Republic of the Philippines:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 10797

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A UNIVERSAL NEWBORN HEARING SCREENING PROGRAM FOR
THE PREVENTION, EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND INTERVENTION OF HEARING LOSS
AMONG CHILDREN

The State, as provided in the 1987 Constitution, shall adopt an integrated and
comprehensive approach to health, development which shall endeavor to make
essential goods, health, and other social services available to all at an affordable cost.

This proposed measure include proposes to establish a newborn screening program.
This is to conduct a set of special tests, done to infants before they leave the hospital
and check for any serious health disorders that do not show signs at birth.

The preventive measures and health related procedures is crucial for the
the health of the child and is important to orient their respective fat
productively deal with a condition, if any.

In view thereof, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

LUIS RAYMUND fLRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

DATE February 2, 2022
TIME 3:20pm.

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 10797

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.
———S}

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A UNIVERSAL NEWBORN HEARING SCREENING PROGRAM FOR
THE PREVENTION, EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND INTERVENTION OF HEARING LOSS.
AMONG CHILDREN

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 “Universal Newborn Hearing
Screening and Intervention Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the right
to health of the people, including the rights of children to survival, full and healthy
development as individuals, and a better quality of life. The prevention, early detection,
and diagnosis of congenital hearing loss and interventions thereto should be based on
applied research and the recognition that newborn and children who are deaf or
hard-of-hearing have unique language, learning and communication needs, and should
be the result of consultation with the sectors concerned.

SEC. 3. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to establish a Universal Newborn Hearing
Screening Program (UNHSP) to institutionalize measures for the prevention and early
diagnosis of congenital hearing loss among Newborn and the provision of referral, early
intervention, counseling and other support services for Newborn with hearing loss, and
their families, to afford them all the opportunities to be productive members of the
community. The objectives of the UNHSP are:

a. To ensure that all newborn have access to hearing loss screening;

b. To institute a system of newborn hearing loss screening, follow-up, referral and
recall for purpose of providing access to information and services on prevention
of hearing loss, early diagnosis and intervention, including consultations, to new
born and their families;



c. To establish a network among pertinent government and private sector
stakeholders for the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and policy
development to further universal Newborn hearing screening program in the
country;

4. To provide continuing capacity building of stakeholders including training to
practitioners, conduct of applied research, and other such activities to aid in the
effective implementation of a universal Newborn hearing screening program;
and

e. To establish and maintain a new born hearing screening database.

SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. — Under this Act, the following terms shall mean the
following:

a. “Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program” or “UNHSP" shall refer to the
program developed for carrying out hearing screening for all babies born in the
Philippines and for providing adequate interventions for babies with congenital
hearing loss;

b. “Congenital hearing loss” shall refer to hearing loss present at birth;

©. "Newborn hearing screening database” shall refer to an organized body of
information related to newborn hearing screening;

d. “Newborn” shall refer to a child from the time of complete delivery to thirty (30)
days old;

€. “Follow-up” shall refer to the monitoring of a newborn with possible hearing loss
for purpose of ensuring that the newborn patient receives additional diagnostic
services and intervention or treatment;

f. *Recall” shall refer to a procedure for locating a newborn with a possible hearing
loss for purposes of providing diagnostic services to confirm hearing condition
and, as appropriate, provide intervention or treatment;

g. “Newborn Screening Reference Center” shall refer to the central facility at the
National Institutes of Health that defines testing and follow-up protocols,
maintains an external laboratory proficiency testing program, oversees the
national testing database and case registries, assists in training activities in all
aspects of the program, oversees content of educational materials and acts as
the Secretariat of the Advisory Committee on Universal Newborn Hearing
Screening Program;

h. "Newborn Hearing Screening Center” shall refer to a facility equipped with a


newborn hearing loss screening and audiologic diagnostic evaluation laboratory
that complies with the standards established by the NIH and provides all
required laboratory tests and recall and follow-up programs for newborns with
hearing loss;

i, “NIH” shall refer to the, National Institutes of Health;

j. “Health Institutions” shall refer to hospitals, health infirmaries, health centers,
lying in centers or puericulture centers with obstetrical and pediatric services,
whether public or private;

k. "Newborn hearing loss screening” shall refer to an objective, physiological
procedure completed in a child thirty (30) days old or below to determine the
likelihood of hearing loss;

|. “Audiologic diagnostic evaluation” shall refer to a service related to diagnosis of
hearing loss as provided by professionals or centers certified by the NIH,
through the DOH;

m.“Advisory Committee” shall refer to the Advisory Committee on Newborn Hearing
‘Screening established under Section 11 of this Act;

n. “DOH" shall refer to the Department of Health;

©. “Intervention” shall refer, to any act to render service for a child diagnosed with
hearing loss ranging from counseling, diagnosis, hearing aid or any medical
procedure for correction of hearing loss; and

p. “Referral” shall refer to an act of sending a patient to another service provider
within the network for continuation of care.

SEC. 5. Obligation to Inform. — Any health practitioner who delivers, or assists in the
delivery, of a newborn in the Philippines shall, prior to delivery, inform the parents or
legal guardian of the newborn of the availability, nature and benefits of hearing loss
screaning among newborns or children three months old and below.

Parents or legal guardians of newborns who, after undergoing newborn hearing loss
screening, have been found to have congenital hearing loss shall be informed of the
availability, nature and benefits of diagnostic audiologic evaluation, intervention and
treatment options, and counseling regarding hearing loss.

The DOH shall coordinate with the Advisory Committee to ensure the preparation and
production of informational and educational materials for these purposes and ensure the
distribution of the same in coordination with public and private health facilities, hospitals
and local government units.


SEC. 6. Obligation to perform Newborn Hearing Loss Screening and Audiologic
Diagnostic Evaluation. — Upon consent of parents or legal guardians, all babies born in
hospitals in the Philippines shall be made to undergo newborn hearing loss screening
before discharge, unless the parents or legal guardians of the newborn object to the
screening subject to Section 7 of this Act. Babies who are not born in hospitals should be
screened within the first three (3) months of life.

In the event of a positive newborn hearing loss screening result, the newborn shall
undergo audiologic diagnostic evaluation in a timely manner to allow appropriate
follow-up, recall and referral for intervention before the age of six (6) months; Provided
that, audiologic diagnostic evaluation shall be performed by Newborn Hearing Screening
Centers duly certified by the NIH.

It shall be the joint responsibility of the parents or legal guardian, and the practitioner or
other person delivering the newborn to ensure that hearing screening is performed. An
appropriate informational brochure for parents to assist in fulfilling this responsibility shall
be made available by the DOIH, through the Advisory Committee, and shall be
distributed to all health institutions and made available to any health practitioner
requesting it for appropriate distribution.

SEC. 7. Refusal to be Test. — A parent or legal guardian may refuse hearing loss
screening on the grounds of religious beliefs but shall acknowledge in writing that they
have been informed of their responsibility to perform said screening and their
understanding that refusal for testing places their newborn at risk for undiagnosed
congenital hearing loss. A copy of this waiver shall be made part of the newborn's
medical record and refusal shalll be indicated in the national newborn hearing screening
database.

SEC. 8. Continuing Education, Re-education and Training Health Personnel, — The
DOH-1, with the assistance of the National Institute for Health and other concerned
government agencies, professional associations and civil society organizations, shall:

a. Conduct continuing information, education, re-education and training programs
for health personnel on the rationale, benefits, and procedures of hearing loss
screening; and

b. Disseminates information materials on newborn screening at least annually to all
health personnel involved in material and pediatric care.

SEC. 9. Licensing. - To ensure the timely provision of hearing loss screening to
newborns, the DOH shall require health institutions to provide hearing loss screening
services as a condition for licensure. The Advisory Committee shall recommend to the
DOH Secretary the acceptable standards and technologies of such services.

SEC. 10. Lead Agency. — The DOH shall be the lead agency in implementing this Act. It
shall coordinate with all stakeholders from every stage of human development and at all


levels of society in order to achieve the objectives of this Act. For purposes of achieving
the objectives of this Act, the DOH shall:

1. Establish an Advisory Committee on Newborn Hearing Screening in the
Department of Health;

2. Coordinate with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
and the local government units for implementation of the provisions of this Act;
and

3. Coordinate with the Advisory Committee and the NIIH Newborn Screening
Reference Center for the certification of Newborn Hearing Screening Centers
and preparation of defined testing protocols and quality assurance programs.

SEC. 11. The Advisory Committee. — To ensure the effective implementation of this Act,
the Advisory Committee on Newborn Hearing Screening is hereby created to facilitate
interagency coordination and the cooperation of private sector and professional
associations in policy development, technology development, enforcement monitoring,
data banking and training. The Advisory Committee shall be made an integral part of the
Office of the Secretary of the DOH. It shall be composed of the Secretary of the DOH as
Chairperson; Director of the Philippine National Ear Institute as Vice-Chairperson and
the following as members:

a. Philippine Medical Association;
b. Philippine Pediatric Society;

c. Philippine Society of Otorhinolaryngologist ~ Head and Neck Surgery:
d. Philippines Obstetrics Gynecologic Society;

e. Philippine Hospitals Association;

f. Department of Education;

g. Department of interior and Local Government;

h. Association of Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines;

i. A duly organized association of audiologists in the Philippines;

j. A duly organized association of midwives in the Philippines; and

k. Two representatives from civil society organizations.

SEC. 12. Responsibilities of the Advisory Committee. — The Advisory Committee shall
provide technical assistance in the formulation of operational policies, plans and
programs:

a. To develop the State's capacity to support newborn hearing loss screening, early
diagnosis and intervention;

b. To monitor the extent to which hearing loss screening and audiologic diagnostic
evaluation are conducted in health institutions, and assist in the development of
universal newborn hearing loss screening programs for hospitals and
non-hospital sites;


©. To collect data on early detection, diagnosis and intervention that can be used
for applied research and policy development;

d. To develop models which ensure effective screening, referral and linkage with
appropriate diagnostic, medical and qualified early intervention services
providers and programs within the community; and

e. To periodically review and recommend the newborn hearing loss screening fees
to be charged by newborn Screening Centers and to review the report of the
Newbom Screening Reference Center on the quality assurance of the hearing
loss screening and recommend corrective measures as deemed necessary.

SEC. 13. Establishment of Newborn Hearing Screening Center. - Newborn Hearing
Screening Centers shall be established to provide newborn hearing loss screening,
audiologic diagnostic evaluation and recall, follow-up and referral programs to babies
with hearing loss; Provided, that, such centers shall be established through a certification
by the NIH based on standards formulated in collaboration with the Advisory Committee
and the DOH.

Newborn Screening Centers (NSC) established pursuant to Section 12, of Republic Act
No. 9288, shall adopt and implement a program to develop its capacity to become
Newborn Hearing Screening Centers. The DOH and the Advisory Committee shall
develop incentives to encourage the establishment of Newborn Hearing Screening
Centers other than those under the Newborn Screening Centers.

SEC. 14, Data Management and Applied Research. — All hospitals and Newborn
Screening Centers shall periodically submit copies of the results of the screening tests to
the NIH Newborn Screening Reference Center shall for consolidation of patient
databases. The NIH Newborn Screening Reference Center shall maintain a national
database of children tested and a separate registry for those found positive for hearing
loss. It shall submit reports annually to the Advisory Committee and to the DOH on the
status of and relevant health information derived from the database. A plan for long-term
outcome evaluation of hearing loss screening utilizing the case registries shall be
developed within one (1) year of passage of this Act by the NIH in consultation with the
Advisory Committee. Implementation of this plan shall become a responsibility of the
Advisory Committee.

SEC. 15. Newborn Screening Fees. — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation
(PHIC) shall include the cost of hearing loss screening in its newborn package. The
screening fee shall be applied to, among others, testing costs, education, registry,
follow-up and reasonable overhead expenses. For this purpose, the PHIC shall develop
a program for the gradual coverage of hearing loss screening,
evaluation, and intervention services subject to actuarial and feasi

SEC. 16. Authorization of Appropriations. —


»

. Nationwide Newborn Hearing Loss Screening, Diagnosis and Intervention
Networks. — For the purpose of carrying out this Act, there are hereby
authorized to be appropriated to the DOH Fifteen Million Pesos (P15,000,000)
for the current fiscal year, Thirty Million Pesos (P30,000,000) for the next fiscal
year, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the succeeding fiscal
years.

b. Technical Assistance, Data Management and Applied Research. — For the
purpose of carrying out this Act, there are hereby authorized to be appropriated
to the National Institutes of Health-Philippine National Ear Institute Five Million
Pesos (P5,000,000) for the current fiscal year and Seven Million Pesos
(P7,000,000) for the next fiscal year.

SEC. 17. Implementing Rules. — Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act, the
DOH, in collaboration with relevant government agencies and professional associations,
shall develop the implementing rules and regulations necessary to effectively implement
the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 18. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations and
administrative regulations, or any parts thereof, contrary to or inconsistent with this Act
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

‘SEC. 19. Separability. If any provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or invalid,
the other provisions hereof shall remain valid and continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 20. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at
least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.