Bill creating Philippine disease control center underscored

MANILA, Philippines – Congress has reiterated the importance of putting up a Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), as majority of lawmakers believe the facility is crucial for the procurement of essential commodities during public health emergencies

A total of 255 congressmen have thrown their support to House Bill 6522 or the Philippine CDC Act, which aims to remove roadblocks in procuring commodities and services important for public health emergency response, including vaccines, therapeutics, medical devices and ancillary supplies.

Rep. Arjo Atayde (Quezon City, 1st District), one of the 173 principal authors of the bill that already passed third reading last December, said it’s about time to push for the bill to become a law as it will help avert medical setbacks.

“In what we experienced during the pandemic, we, at the congress, believe it’s about time to continue fighting for this bill to become a law. For example our situation right now with the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine donations we are supposed to receive, it’s on hold at the moment,” Atayde said.

“If there’s a CDC [law], we will avoid this kind of setback,” he added.

Atayde explained that the HB 6522 has a provision that allows the Department of Health (DOH), local government units and private entities, among other authorized parties, to procure medical materials recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“As long as these health emergency materials are recommended by the WHO, Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC), or by DOH-approved clinical practice or interim guidelines, they can be procured without hassle during time of public health emergencies,” he explained.

Atayde added that Section 16 of the proposed law allows the DOH and authorized parties to immediately enter into alternative modes of expedited procurement with United Nations agencies, international organizations, or international financing institutions and their operational arms, such as the WHO, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), subject to the rules and policies set by the DOH.

Quezon City 1st District Rep. Arjo Atayde is pictured here with Mayor Joy Belmonte.

“In reality, one of the concrete options of the DOH to address the delay in the procurement of the bivalent COVID vaccines is the passage of the CDC Act. It’s Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire who already said it,” said the neophyte lawmaker.

Vergeire, officer-in-charge of the DOH, last week said that the delivery of bivalent COVID-19 vaccine donation from the COVAX Facility has been put on hold.

She added the DOH is currently exploring available legal remedies in order for the deal with the UN-backed international vaccine-sharing scheme to proceed.

Vergeire also said the DOH had secured from the COVAX Facility some one million doses of Pfizer's bivalent vaccines, which target the omicron variant and the original form of the coronavirus.

The Senate counterpart of the bill, meanwhile, is currently pending on second reading.

Atayde joins former Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte and his daughter Mayor Joy in a mural jam activity at the QC Circle Underpass.