Republic of the Dhilippines

House of Representatives |!
Queson City, #etro sanila

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

309%

House Bill No. |

Introduced by Representative TEODORICO “NONONG" T. HARESCO, JR.

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE CAPABLITIES, ESTABLISHING FOR THIS PURPOSE
THE PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, DEFINING ITS
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Ina span of almost three years, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected
more than 576 million persons and has taken the lives of more than 6.4 million individuals
ities for
as shaken not

worlds ide.’ For countries that do not have strong public health care systems and
ous diseases. the pandemic

control and prevention of communicable and inf
only public health institutions but economic spheres se

ly as well

its pandemic response. the Philippines” public health systems
remain yuincrabie to the challenges of this global he million COVID-
19 cases and more than sixty thousand COVID-19 related deaths have been recorded since the

beginning of the pandemic?

With the recent data on

ulth crisis. More than 3,

Our lack of well-established health institutions geared and focused on the control and
is appalling. From the sudden emer:

prevention of communicable and infectious disc
{World Health Organization (WHO), 25 July 2022. https://covid19.who.int/

2 World Health Organization (WHO) Philippines. 20 July 2022.

htpsy//wwvw avho.int/philippines/internal-publications-detail/covid-19-in-the-philippines-situation-
report-106



of polio-related diseases, to increase in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related
stitution to focus and

infections, to outbreaks of tuberculosis and dengue. the need for an i

\d research-backed solutions to combat infectious and emerging

create se urate

diseases is called for now more than ever.

While r
delivery of public health services duri

izing that the Department of Health has its considerable wins in the

‘he pandemic, we must empower it further through
able

grading its institutional capabilities in combating the ever-evolving wave of communi

diseases.

¢ Control and Prevention.

This bill seeks t0 establish a Philippine Center for Diseas

which shall serve as the principal health protection agency of the Philippines aimed at

preventing, protecting, and managing the spread of communicable and infectious diseases and

other health emergencies in the country.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is eamestly sou;

Va. \\

TEODORICO T. HARESCOWIR


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NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session

3094

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative TEODORICO “NONONG" T. HARESCO, JR

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE CAPABLITIES, ESTABLISHING FOR THIS PURPOSE
THE PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, DEFINING ITS
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

Congressassembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Center for Disease
Control and Prevention Act”

CTION 2. Declaration of Policy. Its hereby declared the policy of the State:

(ay To protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness
among them:

(b) To adopt, support, establish, and maintain an effective health mechanism responsive to
the country’s health needs,

(c) To ensure the health and wellbeing of Filipinos and protect them from communicable
di

{d) To prevent the emer;

(c) To provide a framework for communicable d
country: and

cand transmission of serious diseases:

¢ control and prevention in the

Jenc¥ to save lives and protect people from health

ish a health protection

SECTION 3. Creation of the Philippine Center for Disease Control and
There is hereby created an independent body to be known a
ase Control and Prevention, hereinafter referred

the Philippine Center for L
to as “CDC”.

assess, and

‘The CDC shall be the principal agency tasked to identifi
communicate current and emerging threats to human health posed by


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communicable diseases. It shall carry out activities and programs for the
prevention and control of communicable diseases for the promotion of public
health

The CDC shall be attached to the Department of Health for policy and
program coordination.

SECTION 4. Powers and Functions. - The CDC shall exercise the following
powers and functions:

(a) Establish procedures for systematically searching for, collecting,

collating and analyzing information and data to ident
health threats in the country;
(b) Undertake research activities in the diagnosis, control, and prevention

y emerging

of communicable diseascs that are major causes of mortality and
morbidity in the country;

(c) Investigate disease outbreaks and other treats to public health;

(d) Conduct clinical trials aimed at better understanding and control of
communicable diseases in the country;

(e) Foster the development of sufficient capacity for diagnosis, detection,
identification, and characterization of infectious agents which may
threaten public health;

() Coordinate data collection, validation, analysis, and provide health
information to protect against expensive and dangerous health threats;

(g) Ensure that the public and any interested party are rapidly given
objective. reliable. and easily accessible information with regard to the
results of its work;

(h) Provide information, expertise, advice, and risk assessment to local
government units in the control and prevention of communicable
diseases;

{i) Assist local government units in the control of a broad range of
communicable diseases;

{j) Formulate an early warning and response system to make available
information for the general public;

{k) Confront global disease threats through advanced computing and
laboratory analysis of data to quickly find solutions to the same;

() Maintain the database for epidemiological surveillance;

(m) Provide independent scientific opinions, expert advice, data and
information;

{n) Promote and initiate scientific studies nece:
control of communicable diseas

{o) Submit to Congress an annual evaluation of the current and emerging
threats to health in the country.

ry for the prevention and



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SECTION 5. Early Warning and Response System. ~The CDC shall operate
an Early Warning and Response System which will ensure that the national
government and local government units are able to respond in a timely and
coordinated manner to emerging health threats in the country.

The CDC shail take action to ensure that the early warming and
response system is efficiently and effectively linked with other forms of
community alert systems.

SECTION 6. Obligation of Local Government Units. - Local government
units must provide the CDC in a timely manner available health and technical
data relevant to the prevention and control of communicable diseases.

SECTION 7. Transfer of Agencies and Personnel. ~ The following offices
and agencies are hereby abolished and their powers and functions, applicable
funds and appropriations, records, equipment, property. and personnel
transferred to the CDC:

{a) Infectious Diseases for Elimination Division (under the Discase

Prevention and Control Bureau of the Department of Health);
{b) Infectious Diseases for Prevention and Control Division (under the
Disease Prevention and Control Bureau of the Department of Health);
(c) The Epidemiological Bureau of the Department of Health; and
(d) The Research Institute of Tropical Medicine.

SECTION 8. Executive Director. -‘The CDC shall be headed by an Executive
Director, with the rank of Undersecretary. who shall be appointed by the
President on the basis of technical expertise, academic background, and
appropriate work experience.

The Executive Director shall perform the following functions and

powers:
(a) Manage and direct the activities of the Philippine Center for Disease

Control and Prevention;

(b) Coordinate CDC response to health emergencies;

(c) Certify to the existence of an epidemic, which shall be treated as a
public health emergency;

{d) Recommend to the President the exercise of special powers in case of
confirmation as to the existence of an epide!

{e) Coordinate local and international health activities relating to discase
prevention and control;

() Liaise with other government agencies, international organizations,
including the World Health Organization, learning institutions, and
other relevant outside groups; and

(g) Appoint employees of the CDC in accordance with the Civil Service Law,
and other relevant rules and regulations.



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SECTION 9. Organizational Structure. — The Secretary of the Department
of Health, in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management
(DBM), shall determine the organizational structure, qualification standards,
staffing pattern, and compensation of the newly created CDC, in accordance
with existing laws, rules, and regulations.

SECTION 10. Appropriations. - The amount needed for the initial
implementation of this Act shall be taken from the current fiscal year’s
appropriation of the offices and agency herein absorbed by the CDC.
‘Thereafter, the amount needed for the operation and maintenance of the CDC
shall be included under the Department of Health in the General
Appropriations Act.

SECTION 11. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act shall be
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise
affected shall remain in full force and effect

SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, rules and regulations,
other issuances, or part thereof, inconsistent with any provision of this Act,
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,