EXCERPT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE HONORABLE SANGGUNIANG BAYAN OF CABATUAN, ILOILO HELD AT THE MUNICIPAL SESSION HALL ON OCTOBER 25, 2007 AT 9:00 A.M.

PRESENT:
HON. RONILO O. CASPE Municipal Vice Mayor/
Presiding Officer
HON. VICTOR S. MAROMA Sangguniang Bayan Member
HON. NESTOR C. AMOROSO Sangguniang Bayan Member
HON. ANTHONY P. GALINDO III Sangguniang Bayan Member
HON. MARIANO P. VILLALOBOS Sangguniang Bayan Member
HON. ABELARDO S. CLOMA Sangguniang Bayan Member
HON. RAFAELA C. JILOCA Liga President/Member
HON. EDSEL M. MUYUELA SK Fed. President/Member
ABSENT:
HON. JOSEFINO C. PANCRUDO, JR. Sangguniang Bayan Member
(On Official Travel)
HON. NOEMI G. CABALLERO Sangguniang Bayan Member
(On Official Travel)
HON. SALVADOR C. AMOROSO Sangguniang Bayan Member
(On Official Travel)

MUNICIPAL ORDINANCE NO. 2007-007

AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A NEWBORN SCREENING FACILITY IN THE RURAL HEALTH UNIT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CABATUAN, ILOILO AND AUTHORIZING THE NEWBORN SCREENING FACILITY OF THE MUNICIPALITY TO CHARGE A NEWBORN SCREENING FEE OF FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY PESOS (P550.00)

WHEREAS, pursuant to the nation-wide program of the Department of Health, the Rural Health Unit of the Municipality of Cabatuan, Iloilo has started implementing the Newborn Screening which is a simple procedure of finding out whether or not the baby has metabolic disorder that may lead to mental retardation or even death if left untreated;

WHEREAS, Newborn Screening is ideally done on the 48th-72nd hour of life, however, it may also be done twenty four (24) hours after birth of the newborn;

WHEREAS, Section 11 of RA 9288 known as the Newborn Screening Act of 2004 stipulates that in order to ensure that newborn screening will be accessible to all newborns, the Advisory Committee on Newborn Screening (ACNBS) shall review and the Newborn Screening Center (NSC) recommend the newborn screening fee to be charged by the Newborn Screening Facilities;

WHEREAS, Section 19-d of the implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9288 clearly stated, “A health facility may collect a reasonable fee for the collection of samples, which shall not be greater than the maximum allowable service fee prescribed by DOH”;

WHEREAS, the General Public Statement of DOH Administrative Order 121, s.2003 No. 5 also stated that Newborn Screening (NBS) Fee shall be regulated by DOH to prevent exorbitant overhead cost thereby making newborn screening more affordable to parents who wanted to have their newborns screened;

WHEREAS, as provided for in Administrative Order No. 2005-0005, issued by Secretary Manuel Dayrit of the Department of Health on February 8, 2005, the prescribed newborn screening fee or cost for the newborn screening specimen collection kit is P550.00 and a maximum allowable service fee for the collection of newborn screening samples is Fifty Pesos (P50.00);


WHEREAS, the Local Government Unit of Cabatuan, Iloilo, in its desire to make accessible and affordable to parents in the Municipality, who desire to have their newborn babies screened, deemed it proper and necessary to establish a Newborn Screening Facility in the Rural Health Unit of Cabatuan, Iloilo, and impose a newborn screening fee of Five Hundred Fifty (P550.50) Pesos, as prescribed by the Department of Health, to cover the cost of the Newborn Screening Specimen Collection Kit only, without charging any service fee for the collection of newborn screening samples;

NOW, THEREFORE, on motion of Honorable Victor S. Maroma and seconded by Honorable Nestor C. Amoroso, Honorable Abelardo S. Cloma, Honorable Rafaela C. Jiloca and Honorable Edsel M. Muyuela,

BE IT ENACTED by the Sangguniang Bayan in session that:

Section 1. The Rural Health Unit of Cabatuan, Iloilo shall establish a Newborn Screening Facility and is authorized to collect a newborn screening fee of Five Hundred Fifty (P550.00) Pesos Only.

Section 2. Definition of Terms:

Newborn – a child from the time of complete delivery to 30 days old.

Newborn Screening – the process of collecting a few drops of blood from the newborn onto an appropriate collection card and performing biochemical testing for determining if the newborn has a heritable condition.

Section 3. Implementing Guidelines

Parents who desire to avail of the newborn screening facility of the Rural Health Unit shall observe the following implementing guidelines:

1. Register with the Rural Health Unit the baby to be newborn screened.
2. Pay the newborn screening fee of Five Hundred Fifty Pesos (P550.00) in the Municipal Treasurer’s Office.
3. Present the newborn screening fee receipt to the Rural Health Unit.
4. The Rural Health Unit personnel conduct the newborn screening on the baby.

Section 4. EFFECTIVITY. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED:
I HEREBY CERTIFY to the correctness of the foregoing Municipal Ordinance.

ROSALIA C. FERRARIZ
Sangguniang Bayan Secretary

ATTESTED:

RONILO O. CASPE
Municipal Vice Mayor/
Presiding Officer

APPROVED:

RAMON C. YEE
Municipal Mayor