Declaring a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the Philippines

March 8, 2020

PROCLAMATION NO. 922

DECLARING A STATE OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY THROUGHOUT THE PHILIPPINES

WHEREAS, under Section 15, Article II of the Philippine Constitution, it is the State's Policy to protect and promote the right to health of the people;

WHEREAS, Section 23, Article VI of the Philippine Constitution provides that in times of national emergency, the Congress may, by law, authorize the President, for a limited period and subject to such restrictions as it may prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out a declared national policy;

WHEREAS, Section 7 of Republic Act (RA) No. 11332 provides that the President of the Republic of the Philippines shall declare a State of Public Health Emergency in the event of an epidemic of national and/or international concern which threatens national security in order to mobilize governmental and nongovernmental agencies to respond to the threat;

WHEREAS, the Secretary of Health has confirmed the local transmission of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in the Philippines;

WHEREAS, the outbreak of COVID-19 constitutes an emergency that threatens national security which requires a whole-of-government response aligned with the Four-Door Framework for COVID-19 of the Department of Health (DOH) and the efforts of all concerned government agencies and local government units (LGUs);

WHEREAS, such declaration would facilitate the implementation of the relevant provisions of RA No. 11332 to address the COVID-19 threat, including but not limited to mandatory reporting, intensify government response and measures, and enforce quarantine and disease control prevention measures; and

WHEREAS, the declaration of a State of Public Health Emergency would capacitate government agencies and LGUs to immediately act to prevent loss of life, utilize appropriate resources to implement urgent and critical measures to contain or prevent the spread of COVID-19, mitigate its effects and impact to the community, and prevent serious disruption of the functioning of the government and the community;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and law, do hereby proclaim as follows:

SECTION 1. There is hereby declared a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the Philippines due to COVID-19.

SECTION 2. All government agencies and LGUs are hereby enjoined to render full assistance and cooperation and mobilize the necessary resources to undertake critical, urgent, and appropriate response and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the COVID-19 threat.

SECTION 3. The Secretary of Health may call upon the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies to provide assistance in addressing the COVID-19 threat.

SECTION 4. All citizens, residents, tourists and establishment owners are urged to act within the bounds of the law and to comply with the lawful directives and advisories to be issued by appropriate government agencies to prevent further transmission of the COVID-19 and ensure the safety and well-being of all.

SECTION 5. The State of Public Health Emergency shall remain in force and effect until lifted or withdrawn by the President.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 8th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 116, No. 11, p. 2150 on March 16, 2020.