Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No, 7938

Introduced by the Honorable Precious Hipolito Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘As of August 7, 2020, the Philippines has eclipsed Indonesia as the country to be the most
affected by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Southeast Asia. This is despite imposing
the longest, strictest lockdown in the region.’ Variations of lockdowns has caused the
Philippines to enter recession, as the country experienced the sharpest drop in Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) with 16.5% in the 2" quarter of 2020.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), while the Philippines has improved its
capability to test for COVID-19 as well as expand its treatment capacity, there is a big room
for improvement when it comes to its contact tracing efforts. Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe of
WHO said that the increasing positivity rate shows that there is a “continuing transmission" of
COVID-19 in the country.

Contact tracing is the process of finding out who has recently been in close contact with a
person who has tested positive with a virus, such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes
COVID-19, and reaching out to those people to let them know that they may have been
exposed to an infected individual. This way, the traced contact will be guided on what to do
next, which may include self-isolation to prevent further spread of the virus.

Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious disease expert, says that contact tracing is one of the most
important aspects in the fight against COVID-19. He says that contact tracing is a “time-tested
public health strategy” in battling against infectious diseases as it was used before during the
Ebola outbreak in 2014 and the SARS outbreak in 2003.

It is thus the intent of this bill to establish contact tracing centers in COVID-19 high-risk areas,
to be determined by the Department of Health. Through this, there must be a system that shall
be efficient in monitoring the health status of those infected with COVID-19 as well as the
traced contacts. If contact tracing efforts will be done quickly and effectively, the impact of the
pandemic will dramatically decrease.

The immediate passage of this bill is most eamestly sought.

ADA
PRECIOUS HIPOLITO CASTELO

* butps://www.japantimes. co, p/news/2020/08/07/asia-pacific/philippines-coronavirus-southeast-asia/
? hutps://rappler,com/business/grass-domestic-product-philippines-q2-2020

> hutps://newsnetwork,mayoclinic.org/discussion/whal-is-contact-tracing-and-why-is-it-important-i
against-covid-19/

fight



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7538

House Bill No.

Introduced by the Honorable Precious Hipolito Castelo

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING CONTACT TRACING CENTERS IN COVID-19 HIGH-RISK AREAS
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "COVID-19 Contact Tracing
Centers Act of 2020".

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — tis the policy of the State to adopt an integrated and
comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential
goods, health and other social services available to all people at affordable cost. Towards this
end, the State shall protect the interest and promote the well-being and medical needs of the,
Filipino people by establishing Contact Tracing Centers (CTCs) in COVID-19 high risk areas
to properly isolate and treat people whenever necessary.

SEC 3. COVID-19 Contact Tracing Centers. - To carry out the above policy, contact
tracing centers shall be established in COVID-19 high-risk areas.

SEC. 4. High-Risk Areas. — The determination of high-risk areas shall be made by the
Department of Health (DOH). It shall be based on a standard metric which shall be set by the
DOH. Local government units, through their local chief executives, may recommend that a
barangay, city, municipality or province be declared as a high-risk area.

SEC. 5. Functions. - CTCs shall ensure that all individuals who have tested positive
for COVID-19 shall be interviewed for as many contacts as possible, with priority to close
contacts. It shall also ensure that all traced contacts are monitored for symptoms and, where
necessary, tested and treated.

SEC. 6. Leadership. - CTCs shall be headed by an Executive Director who shall be a
medical doctor.

SEC. 7. Appropriations. — The Secretary of Health shall immediately incorporate in the
Department's programs the operationalization of the CTCs, the funding of which shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within thirty (30) days from the
effectivity of this Act, DOH shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to effectively
implement the provisions of this Act.


SEC. 9. Separability Clause. — If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain
valid and subsisting.

SEC. 10. 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.

SEC. 11. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,