THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES } 
Second Regular Session 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
'Article Xlll Section 12 of the 1987 Constitution provides that: "The State shall 
establish and maintain an effective food and drug regulatory system and undertake 
appropriate health manpower development and research, responsive to the country's 
health needs and problems." To ensure safety and purity of food, drugs and cosmetics, 
the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) was established by virtue of R.A. 3720 as 
amended by R.A. 7394. 
Since BFAD is constrained from enforcing their mandate in the regional level, it is 
about time that field offices of the Bureau of Food and Drugs be established in 
provinces and cities which shall be responsible in conducting rigorous inspection, 
verifying the correct brands and ensuring the safety and purity of food, drugs and 
cosmetics sold and distributed in the provinces. 
This bill seeks to strengthen the Bureau of Food and Drugs by upgrading its 
equipment, creating a drug enforcement unit (DEU) under its operational and 
administrative control and by establishing adequate testing laboratories and field offices 
in all provinces and cities throughout the country. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES } 
Second Regular Session 
6 JUM -7 "3 : 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE CAPABILITY OF THE BUREAU OF FOOD AND 
DRUGS (BFAD) BY ESTABLISHING ADEQUATE TESTING LABORATORIES AND 
FIELD OFFICES IN ALL REGIONS, UPGRADING ITS EQUIPMENT, CREATING A 
DRUG ENFORCEMENT UNIT (DEU) UNDER ITS OPERATIONAL AND 
ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title - This Act shall be known as the "BFAD Empowerment Act of 
2005". 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared a policy of the State to 
adopt, support, establish, institutionalize, improve and maintain structures, processes, 
mechanisms and initiatives that are aimed, directed and designed to a) protect and 
promote the right to health of the Filipino people, and b) help establish and maintain an 
effective food and drug regulatory system and undertake appropriate health manpower 
development and research, responsive to the country's health needs and problems. 
Pursuant to this policy, the state must enhance its regulatory capacity and strengthen its 
capability with regard to the licensing, registration and monitoring of drugs, food, 
cosmetics and hazardous substances. 
SEC. 3. Increased Testing Facilities. - The Department of Health (DOH) is 
hereby mandated to improve, upgrade and increase the capability of the Bureau of 
FooU and Drugs (BFAD), to test, assay and examine samples of pharmaceutical, 
cosmetics and food products being applied for registration, as well as monitor 
pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food products already in the market. 
For the purpose of achieving the above mandate, there shall be established at 
least one (1) testing laboratory in each region of the country, which shall have all the 
necessary and appropriate state-of-the- art laboratory equipment and personnel 
complement. The main testing laboratory at the Bureau's central office shall continue to 
be ma'intained. 


SEC. 4. BFAD's Regulatory Field Offices. - The BFAD shall establish field 
offices in all the regions of the country to effectively implement its regulatory functions. 
The present Regional Food and Drug Regulatory Office (RFDRO) in every regional 
office of the DOH shall now be put under the BFADs sole administrative control. All 
Regional Food and Drugs Regulatory Officers (RFDROs) shall now be designated as 
Food and Drug Regulatory Officers (FDROs) at-large and shall likewise be under the 
BFADs administrative control. The DOH, in collaboration with the BFAD, shall seek the 
creation of additional plantilla positions as may be necessary to support the said BFAD 
Field Offices, subject to the rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission. 
SEC. 5. Drug Enforcement Unit. - The BFAD shall establish a Drug 
Enforcement Unit (DEU) which will be composed of not less than ten (IO) qualified 
personnel in every region and who will be directly under the supervision of the FDRO. 
They shall bear arms, wear official uniforms and insignias and shall be classified as law 
enforcement agents. Their authority and functions shall be strictly limited to the 
implementation of BFADs regulatory functions. 
SEC. 6. Work Program. - The Department of Health, the Bureau of Food and 
Drugs, the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Finance 
shall prepare the necessary work programs to cover the staggered implementation of 
this Act for a period not exceeding five (5) years. 
SEC. 7. Appropriations. - The Appropriations for the Bureau of Food and Drugs 
included in the Department of Health under the current General Appropriations Act shall 
be used to carry out the initial implementation of this Act. Thereafter, such sums as may 
be necessary for its staggered implementation shall be included in the Annual General 
Appropriations Act: 
All receipts derived from registration and licensing fees, sale of publications and 
services, assessment, fees, fines, penalties and other fees and charges authorized and 
imposed in this Act are hereby constituted as a special account in the General Fund, for 
the implementation of this Act: Provided, no amount shall be disbursed to cover 
personal services expenses and purchase of motor vehicles. 
The fund may be augmented by grants, donations, endowments from various 
sources, domestic or foreign, for purpose related to their functions.