Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A POLICY ON BLOODBORNE VIRAL HEPATITIS TESTING AND 
SCREENING 
This measure seeks to promote the health and well-being of the population through 
prevention, early detection and treatment of bloodborne viral hepatitis. It encourages 
voluntary hepatitis testing to prevent and detect infection and to provide treatment to 
infected patients.  
The Department of Health (DOH) estimates that 10-16% of Filipino adults suffer from 
chronic Hepatitis B infection. It accounts for more than two thirds of all cases of liver 
cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the Philippines. 
Hepatitis B and C infections are a world-wide problem. Globally, an estimated 57% of 
liver cirrhosis cases are attributed to Hepatitis B and C. Hence, it is pressing issue 
that our country needs to address. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
May 24, 2021
6:30 PM
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A POLICY ON BLOODBORNE VIRAL HEPATITIS TESTING AND 
SCREENING 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Bloodborne Viral Hepatitis 
Testing Act."  
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policies. – It is hereby declared that the policy of the State 
is to promote health and well-being of the population through prevention, early 
detection and treatment of diseases like bloodborne viral hepatitis, as well as, to 
protect the rights of people living with these diseases who suffer from stigma and 
discrimination through the promotion of voluntary and confidential testing of blood 
borne viral hepatitis and the prohibition of mandatory and routine screening of the 
same.  
SECTION 3. Definitions. – For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall 
apply: 
(a) Bloodborne Viral Hepatitis refers to the disease caused by both Hepatitis B and 
Hepatitis C virus which can be transmitted by exposure to infected blood and other 
body fluids, producing, among others, jaundice and chronic inflammation of the liver.
(b) Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), refers to the virus that 
causes Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C respectively. A safe and effective vaccine is 
available for Hepatitis B while there is none for Hepatitis C. Treatment modalities are 
available to effectively manage the symptoms and to prevent complications caused 
by these diseases.
(c) Hepatitis Testing or Screening refers to any facility-based or mobile medical 
procedure that is conducted to determine the presence or absence of Hepatitis B or C 
or the circulating viral burden in a person's body.
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(d) Workplace refers to the office, premises or worksite, whether in the private or the 
public sector, including government agencies, their subdivisions, instrumentalities, 
and government-owned and controlled corporations, where a worker is temporarily or 
habitually assigned. Where there is a no fixed or definite workplace, the term shall 
include the place where a worker performs regular work, or where a worker regularly 
reports to render service or to take an assignment. 
 
(e) Universal Precautions refers to the practice of avoiding contact with bodily fluids, 
assuming it to be infected, by means of non-porous articles or other personal 
protective equipment. 
 
(f) Exposure-prone Procedures (EPP) refers to invasive procedures where there is a 
risk that injury to the worker may result in the exposure of the patient's open tissues to 
the blood of the worker, including procedures where the worker's gloved hands may 
be in contact with sharp instruments, needle tips or sharp tissues (e.g. spicules of 
bone or teeth) inside. 
 
 
SECTION 4. Voluntary Hepatitis Testing. – As a matter of policy, the State shall 
encourage voluntary hepatitis testing to prevent and detect infection and to provide 
treatment to infected patients. The conduct of hepatitis testing as a pre-requisite for 
hiring, employment, renewal of employment or continued employment, or as part of a 
routine health check-up without clinical indication or medical justification, or as a 
pre-requisite for admission to, basis for expulsion from or any disciplinary action in 
educational institutions, shall be prohibited, be counseled and considered for 
treatment when indicated. 
 
SECTION 5. Confidentiality of Hepatitis Testing. – In all cases, access to all 
information related to a person's HBV or HCV status including the results of hepatitis 
testing shall be kept strictly confidential except when disclosed with the written 
consent of the individual or the parent or legal guardian of the minor or legally 
incapacitated whose HBV or HCV status is involved, unless otherwise required by 
law.  
 
 
SECTION 6. Counselling and Referral for Further Management. – All hepatitis testing 
shall include counselling which should be able to provide the individual who took the 
test information on measures to prevent transmission and if necessary, a referral to a 
health practitioner for further evaluation and management. 
 
SECTION 7. Exceptions to Voluntary Hepatitis Screening and Testing. – Compulsory 
testing for blood borne viral hepatitis shall be allowed only in the following instances: 
 
(a) When it is necessary to test a person, who is charged with any of the offenses 
punishable under Article 264, 266, 335 and 338 of the Revised Penal Code, as 
amended by Republic Act No. 8353, otherwise known as the Anti-Rape Law of 1997; 
 
(b) As a prerequisite in the donation of blood in compliance with the provisions of 
Republic Act No. 7170, otherwise known as the Organ Donation Act, and Republic 
Act No. 7719, otherwise known as the National Blood Services Act; 
 
(c) As part of surveillance and management of blood borne hepatitis among health 


 
 
care workers involved in exposure prone procedures. Provided that, it shall not be a 
pre-requisite for admission to or a basis for expulsion or any disciplinary action in an 
educational institution for health care workers or for employment or re-employment in 
a health care facility; Provided further that, positive results of such testing shall not be 
used as justification for the termination of a health care worker employed in a health 
facility.  
 
SECTION 8. Testing for Organ Donation. – Lawful consent to HBV and HCV testing of 
a donated human body, organ, tissue, or blood shall be considered as having been 
given when: 
 
(a) A person volunteers or freely agrees to donate one's blood, organ, or tissue for 
transfusion, transplantation or research; and 
 
(b) A legacy and a donation are executed in accordance with Sections 3 and 4 
respectively, of Republic Act No. 7170 otherwise known as the Organ Donation Act of 
1991. 
 
SECTION 9. Hepatitis Testing Among Individuals with Clinical Justification for Testing 
– Hepatitis testing shall be highly encouraged among individuals who, based on a 
reasonable assessment of a physician, shall benefit from the conduct of said testing. 
Provided that, voluntary consent must be obtained prior to such testing, adequate 
counselling must be provided, and that any individual who refuses to undergo such 
testing shall not be subjected to discriminatory acts as defined in Section 12. 
 
SECTION 10. Prevention, Detection, and Management of Blood Borne Hepatitis in 
Workplace Settings with High-Risk of Transmission. – In institutions or workplace 
settings with high-risk of transmission like hospital, health facilities, diagnostic clinics, 
blood donation centers, among others, measures to interrupt transmission of blood 
borne viral hepatitis from health provider to patient and vice versa shall be adopted, 
including but not limited to: 
 
(a) Routine surveillance of personnel performing exposure prone procedures and 
provision of support and access to treatment for those with positive results; 
 
(b) Hepatitis B vaccination for all personnel if they have no documented evidence of 
pre-existing immunity; 
 
(c) Strict adherence and practice of universal precautions and provision of personal 
protective equipment for workers whose work entails exposure to blood and other 
body fluids; 
 
(d) Provision and maintenance of adequate hygiene facilities and mechanisms to 
ensure proper disposal of infectious and potentially contaminated materials; 
 
(e) Development of protocols for the management of health workers exposed to 
agents contaminated with blood borne infectious diseases in all health care and 
health care-related institutions and facilities; 
 
(f) Education and training on the prevention transmission of blood borne hepatitis and 


 
 
other infectious diseases in the workplace; 
 
(g) Development of a protocol for the confidential management of restrictions on the 
conduct of EPPs and reasonable reassignment of personnel with restrictions to 
conduct EPP to other work assignments based on the person's clinical status and 
based on best available scientific evidence. 
 
SECTION 11. Regulation of Hepatitis Testing Services – To ensure access to 
voluntary and confidential hepatitis testing, the DOH shall: 
 
(a) Regulate public and private facilities that conduct hepatitis testing services. 
Provided, that only DOH-accredited hepatitis testing facilities shall be allowed to 
conduct such testing; 
 
(b) Develop the guidelines for voluntary and confidential hepatitis testing including 
protocols for counselling and referral to health providers for further evaluation and 
management. 
 
SECTION 12. Discriminatory Acts. – The following discriminatory acts and practices 
shall be prohibited: 
 
(a) Discrimination in any form, from pre-employment to post-employment, including 
hiring, assignment, promotion, based on the actual or perceived HBV or HCV status 
of an individual, non-disclosure of one's own or another person's HBV and HCV 
status, or refusal to undergo hepatitis testing; 
 
(b) Termination from work on the sole basis of actual, perceived, or suspected HBV or 
HCV, non-disclosure of one's own or another person's HBV and HCV status, or 
refusal to undergo hepatitis testing; 
 
(c) Refusal of admission, expulsion, segregation, imposition of harsher disciplinary 
actions, or denial of benefits or services of a student or a prospective student solely or 
partially on the basis of actual, perceived or suspected HBV or HCV, non-disclosure 
of said status, or refusal to undergo hepatitis testing; 
 
(d) Exclusion from health, accident, or life insurance, credit and loan services, 
including the extension of such loan or insurance facilities, of an individual solely or 
partially on the basis of actual, perceived, or suspected HBV and HCV status: 
Provided, that the person with positive HBV and HCV has not misrepresented the fact 
to the insurance company or loan or credit service provider upon application; 
 
(e) Denial of or provision of subpar health services or being charged with a higher fee, 
on the basis of actual, perceived or suspected HBV or HCV status, non-disclosure of 
said status, or refusal to undergo hepatitis testing; 
 
(f) Denial and deprivation of private health insurance under a Health Maintenance 
Organization (HMO) and private life insurance coverage under a life insurance 
company on the basis of the person's HBV and HCV status: Provided, that the person 
with positive HBV and HCV has not misrepresented such fact to the Health 
Maintenance Organization (HMO) and private life insurance company upon 


 
 
application. 
 
(g) Other similar or analogous discriminatory acts. 
 
SECTION 13. Protection of Workers with Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis. – Employers 
shall adopt all reasonable measures to accommodate workers who are HBV-positive, 
HCV-positive, or affected by a Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C -related illness who voluntary 
disclose their status to their employers. Including but not limited to flexible leave 
arrangements, re-scheduling of work hours, and workforce re-integration assistance, 
and facilitation of access to treatment. 
 
SECTION 14. Education on Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis – The DOH together with 
other partners in the health sector shall strengthen the nationwide program on 
prevention of blood borne viral hepatitis by raising awareness on the disease and 
disease prevention, promoting universal coverage of Hepatitis B vaccination, and 
advocating for voluntary hepatitis testing in the general population.  
 
SECTION 15. Penalties. – Violations of any provision of this Act including, but not 
limited to, those related to the non-compulsory nature of Hepatitis B and C testing, 
discrimination in the workplace and confidentiality, shall be punished with 
imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not greater than four (4) years, and a 
fine not exceeding Fifty Thousand pesos (P50,000.00). In addition, the licenses or 
permits of establishments, companies and other institutions found guilty of committing 
the discriminatory acts and policies described in this Act, shall be revoked. 
 
SECTION 16. Implementing Rules & Regulations. – The DOH and DOLE, in 
coordination with other relevant government agencies and private organizations and 
non-governmental organizations shall issue the Implementing Rules & Regulations 
necessary for the effective implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days from the 
effectivity thereof.  
 
SECTION 17. Appropriations. – The amounts necessary for the initial implementation 
of the provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations 
of the DOH. Thereafter, the expenses for its continued implementation shall be 
included in the General Appropriations Act from funds appropriated to the DOH. 
 
SECTION 18. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining 
provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 19. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, department or 
memorandum orders and other administrative issuances, or parts thereof, which are 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby modified, superseded or 
repealed accordingly. 
 
SECTION 20. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication 
in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.  
 
Approved,