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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bili No. 8603

Introduced by DIWA Party-list Representative Pepito M. Pico

EXPLANATORY NOTE

What is more valuable than a child? Yet what is more helpless than a newborn? While
infant mortality rates in the country have drastically improved since the Millennium
Development Goals were introduced almost three decades ago, statistics show that we still
suffer more than twenty infant deaths per thousand births. Even a single avoidable fatality is
too high, but to tackle the issue will require localized studies. There are a wide variety of
factors that can affect infant mortality, and the measures to be adapted in each community
must be responsive to their particular needs.

This bill — a refiling of HB 764 of former DIWA Party-list Rep. Emmeline Villar --

seeks to establish a local community focused infant mortality initiative that can properly
assess and find redress for specific factors that affect infant mortality.

PEPITO M. PICO
Representative, DIWA Party-list

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill N 8603

Introduced by DIWA Party-list Representative Pepito M. Pico

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH AN INFANT MORTALITY PROGRAM TO REDUCE
THE RATE OF INFANT MORTALITY IN THE COUNTRY PROVIDING FUNDS
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Infant Mortality
Initiative Act",

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and
promote the right of health of the people, including the rights of children to survival, and to
develop healthy and fully as individuals.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. ~ As used in this section, the term -

(1) “Coalition” means a national or local health coalition or consortium;

(2) “Department” means the Department of Health;

(3) “FIMR” means a fetal and infant mortality review committee;

(4) “Infant mortality” means the death of a live-born infant within 364 days after the
infant’s birth;

(5) “Infant mortality rate” means the number of infant deaths per 1,000 annual live
virths.
SECTION 4. Objectives of this Act. — The objectives of this Act include:

(1) Determining the significant social, economic, cultural, safety, and health system
factors that exist in communities all over the country related to infant mortality

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through a practice collaborative approach. Both perinatal periods of risk and fetal
infant mortality reviews may be used;

(2) Developing a series of interventions and policies that address these factors to
improve the service systems and community resources;

(3) Participating in the implementation of community-based interventions and policies
that address problems in infant mortality rates;

(4) Assessing the progress of interventions.

SECTION 5. Administration of the Infant Mortality Initiative. — The Infant
Mortality Initiative shall be administered through a collaboration among the Department of
Health, which shall act as the lead agency in implementing this Act, the Dept. of Interior and
Local Government, Local Government Units and their respective local health coalitions, and
public universities or colleges having expertise in public health. A local community shall
develop an interdisciplinary team to serve as part of a local practice collaborative. Both
perinatal periods of risk and fetal infant mortality reviews may be used. A case review shall
be conducted by each participating coalition using professional in-house staff or through
contracts with an outside professional. Public universities or colleges having expertise in
public health shall provide technical assistance in developing a standard research
methodology based on the fetal and infant mortality review method. Public universities or
colleges having expertise in public health shall assist each participating coalition in
determining the selection of comparison groups, identifying data collection and housing
issues, and presenting findings and recommendations. A single methodology for the reviews
conducted through the initiative shall be used by each participating coalition. The department
shall distribute funding to each coalition that participates in the initiative through annual
grants that are subject to specific appropriations by the Legislature.

SECTION 6. Functions of the Infant Mortality Initiative. — Each participating
coalition shall:

(1) Develop an interdisciplinary team to oversee the process in its local Community.

(2) Use perinatal periods of risk methodology when appropriate to examine infant
deaths in its community.

(3) Use a modified FIMR approach to examine infant deaths in its community by:

(a) Creating a case review FIMR team that may include obstetricians,
neonatologists, perinatalogists, pathologists, registered nurses, social
workers, hospital and clinic administrators, social service agencies,
researchers, citizens and consumers, and other experts considered necessary
to conduct a standardized review of infant mortality.

(b) Hiring or contracting with professional staff that may include licensed
nurses and social workers to abstract and present individual case reviews
that omit identifying information regarding infant deaths compared to live
births to the case review team.

(c) Developing abstracts of sample infant mortalities and comparative live
births that omit identifying information and that identify social, economic,

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cultural, safety, and health system factors that are associated with infant
mortality rates in each community. The number of abstracted cases that
must be conducted by each participating coalition shall be determined by a
standard research methodology developed in conjunction with a public
university or college having expertise in public health.

(d) Presenting abstracts that omit identifying information to its case review
team at least quarterly for their review and discussion.

(4) Develop findings and recommendations for interventions and policy changes to
reduce racial disparities in infant mortality.

SECTION 7. Grant Awards. - The department shall award annual grants, subject to
specific appropriations by Congress. The department shall award at least one grant to a
coalition representing urban communities and at least one grant to a coalition representing
rural communities. Grant awards shall be given to those coalitions representing communities
with the least infant mortality rates.

SECTION 8. Evaluation and Reports. - The department shall conduct an annual
evaluation of the implementation of the initiative describing which areas are participating in
the initiative, the number of reviews conducted by each participating coalition, grant
balances, and recommendations for modifying the initiative. All participating coalitions shall
produce a report on their collective findings and recommendations within one (1) year
following the effectivity of this law, to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House
of Representatives, and the Secretary of Health.

SECTION 9. Immunity. — Each participating coalition, its case review team
members, and professional staff are immune from liability for actions in good faith taken
pursuant to this Act.

SECTION 10. Implementing Rules. - The Department of Health shall develop the
implementing rules and regulations necessary to effectively implement the provisions of this
Act, in collaboration with other concerned agencies of the government, thirty (30) days after
the effectivity of this Act.

SECTION 11. Authorization of Appropriation. — For the purposes of this Act, the
sum of Twenty Million Pesos (P20,000,000) for the current fiscal year shall be allotted to the
Department of Health for the proper carrying out of this Act, and such other sums as may be
necessary for each succeeding fiscal year.

SECTION 12. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder thereof not affected thereby shall continue to be in
full force and effect.

SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or
other issuance or parts thereof inconsistent with the provision of this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 14. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,
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