By: Congressman Arthur “Dodo” Y. Pingoy, Jr., M.D.
Representative, 2nd District-South Cotabato, Chairman, Committee on Health
South Wing-Rm. 502, House of Representatives, Constitution Hills, Q.C.; Tel. Nos.: 931-6313; 931-5001 loc 7280
Date of release: 15 August 2009
Republic Act No. 9711
"Food and Drugs Administration Act of 2009"
(BFAD Strengthening Bill) to be signed by GMA on Tuesday (August 18, 2009).
Congressman Arthur “Dodo” Y. Pingoy, Jr., M.D., Chairman of the Committee on Health of the House of Representatives and 3rd termer representative of the 2nd District of South Cotabato said that the Food and Drugs Administration Act of 2009 will be signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday (August 18, 2009).
Chairman Pingoy, principal author of the bill, made the announcement following a confirmed advisory by top officials of Malacañang and the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO). He received the confirmation while attending a full-day consultative conference and forum with senior citizens at Maltana, Tampakan, South Cotabato organized by 54 senior citizens key officers of the 14 barangays of the said municipality.
The “BFAD Strengthening Bill” has long been a priority legislative measure of Malacañang aimed at protecting and promoting the right to health of the Filipino people through an effective regulatory system of all health products responsive to the country’s health needs and problems,” Chairman Pingoy said. This legislation goes far more than just renaming the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) to the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) as it strengthens the agency’s administrative and technical capability to effectively perform its regulatory functions of licensing, registration and monitoring. Now, the safety, efficacy and quality of drugs, pharmaceutical and other health products are assured, even long after those products are registered and sold to the market,” he explained.
“An essential component of the bill is the retention of operating funds derived from charges and fees in the agency’s exercise of its regulatory powers to enable the new FDA to upgrade its laboratory equipment and facilities, as well as to augment its manpower personnel not only in its new regional laboratories but also those assigned to closely and periodically monitor all health products, whether they be found at the streets, markets or malls,” he said.
“It can now even order the ban, recall and withdrawal of any health product found to have caused the death, serious illness or serious injury to person, including those found to be imminently injurious, unsafe, dangerous or grossly deceptive to the consuming public, and through the maintenance of bonded warehouses, its personnel will be able preserve the integrity and safeguard the custody of goods confiscated in strategic areas of the country especially at major ports of entry.”
“Also, with the establishment of a regulatory enforcement unit (REU) akin to that in the United States, we will expect a more effective enforcement of the agency’s orders and directives, as well as search and arrest warrants issued by the courts in connection with violations under this law and related laws concerning the regulation of health products.”
Rep. Pingoy said that even imported toys offered as part of kiddie meal bundles from popular food-chain stores will not be spared including popular herbal supplements, sub-standard medical devices and cosmetic products widely sold in department stores. With its improved mandate to improve, upgrade and increase its capability to test, calibrate, assay and examine samples of health products and the conduct and/or audit of centers conducting bioavailability and bioequivalence tests based on established pharmaceutical standards, Chairman Pingoy also expects that there will be more drug companies who will venture in the manufacture, packaging and distribution of generic drugs, thereby contributing further to the lowering of costs of available drugs and medicines. “Without a tougher and stronger FDA, the implementation of the Cheap Medicines Law would not be effective and complete, as it is a necessary component to it,” Chairman Pingoy added.
He also vowed to help fast-track current legislative initiatives seeking to restore the tax exemptions previously enjoyed by the country’s senior citizens prior to the passage of the E-VAT law, in reference to a 1992 law (R.A. 9257) that granted 20% discount on their purchase of goods and services like purchase of medicines, laboratory tests and diagnostic services and dental care; a minimum of 20% discount in admission fees in theaters and cinemas, concert halls, and other similar places of leisure and amusement; a 20% discount in fares for domestic air and sea travels as well as in public railways, skyways and bus fares and funeral and burial services; and special discount programs on purchases of basic commodities in markets and shopping centers. # # #
History of Republic Act No. 9711
09 July 2007
Congressman Arthur “Dodo” Y. Pingoy, Jr., M.D., Chairman of the Committee on Health, filed House Bill No. 875. The bill was entitled: An Act Strengthening the Regulatory Capacity of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) by Establishing Adequate Testing Laboratories and Field Offices, Upgrading its Equipment, Augmenting its Human Resource Complement, Giving Authority to retain its Income and for Other Purposes, Amending Certain Sections of Republic Act No. 3720, As Amended, and Appropriating Funds Thereof. Its short title is the “Bureau of Food and Drugs Empowerment and Strengthening Act”.
31 July 2007
House Bill No. 875 was read during plenary session and referred to the Committee on Health.
12 December 2007
Committees on Health and Appropriations submitted Committee Report No. 203 to the House of Representatives with the recommendation that House Bill 3293 be approved in substitution (after considering the other inputs of some members of the House of Representatives) of House Bill No. 875.
30 April 2008
House Bill read on Second Reading
05 May 2008
Senate counterpart bill filed by Senator Pia Cayetano read on First Reading and Referred to the Senate Committee(s) on Health and Demography; and Finance;
12 May 2008
House Bill read on Third Reading.
30 October 2008
Senate counterpart bill returned to the Senate jointly by the Committee(s) on Health and Demography and Finance per Committee Report No. 104, recommending that it be considered in SBN-2645;
19 January 2009
House of Representatives requested the Senate for a conference on the disagreeing provisions of HBN-3293 and SBN-2645, and designated Representatives Pingoy Jr. (A.), Biron MD (F.), Pichay (P.), Alvarez (A.), Lagman (E.), Garin (J.), Locsin Jr. (T.), Valdez (E.), Escudero III (S.) and Hontiveros-Baraquel (A.T.), as its conferees to the Bicameral Conference Committee on December 16, 2008;
27 January 2009
Senate agreed to the request of the House of Representatives for a conference on the disagreeing provisions of SBN-2645 and HBN-3293, and designated Senators Legarda, Companera Pia S. Cayetano and Mar Roxas as its conferees to the Bicameral Conference Committee on January 22, 2009;
13 April 2009
House of Representatives elected Representative Garcia (P.) as additional conferee to the Bicameral Conference Committee on the disagreeing provisions of HBN-3293 and SBN-2645;
April to May 2009
Legislative Technical Staff of Chairman Pingoy with Legislative Technical Staff of Senator Cayetano, on eight occasions, worked on the final draft of the bill.
Bicameral Committee met thrice to discuss and approve the final draft.
03 June 2009
Conference Committee Report submitted to the Senate recommending that SBN-2645, in consolidation with HBN-3293 be approved as reconciled; Sponsorship speech of Senator Pia S. Cayetano on the Conference Committee Report;
Conference Committee Report approved by the Senate;
Conference Committee Report approved by the House of Representatives;
06 July 2009
Enrolled copies of the consolidated version of SBN-2645 and HBN-3293 were sent to the House of Representatives for the signature of the Speaker and the Secretary General;
21 July 2009
Enrolled copies of the consolidated version of SBN-2645 and HBN-3293 were received by the Senate already signed by the Speaker and the Secretary General of the House of Representatives;
23 July 2009
Enrolled copies of the consolidated version of SBN-2645 and HBN-3293, sent to the Office of the President of the Philippines, Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for her signature and approval
18 August 2008
Signing of the law.
No comments:
Post a Comment