I.    BACKGROUND/RATIONALE

Under Presidential Decree No. 856 Code on Sanitation of the Philippines, one of the functions of the Department of Health is to œprescribe standard rates of fees for health, medical, laboratory, and other public health services . The Regional Health Offices, now the Centers for Health Development (CHD), on the other hand, are empowered to enforce the provisions of the law as well as its implementing rules and regulations. Under PD 856, the CHDs are authorized to charge fees for its services.

When setting regulatory fees and charges, the Department of Health may use as guidelines the provisions of Executive Order No. 197 dated January 13, 2000, as well as the current reforms under Fourmula One for Health. EO No. 197, entitled Directing All Departments, Bureaus, Commissions, Agencies, Offices and Instrumentalities of the National Government, Including Government-Owned or Controlled Corporations, To Increase Their Rates of Fees and Charges by Not Less Than Twenty Percent, was issued by the Office of the President because of noncompliance of government offices to a previous E.O, E.O. No. 159, s. 1994, which also directed government offices to adjust their fees and charges by just and reasonable rates sufficient to cover the full cost of services rendered. Upon examination of the current fees charged by some CHDs, the fees fall far below the full cost of services.

Under the reform mechanisms of Fourmula One for Health, the restructuring of fees of regulatory offices, including the CHDs, is one of the strategies to support the intended reforms in health regulation. When a rationalized fee schedule is coupled with an income retention policy and performance-based fund allocation, this will help improve the efficiency, quality of services and client-responsiveness of regulatory offices.

II.   OBJECTIVE

This Administrative Order prescribes the schedule of fees for certain services rendered by the Centers for Health Development in relation to Presidential Decree No. 856 Code of Sanitation of the Philippines and its implementing rules and regulations.

III.  SCOPE

This schedule of fees shall apply to all permits, licenses, clearances, and certifications issued by the Centers for Health Development under Presidential Decree No. 856 Code of Sanitation of the Philippines and its implementing rules and regulations.

IV.  SCHEDULE OF FEES

1. This schedule of fees is prescribed for the following services rendered by the Centers for Health Development:
   

Initial Permit and Operational Permit for:*		Prescribed Fee
	- Drinking Water Supply System for Water Refilling Station	PHP 2,600
	- Drinking Water Supply System for Housing Development Project/Subdivision	PHP 2,800
	- Sewerage System and/or Sewage Treatment Facility for Housing Development Project/Subdivision	PHP 2,800
	- Refuse Collection Service	PHP 2,600
	- Refuse Disposal Area and Facilities	PHP 2,800
	- Refuse Collection Service and Refuse Disposal Area and Facilities	PHP 3,000
Initial and Operational Clearance for:*
	- Establishment of Public Cemetery or Memorial Park and/or Crematorium,	PHP 2,800
Certification on:
	- Site Suitability of Government Property/Site for school, hospital, urban poor housing projects, etc., for issuance of Presidential Proclamation	PHP 2,800
Environmental Sanitation Clearance for:
	- Private Sludge Collection	PHP 2,600
	- Private Sludge Treatment and Disposal	PHP 2,800
	- Private Sludge Collection, Treatment and Disposal	PHP 3,000
Renewal of License ** for:
	- Registered Masseur	PHP 250
	- Registered Embalmer	PHP 250
Permit/Special Permit for:
	- Exhumation of Cadaver	PHP 350
	- Use of Human Remains for Medical Studies and Scientific Research	PHP 350

^* The fee includes both Initial Permit/Clearance and Operational Permit/Clearance.

^** Since Renewal of License is every three years, the Renewal Fee covers this 3-year period.

B.  The applicant, upon filing the application for a permit, license, clearance or certification, shall pay the corresponding fee to the Cashier of the concerned Center of Health Development in cash or through postal money order.

C     For permits/clearances/certifications that require a site visitation or survey, if additional site visitations or surveys are required before the permit/clearance/certification can be granted, a re-survey fee that is equal to 100% of the permit/clearance/ certification fee shall be charged to the applicant for each re-survey visit conducted by the CHD, over and above the original permit/clearance/certification fee.

D.  The Center for Health Development may charge an additional fee of not more than 20% of the prescribed fee, depending on the actual costs incurred in the provision of the service.

E.   The Bureau of Health Facilities and Services, with the assistance of the CHDs, shall review and revise the above schedule of fees on a regular basis.

V.   SEPARABILITY CLAUSE

In the event that any provision or part of this Order be declared unauthorized or rendered invalid by any court of law or competent authority, those provisions not affected by such declaration shall remain valid and effective.

VI.  REPEALING CLAUSE

This Order shall repeal or supercede all administrative orders and previous issuances inconsistent thereof.

VII. EFFECTIVITY

This Order shall take effect upon approval and publication in the official gazette or newspaper of general circulation.

Adopted: 15 Dec. 2006