by Sherelyn A. Cantonjos
The Department of Health – Bicol Center for Health Development (DOH Bicol CHD) successfully convened the Integrated Regional Metabolic and Hearing Screening Seminar on November 18–20, 2025, bringing together key stakeholders dedicated to strengthening newborn screening (NBS) and newborn hearing screening services (NBHS) in the region.
The three-day seminar gathered NBS and NBHS coordinators from provincial and city health offices, DOH-retained hospitals, G6PD Confirmatory Testing Centers, Newborn Screening Continuity Clinics and satellite clinics, NSC Bicol representatives, and partner hospitals. Serving as a vital platform for collaboration, the activity featured focused lectures, case discussions, and best-practice sharing to align strategies and enhance program implementation.
Expert resource speakers from the Institute of Human Genetics (IHG), Center for Human Genetics Services (CHGS), Newborn Screening Center–National Institutes of Health (NSC-NIH), and the Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare, Inc. (PNGOC) enriched the sessions. Dr. Maria Melanie Liberty B. Alcausin, Director of IHG, presented updates on the National Birth Defects Surveillance Project, while CHGS representatives oriented participants on their roles in genetic services.
The NSC-NIH speakers provided updates on performance indicators, including short-term recall and follow-up data, regional statistics, and guidance on identifying ENBS samples, along with important program reminders. To conclude the NBS sessions, PNGOC representatives highlighted the Philippine National Clubfoot Program, emphasizing advocacy and improved quality of life for affected children.
For the NBHS, representatives from the Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center (NHSRC) BMC RO V shared program updates, monitoring initiatives, advocacy activities, and performance indicators. Coordinators also presented regional accomplishments for 2024 and 2025, best practices, challenges encountered, and planned activities for 2026. DOH Bicol CHD capped the discussions with program updates and strategic directions moving forward.
Overall, the seminar reinforced a shared commitment among partners to early detection, timely intervention, and continuous care, strengthening coordination and harmonizing regional strategies to ensure better health outcomes for every newborn in the Bicol Region.
