuttle or transportation services to employees by
their respective company/business unit under the conditions applicable to
public transportation service providers;

If applicable, the provision of adequate personal protective equipment to
employees in need of such;

The formulation of an employee case management protocol which shall
include but shall not be limited to:

a. The disallowance of reporting to work of any employee who shall suffer
from any sickness;

b. An employee suffering from any weakness shall only be allowed to report
to work upon presentation of a clearance provided for by an authorized
medical facility;

c. The employer, supervisor, or manager of an employee who shall test
positive for COVID-19 shall be primarily responsible for the
implementation of a vigorous contact tracing and shall also be
responsible to make a report to the relevant government authorities.


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SECTION 7. Specific Responsibilities of Particular National Government

Offices, Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) and Attached

ational Government Offices and their Regional/Provincial and

Local Offices/Divisions. -
7.1, Fast-Tracking and Full Implementation of Republic Act No. 11055

(Philippine Identification System Act). The Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA) including all government agencies mandated under this law to
implement the same are hereby ordered to fast-track and fully implement its
provisions to facilitate the profiling, contact tracing, and distribution of forms
of assistance under the “new normal” period after the lifting of measures
under the Enhanced Community Quarantine.

7.2. Fast-Tracking and Full Lalpenetactree of the National Broadband

Program. The Department of Information and Communications Technology
(DICT) is hereby mandated under this Act to expedite and fully implement a
national broadband program which shall serve as the backbone infrastructure
of the movement of essential and significant public and private transactions
including leamingfinstruction to digital spaces and online channels of
communication.

a. The DICT is also mandated to implement programs that shall facilitate
the setting-up of online and internet-based systems and platforms in
public sector offices across all levels;

b. The DICT is also mandated to assist public sector offices and agencies
in the upgrading of their existing internet infrastructure;

¢. The DICT in coordination with other government agencies shall also
establish learning modules and instructional materials to assist public
sector employees, and if possible, small and medium enterprises
(SMEs) in the use of relevant technological and digital platforms that
can assist in the various cycles of their business model.

7.3. Establishment of E-Government Systems. Public sector offices and

agencies shall develop, introduce, and implement a system for facilitating
government transactions through various online channels or contactless
mechanisms. This includes the uploading of pertinent government forms and
their completion and/or submission through websites or online portals in
order to minimize the need for face-to-face physical travels or visits to
government offices. Government agencies are hereby mandated to focus on
creative adaptive technology towards digital governance.

a. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in coordination with the
Dict ie hereby mandated to establish a program for small and
medium enterprises integrating them into channels and platforms for
the conduct of e-commerce activities;


b. The DTI, in coordination with the DICT and the DOH, shall also
promote the shifting, prioritization, or increase in government support
or funding for manufacturing industries including small and medium
enterprises engaged in the production of healthcare, hygiene, and
safety related goods due to increased consumer health consciousness
due to the pandemic and the establishment of real-time online channel
of information exchange between private hospitals and medical
facilities in the supply, demand, and procurement of the same;

¢. The DICT, in coordination with the DOH, shall also promote research
towards the development and establishment of an online system or
the creation of a digitaljphone-based application that are
downloadable by the public for case monitoring, mapping, and contact
tracing that shall be integrated with global positioning system (GPS)
activated real-time technologies to alert the user of location-based
risks and provide the user with updated and constant reminders and
information for their health and safety;

d. The government online payment system must be fully applied. An
intemet-based electronic payment facility and gateway that will enable
the citizens and businesses to remit electronically payments to
government agencies shall be created. Government offices that are
already partially applying this kind of digitalized payment mechanism
must improve their current system in order to accommodate the
increased number of transactions;

e. Citizen Frontline Delivery Services. Services that are needed to
facilitate business registration-related transactions shall be made
efficient by integrating all agencies involved in business registration
such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC), Cooperative Development Authority
(CDA), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System
(SSS), Home Development Mutual Fund (PagIBIG), Philippine Health
Insurance Corporation (PHILHEALTH), local goverment units, and
other permitlicense-issuing agencies;

f. There must be a procurement system which is an online and real-time
service that encompasses all procurement processes involving
bidding, contact agreements, and payment for services or supplies.

SECTION. 8. Penalties. — In addition to acts or omissions already penalized by
existing laws, the following offenses committed during the effectivity of the New Normal
measures provided in accordance with this Act shall be punishable by imprisonment of
two (2) months or a fine of not less than ONE THOUSAND PESOS (Php1,000.00) but
not more than FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (Php50,000.00), or both. Such imprisonment
and/or fine shall be at the discretion of the court. The following shall be considered a
violation of this Act:


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a. Any official of the goverment who shall fall to implement and monitor proper
implementation of the provisions of this Act;

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|. Any individual who shall fail to wear a face mask while in a public place shall
be issued a citation ticket with a corresponding fine of ONE THOUSAND
PESOS (Php1,000.00) or render a one-day mandatory community service;

c. Failure of any government official who is in charge of government-owned or
leased public places, any owner and possessor of privately-owned public
places and establishments, and any event organizer of any social gathering to
comply with the provisions on the management of spaces required in Section
3.2 of this Act;

. Failure of any official from any government office/agency/authority,
government owned and/or controlled corporation (GOCC), private corporation,
and local government in charge of administration of public transportation to
implement and monitor the proper implementation of management of public
transportation provided for under Section 3.3 of this Act;

a

e. Failure of administrators, directors, principals, and head of local schools and
other learning institutions to comply with Section 3.4.b of this Act and other
issuances, circulars, memorandum and directives of the DepEd and CHED in
relation to the holding of classes during COVID-19 pandemic situation;

f. Failure of the business owner, employer, supervisor/manager or any person in
charge to implement and monitor the proper implementation of the Workplace-
Specific Protocols and Measures mentioned in Section 5 of this Act;

g. Any owner, general manager, supervising officer or any officer in charge of the
submission of the New Normal Workforce and Workplace Management Plant
of all private commercial and industrial entities who shall fail to submit the
management plan within the period required in Section 6 (a) of this Act;

h. Failure of the employer, supervisor, manager, or any person in charge to abide
by the Case Management Protocols as provided for in Section 6.6 of this Act.

SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - A technical working group
composed of the Secretaries or the duly authorized representatives of the Department of
Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA),
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Information and
Communications Technology (DICT) and the Head of the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task
Force (IATF) shall be established within fifteen (15) days from the publication of this Act
to craft its Implementing Rules and Regulations.


SECTION. 10. Oversight Function. — The Congressional Oversight Committee
on the Implementation of the Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One
Act of 2020 shall maintain oversight function over the implementation of this Act and shall
monitor its implementation in local government units across the country.

SECTION 11. Sunset Clause. - This Act shall expire after a three-year period
from the date of its effectivity, or sooner upon the official declaration of the President of
the Philippines upon recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging and
Infectious Diseases that the prevailing guidelines of the World Health Organization and
the consensus of the international medical community conclusively show that a viable
vaccine has contained or eradicated COVID-19.

SECTION 12 . Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, the validity of the other provisions shall not be
affected thereby.

SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. - All provisions of existing laws, orders, rules
and regulations or parts thereof which are in conflict or inconsistent with the provisions of
this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately upon its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation
in the Philippines.

Approved.