LOI 949

The legal basis of PHC was signed by Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos, which adopted PHC as an
approach towards the design, development and implementation of programs focusing on health
development at community level.

RA 7160
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991"

Also known as: Local Government Code (LGC)

Amended: 1991
The Local Government Code has been amended to provide representatives for women in all of
the 1,600 local legislative assemblies (Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Panlungsod,
Sangguniang Bayan and Sangguniang Barangay) nationwide. This is consistent with the 1987
Constitution recognizing women's vital role in nation-building.

RA 7883
"AN ACT GRANTING BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES TO ACCREDITED BARANGAY
HEALTH WORKERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"

Also known as: "Barangay Health Workers' Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995"
Signed: February 20, 1995
This Act espouses the Primary Health Care Approach towards health empowerment. Incentives
shall, therefore, be provided to communities and they shall act as frontliners in the Primary
Health Care Approach.

RA 9173
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A MORE RESPONSIVE NURSING PROFESSION,
REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7164, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
"THE PHILIPPINE NURSING ACT OF 1991" AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

The policy of the State to assume responsibility for the protection and improvement of the
nursing profession by instituting measures that will result in relevant nursing education, humane
working conditions, better career prospects and a dignified existence for our nurses.
The State hereby guarantees the delivery of quality basic health services through an adequate
nursing personnel system throughout the country.

RA 3573
(Law on Reporting Communicable Diseases) is a mandatory law in the Philippines which states
and requires all individuals and health facilities to report Notifiable Diseases to local and
national health authorities.An act providing for the prevention and suppression of dangerous
communicable diseases.
RA 1891
(An Act Strengthening Health and Dental Services in the Rural Areas and Providing Funds).
Created 8 ncategories of RHUs corresponding to 8 population groups to be served. R.A
1082(RHU Act) provided for the employment of health personnel including nurses that would
help raise the health conditions of the rural population.

PD 825

PROVIDING PENALTY FOR IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE AND OTHER

FORMS OF UNCLEANLINESS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

One of the principal aims of the New Society is to effect social, economic and political reform
through discipline and order; a healthy citizenry is a vital factor in bringing about these reforms;
and to attain these objectives it becomes the duty of every citizen and resident of the Philippines
to keep his environment or surroundings clean and wholesome.

RA 9211
AN ACT REGULATING THE PACKAGING, USE, SALE DISTRIBUTION AND
ADVERTISEMENTS OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

It is the policy of the State to protect the populace from hazardous products and promote the
right to health and instill health consciousness among them. It is also the policy of the State,
consistent with the Constitutional ideal to promote the general welfare, to safeguard the Interests
of the workers and other stakeholders in the tobacco industry. For these purposes, the
government shall institute a balanced policy whereby the use, sale, and advertisements of
tobacco products shall be regulated in order to promote a healthful environment and protect the
citizens from the hazards of tobacco smoke, and at the same time ensure that the interest of
tobacco farmers, growers, workers and stakeholders are not adversely compromised.

RA 8976
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE FOOD FORTIFICATION PROGRAM AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

State recognizes that nutritional deficiency problems in the Philippines, based on nutrition
surveys, include deficiency in energy, iron, vitamin A, iodine, thiamin and riboflavin. To a minor
extent, the Filipino diet is also deficient in ascorbic acid, calcium and folate.
The State recognizes that food fortification is vital where there is a demonstrated need to
increase the intake of an essential nutrient by one or more population groups, as manifested in
dietary, biochemical or clinical evidences of deficiency. Food fortification is considered
important in the promotion of optimal health and to compensate for the loss of nutrients due to
processing and/or storage of food.
Food fortification, therefore, shall carried out to compensate for the inadequacies in Filipino diet,
based on present-day needs as measured using the most recent Recommended Dietary
Allowances (RDA)
RA 9255
AN ACT ALLOWING ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN TO USE THE SURNAME OF THEIR
FATHER, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLE 176 OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO.
209, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "FAMILY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES"

Illegitimate children shall use the surname and shall be under the parental authority of their
mother, and shall be entitled to support in conformity with this Code. However, illegitimate
children may use the surname of their father if their filiation has been expressly recognized by
the father through the record of birth appearing in the civil register, or when an admission in a
public document or private handwritten instrument is made by the father. Provided, the father
has the right to institute an action before the regular courts to prove non-filiation during his
lifetime. The legitime of each illegitimate child shall consist of one-half of the legitime of a
legitimate child."

RA 7600
"AN ACT PROVIDING INCENTIVES TO ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HEALTH
INSTITUTIONS WITH ROOMING-IN AND BREASTFEEDING PRACTICES AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES"

Also known as: The Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act of 1992

Signed: 1992
To create an environment where basic physical, emotional, and psychological needs of mothers
and infants immediately after birth, rooming-in and breastfeeding is encouraged by this law.
Health institutions are to provide facilities for rooming-in and breastfeeding and expenses they
incur in this regard shall be deductible expenses for income tax purposes. The Secretary of
Health shall impose sanctions in case of violation of this law.

Policies include
-
1. preparation of
mothers for
breastfeeding,
-
2. latching on ( baby
to suck 30 minutes
after delivery),
-
3. rooming in 30
minutes after
delivery,
-
4. breastfeeding for 4-6 months, feed per demand
RA 9288
AN ACT PROMULGATING A COMPREHENSIVE POLICY AND A NATIONAL SYSTEM
FOR ENSURING NEWBORN SCREENING
It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the right to health of the people, including the
rights of children to survival and full and healthy development as normal individuals. In pursuit
of such policy, the State shall institutionalize a national newborn screening system that is
comprehensive, integrative and sustainable, and will facilitate collaboration among government
and non-government agencies at the national and local levels, the private sector, families and
communities, professional health organizations, academic institutions, and non-governmental
organizations. The National Newborn Screening System shall ensure that every baby born in the
Philippines is offered the opportunity to undergo newborn screening and thus be spared from
heritable conditions that can lead to mental retardation and death if undetected and untreated.

RA 4073
Persons afflicted with leprosy not to be segregated. — Except when certified by the Secretary of
Health or his authorized representatives that the stage of the disease requires institutional
treatment, no persons afflicted with leprosy shall be confined in a leprosarium: provided, that
such person shall be treated in any government skin clinic, rural health unit or by a duly licensed
physician.

Confinement and treatment in sanitarium when necessary. — Whenever a person afflicted with
leprosy shall have developed the disease to such stage as to require institutional treatment and
the leprosy officer shall so certify, the said person shall forthwith be sent to a government
operated sanitarium and be treated therein until such time as the Secretary of Health or his
authorized representative decides that institutional treatment is no longer necessary."

PD 996
PROVIDING FOR COMPULSORY BASIC IMMUNIZATION FOR INFANTS AND
CHILDREN BELOW EIGHT YEARS OF AGE

The Child is one of the most important assets of the nation and every effort should be exerted to
promote his welfare and enhance his opportunities for a useful and happy life; the Child can be
protected against death, disease, and disability through an integrated and comprehensive basic
immunization program for infants and children below eight years of age;

Immunization against tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, rubella,

and other diseases is proven and universally applied and generally accepted to be efficient, safe,
and economical measures against the morbid and devastating effects of these diseases on infants
and children; the Department of Health has the necessary resources for nationwide BCG
Vaccination and resources can be developed for other immunizations to meet the needs for
preventive services for infants and children.