QuestionsQuestions (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 826)
The Order cites Article II, Section 15 of the Constitution, which provides that the State shall protect and promote the health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
The Secretary of Agriculture is designated the Over-All Crisis Manager for the Ebola Reston virus in animals, while the Secretary of Health is the Over-All Crisis Manager for humans.
The Secretary of Health is granted powers necessary to prevent, restrict, or regulate the entry, movement, or surveillance of people coming from infected areas or places where the infection has been suspected or detected.
It requires adoption/restriction/regulation of movement and entry through the Bureau of Quarantine using rigid screening and identification, and adopting isolation and quarantine measures whenever necessary.
Enforcement of triage, contact tracing, surveillance, quarantine, and isolation procedures for people, as may be appropriate.
It authorizes care, assistance, cure, or minimization of sickness or possible death through effective clinical management of people, resources, hospitals, and other facilities, whether public or private.
To contain, control, prevent, regulate, and otherwise restrict the entry, movement, keeping, handling, or raising of livestock and poultry (including by-products) and other animals that are infected, suspected to be infected, or potential carriers.
EO 826 authorizes condemnation and slaughter of pigs and other animals found to be infected with the Ebola Reston virus.
Surveillance, mapping, identification, isolation, quarantine, or eradication of pigs/products/by-products and other animals infected or suspected of infection, including culling or stamping out infected pigs from backyard and commercial farms and other affected areas.
The Secretary of Agriculture must monitor, trace, plot, or observe possible reservoirs and their movement in coordination with DENR, considering safety and well-being of people and due regard to nature.
To continuously educate and disseminate information, prepare and educate the media and general public, promote positive health values and behavior, prevent disinformation/confusion/panic, and issue bulletins, advisories, and health warnings.
EO 826 empowers the Crisis Managers (in close coordination with NDCC) to call upon agencies such as DILG, DFA, DoTC, DoF, DepEd, DOLE, DND, NDCC, OPS, AFP, PNP, and LGUs. Agencies and personnel must cooperate and provide assistance as requested or needed.
It requires close coordination with NDCC and empowers the Crisis Managers to coordinate with or seek assistance and support of other agencies and LGUs through/with NDCC to implement the Order effectively.
It directs AFP, PNP, and PCG (specifically mentioned for defense/law enforcement) to give priority to directives/orders issued by the Crisis Managers affecting their respective areas of concern.
The Secretary of Health, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary, related, incidental, or consistent with the purpose and objective of the Order.
EO 826 takes effect immediately.
If any provision is declared illegal or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions not declared invalid remain valid and effective.