Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 2140
 Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTOPHERSON “COCO” M. YAP 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 15, provides: 
The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill 
health consciousness among them. 
In 2004, Republic Act No. 9288, otherwise known as the Newborn Screening Act 
was enacted into law. This important law includes a procedure to detect a genetic and 
metabolic disorder in newborns that may lead to mental retardation and even death if left 
untreated. 
Newborn screening refers to a set of special tests, including blood, hearing, and 
heart screening, done to one- to two-day-old infants, usually before they leave the hospital. 
This procedure is to assess the newborn infants for any serious health disorders that do 
not show signs at birth. 
       In many countries, newborn screening has been integrated to pediatric health 
systems as a mechanism that protects babies from health risks. In the Philippines, the rules 
and regulations implementing the Newborn Screening Act recommended the conditions 
to be included in the newborn screening panel of disorders. 
       According to the Philippine Pediatrics Society, the advancement of newborn 
screening has succeeded in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with certain 
congenital disorders as it allows timely medical intervention for diagnosed patients. 
Affected children identified through newborn screening can lead normal lives with the 
help of prompt and appropriate medical management. 
       This bill seeks to expand the number of disorders for which newborn infants in the 
country are required to be tested by law to further protect newborn Filipinos from health 
risks. Specifically, this bill provides for the expansion of the prescribed list of disorders 
for which testing is required under the implementing rules and regulations of Republic 
Act No. 9288, and providing free newborn screening services for indigent patients. 
 In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 CHRISTOPHERSON “COCO” M. YAP 
July 21, 2025
2:30 pm


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 2140
 Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTOPHERSON “COCO” M. YAP 
AN ACT 
EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF DISORDERS INCLUDED IN THE NEWBORN 
SCREENING PROGRAM, PROVIDING FREE SCREENING SERVICE FOR INDIGENTS, AND 
FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Expanded Newborn 
Screening Program Act". 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State 
that in the interests of public health, every effort should be made to detect in newborn 
infants, hypothyroidism, galactosemia, phenylketonuria, and other biochemical disorders 
which may cause mental retardation or other permanent disabilities and to treat the 
affected individuals. 
SECTION 3. Newborn Screening Panel of Disorders. - All infants born in the 
country shall, pursuant to the Newborn Screening (NBS) Act, be tested for the hereditary 
disorders such as, but not limited to, the following: 
a) congenital hypothyroidism;
b) galactosemia;
c) phenylketonuria;
d) cystic fibrosis;
e) congenital adrenal hyperplasia;
f) maple syrup urine disease;
g) homocystinuria;
h) biotinidase deficiency;
i) medium chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency;
j) HIV seropositivity;
k) sickle cell disease; and
l) other blood abnormalities as determined by the Department of Health.
The Secretary of the Department of Health hereinafter referred to as the Secretary, 
shall issue regulations to assure that newborns are tested in a manner approved by 
the same Department. The Secretary shall also ensure that treatment services are 
available to all identified individuals. The provisions of this Act shall not apply if the 
parents of a newborn infant object to the testing on the grounds that it would conflict with 
their religious tenets or practices. 


SECTION 4. Tasks of the Department of Health. – The Department of Health 
(DOH) shall perform the following tasks: 
a) may charge a reasonable fee for the tests performed pursuant to this Act, and 
determine the procedures for collecting such; 
b) shall apply all revenues collected from the fees to the testing and treatment 
procedures performed pursuant to this Act; 
c) may also require testing of newborn infants for other preventable biochemical 
disorders if reliable and efficient testing techniques are available; 
d) shall provide a program of reviewing and following up on positive cases in order 
that measures may be taken to prevent mental retardation or other permanent 
disabilities; and 
e) shall conduct an intensive educational and training program among physicians, 
hospitals, public health nurses and the public concerning biochemical disorders. 
 
SECTION 5. Information Related to Disorders in the NBS. - Information on 
newborn infants and their families compiled pursuant to this Act may be used by the DOH 
and agencies designated by the Secretary for the purposes of carrying out this Act; 
otherwise, the information shall be confidential and not divulged or made public so as to 
disclose the identity of any person to which it relates, except as provided by law. The 
program indicated in Section 3 shall include information concerning the nature of the 
disorders, testing for the detection of these disorders and treatment modalities for these 
disorders. 
 
SECTION 6. Appropriations. The Secretary of Health shall immediately include in 
the Department’s Program for the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall 
be included in the annual General Appropriatons Act.   
 
SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within thirty days 
(30) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Health, in consultation 
with other concerned stakeholders, shall issue the rules and regulations necessary to 
effectively implement the provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall at any time be 
found to be unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder thereof not affected by such 
declaration shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, rules or regulations inconsistent 
with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 10. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following 
its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,