Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world that a novel, little understood
disease and an easily overwhelmed response system makes for a very deadly
combination. In the almost two years since the Philippines had its first documented
case of COVID-19, more than 60,000 individuals have already succumbed to the
disease.1 Many have survived, but at great cost to their long-term health and economic
stability. Given the far-reaching consequences of a health crisis, it is in our best
interest to respond swiftly, if not pre-emptively, to any future outbreaks.
Through the creation of a permanent Center for Disease Prevention and
Control, we hope to strengthen the country’s ability to monitor, prevent, control, and
respond to all existing and future health emergencies in the Philippines. Led by public
health experts and epidemiologists, the CDC shall serve as the central authority in
every matter relating to communicable diseases, infectious diseases, outbreaks,
epidemics, and pandemics of national or international concern. Under its guidance,
we envision a health care system that has science and empirical data at its core.
It is for the foregoing reasons that the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
ALFRED C. DELOS SANTOS
Representative, Ang Probinsyano Party-List
1 https://doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker.
August 1, 2022
8:50 am
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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 ANG PROBINSYANO
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE CAPABILITIES, ESTABLISHING FOR THIS
PURPOSE THE CENTER FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted 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
Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) Act."
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and
promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
The State also mandates the adoption of an integrated and comprehensive approach to
health development. Towards this end, the State shall give high priority to the
allocation of material and institutional resources to protect public health by ensuring
that the Philippine health system is well-prepared to detect, prevent, monitor, and
control
communicable
diseases,
infectious
diseases,
outbreaks,
epidemics,
and
pandemics of both national and international concern.
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms - As used in this Act:
(a) “Communicable disease”, also known as contagious disease, refers to an
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) “Disease” 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 environment;
2799


(c) “Disease
surveillance”
refers
to
a
systematic
collection,
analysis,
interpretation, and dissemination of outcomes and specific data for use in
the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. A
disease
surveillance
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) “Epidemic or outbreak” refers to an occurrence of more cases of disease
than normally expected within a specific place or group of people over a
given period of time;
(e) “Pandemic” refers to an epidemic or outbreak occurring worldwide, or over a
very wide area, crossing international boundaries, and usually affecting a
large number of people;
(f) “Infectious disease” refers to a clinically manifested disease of humans or
animals
resulting
from
an
infection
that
can
be
communicable
or
non-communicable;
(g) “Public health emergency” refers to an occurrence or imminent threat of an
illness or health condition that:
1) Is caused by any of the following:
i.
Bioterrorism
ii.
The
appearance
of
a
novel
or
previously
controlled
or
eradicated infectious agent or biological toxin;
iii.
A natural disaster;
iv.
A chemical 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 disease 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 a significant risk to the health of citizens of other
countries; or
v.
Trade and travel restrictions;


(h) “Quarantine” refers to the physical separation and confinement of an
individual or groups of individuals, who are or may have been exposed to a
contagious or possibly contagious disease and who may or may not show
signs
or
symptoms
of
a
contagious
disease,
from
non-quarantined
individuals, to prevent or limit the transmission of the disease.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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
detection, prevention, monitoring, and control of communicable and
infectious
diseases,
outbreaks,
epidemics,
and
pandemics
of
both
national and international concern;
2) Set the standards and the process for the establishment of Epidemiology
and Surveillance Units or its corresponding surveillance reporting units,
pursuant to law;
3) Provide quality assurance programs to ensure the quality of testing for
laboratories;
4) Conduct research for development in support of the CDC mandate to
detect, prevent, monitor, and control communicable diseases, infectious
diseases, outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics of both national and
international concern;
5) Recommend
to
the
President,
through
the
DOH
Secretary,
the
declaration of a state of a public health emergency, in case of an
epidemic of national or international concern; and,
6) Set the parameters for the declaration of existence as well as the end of
an epidemic.
(b) Capacity Building and Technical Assistance:
1) Develop, implement, and maintain training programs in specialized fields
such as field epidemiology, health emergency of biological concern,
laboratory
services,
infectious
and
tropical
diseases,
and
non-communicable diseases;


2) Assess
and
support
the
capabilities
of
health
facilities
and
local
government units (LGUs) on detecting, preventing, monitoring, and
controlling
diseases,
communicable
diseases,
infectious
diseases,
outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics of both 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
detecting,
preventing, monitoring, and controlling communicable
diseases, infectious diseases, outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics of
both 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
communicable diseases, infectious diseases, outbreaks, epidemics, and
pandemics;
2) Provide technical guidance on the development, implementation and
maintenance,
and
monitoring
of
health
system
capacity
such
as
operational capacities of health facilities, 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 surveillance 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) Facilitate the issuance of appropriate warnings to the regional CDC and
health facilities in anticipation of impending public health threats and
infectious disease outbreaks;


6) Utilize various information and communication technologies (ICT) in the
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
international importance.
(e) Provide technical 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.
SEC. 6. Director General. - The CDC shall be headed by a Director General with
the rank of Undersecretary, who shall be assisted by two (2) Deputy Directors General
with the rank of Assistant Secretary. The Director General and the Deputy Directors
General shall 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.
SEC. 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;
(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 surveillance; 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.
All powers, functions, assets, capital, records, funds, receivables, equipment,
and facilities of the transferred DOH units or its division or function enumerated
herein shall be transferred to the CDC. The Department of Health shall conduct an
audit and inventory of assets, liabilities, and human resources of the transferred
agencies to the CDC without the need for conveyance or transfer of assignments.
SEC. 8. Regional Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. - There shall be
established Regional Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDCs) in all regions
of the country. Each Regional CDC shall be headed by a Regional Director, who shall
be under the supervision of the CDC Director General.
The functions of CDCs include:
(a) Prevention, control, and surveillance of diseases;
(b) 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) Policy 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.
SEC. 9. Structure and Staffing Pattern. -
(a) The CDC shall 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;
3) Center for Infectious Disease Emergency Preparedness and Response;
4) Center for Policy and Program Development;
5) Communications Office; and
6) 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,
qualification
standards,
compensation, and position classification plan for the CDC subject to
the approval of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the DBM.
SEC. 10. Qualifications Standards for Appointment and Promotion. - The DOH
shall, in consultation with the CSC, and other 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.


SEC. 11. Continuing Competency Development Program. - The CDC shall,
through
the
Director General, devise and implement a continuing competency
development program whereby all core personnel shall be required to update and
enrich competencies through attendance in programs, studies, research, 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.
SEC. 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 shall be provided in the annual General
Appropriations Act (GAA).
SEC. 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 surveillance 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 surveillance, and public
health and clinical research;
(b) Have
a
premier
facility
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 surveillance units (LESs) that will
solely provide epidemiology and disease surveillance services and provide
assistance
to
the
LGUs
in
the
establishment
and
maintenance
of
surveillance
systems,
data
management,
and
generation
of
strategic
epidemiologic information: Provided, That the DOH, CDC, and DBM, shall
develop the staffing pattern and qualification standards: Provided, further,


That LESs shall 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, allowing 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;"
(f) 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.
SEC. 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
confidentiality
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 the fulfillment of their mandate. All data or
information and samples collected pursuant thereto shall be used for public health
concern purposes only and shall be exempted from the provisions of Republic Act No.
10173, otherwise known as the "Data Privacy Act of 2012 on the accessibility of data.
SEC. 15. National Reference Laboratories.- The CDC shall establish a new,
state-of-the-art facility that will serve as the National Reference Laboratory (NRL),
unifying all NRLs for biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological emergencies under
one roof, within 5 years from the effectivity of this Act: Provided, 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 shall
continue to be under the respective hospitals: Provided further, 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.
SEC. 16. Authority to Solicit, Negotiate, and Receive Donations, Grants, Gifts,
Legacies, Endowments, and Contributions. - The CDC may solicit, negotiate with, and
receive from any public or private domestic or foreign sources legacies, gifts,
donations, grants, endowments, contributions, or other transfers of ownership and/or
possession of real or personal properties of all kinds in favor and for the benefit of the
CDC, which shall all 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.
SEC. 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 shall be considered as an 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 20. Transitory Provisions. –
(a) Upon effectivity of this Act, the CDC shall develop a Framework for
Infectious
Diseases
and
Pandemic
Preparedness,
and
prioritize
the
strengthening of the following functions;
1) Integrated disease surveillance and response;
2) Sentinel surveillance;
3) Laboratory-based surveillance;


4) Periodic population-based surveillance; and,
5) Preventing transmission of communicable diseases.
(b) The CDC shall initially prioritize disease surveillance and prevention and
control of infectious diseases. Within five (S) years from its creation, and
upon
positive
recommendation
by
an
independent
study
or
body
commissioned by the DOH, the surveillance, 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 SC 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
Reorganization" 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 for each of the
affected units or offices, and shall not be made available for budget
realignments;
(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.
SEC. 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.


SEC. 22. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared
invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions hereof shall remain in full force and
effect.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 24. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,