Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND 
PREVENTION, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has taken most of the world by 
surprise, infecting more than five million persons, and taking the lives of at least 
three hundred thousand persons worldwide. It has become a pandemic that 
threatens countries without strong public health care systems and facilities for 
control and prevention of communicable and infectious diseases. 
Our lack of institutional capacity to implement comprehensive public 
health management programs, especially on public health protection, shows the 
harsh reality that our country needs to modernize and upgrade our public health 
systems to decisively address the risks of communicable diseases. 
From sudden cases of polio-related diseases, to human immunodeficiency 
virus (HIV)-related infections, to tuberculosis and dengue outbreaks, there 
reflects a need for an institution to focus and create scientifically-accurate and 
research-backed solutions to combat infectious and emerging diseases. 
While the Department of Health has been effective to some degree of the 
delivery of health services amid the pandemic, we must strengthen its absorptive 
capacity and framework in dealing with difficult communicable diseases. 
July 27, 2022
3:17 pm
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This bill seeks to establish a Philippine National Center for Disease Control 
and Prevention, 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 immediate passage of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REP. PM VARGAS   
 
Fifth District, Quezon City 
 


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND 
PREVENTION, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
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 “Philippine Center for 
Disease Control and Prevention Act” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State: 
(a) 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, and emergency;
(c) To ensure the health and wellbeing of Filipinos and protect them from
communicable diseases;
(d) To prevent the emergence and transmission of serious diseases;
(e) To provide a framework for communicable disease control and prevention
in the country; and
(f) To establish a health protection agency to save lives and protect people
from health threats.
SECTION 3. Creation of the Philippine Center for Disease Control and 
Prevention. – There is hereby created an independent body to be known as the 
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Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, hereinafter referred to as 
“CDC”. 
 
The CDC shall be the principal agency tasked to identify, assess, and 
communicate current and emerging threats to human health posed by 
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 identify emerging health threats in 
the country; 
(b) Undertake research activities in the diagnosis, control, and prevention of 
communicable diseases 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; 
(f) 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; 
(l) Maintain the database for epidemiological surveillance; 


 
 
(m) Provide independent scientific opinions, expert advice, data and 
information; 
(n) Promote and initiate scientific studies necessary for the prevention and 
control of communicable diseases; 
(o) Submit to Congress an annual evaluation of the current and emerging 
threats to health in the country. 
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 shall take action to ensure that the early warning 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 Disease 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 epidemic; 
(e) Coordinate local and international health activities relating to disease 
prevention and control; 
(f) 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. 
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,