FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 15, provides that: 
Section 15. The State shall protect and promote the right to health 
of the people and instill health consciousness among them. 
Umbilical cord blood is human blood from the placenta and umbilical cord, 
collected afrer the cord has been detached Erom the newborn baby. Cord blood is utilized as 
a source of stem cells for transplantation, being rich in hematopoietic stem cells.‘ 
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are stem cells that give rise to all the blood cell types 
including myeloid (monocytes and macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, 
erythrocytes, megakaryocytes/platelets, dendritic cells), and lymphoid lineages (T-cells, B- 
cells, NK-cells).2 Cord blood has more stem cells which can adjust themselves easily when 
injected into any organ, heart, spleen, nerves or any other body part. Stem cell is a new 
technology that uses human embryo cells to treat diseases. The embryo cells are called 
“stem cells” because they can be stimulated to develop into any type of tissue or system. 
Stem cells are nascent cells that can develop into replacement cells that researchers 
believe could help treat damaged organs and illnesses? Most cells can make copies of 
themselves, but only of the same type. In this respect, stem cells axe special. Unlike other 
cells, they don’t have one specific job. They are like a “blank” cell. They don’t die and can 
split to form several different types of cells: 
It is for this reason that umbilical cord blood is collected. The blood is rich 
hematopoietic stem cells. They can produce red blood cells, white blood cells and blood 
clotting cells. These stem cells can be saved and transplanted into other people to treat 
I http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cord-blood 
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haematopoietic-stem-cell 
http://www.pia.gov.pWdefault.asp?m=l2&sec~eader&~=1&fi=p07083 
1 .htm&no=5&date 
http://www.sogc.org 


deadly diseases. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood can be used to treat a wide variety of 
blood, bone, genetic, and immune system diseases in children, including: Lymphoma, 
Leukemia, Adrenoleukodystrophy (a degenerative brain disease), Krabbe’s Disease 
(genetic brain disease), Sickle Cell Anemia, and Osteopetrosis among  other^.^ 
Recently, there has been a lot of public debate on the collection of other types of 
stem cells. These cells come from aborted fetuses or human embryos grown in a lab called 
embryonic stem cells. This debate does not include stem cells taken from umbilical cord 
blood which are Adult or Non-Embryonic Stem Cells.‘ 
There is absolutely no health risk associated with collection, and the process does 
not interfere with childbirth in any way. Usually, collection takes less than ten minutes. 
Most healthy women, 18 years of age or older, who undergo a complication-free 
pregnancy can donate their child’s umbilical cord blood. Exceptions to donation of 
umbilical cord blood include: parents who have a family history of blood, immune system 
or genetic disorders; women who were prescribed certain medications during pregnancy; 
and parents who have tested positive for sexually transmitted  infection^.^ 
The umbilical cord blood that is not donated is merely thrown out as medical waste. 
Thus, it would be prudent to tell the patient that there is another use for the umbilical cord 
blood. This bill aims to give parents the option of donating their child’s umbilical cord 
blood for the reasons previously stated. It also aims to establish storage facilities in all 
hospitals for storing umbilical cord blood. 
Ibid 
‘ 
Ibid 
’ Ibid 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
. z . .  
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
i i  , 
’ 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING HEALTH WORKERS TO ADVICE PREGNANT WOMEN OF THEIR 
OPTION TO DONATE UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD AND ESTABLISHING CORD 
BLOOD STORAGE FACILITIES IN ALL HOSPITALS 
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 “Umbilical Cord 
Blood Collection Act of 2008.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Principle. - It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State to protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health 
consciousness among them. For this reason, the state aims to develop new technologies to 
provide cure for existing diseases. 
SECTION 3. Requirement to Advice of Option to Donate Umbilical Cord 
Blood. - All health care practitioners, who provide health care services to a pregnant 
woman, during the last trimester of her pregnancy, which services are directly related to 
the pregnancy, shall advise her that she has an option to donate umbilical cord blood, 
following the birth of her child. 
SECTION 4. Definition of Umbilical Cord Blood. - For purposes of this Act 
“umbilical cord blood” means the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta 
after the birth of a child. 
SECTION 5. Exceptions. -Nothing in this section shall impose an obligation to 
advise a pregnant woman of her option to donate umbilical cord blood upon a health 
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care practitioner if the giving of such information would be contrary to the health care 
practitioner’s bona fide religious beliefs. 
SECTION 6. Establishment of Cord Blood Storage Facilities. - One (1) year after 
the effectivity of this act, all hospitals should have a facility where cord blood can be 
stored. However, if existing hospital blood storage facilities are capable of storing cord 
blood, the hospital involved is deemed to have complied with the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 7. lmplementing Rules and Regulations. - The Commission Department 
of Health shall promulgate the Implementing Rules and Regulations of this Act within 
sixty (60) days following its effectivity. 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 
SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid 
or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - 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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