DEFINING THE POWERS, FUNCTIONS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN RESPONSE TO EBOLA RESTON VIRUS INFECTION AND MATTERS RELATED THERETO

WHEREAS, infection caused by Ebola Reston virus, a non-pathogenic
strain of the deadlier strain of Ebola found in Africa, has occurred for
the first time in the world in pigs situated in the provinces of
Bulacan and Pangasinan requiring the Government to take bold,
preemptive, active and immediate measures in order to avert or minimize
its potential grave effects;

WHEREAS, in the event that the infection spreads or develops into a
more dangerous hazard to the livestock industry and public health
safety, there is a need for the Government to institute measures to
prevent, confine, minimize, restrict, or control the further spread of
the contagion;

WHEREAS, Article II, Section 15 of the Constitution provides that the
State shall protect and promote the health of the people and instill
health consciousness among them;

WHEREAS, from past experiences with the SARS virus and Avian
Influenza or Bird Flu virus, effective prevention and containment
procedures, guidelines, and strict implementation contributed to the
success of the Philippines in minimizing the effects of said viruses;

WHEREAS, due to the continuing threat of Ebola Reston epidemic, there
is the cogent requirement for pre-disaster planning, community disaster
preparedness and positive, precise disaster control action for rescue
evacuation, relief and rehabilitation to insure the survival of every
Filipino;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the
Republic of the Philippines by virtue of the powers vested in me by law,
do hereby direct and order that:

SECTION 1. Crisis Managers – The Secretary of Agriculture
and the Secretary of Health are hereby designated Over-All Crisis
Managers for the Ebola Reston virus infection in animals and humans,
respectively.

The Department of Agriculture, through its Secretary, is hereby
directed to act on matters pertaining to or primarily affecting
livestock and poultry, including their products and by-products, as well
as other types of animals.

SECTION 2. Delineation of Powers and Authority –
The Secretary of Health is hereby granted and bestowed such powers and
authority as would be necessary in order to prevent, restrict, or
otherwise regulate the entry, movement, or surveillance of people coming
from infected areas or in any place where the infection has been
suspected or detected.

The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby granted and bestowed such
powers and functions as would be necessary in order to contain, control,
prevent, regulate and otherwise restrict the entry, movement, keeping,
handling, or raising of livestock and poultry including their
by-products and other types of animals, which are infected, or suspected
to be, infected or potential carrier of the Ebola Reston virus.

SECTION 3. Specific Areas of Concern and Responsibility

A. The Secretary of Health shall exercise such powers and prerogatives, incidental or otherwise, as would:

(a) Prevent, minimize, regulate, or otherwise restrict the entry
or exit of the Ebola Reston virus, through the Bureau of Quarantine, by
adopting, restricting, or regulating the movement and entry of people
coming from infected localities that are suspected to be carriers, or
potential carriers of the virus, through a system of surveillance
methods utilizing rigid screening and identification procedures in all
ports of entry, and adopting isolation and quarantine measures whenever
deemed necessary;

(b) Prevent, minimize and regulate the spread and local
transmission of the virus through enforcement of triage, contact
tracing, surveillance, quarantine and isolation procedures of people, as
may be appropriate; and

(c) Care, render assistance, cure, or minimize sickness or
possible death through effective clinical management of people,
resources, hospitals, and other facilities, whether public or private.

The Secretary of Health shall also exercise such other functions
and powers as may be incidental, related or otherwise connected with the
above mentioned authority.

B. The Secretary of Agriculture shall take such measures and actions as would:

(a) Prevent, restrict, minimize or otherwise regulate the entry,
movement, keeping, handling or raising of livestock and poultry,
including their products and by-products, and or other animals coming
from infected farms or localities or from any other place which are
potential or suspected to be, afflicted or carriers of the Ebola Reston
virus, including the imposition of total or partial bans on local
shipment or export of such animals;

(b) May Condemn and slaughter pigs and other animals found to be infected with Ebola Reston virus;

(c) Conduct surveillance, mapping, identification, isolation,
quarantine, or eradication of pigs, their products and by-products, and
other animals infected or suspected to be infected by the Ebola Reston
Virus within the country, or any part thereof, including the culling or
stamping out of infected pigs coming from backyard and commercial farms
and other affected areas, as may be determined by the Secretary; and

(d) Monitor, trace, plot, or otherwise observe, in coordination
with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the
sanctuaries of possible reservoirs and their movement taking into
consideration the safety and well being of the people and giving due
regard to nature.

The Secretary of Agriculture shall also exercise such other
functions and powers as may be incidental, related or otherwise
connected with the above mentioned authority.

SECTION 4. Information Dissemination and Coordination – As Crisis Managers, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health shall have the following responsibilities:

(a) To continuously educate and disseminate information, as
appropriate, in order to prepare and educate the media and the general
public with a better understanding of the Ebola Reston virus, promote
positive health values and behavior, and prevent disinformation,
confusion, or panic;

(b) To coordinate responses together with other government
agencies and the private sector through meetings, conferences and the
like; or otherwise constructively engage the public and affected sectors
in general;

(c) To issue the necessary bulletins, advisories and health warnings on matters concerning the foregoing.

SECTION 5. Assistance and Support; Close Coordination with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)
– The Over-All Crisis Managers are hereby empowered to call upon all
agencies of Government for support and assistance in the enforcement of
this Order, including but not necessarily limited to the:

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA);
Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) Department of Finance (DoF);
Department of Education (DepEd);
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);

Department of National Defense (DND);
National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC);
Office of the Press Secretary (OPS);

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP);

Philippine National Police (PNP);
All Local Government Units (LGUs);

The Crisis Managers, in close coordination with the NDCC, shall be
empowered to coordinate with or seek the assistance and support of the
above mentioned agencies, including their respective attached offices
and the various LGUs in order to effectively implement the provisions of
this Order.

All agencies, offices, managers, and personnel are hereby directed
to cooperate and provide such assistance and support as may be requested
or needed by the Crisis Manager in the containment of the Ebola Reston
contagion.

Defense and law enforcement agencies, particularly the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP)
and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shall give priority to the
directives or orders issued and promulgated by the Crisis Manager
affecting their specific areas of concern.

SECTION 6. Rules and Regulations – The Secretary of
Health, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall
promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary, related,
incidental or consistent with the purpose, intent, and objective of this
Order.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause – Should any of the
provisions contained herein be declared illegal or unconstitutional, the
rest or other such provisions not so declared shall remain valid and
effective.

SECTION 8. Effectivity – This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 14 Aug. 2009

(SGD.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
President of the Philippines      

BY THE PRESIDENT:

(SGD.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary