ae
epubic ofthe Bhilppins

House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Mavil

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 1013

INTRODUCED BY REP. ALFRED 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.

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.
sf VARGAS

&
'S RECEIVED ©
= DATE: JUN 17 2098}


Ha are af the Biiigyines:
use of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. GND

INTRODUCED BY REP. ALFRED 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;

(0) 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

() 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 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 and address disease outbreaks and other threats 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;

(@) 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 and prevention of a broad
range of communicable and similar diseases;

() Formulate an early warning and response system to make available
information on communicable and similar diseases 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 necessary for the prevention
and control of communicable diseases;


(0) 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;

() 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;


() 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,