An Act Providing For The Development Of The Healthcare And Manufacturing Industries To Strengthen The Country’s Protection Against Pandemics And Providing Funds Therefor

• The Philippine health system does not have a local supply base of medical grade PPE. Philippine hospitals and health systems do not stockpile PPE for emergency situations, but use just-in-time procurement and supply to limit excess inventory. The reliance on imports coupled with lack of local testing facilities and regulatory approvals gave rise to substandard PPE, thereby putting at risk the lives of the Filipino frontline health care workers during the pandemic. 
• With the local manufacturers of medical grade PPE ready and products available, it becomes a matter of utmost urgency and necessity for Congress to enact a law that will adequately and effectively support and prioritize the purchase of critical products produced by local manufacturers to: 1) retain employment of these skilled workers during this time of crisis; and 2) assure the local availability of such critical products to meet current demand and for stockpiling requirements. 
• This bill provides for the accreditation of manufacturers and producers of critical products; exemption from custom duties, value-added tax, and fees; suspension of export requirement; preferential procurement of critical products by the Government; exemption from the requirement of Phase IV clinical trial under Health Technology Assessment of vaccines and medicines; stockpiling of critical products; and, relocation or expansion of manufacturing enterprises in the Philippines. 

Download PDF