Commonwealth Act No. 163




[ Commonwealth Act No. 163, November 09, 1936 ] AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION NINE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN OF THE REVISED ADMINISTRATIVE CODE RELATIVE TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES TO INVEST THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH WITH SPECIAL POWERS IN CERTAIN CASES. Be it enacted by the National Assembly of the Philippines: Section 1. Section nine hundred and forty-seven of the Revised Administrative Code is hereby amended so as to read as follows: "Section 947. Authority by the President of the Philippines to invest Director of Health with special powers in certain cases.-When it shall be shown to the satisfaction of the President of the Philippines that the City of Manila or any province or part of the Philippines is threatened with or suffering from an epidemic of dangerous communicable disease, he may issue an executive order declaring that the place or portion in question is so threatened with or suffering from an epidemic and he may, in such order, invest the Director of Health with emergency powers, to be defined in said order, with authority to prescribe, subject to the approval of the Department Head, such emergency health regulations as may be deemed necessary to prevent or suppress the occurrence or spread of the epidemic in question. Such regulations shall, from issuance, have the same force and effect and shall be enforced in the same manner as if enacted by legislative authority, throughout the city, district, or part thereof specified in such regulations. "When it is shown to the satisfaction of the President of the Philippines that the danger of an epidemic has passed, he shall so declare by executive order, and upon publication of such executive order the emergency health regulations shall become null and void, unless in such executive order it is specially declared that one or more of the emergency regulations shall remain in effect for a further period to be prescribed, Army. "When, for the protection of the health of the personnel of the Philippine Army and the trainees undergoing instruction in military training camps, it shall be shown to the satisfaction of the President of the Philippines that necessity exists therefor, he may invest the Director of Health with similar authority to prescribe, subject to the approval of the Department Head, such special health regulations as may be deemed necessary to prevent or suppress epidemic or endemic diseases within a circular area or zone having a radius of five or more kilometers from an army post as a center, this area to be designated as "Philippine Army-"Philippine Army Extra Cantonment Zone." All such special health regulations to be known as "Extra Cantonment Sanitary Regulations" shall have full force and effect within the designated zone and any provisions of local laws, regulations, or ordinances inconsistent or repugnant therewith, shall be suspended during such periods of time as may be determined by the President: Provided, That the Director of Health may, upon request of the Chief of Staff of the Philippine Army, designate a medical officer of an army post as his special representative to enforce such health regulations as may be prescribed within the limits of the "Extra Cantonment Zone." Section 2. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.ℒαwρhi৷ Approved, November 9, 1936. The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation