CAGAYAN de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez this morning, July 12, has refiled a bill to establish the Philippine Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), aiming to strengthen the country's public health system.
House Bill 1241, previously approved in the 19th Congress but stalled in the Senate, is being pushed again with Abamin party-list Rep. Maxie Rodriguez as co-author.
The proposed agency would operate under the Department of Health (DOH), focusing on early disease detection, control and monitoring nationwide.
Its key functions would include developing disease prevention policies, conducting surveillance and epidemiology, analyzing health data, managing public health laboratories, setting guidelines for private laboratories, providing health threat recommendations, handling risk information and training local health workers.
The bill also suggests the creation of specialized offices within the CDC, such as the Center for Health Statistics, the Center for Epidemiology and Surveillance, and Regional CDCs, each tasked with specific roles in disease response.
Additionally, the President would have authority to mobilize private healthcare facilities and transport during health emergencies.
Rodriguez emphasized the urgency of passing the bill to enhance the country’s preparedness against future public health threats.
