MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday urged Congress to approve the bill seeking to establish the Philippine Center for Disease Control (CDC) as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to afflict communities in the country.
Duque expressed his support towards House Bill No. 6096 filed by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda during the technical working group (TWG) meeting of the health subcommittee of House’s Defeat COVID-19 Committee (DCC).
“I understand that Congressman [Joey] Salceda had made mention of this a few times in some of his interviews. It would be best to really, given the COVID, the evolving COVID situation, it is opportune for Congress to craft a legislation establishing the Philippine Center for Disease Control,” Duque said.
According to the bill, CDC is tasked with “developing and applying communicable disease control and prevention initiatives” and shall be responsible for “controlling the introduction and spread of infectious diseases.”
It will be an agency under the control and supervision of the Department of Health (DOH).
Likewise, Duque also urged the House to draft a counterpart bill to Senate Bill No. 1347 filed by Senator Richard Gordon which seeks to ensure that the country has enough supply of critical materials such as personal protective equipment in times of emergencies.
“I would like to suggest very strongly that the House does a counterpart bill in institutionalizing and ensuring the supplies of personal protective equipment as well as other pandemic or epidemic supplies, to really ramp up the country’s capacity to mount an effective response against COVID-19,” Duque said.
As of April 16, there are 5,660 COVID-19 cases in the country, with the death toll at 362.