Organization of Dept. of Health and Public Welfare

Commonwealth Act No. 430 is the legal basis for the President’s authority to organize the Department of Health and Public Welfare.
The organization and transfer provisions operate through transfers of existing government bureaus, offices, services, personnel, equipment, records, and properties to the new Department.
The offices of the Office of the Commissioner of Health and Welfare and the Council of Hygiene are abolished upon organization of the Department, with their functions and duties transferred to the Department.

The Department of Health and Public Welfare is charged with the protection of the health of the people.
The Department is responsible for the maintenance of sanitary conditions.
The Department must provide proper enforcement of the laws and regulations relative to health, sanitation, food, drugs and narcotics, slum housing, garbage disposal, relief, and other social services.
The Department must exercise executive supervision over the enumerated health and public welfare agencies and facilities.

The Department exercises executive supervision over the Bureau of Health.
The Department exercises executive supervision over the Bureau of Public Welfare.
The Department exercises executive supervision over the Bureau of Quarantine Service.
The Department exercises executive supervision over the boards of medical and related examinations: the Board of Medical Examiners, Board of Dental Examiners, Board of Optical Examiners, and Board of Examiners for Nurses.
The Department exercises executive supervision over the health departments of chartered cities, and the provincial, city and municipal hospitals, dispensaries and clinics.
The Department exercises executive supervision over public markets and slaughterhouses, health resorts and establishments, and all charitable and relief agencies, including institutions for the care of the aged and/or infirm and of dependent, defective and/or delinquent children, supported wholly or partially by the Government or any of its branches or instrumentalities.

The activities, functions, and duties of the Secretary of Public Instruction relating to sanitation and health matters, imposed by law, executive order, or regulation, are transferred to the Secretary of Health and Public Welfare.
Transferred functions must thereafter be performed by the Secretary of Health and Public Welfare.

The necessary funds for organization and establishment of the Office of the Secretary of Health and Public Welfare, and maintenance until the next fiscal year, are taken from forced savings in salaries and wages and sundry expenses of the Bureaus and Offices of the Department of Public Instruction.
Expenditures are made in accordance with a budget to be approved by the President.
Unexpended balances of funds or appropriations, and personnel, equipment, materials, records, and other properties pertaining to the enumerated bureaus, offices, and services are transferred to the Department of Health and Public Welfare.
The Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Budget must make the necessary adjustments of the appropriations affected thereby.

Upon organization of the Department of Health and Public Welfare, the Office of the Commissioner of Health and Welfare is abolished.
Upon organization of the Department of Health and Public Welfare, the Council of Hygiene is abolished.
The functions and duties of the abolished offices are transferred to the Department of Health and Public Welfare.