08/08/2026
CITY COUNCIL APPROVES ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM ON SECOND READING
The City Council approved on second reading the Proposed Ordinance No. 0212-26, establishing a city-wide Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Program and integrating digital monitoring systems across local health facilities and community pharmacies, following the endorsement of the Committee on Health and Sanitation, Ecology, and Environmental Protection.
Introduced by Councilor Elmer O. Datuin, the measure aims to combat the escalating threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) by enforcing data-driven tracking and rational, evidence-based antibiotic dispensing throughout the city.
Under the proposed ordinance, the City Health Services Office (CHSO) will establish the Digital Antimicrobial Utilization Repository System (DAURS), a secure digital platform designed to capture and analyze antibiotic prescribing and dispensing data. The mandate applies to both public primary care facilities and all duly licensed retail community drug outlets operating within Baguio City, requiring semi-annual reporting of antibiotic utilization.
To oversee these operations, the measure creates the City Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, chaired by the City Health Services Officer, which will function alongside the local Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee to manage the DAURS database, evaluate consumption patterns, and lead public awareness campaigns during events like Philippine Antimicrobial Awareness Week
The legislative framework is explicitly grounded in international and national mandates, including the Universal Health Care Act (Republic Act No. 11223), the Philippine Pharmacy Act (RA 10918), the Food and Drug Administration Act (RA 9711), and Department of Health Administrative Order No. 2019-0002.
Funding for the program's initial implementation and digital integration will be sourced from the City Health Services Office’s Special Health Fund for 2027, amounting to P1,219,952.00.
The ordinance also outlines a structured penalty system for non-compliant establishments, starting with a written warning and mandatory AMS orientation for a first offense, escalating to a P3,000.00 fine and up to a seven-day business permit suspension for a second offense, and culminating in a P5,000.00 fine and permit revocation for a third offense.
In a 2nd Indorsement dated July 21, 2026, the committee confirmed that Proposed Ordinance No. 0212-26 satisfied all procedural posting requirements after its first reading during the July 13, 2026 regular session. Pursuant to Rule IV, Section 16(b)(1) of City Council Resolution No. 678, Series of 2025, the proposed regulatory measure was published at Baguio City Hall and on the official City Council website on July 7, 2026.
The committee has since formally submitted the measure for publication in a newspaper of local circulation ahead of its final enactment. – Gerald Matulay (UC BA Comm Student/SP Intern)