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The Defeat COVID-19 Ad Hoc Committee is an ad hoc committee of the Philippine House of Representatives. The committee is dedicated to addressing matters directly and principally related to the government's appropriate response to the novel coronavirus. Its focus extends to mitigating the virus's impact on the economy and the general public, with particular attention to the labor force.
Background
The ad hoc committee was first proposed on March 16, 2020 by SpeakerAlan Peter Cayetano serving as an advisory and coordinating committee which will harmonize and streamline the government efforts in response to the pandemic.[1]
On March 24, 2020, its creation was formally proposed by Cayetano during the approval on the third and final reading of House Bill No. 6616 which would later become the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Republic Act No. 11469).[2]Majority Floor LeaderFerdinand Martin Romualdez then moved to select Cayetano as the committee chairperson of which the latter accepted. Cayetano likewise appointed Romualdez as a committee co-chairperson.[3]
Jurisdiction
The committee's jurisdiction is on the appropriate government response on the COVID-19 pandemic and how to curb its effects on the economy and the general public especially the labor force.[4]
An Act prohibiting the discrimination against person who are declared confirmed, suspect, probable, and recovered cases of COVID-19, repatriated Filipinos, healthcare workers, responders, and service workers and providing penalties for violation thereof
Better Normal for the Workplace, Communities and Public Spaces Act
An Act establishing policies, regulations, and public health safeguards for the better normal in the workplace, public places and communities toward a sustainable recovery from COVID-19 pandemic
An Act mandating the conduct of baseline polymerase chain reaction COVID-19 testing for the vulnerable members of the society to stop the transmission of the disease
An Act establishing a COVID-19 unemployment reduction economic stimulus (CURES) fund, instituting mechanisms for the implementation thereof and appropriating funds therefor