Creation of Bureau of Dental Health Services

June 22, 1963

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 3814

AN ACT CREATING THE BUREAU OF DENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

(AS AMENDED BY RA 5211)

SECTION 1. There is hereby created under the Department of Health a Bureau of Dental Health Services.

This bureau shall be headed by a Director who shall be a dentist of good moral character with achievements and must have practiced dentistry for a period of not less than ten years. The Director shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the confirmation of the Commission on Appointments and shall receive a compensation as a regular bureau director.

The bureau shall be organized by the Director of Dental Health Services with the approval of the Secretary of Health and shall have the following divisions: Administrative Division; Research, Standards and Statistics Division; Rural Dental Health Division; Industrial Dental Health Division; Sanitaria, Hospital, Puericulture, and Charity Health Center Dental Health Division; Private Schools Dental Health Division; and such other Divisions as may be deemed necessary in the interests of public health dentistry.

SECTION 2. The Bureau of Dental Health Services is charged with the protection of the dental health of the people of the Philippines and the maintenance of an adequate standard of dental health services and the improvement of such standards. Its general powers and functions shall extend to and comprehend integration among other things, the following:

(a) The coordination, control and supervision of all dental health services in the government including those under the Department of Health, except those of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and dental infirmaries for the training of dental students in dental schools and dental colleges and those under the Department of Education.

(b) Supervision of such dental health services in private firms, companies, corporations, and private educational institutions, except dental infirmaries for the training of dental students in dental schools or colleges.

(c) The making of statistics, researches, and investigations as may be deemed necessary for the purpose of improving public dental health.

SECTION 3. To carry out the provisions of this Act, all dental health activities of the regional offices of the Department of Health, including those in hospitals, sanitaria and other units under the Department of Health, together with all dental health personnel, their salary items, equipment and appropriations, except those specifically excluded in Section two (a) hereof, are hereby placed under the supervision, integration, control and coordination of the Bureau of Dental Health Services: Provided, That in the case of hospitals and sanitaria under the Department of Health, the Bureau of Dental Health Services shall exercise only technical supervision over the dental services in those institutions, while the administrative control and supervision over the dental personnel thereof shall be exercised by the chiefs of the said institutions. The financing of these various dental activities as well as the salary items and the appointments of all their personnel, shall continue as heretofore, and the President of the Philippines is hereby authorized to effect the transfer of such dental health activities in the various agencies of the government as have not as yet been transferred to the Bureau of Dental Health Services, with the corresponding items and personnel, equipment and appropriations, upon, the approval of this Act. acd

SECTION 4. All dental health services in private firms, companies or corporations and educational institutions which are required by law to employ dentists, shall be under the supervision of the Bureau of Dental Health Services: Provided, however, That the salaries of such dentists and other personnel shall continue to be paid by such firms, companies or corporations or educational institutions.

SECTION 5. The sum of five hundred thousand pesos is hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to carry out the purposes of this Act, including the payment of the salary of the Director and such personnel as may be authorized by the President of the Philippines until their items are incorporated in the General Appropriation Acts.

SECTION 6. In addition to the appropriations provided for in the preceding section, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office is authorized to hold annually one special sweepstakes horse race the whole proceeds of which shall, after deducting the payment of the prizes and expenses, as provided in Republic Act Numbered Eleven hundred sixty-nine, be turned over to the Bureau of Dental Health Services to constitute a special fund to help defray the operational expenses of said Bureau.

SECTION 7. All Acts, parts of Acts, and executive orders inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 22, 1963

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 60, No. 5, p. 641 on February 3, 1964