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A
collection of Philippine laws, statutes and codes
not
included or cited in the
main indices
of
the Chan Robles Virtual Law Library.
This page features the full text of
Republic Act No. 8503.
REPUBLIC
ACT NO. 8503
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR
THE PROMOTION OF HEALTH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, ESTABLISHING FOR THE
PURPOSE THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH), DEFINING ITS
OBJECTIVES,
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Section 1. Title. —
This
Act shall be known as the "Health Research and Development Act of
1998."
Sec. 2. Declaration
of policy. — It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
improve
the quality of life for every Filipino. For this purpose, the State
shall
establish a center for excellence for health research and development.
Sec. 3. Creation of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH). — To carry out the above
policy,
the National Institutes of Health, hereinafter referred to as the NIH,
is hereby created and established at the University of the Philippines
(UP) Manila. The NIH shall serve as the coordinating and integrating
body
of the existing research institutes in UP Manila, namely, the Institute
of Ophthalmology, the Institute of Socio-Biomedical Research, the
Institute
of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology for Health, the Institute of
Clinical
Epidemiology and such other institutes and health research programs
which
may be subsequently created in UP Manila after the effectivity of this
Act.
Sec. 4. Objectives
of the Institutes. — The objectives of the NIH are:
(a) To
promote science
and
technology research and development in the field of health;
(b) To promote the
development
of study groups and research programs;
(c) To establish
mechanisms
for the dissemination and utilization of research outputs;
(d) To complement
graduate
programs and faculty research human resource training in UP Manila; and
(e) To ensure that
the
results
of health research and development activities are utilized to improve
the
health of the people.
Sec. 5. Functions of the
Institutes. — The Institutes shall have the following powers and
functions:
(a) To
integrate and
coordinate
the development and scope of operation of each institute, research
programs
and component units;
(b) To organize teams
and
establish programs that will provide research and development
innovations
for the improvement of existing technologies, medicines, vaccines and
other
health products and instruments;
(c) To establish
research
programs on health promotion, disease prevention and control;
(d) To formulate and
conduct
research on problems associated with aging, degenerative processes,
metabolic
studies, prevention and rehabilitation of disabilities, wellness,
health
communications, health and social science, management of health
systems,
traditional and complementary medicine, and health policies;
(e) To enhance the
masters
and doctoral pool of researchers and faculty to complement the research
and post graduate program of UP Manila;
(f) To provide common
research
support facilities for its component units;
(g) To maximize the
utilization
of expert support staff;
(h) To optimize
resource
generation and utilization;
(i) To establish
local
and
foreign linkages;
(j) To receive and
manage
grants, aid, donations or any kind of assistance for achieving its
objectives,
in accordance with the rules and regulations of the University of the
Philippines
(UP); and
(k) To propose and
allocate
the annual budgetary resources for each component unit.
Sec. 6. Component Programs
of the NIH. — In addition to the existing component units mentioned
in Sec. 3 of this Act, the NIH shall establish the following
component
programs:
(a) Health
Product
Cluster
which shall undertake scientific and technological efforts to attain
self-sufficiency
and global competitiveness in the manufacture of health products and
devices;
(b) Health Promotion,
Disease
Prevention and Control Cluster which shall undertake studies on health
promotion, epidemiology and disease patterns, and emerging health
problems;
(c) Gerontology and
Disabilities
Cluster which shall conduct studies on problems associated with aging,
degenerative processes, metabolic diseases and prevention and
rehabilitation
of disabilities;
(d) Social and
Humanistic
Studies which shall promote interdiscipline approach to health
research;
and
(e) Health care
system
studies
which shall explore alternatives to western medicine, formulate health
policies, undertake researches on health care components and promote
regional
and international linkages for health human resource development.
Sec. 7. Network of Health
Research Institutions. — The NIH shall serve as the nucleus of a
network
of health research institutions. Towards this end, the NIH may
undertake
research studies in partnership with other health research institutions
outside of UP. The partner agencies shall maintain their identity,
objectives,
programs, assets, facilities and equipment under their respective
administrative
control. As partner agencies, health research institutions shall have
access
to NIH facilities and support services.
Sec. 8. Organizational
Structure. — The NIH shall be headed by an Executive Director who shall
report directly to the Chancellor of UP Manila. It shall have a Board
of
Advisers which shall recommend policy directions for the NIH.
Sec. 9. Qualifications
of the Executive Director. — The Executive Director shall be a
recognized
scholar in health research and development. He shall be appointed and
shall
serve in accordance with the existing rules and regulations of UP.
Sec. 10. Composition
and tenure of the Board of Advisers. — The Board of Advisers shall
be composed of (1) the Secretary of Health as chairman; (2) the
Chancellor
of UP Manila as vice-chairman; (3) the Executive Director of the
Philippine
Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) of the Department
of
Science and Technology (DOST); and (4) two other members who are
recognized
scholars in health research and development to be appointed by the
Board
of Regents upon recommendation of the President of UP. The Executive
Director
shall concurrently serve as Member-Secretary of the Board. The
Secretary
of Health, the Chancellor of UP Manila and the Executive Director of
PCHRD
shall serve in an ex-officio capacity. The two other members
shall
serve for a term of two (2) years.
Sec. 11. Functions
of the Board of Advisers. — The Board of Advisers shall have the
following
powers and functions:
(a) To
recommend the
general
directions and determine the priorities and thrusts of the Institutes;
(b) To recommend
research
areas for study and investigation by the Institutes or any of its
component
units, based on its scanning and interpretation of the demands of
health
care environment and the needs of the Filipino people;
(c) To recommend to
the
Board of Regents the establishment of component units of the Institutes;
(d) To generate
resources
and obtain logistical and financial support for the programs and
component
units of the Institutes; and
(e) To provide advice
to
the Institutes on any matter relating to the development of a research
area and the administration of their research programs.
Sec. 12. Appointment of
faculty and staff. — The human resource complement of the NIH shall
be organized and set-up by the Executive Director in accordance with
the
existing rules and regulations of UP and upon the approval by the Board
of Regents.
Sec. 13. Public
access.
— The public and other health institutions shall have access to the
research findings, facilities and other resources of the Institutes, as
provided in the implementing rules and regulations of this Act.
Sec. 14. Appropriations.
— The amount necessary to carry out the initial implementation of this
Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the
respective
component units of the NIH. Thereafter, such sums as may be needed for
the continued operation of the NIH shall be included in the annual
General
Appropriations Act.
Sec. 15. Implementing
rules and regulations. — Within ninety (90) days from the
effectivity
of this Act, the Board of Regents of UP, in coordination with the DOH,
the DOST, private and nongovernment organizations involved in health
research
and development, shall formulate the rules and regulations necessary
for
the implementation of this Act.
Sec. 16. Repealing
clause. — All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, rules
and
regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this
Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 17. Effectivity.
— This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following the completion
of its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.
Approved: February
13, 1998
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