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Republic of the Philippines  
House of Representatives     
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _____ 
__________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced By Representative Jorge Antonio P. Bustos 
__________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
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STRENGTHENING NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TO 
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PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
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Congress assembled:  
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Pandemic and All-
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Hazards Preparedness Act."  
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SECTION 2. Creation of a National Health Strategy for Public Health 
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Emergencies. - The Secretary of Health shall spearhead the creation of a national 
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health strategy to address public health emergencies. This strategy shall provide for 
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integrated policy coordination and strategic direction with respect to all matters related 
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to national public health and medical preparedness and execution and deployment of 
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national response before, during, and following public health emergencies.  
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SECTION 3. Components of a National Health Strategy. - The National Health 
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Strategy shall include:  
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(A) Provisions for increasing the preparedness, response capabilities, and surge 
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capacity of ambulatory care facilities, dental health facilities, and critical care 
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service systems;  
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(B) Plans for optimizing a coordinated and flexible approach to the capacity of
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hospitals, other health care facilities, critical care, and trauma care and emergency 
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medical systems;  
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(C) Provisions taking into account the unique needs of individuals with
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disabilities in a public health emergency; 
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(D) Strategic initiatives to advance countermeasures to diagnose, mitigate,
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prevent, or treat harm from any biological agent or toxin or any chemical, 
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radiological, or nuclear agent or agents, whether naturally, occurring, unintentional, 
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or deliberate;  
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(E) Conduct OF periodic evaluations of national and local preparedness and
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response capabilities which shall include drills and exercises to ensure'medical 
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surge capacity for events· without notice.  
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SECTION 4. Creation of Task Force on Public Emergencies. - (A) A task force 
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under the control of the Secretary of Health shall be established in order to conduct 
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research necessary for the creation of the Strategy. The Task Force shall be composed 
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of representatives from:  
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1. The Department of Health;
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2. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC);
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3. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG);
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4. The National Security Adviser; and
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5. The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).
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(B) The Task Force shall: 
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1.    Report directly to the President of the Philippines to make timely reports and 
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recommendations regarding the control measures and activities being 
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undertaken for the containment/addressing of the public health emergency; 
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2.    Monitor emerging issues and concerns as they relate to medical and public 
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health preparedness and response for at-risk individuals in the event of a public 
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health emergency; 
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2.    Identify and minimize gaps, duplication and other inefficiencies in medical 
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and public health preparedness and response activities and the actions 
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necessary to overcome these obstacles;  
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3.    Disseminate and update novel and best practices of outreach to and care of at-
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risk individuals before, during, and, following public health emergencies in as 
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timely a. manner as is practicable, including from the time a public health threat 
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is identified;  
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4.    Ensure that public health and medical information distributed by the 
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government during a public health emergency is delivered in a manner that 
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takes into account the range of communication needs of the intended recipients, 
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including at-risk individuals; a 
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5.  Create Technical Working Groups (TWGs) to address other concerns that are 
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affecting the medical health emergency such as economic, social amelioration 
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and security plans and arrangements, to minimize the impact of such 
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emergency to the general public; and 
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6. Perform such other functions as may be ordered or may be necessarily related 
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to its mandated functions.
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SECTION 5. Creation of Medical Reserve Corps. - The Secretary of Health shall 
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establish a medical reserve corps composed of volunteer health professionals. The 
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Medical Reserve Corps shall be called into duty if needed during public health 
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emergencies.  
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SECTION 6. Authorization of Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this 
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Act, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each 
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fiscal year;  
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SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof is held invalid 
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or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected 
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shall remain valid and subsisting.  
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SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
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executive order, letter of instruction, administrative' order, rule, or regulation contrary 
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to or inconsistent with the provisions ofthis Act is hereby repealed, modified, or 
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amended accordingly.  
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SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
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its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.  
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Approved, 
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Republic of the Philippines  
House of Representatives     
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
__________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative Jorge Antonio P. Bustos 
__________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article 11, Section 15, of the 1987 Constitution specifically states: 
"The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill 
health consciousness among them."  
At the start of this millenium, the world was faced and infected with several 
new strains of deadly viruses: a viral respiratory disease cauased by SARS (Severe 
Acute Respiratory Syndrome) coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in the years spanning 2002-
2003, and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), said to be deadlier than 
SARS-CoV, on 2013. These could have made us rethink and prioritize our healthcare 
structure and laws better. These could have been reason enough for us to prepare for 
bigger threats with communicable and transmissible diseases that have not been 
addressed by modern technology. 
Here comes the year 2020. With the onslaught of COVID-19 that has infected 
almost two million1 people across the world and has killed more than one hundred 
thousand people, government preparedness to address the same has never been this 
crucial.  While the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a 
"public health emergency2" which should at least trigger an immediate response 
1 As of April 13, 2020, source: www.who.int 
2 An occurrence or imminent threat of an illness or health condition, caused by bio terrorism, epidemic or pandemic 
disease, or a novel and highly fatal infectious agent or biological toxin, that poses a substantial risk of a significant 
number of human facilities or incidents or permanent or long-term disability (WHO/DCD, 2001).  
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system from all nations or constituencies affected by such an alarming infection or 
occurrence, the scenario being depicted in various areas around the world seems to 
be quite the opposite: there is an obvious lack of preparedness to meet such an 
emergency, and lack of enabling laws and statutes to help people cope and rise above 
these pandemics. 
While some may say that the Filipinos have already developed and instilled 
in their cultures a sense of resiliency because as fate would have it, we are a nation 
prone to disasters, both brought about by nature or man-made. As an archipelago, 
we have witnessed storm after storm, earthquake after earthquake, calamity after 
calamity, yet we have devised so many ways that have helped us survive through it. 
But the current health pandemic that is wrecking havoc to our world is slowly eating 
away our people, our resources, our economy and our social systems. It is a kind that 
can be likened to a war, but with an invisible and unknown enemy. We cannot fight 
it with guns, and the only ammunition we know is to not mingle with anyone, and 
stay within the confines of our homes. We cannot deny to ourselves that we have not 
prepared fully well for this invisible war. Our government has not equipped itself 
with the proper enactment to face this kind of world pandemic.  
As time is of the essence, let this proposed cement the role of the President,  
as our chief Executive, with the guidance of the health sector, particularly the 
Department of Health, to lead the national response and preparedness for public 
health emergencies, to cover all those emanating from natural disasters and weather 
conditions, those resulting from chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agents, 
including emerging infectious diseases, or emergencies, or as may they be declared 
as pandemics, bioterrorism or mass casualties. 
Our preparedness shall determine and ensure that all activities and measures 
taken in advance shall be our government’s response to minimize, if not eradicate 
the impact of hazards, including the issuance of timely and effective public health 
emergency plans and evacuation, risk assessment and management, including pre-
disaster activities,  and structures to help address contingencies and all possible 
health and safety scenarios and containment of the disease/outbreaks and their 
concommitant risks be made at the soonest possible instance. 
This bill is also in honor of the late Senator Mirian Defensor Santiago who, in 
keeping with her ideals for pre-emptive action against pandemics, filed a similar bill 
in 2014. May we now truly understand that all things are possible, and it is never too 


late to prepare too early, for the fruits of preparedness will always benefit our 
community as a whole. 
The immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
CONG. JORGE ANTONIO P. BUSTOS