Section 18. Specific Responsibilities of the DOH. —

The DOH shall bear the following specific responsibilities:

1. The DOH shall ensure the safety of all food processing and product packaging activities.

2. The FDA Center for Food Regulation and Research shall be responsible for implementing a performance-based food safety control management system which shall include, but not limited to, the following:

   1. Development of food standards and regulations;

   2. Post-market monitoring;

   3. Enforcement of HACCP and other risk-based control measures;

   4. Strong participation in Codex and other international standard setting bodies;

   5. Communication of risks and development of interactive exchange among stakeholders;

   6. Establishment of laboratories for food safety and strengthening the capabilities of existing laboratories;

   7. Development of a database of food safety hazards and food-borne illness from epidemiological data;

   8. Strengthening R&D capabilities on product safety and quality standards; and

   9. Certification of food safety inspectors.

3. The Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) shall provide sanitation and ensure food safety in its area of responsibility in both domestic and international ports and airports of entry, including in-flight catering, food service establishments, sea vessels and aircraft as provided for in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9271 and Presidential Decree No. 856, otherwise known as the "Code on Sanitation of the Philippines".

4. The National Epidemiology Center (NEC), the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (NCDPC) shall conduct and document epidemiological monitoring studies on food-borne illnesses for use in risk-based policy formulation. Food safety risk assessment bodies shall be established for this purpose.

5. The National Center for Health Promotion (NCHP) shall be responsible for advocating food safety awareness, information and education to the public.

6. The NCDPC shall strategize actions to help ensure the safety of food, reduce the risk of food contamination and food-borne diseases, address the double burden of micronutrient deficiencies and noncommunicable diseases and to regularly evaluate the progress made.

7. The DOH and the FDA Center for Food Regulation and Research shall be strengthened in terms of establishing food safety functional divisions and incremental staffing of food safety officers and experts and be provided with funds including the fees collected from services.