Public Health Laws in the Philippines

1. PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS
IN THE PHILIPPINES
BY: ROMMEL LUIS C. ISRAEL III

2. RA 7305 MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE
WORKERS
- was enacted to ensure that health workers are properly
compensated, thereby helping to promote better delivery of quality
health care service.
- Workload
- Compensation
- meal allowance
- health and social insurance
- security of tenure

3. PD 856 SANITATION CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
1. GENERAL PROVISIONS: defines the powers and functions of the DOH:
- Undertake the promotion and preservation of the health of the people and raise the health standards of
individuals and communities throughout the Philippines;
- Extend maximum health services to the people in rural areas and provide medical care to those who cannot
afford it by reason of poverty;
- Develop, administer and coordinate various health activities and services which shall include public health,
preventive, curative and rehabilitative programs, medical care, health and medical education services;
- Upgrade the standards of medical practice, the quality of health services and programs to assure the people of
better health services;
- Assist local health agencies in developing public health programs including medical care, and promote
medical and public health research;
- issue permits to establish and operate government and private hospitals, clinics, dispensaries, schools of
nursing, midwifery, and other para-medical course, puericulture centers, clinical laboratories and blood banks;
- Prescribe standard rates of fees for health, medical, laboratory, and other public health services;

4. PD 856 SANITATION CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
2) WATER SUPPLY
- Standards for drinking water and their bacteriological and chemical examinations, together with the evaluation of results,
shall conform to the criteria set by the National Drinking Water Standards. The treatment of water to render it safe for
drinking, and the disinfection of contaminated water sources together with their distribution systems shall be in
accordance with procedures prescribed by the Department.
3) FOOD ESTABLISHMENT
- No person or entity shall operate a food establishment for public patronage without securing a permit from the local
health office. The term "food establishment" as used in this chapter means an establishment where food or drinks are
manufactured, processed, stored, sold or served.
4) SCHOOL SANITATION AND HEALTH SERVICES
- The Physical Environment In the design and construction of the school plant
- The Emotional Environment For the promotion of emotional health of the school population
- Health Services Trained personnel and adequate facilities should be available so that students may be afforded the
following health services:(a) Periodic physical and medical examination;(b) Periodic immunization;(c) Medical and
dental treatment;(d) Treatment for common emergencies; and(e) Counselling and guidance.
- Sets the sanitation and safety requirements for Special Schools (laboratories with cadavers, poisonous chemicals etc)

5. PD 856 SANITATION CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
5) INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
6) PUBLIC SWIMMING OR BATHING PLACES
7) REST AREAS, BUS TERMINALS, BUS STOPS, AND SERVICE STATIONS
8) CAMPS AND PICNIC GROUNDS
9) DANCING SCHOOLS, DANCE HALLS AND NIGHT CLUBS
10) TONSORIAL AND BEAUTY ESTABLISHMENTS
11) MASSAGE CLINICS AND SAUNA BATH ESTABLISHMENTS
12) HOTELS, MOTELS AND APARTMENTS, LODGING, BOARDING, OR TENEMENT HOUSES, AND CONDOMINIUMS
13) PORT, AIRPORT, VESSEL AND AIRCRAFT SANITATION
14) VERMIN CONTROL

6. RA 8749 PHILIPPINE CLEAN AIR ACT
- is a comprehensive air quality management policy and program which aims to achieve and maintain healthy air for
all Filipinos.
- Formulate a holistic national program of air pollution that shall be implemented by the government through proper
delegation and effective coordination of function and activities;
- Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among citizen and industries through the application of incentives
market-based instruments;
- Focus primarily on pollution prevention rather than on control and provide for a comprehensive management
program on air pollution;
- Promote public information and education to encourage the participation of an informed and active public in air
quality planning and monitoring;
- Formulate and enforce a system of accountability for short and long term adverse environmental impact of a
project, program or activity. This shall include setting up of a funding or guarantee mechanism for clean-up and
environmental rehabilitation and compensation for personal damages

7. RA 7875 NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE ACT
(PHILHEALTH)
- NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE ACT OF 1995 [REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7875] AN
ACT INSTITUTING A NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR ALL
FILIPINOS AND ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH INSURANCE
CORPORATION FOR THE PURPOSE

8. RA 6675 GENERICS ACT
- The Philippine government passed the Generics Act of 1988 to ensure that
inexpensive and effective drugs are made available to all Filipinos.
- Reinforces prescribing physicians and generic dispensing by pharmacists, and
the choice of generics by consumers. The Generics Act of 1988, also known as
the Republic Act (RA) 6675, seeks “to promote, require, and ensure the
production of an adequate supply, distribution, use, and acceptance of drugs
and medicines identified by the generics names.”

9. RA 11332 LAWS ON NOTIFIABLE DISEASE
- AN ACT PROVIDING POLICIES AND PRESCRIBING PROCEDURES ON
SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE TO NOTIFIABLE DISEASES, EPIDEMICS, AND
HEALTH EVENTS OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR, REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE ACT NO. 3573, OTHERWISE KNOWN
AS THE “LAW ON REPORTING OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES”

10. RA 7719 NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICES ACT
- is An Act Promoting Voluntary Blood Donation, Providing For
Adequate Supply of Safe Blood, Regulating Blood Banks, And
Providing Penalties For Violation Thereof

11. RA 9994 EXPANDED SENIOR CITIZEN’S ACT
- AN ACT GRANTING ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES TO SENIOR CITIZENS,
FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7432, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS "AN ACT TO MAXIMIZE THE CONTRIBUTION OF SENIOR CITIZENS TO
NATION BUILDING, GRANT BENEFITS AND SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES"

12. RA 10640 REVISED DANGEROUS DRUGS LAW
- AN ACT TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN OF THE GOVERNMENT,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 21 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9165, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS THE “COMPREHENSIVE DANGEROUS DRUGS ACT OF 2002″

13. RA 9502 CHEAPER MEDICINES ACT
- The Law intends to achieve better health outcomes
for the Filipino people by assuring that quality
medicines are accessible and affordable to as
many Filipinos especially the poor.

14. RA 9262 ANTI-VIOLENCE LAW AGAINST WOMEN AND THEIR
CHILDREN
- AN ACT DEFINING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND THEIR
CHILDREN, PROVIDING FOR PROTECTIVE MEASURES FOR
VICTIMS, PRESCRIBING PENALTIES THEREFORE, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES.

15. RA 10121 PHILIPPINE DRRM ACT OF 2010
- These are compelling reasons why the Philippines should adopt disaster risk
reduction and management (DRRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA). Hazards
– both natural and human induced happen due to geological, meteorological,
hydrological, – oceanic, biological, and technological sources, sometimes acting in
combination
- The provision of emergency services and public assistance during or immediately
after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety
and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected. Disaster response is
predominantly focused on immediate and short‐term needs and is sometimes called
“disaster relief”

16. EO 51 MILK CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
- ensures the protection of breastfeeding
- “the milk code intends to intensify the dissemination of information on breastfeeding
and proper nutrition while regulating the advertising, marketing, and promotion of
breastmilk substitutes and other products, including feeding bottles and teats”
- “it bans the use of the healthcare system in the use of its products”
- “it bans donations, samples or distribution of other promotional giveaways by milk
companies to the health workers and others in the healthcare system”

17. RA 10354 RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW OF
2012 (RH BILL)
- protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution and equally protect the
life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.
- The State shall protect and promote the right to health of women especially mothers in particular
and of the people in general and instill health consciousness among them.
- The State also recognizes and guarantees the promotion and equal protection of the welfare and
rights of children, the youth, and the unborn.
- With the passage of the RH bill, or what is now known as RA 10354 or the Responsible Parenthood
and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, the national government and local government units (LGU)
will be able to strategically and comprehensively address perennial problems of the country on
maternal mortality, child mortality, teenage pregnancies, and prevalence of HIV and AIDS, among
others.

18. RA 10152 MANDATORY INFANTS AND CHILDREN HEALTH IMMUNIZATION ACT
OF 2011
- Reinforces the proactive role of the State in the preventive health care of infants and
children
- The mandatory basic immunization under RA 10152 covers measles and other
vaccine-preventable diseases such as tuberculosis; diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis;
poliomyelitis; mumps; rubella or german measles; hepatitis-B, and H. influenza type B
or HIB.

19. RA 10666 CHILDREN SAFETY ON MOTORCYCLES ACT OF 2015
- AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN ABOARD MOTORCYLES
- the State shall pursue a more proactive and preventive approach to secure the safety of
passengers, especially children, by regulating the operation of motorcycles along roads
and highways
- a child may be allowed to board a motorcycle on public roads if: the child passenger can
comfortably reach his/her feet on the standard foot peg of the motorcycle; the child’s arms
can reach around and grasp the waist of the motorcycle rider; and the child is wearing a
standard protective helmet or gear.
- Children below 18 years old; Sitting in front of the rider is not allowed but the law does not
apply to cases where the child to be transported requires immediate medical attention.

20. RA 10821 CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY RELIEF AND PROTECTION ACT
- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall formulate a Comprehensive Emergency Program for
Children
- The Program shall be used as the basis for handling disasters and other emergency situations to protect children, pregnant
and lactating mothers, and support their immediate recovery
- RA 10821 Jingle : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXTDsX1W3qs
- 5 salient points defined in this acronym: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl7O2kaT1Oc
C - Child Friendly Spaces
H - Health and Psychosocial Services
I - Involvement of Children in Disaster Planning and Needs Assessment
L- LGU will establish safe evacuation centers
D - Data and Reports to identify children

21. PD 603 CHILD AND YOUTH WELFARE CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
- Law that protects the rights of Children and the youth below 21
years old
Child Protection (credits: Save the Children): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfrOFoYnnco
Child’s Top 5 Rights (credits: Save the Children): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STh5aG_lLXA
- All children shall be entitled to the rights herein set forth without
distinction as to legitimacy or illegitimacy, sex, social status,
religion, political antecedents, and other factors

22. RA 9211 TOBACCO REGULATION ACT OF 2003
- it is the policy of the State to protect the populace
from hazardous products and promote the right to
health and instill health consciousness among
them.

23. RA 11036 MENTAL HEALTH LAW
- The Mental Health Law (Republic Act 11036) proposes a
mental health policy that aims to enhance integrated mental
health services, the promotion of mental health services,
protection of people who use said services, and the
establishment of a Philippine mental health council