NAIS ni incoming House Speaker at Leyte 1st Dist. Rep. Martin G. Romualdez na maitatag ang “Center for Disease Control” (CDC) kasunod ng panukalang modernisasyon kaugnay sa kahandaan ng pamahalaan sa “public health emergencies” at mabilisang pagsawata sa paglaganap ng iba’t-ibang diseases sa bansa.

Ito ang nakapaloob sa House Bill No. 9 na inihain ni Romualdez at maybahay nitong si Tingog Party List Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez kasabay ng kaniyang pahayag na inaasahan nitong magiging prayoridad ng papasok na 19th Congress ang kaniyang panukalang batas.

“We hope that with the opening of the 19th Congress, this important measure will be prioritized by our chamber and finally be passed into law, so that the country will be better equipped should another pandemic hits us. We have learned our lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic,” ayon kay Romualdez.

Sinabi ni Romualdez na ang panukala niyang pagtatatag ng CDC ang nakikita niyang epektibong solusyon upang makapaghanda ang Pilipinas sa panahon na muli na naman magkaroon ng pandemiya o “health crisis” kung saan marami ang namatay na Pilipino.

“This proposed measure will better prepare the country against public health emergencies, through health care modernization and institutional reforms,” sabi pa ng mambabatas.

Idinagdag pa ni Romualdez na ang kaniyang panukala kaugnay sa pagtatatag ng “Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control” (CDC) ay “consolidation” ng labingtatlong panukalang batas na nagtatatag sa CDC na dumaan sa House Committee on Health noong 18th Congress.

“This bill seeks to modernize the countries capabilities for public health emergency preparedness and strengthen the current bureaucracy that is mandated to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in the country through organizational and institutional reforms,” sabi pa ni Romualdez.