Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEEP`ITII GONG RESS
First Regular Session
HousE BILL-ivo.   5797
Introduced by
REPRESENTATIVE ATTY. GERVILLE ``TINKY BITRICS" R. LUISTRO
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Since   2019,   our   country   has   been   battling   with   back-to-back   disease
outbreaks. Our people are afraid to  get vaccinated due to misleading informaLtion
and limited healthcare fachities that can attend a health crisis.  There have been more
than 42,000 reported cases of measles and 560 deaths since the Department of Health
(DOH)  declared  a measles outbreak in February 2019.   In August 2019,  the DOH
declared  a dengue  epidemic.   Since then,  over 350,000 cases of dengue  and  more
than 1,300 related deaths have been reported.  It was the worst dengue epidemic our
country has experienced in over a decade. In September 2019, the DOH confirmed
the re-emergence  of polio -  19 years  after its  dormancy.   Moreover,  outbreaks  of
cholera were also recorded as brought about by contaminated water resources. There
were also diseases, such as venereal diseases, that likewise require medical treatment
and prevention.   With the emergence of the COVID-19, known previously as the
2019 novel corona virusl in its initial discovery by the World Health Organization
(WHO),  the  State  has  recorded  more  fatalities  compared  to  the  Severe  Acute
Respiratory  Syndrome  Coronavirus  (SARS),  during  its  initial  stage  as  a  global
pandemic.
Thus, queries relating to the foregoing concerns should be addressed by the
State:  Have  we  really resolved  and  controlled  the  continuing  emergence  and  re-
emergence  of diseases in the Philippines?   Are  the  existing bureaus  and  attached
agencies   of  the   DOH,   such   as   the   Disease   Prevention   and   Control  Bureau,
Epidemiology Bureau, and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) able
to counter and prevent such disease outbreaks?
]https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/nc>vel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-
coronavirusrdisease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that{auses-
it#:~:text=Naming%20the%20coronavirus%20disease%20(COVID.the%20virus%20that%20causes%20it


Therefore, it is but necessary to create a national center for disease control and
prevention.    As  proposed,  it  will  provide  a  direct  approach  to  suppress,  if  not
eliminate,  the  spread of infectious  diseases in our country.  Through  a systematic
coordination  with  and  among  health  agencies,  the  provision  of  highly-technical
medical equipment, tools, and experts in the field of tropical research, the capability
of the  government  in crafting  sound  policies,  based  on  a  scientific  approach,  to
manage domestic and internationally public health threats, will reasonably improve.
The Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through its
vast surveillance and monitoring system of global diseases, will serve as an arm of
the Health Department that will effectively address, manage, and prevent the spread
of diseases, such as COVID-19.
Lastly, this bill was ffled in the 18th Congress by Representatives Teodoro T.
Haresco, Ange]ina ``Helen" D.L. Tan, M.D., lose Eurique S. Garcia Ill, Cheryl Deloso-
Montalla, Toaquin M. Chipeco, |r., Ferdinand L. Hernandez, Alfred Vargas, Anthony
I. Espino, Luis Raymund ``LRay" F. Villafuerte, Tr., Joy Myra S. Tambunting, Rufus
8.  Rodriguez,  and  Estrehita  8.  Suansing.    Their  valuable  inputs  resulted  to  the
passage of this measure in the 18th Congress, specifically in the 3rd Reading.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
NKY BITRI


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTII CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL-ivo.  5797
Introduced by
REPRESENTATIVE ATTY. GERVILLE ``|INKY BITRICS" R. LUISTRO
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MODERNIZATION 0F THE PUBLIC
HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
CAPABILITIES, ESTABLISHING FOR THIS PURPOSE THE CENTER
FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR
Be  it  ?nacted  by  the  Senate  and  House   Of  Representatives  Of the  Philippine  Congress
assembled:
SECTION 1.  Short Title.   This  Act shall be known as the  "Philippine Center for
D isease Prevention and Control (CDC) Act."
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the poHcy of the State to protect and promote
the right to health of the people and iustfll health consciousness among them. The
State also  mandates the adoption of an integrated and comprehensive approach to
health development.
Towards  this  end,  the  State  shaLll  give  high  priority  to  the  anocation  of
material and institutional resources  to protect public  health by ensuring  that the
Philippines health system is well-prepared to forecast. prevent, monitor, and control
diseases, injuries, and disabilities both of national and international concern.
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms - As used in this Act:
aL)   Communicable  disease,   also  l<rmowr\  as  contagious  disease,  refers  to  aLn
illness   resulting   from   an   infection,   or   a   disease,   which  can  be
transmitted from an infected host individual or group to a particular
individual or group. It spreads through direct, bodily contact with an


infected  person,  their  discharges,  or  an  object  or  surface  they  have
contaminated;
b)   Dz.se#se refers to an illness due to a specific toxic substance, occupational
exposure  or  infectious   agent, which affects a susceptible individual,
either  directly  or indirectly,  from  an  infected  animal  or  person,  or
indirectly through an intermediate host, vector, or the environlnent;
c)   Dz.se#sc    s#7uc!7Jfl7zcg    refers    to    a    systematic    collection,    analysis,
interpretation, and dissemination of outcome and  specific data for  use
in  the  planning,  implementation,  and  evaluation of    public   health
practice. A disease survemance system includes  the functional capacity
for data analysis as well as the timely dissemination of these data to
persons who can undertake effective disease prevention and control
activities;
d)   £pz.dc#7z.c or oz/fbre#k   refers to  an occurrence  of more cases  of disease
than normany expected within a specific  place or group of people over
a given period of time;
e)   J77¢cfi.o},is cZz.scflsc  refers to  a clinically  manifested disease of  humaus or
aninals resulting  from  an  infection  which  can  be  communicable  or
non-communicable;
f)    Pztz7/I.c77c#Z#z e"crgr7zey refers  to an occurrence or  imminent threat of an
illness orhealth condition that:
1)   Is caused by any of the  foHowing:
(i)            Bio terrorism;
(ii)          Appearance  of   a   novel  or   previously   controlled   oi.
eradicated infectious agent or biological toxin;
(iii)         A natural disaster;
(iv)         A chemical attack or accidental release;
(v)          A nuclear attack or accident; or
(vi)         An attack or  accidental release of radioactive materials;
and,
2)   Poses a high probability of any of the following:
i)   A large number of deaths in the affected population;
ii)  A large number of serious injuries or long-term disabilities in the
affected population;
iii) Widespread exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses a
significant risk of substantial harm to a large number of people
in the affected population;
iv) International exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses
significant risk to the health of citizens of other countries; or
v)  Trade and travel restrictions;


g)   Quarantine  refers to the physical separation and  confinement  of an
individual or groups of individuals, who are or may have been exposed
to a contaLgious or possibly contagious  disease and  who  do not show
signs or symptoms of a contagious   disease,  from   non-quarantined
individuals, to prevent or limit the transmission of the disease.
SECTION  4.  Creation  of  the  Philippine  Center  for  Disease  Prevention  and
Control.  The Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) is hereby
created as an attached agency to the Department of Health  (DOH) for policy  and
program coordination.
SECTION 5.   Powers,  Functions, and  Duties.  -  The CDC shall be the technical
authority on all matters regarding disease prevention and control. To carry out the
provisions of this Act,the   CDC  shall  have  the  following  powers,  functions,  and
duties:
a)  Policy and Standards Development:
1)   Provide technical guidance to the development of policies,  programs,
standards, guidelines, and monitoring and evaluation systems on the
forecasting, prevention,  monitoring,  and  control of diseases,  injuries,
and disabilities both of national and intemational concern;
2)  Set the standards and the process for the estabhihment of
Epidemiology  and Surveillance units or its corresponding surveillance
reportingunits,pursuanttolaw;
3)   Provide quahity assurance programs to ensure the quality of testing for
laboratories;
4)  Conduct researches for development in support of the CDC mandate to
forecast, prevent, monitor, and control diseases, injuries, and disabilities
both of national and international concern;
5)   Recommend to the President, through the DOH Secretary, the
declaration of a state of public health emergency, in case of an epidemic
of national or international concern; and,
6)  Set the parameters for the declaration of the existence as well as the end
of an epidemic.
b)  Capacity Building and Technical Assistance:
1)   Develop,  implement,  and maintain training programs on specialized
fields  such  as  field  epidemiology,  health  emergency  of  biological
concern, laboratory services, infectious and tropical diseases, and non-
communicablediseases;
2)   Assess  and  support  the  capabhities  of  health  facilities  and   local
government units (LGUs) on forecasting, preventing, monitoring, and
controlling  diseases,  injuries,  and  disabilities  both  of  national  and
international concern; and


3)   Provide technical assistance  and expert services  to DOH offices,  and
collaborating   and   implementing   agencies   or   offices   on   matters
pertaining  to  forecasting,  preventing,  moritoring,   and  controlling
diseases,  injuries,  and  disabilities  both  of national and  international
concern.
c)   Sectoral and Local Engagements:
1)  Promote  coordination  and  collaboration  with  partner  agencies  and
organizations on matters pertaining to CDC mandate;
2)   Coordinate,   collaborate,   and     disseminate   relevant  scientific   and
technical information in a timely manner with partner agencies  and
international  and  local  organizations  on  matters  pertaining  to  CDC
mandate; and
3)   Disseminate relevant scientific and technical information in a timely
manner    with    partner    agencies,    and    international    and    local
organizations on matters pertaining to CDC mandate.
d)  Surveillance:
1)   Develop, implement, and maintain an integrated surveillance system
of diseases, injuries, and disabilities,
2)  Provide technical guidance on the development, implementation and
maintenance,   aLnd   monitoring   of  health   system   capacity   such   as
operational     capacities     of     health     fachities,    and    performance
management  of  the  response  systems,  in  terms  of  contact  tracing,
quarantine,  isolation,  and  other  significant  population-based  health
services;
3)  Investigate and respond through surveiuance and disease notification,
investigation,  and conduct of field studies and research to outbreaks,
epidemics, and other public health threats as the need arises;
4)   Develop  and  maintain  a  network  of  public  health  laboratories  in
support of epidemiology and surveillance activities;
5)   FaLcilitate  the  issuance  of appropriate  warnings  to  the  regional CDC
and health facilities in anticipation of impending public health threats
and infectious  disease outbreak;
6)   Utilize various information and communication technologies  (ICT) in
management of data  and  dissemination  of early  warning  and  other
appropriate information to stakeholders and the public; and
7)   Develop  communication  methods  for  wider  and  more  effective  and
unified  delivery  of critical public health information with national or
internationalimportance.
e)   Provide  technicaLl  guidance  on  the  procurement  of  vaccines,  drugs,  and
diagnostics;


f)   Provide technical guidance on the monitoring and evaluation framework for
disease prevention and control;
g)  Certify  to  the  existence  of an epidemic  which shall be  treated  as  a  public
health emergency; and
h)  Perform such other functions as may be mandated by law, or as may be duly
delegated by relevant authorities.
SECTION  6.  Director General.   The CDC shall be headed by a  Director General
with a rank of Undersecretary, who shall be assisted by two (2) Deputy Directors
General with a rank of Assistant Secretary. The Director General and the Deputy
Directors General sham be appointed       by the president from a list of at least three
(3) nominees for each position to be submitted by the DOH Secretary. The Director
General and Deputy Directors General shall have at least ten (10) years of relevant
experience and proven expertise in the fields of public health and epidemiology.
The Director General shall have the following powers and functions:
a)   Manage and direct the activities and functions of the CDC;
b)  Advise  the  DOH  Secretary  on  policy  matters  concerning  the  Center`s
activities;
c)   Recommend to the President, through the DOH Secretary, the exercise of
special powers in case of an epidemic, including the declaration of a public
health emergency;
d)  Act as the national International Health Regulations Focal Point, subject to
consultation with DOH; and
e)   Perform other functions and powers that may be assigned by the DOH
Secretary.
SECTION 7.  Transfer of DOH Units and Functions. The following DOH units and
their concerned divisions and functions are hereby transferred to the CDC:
a)   Epidemiology Bureau;
b)  Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RI");
c)   Sexually Transmitted Disease  -  Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Cooperative Central Laboratory;
d)  Select functions of the International Health Surveillance Division of the
Bureau of Quarantine as follows:
1)   Passive international health surveinance; and,
2)  Development  of   communication  methods  for  wider  and  more
effective   delivery   of   critical   public   health   information   with
international importance; and
e)  Technical and standard  setting functions  of the Disease Prevention and
Control  Bureau  including  that  of  the  Mental  Health  Division,  Cancer
Division and Oral Health Division.
Allpowers,functions,assets,capital,records,funds,receivables,equipmentand


facilities of the transferred DOH units or its division or function enumerated herein
shallbetransferred  to the CDC.  The Department of Heath shall conduct an audit
and inventoryofassets,      liabilities   and   human   resources   of   the   transferred
agencies to CDC without need of conveyance ortrausfer of assignments.
SECTION 8.   Regional Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.  There shall be
established  Regional  Centers  for  Disease  Prevention  and  Control  (RCDCs)  in  all
regions of the  country.   Each Regional CDC shall be headed by a Regional Director,
who sham be under the supervision of the CDC Director General.
The functions of RCDCs include:
a)   Prevention, control, and surveillance of diseases;
b)  Prevention Provision of laboratory services for detection and
identification of infectious disease agents from human,
environmental samples, and food;
c)   Maintenance of an integrated data management system;
d)  Implementation of quality assurance programs for clinical and
environmental laboratories through training, consultation,
certification and proficiency testing;
e)   Poliey development;
f)   Emergency response;
g)  Public health-related research;
h)  Training and education;
i)   Maintenance of infectious disease hospitals for referral and
management of cases;
j)    Establishment of strong communication networks; and
k)  Other functions that may be assigned by the Director General.
The RCDCs shall be composed of specialists in the fields of infectious diseases,
public health, epidemiology and similar fields.
SECTION 9.  Structure and Staffing Pattern.
a)   The CDC sham initially have the following offices, each to be headed by an
officer with   the salary and rank of Director IV:
1)   Center for Epidemic Intelligence and Disease Surveillance;
2)  Center  for Research,  Training,  and Reference Laboratory;  Center for
Infectious Disease Emergency Preparedness and Response;
3)   Center for Policy and Program Development;
4)   Communications office; and
5)   Administrative and Finance Office.
b)  The CDC Director General, subject to the issuance of an executive order by
the President and approval of the Department of Budget and Management


(DBM), may create or abolish units, offices, or centers as needed to carry out
all provisions of this Act.
c)   The CDC Director General, in consultation with the DOH and the DBM, shall:
1)   Develop  the  organizational structure  of the CDC  at the  national,
regional, and local levels;
2)   Determine the divisions and specific functions of each unit, center,
or office of the CDC; and
3)  Determine     the     staffing     pattern,     qualfication     standards,
compensation, and position classification plan for the CDC subject
to  the  approval  of  the  Civil  Service  Commission  (CSC)  and  the
DBM.
SECTION 10. Qualifications Standards for Appointment and Promotion.  The DOH
shall,  in  consultation with the CSC, and pertinent agencies  as may be necessary,
develop the qualification standards in terms of education, training  and experience
for  all  technical  and   non-technical  positions  in  the  CDC,  and  the  system  for
promotion and succession plan in the CDC.
SECTION 11.  Continuing  Competency  Development  Program.    The CDC  shall,
through  the  Director  General,  devise  and  implement  a  continuing  competency
development program whereby all core personnel sham be required to update and
enrich   competencies    through   attendance    in   programs,    studies,    researches,
fellowships,  workshops,  seminars,  including  training  opportunities  in  reputable
foreign CDCs. Compliance with the Continuing Competency Development Program
shall be the mandatory basis for promotion within the CDC. The CDC shall develop
mechanisms to tap funding opportunities to implement its Continuing Competency
Development Program.
SECTION 12. Modernization Program. The Director General shall, in consultation
with the DOH and other concerned agencies of government and the private sector,
develop a modernization program that will strengthen the human health resource of
the  CDC,  which  is  the  key  component  of  the  country's  disease  prevention  and
Control  policy.   The  modernization  program  shall  include  the  acquisition  and
upgrading of appropriate technologies, laboratories, facilities, equipment,  other
needed resources, and the needed relocation and acquisition of additional land or
location that would house the CDC.
Within one  hundred  eighty  (180)  days  after the  effectivity  of this  Act,  the
Director General shall, upon the recommendation of the DOH and DBM Secretaries,
submit the modernization program for the consideration and approval of Congress
in a joint resolution of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The modernization program shall be implemented over a period of five (5)
years.


Appropriations  for  the  modernization  program  sham  be  provided  in  the
annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).
SECTION   13.   Strengthened   Epidemiology,   Public   Health   Surveillance,   and
Research Capacities.   To ensure that epidemiology and public health surveillance
services  are  efficient and  responsive,  and public  health survemance  and  research
capacities are strengthened and updated to international standards, the CDC shall:
a)  Prioritize  investments  in  upgrading  of ICT  and  adequate  and  capacitated
human  resources  for  epidemiology,  public  health  surveiuance,  and  public
health and clinical research;
b)  Have    a    premier    fachity    for    clinical    laboratory,    epidemiologic    and
implementation research, and training on infectious and tropical diseases;
c)   Develop   performance-based   incentives   to   private   health   facilities   with
established epidemiology and surveillance functions;
d)  Re-nationalize  local  epidemiology  and  survemance  units  (LESUs)  that  will
solely  provide  epidemiology  and  disease surveillance  services  and  provide
assistance to the LGUs in the establishment and maintenance of surveinance
systems,   data   management,   and   generation   of   strategic   epidemiologic
information:  Prouz.dcd,  That  the  DOH,  CDC,  and  DBM,  shall  develop  the
staffing  pattern  and  qualification  standards:  PrcyzJz.decz,  ¢r£Jzcr,  That  LESUs
sham be under the direct supervision and control of the Regional CDCS;
e)   Retain and provide incentives to technical experts, practitioners and scientists,
whereby the scientific career system is adopted,  auowing them to continue
their respective clinical and professional practice to pursue research studies
and  receive  grants  and  honoraria,  in consultation with the CSC.  Qualified
employees of the CDC and its attached units shall be covered by Republic Act
No.   8439,   otherwise  known  as   ``Magna  Carta  for  Scientists,   Engineers,
Researchers and Other Science and Technology Personnel in Government'';
D   Develop  and  implement  training  and  research  programs  to  develop  more
experts and practitioners in the field of epidemiology, and disease prevention
and control; and
g)  Develop   a   mechanism   to   ensure   interoperability   and   accessibility   of
surveillance systems.
SECTION 14.  Strengthened  Disease  Surveillance  and  Response.  The CDC  shall
establish integrated disease surveillance and response systems utilizing, whenever
necessary,  all technological means available while ensuring that data privacy  and
patient  confidentianty  are  maintained.  The  CDC  and  authorized  public  health
authorities shall have complete access and right to collect personal information and
other data, as may be deemed necessary in fuffillment of their mandate.  All data or
ilrformation  collected  pursuant  thereto  shall  be  used  for  public  health  concern
purposes  only  and  shah  be  exempted  from  the  provisions  of  R.A.  No.  10173,
otherwise known as the ``Data Privacy Act of 2012" on accessibility of data.


SECTION 15.   National Reference Laboratories.   The CDC shall estabhsh a new,
state of the art fachity that will serve as the National Reference Laboratory (NRL),
unifying all NRLs for biological, chemical, nuclear and radiologic emergencies under
one  roof,  within  five  (5)  years  from  the  effectivity  of this  Act:  Prouz'cZccZ,  That  the
existing NRLs in the East Avenue Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center,  Lung
Center  of  the  Philippines,  National  Kidney  Transplant  Institute  and  San  Lazaro
Hospital sham continue to be under the respective hospitals:  Prouz.dccz ¢rfher,  That
these existing NRLs shall serve as referral laboratories of the CDC and be included
in the Modernization Program of the CDC.
The NRL shall provide technical recommendations, laboratory confirmatory
services,   training,   and   external   quality   assurance,   and   perform   surveillance,
outbreak response, kit evaluation, and research. It shall oversee the functions and
performance of the network of subnational laboratories (SNL).
SNLs shall be  established in all regions,  with the capability  of conducting
confirmatory  testing  for  routine  surveillance  samples  and  performing  specialized
tests. SNLs, whose functions include testing for routine surveillance and specialized
tests, shall be under CDC administratively. Hospitals housing the SNLs shall create a
separate unit for their regular hospital laboratory needs.
The CDC, through the NRLs and SNLs, shall provide technical guidance and
quality assurance programs to biosafety levels 2, 3 and 4 laboratories in the country,
which shall be registered with, and regulated by the DOH.
SECTION  16.  Authority  to  Solicit,  Negotiate,  and  Receive  Donations,  Grants,
Gifts, Legacies, Endowments, and Contributions.   The CDC may solicit, negotiate
with, and receive from any kinds in favor and for the benefit of the CDC, which shall
aH be part of the special account in the general fund managed by the Bureau of
Treasury.
The Director General shall prescribe the measures necessary for the proper
use, maintenance safekeeping, and compliance with the terms and conditions, if any,
of said donations, grants, endowments, contributions or transfers in accordance with
pertinent accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations.
SECTION 17. Tax Exemptions.  Donations, grants, gifts, endowments, legacies, and
contributions used  actually,  directly  and  exclusively  for the purpose  of the CDC
shall be  exempt from  donor's  tax  and  the  same  sham be  considered  as  allowable
deduction from gross income for purposes of computing the taxable income of the
donor, in accordance with Sec. 34 (H)(2)(a) of the National Internal Revenue Code of
1997, as amended.  Likewise, such other transfers of ownership and/or possession of
real or personal properties of all kinds shall be exempt from all taxes.
SECTION  18.  Joint  Congressional  Oversight  Committee.  There  shall be  a Joint
Congressional  Oversight  Committee  on  Disease  Prevention  and  Control,  jointly


chaired by the Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography,
and the House of Representatives Committee on Health. It shall be composed of five
(5)   members   from   the   Senate   and   five   (5)   members   from   the   House   of
Representatives,  to be  appointed by the Senate  President and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, respectively.
SECTION 19. Appropriations.  The initial amount needed for the implementation of
this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the offices and
the RITM herein absorbed by the CDC. Thereafter, the funding of which shall be
included in the annual GAA.
SECTION 20. Transitory Provisions.
a)   Upon  effectivity  of  this  Act,  the  CDC  sham  develop  a  Framework  for
Infectious    Diseases    and    Pandemic    Preparedness,    and    prioritize    the
strengthening of the fonowing functions:
i.   Integrated disease surveillance and response;
ii.   Sentinel surveillance;
iii.   Laboratory-based surveillance;
iv.   Periodic population-based surveinance; and
v.   Preventing transmission of communicable diseases.
b)  The  CDC  shall  initially  prioritize  disease  surveillance  and  prevention  and
control  of infectious  diseases.    Within five  (5)  years  from  its  creation,  and
upon   positive   recommendation   by   an   independent   study   or   body
commissioned by the DOH, the surveinance, prevention and control of non-
communicable diseases shall be included in its mandate;
c)   For the year during which this Act was approved, the unexpended portion of
the budget of the offices and units transferred shall be utilized for establishing
the CDC and initiating its operations, including the formulation of the rules
and regulations necessary for the implementation of this Act;
d)  To  the  greatest  extent  possible  and  in  accordance  with  existing  laws,  all
employees of the affected offices, agencies and units shall be absorbed by the
CDC. Personnel hired on a permanent basis and with appointments attested
by the CSC who may be affected by the transition of DOH units to CDC, or
who will not be absorbed in the new positions of the new staffing pattern of
the different offices in the CDC, shall have the option to:
1)   Be transferred to other units or offices within the DOH without
reduction in pay; or
2)   Avail of the applicable retirement benefits as provided under R.A.
6656, entitled   ``An Act to Protect the Security of Tenure of Civil
Service   Officers   and   Employees   in   the   Implementation   of
Government Reorgahization" and other relevant laws.


e)   Incumbent DOH officials and employees of affected DOH offices may apply
for  and  be  transferred  to  the  CDC,   subject  to   an  evaluation  of  their
competency and CSC regulations;
f)   Research grants acquired during the transition of DOH transferred units to
CDC shall be utilized solely for the grants' intended purposes to each of the
affected   units   or   offices,   and   shall  not  be   made   available   for  budget
realigrments;
g)  Existing contracts and agreements entered into by the affected offices with
third parties prior to the enactment of this Act shall remain valid.
The DBM, DOH, and CSC shall issue the implementing guidelines to ensure
fair,  orderly,  and  transparent  implementation  of  paragraphs  (e)  and  (f)  of  this
section.
SECTION 21.  Implementing Rules and Regulations.  -  Within one hundred and
twenty (120) working days from the effectivity of this Act, the DOH Secretary shall
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for its implementation.
SECTION  22.    Separability  Clause.  -  If any  portion  or  provision  of this  Act is
declared invalid or uncoustitutional, other provisions hereof shall remain in fullforce
and effect.
SECTION 23.  Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations or
other issuances  or  parts  thereof inconsistent  with  the  provisions  of  this  Act  are
hereby repealed or  modified accordingly.
SECTION  24.  Effectivity.  -  This  Act  shall  take  effect  fifteen  (15)  days  after  its
pubHcation in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,