PHOTO: Sen. Pia’s interjection on Sen. Raffy’s speech on International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Senator Pia Cayetano highlighted her long-time advocacy for children with rare and congenital conditions, drawing from her own experience as a young mother who lost a child with Trisomy 13. Responding to Senator Raffy Tulfo’s privilege speech for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, she emphasized that newborn screening and rare disease services are core responsibilities of the Department of Health, and supported by sustained funding under the Rare Disease Law and programs of the UP Manila National Institutes of Health. She also noted that these services are covered under PhilHealth’s Z Benefit package.