Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio del Rosario(First District)is pushing for the establishment of a "Stem Cell Research and Storage Facility in Mindanao" through House Bill 5037.
“The Science and Technology Committee has already approved the proposed bill but is now pending with the Technical Working Group as Congressman Jules Ledesma wants to make sure the law is complete before it comes out of the Committee,†said Del Rosario, principal author of the bill.
He said they are asking the inputs of concerned government agencies such as the Department of Budget and Management considering the facility will entail costs.
“First world countries like the United States and Singapore already have stem cell treatment but this is virtually a new concept for third world countries like the Philippines,†he said.
Stem cell research is already in its advanced stage in countries like Germany and France. It is a highly-debated emerging technology that makes use of three sources for the stem cells including embryonic, cord, and adult cells.
He said stem cell technology is already available in the Philippines but only in private and expensive hospitals such as the Makati Medical Center and St. Luke’s. Since the private hospitals are very expensive, not all Filipinos who can benefit from the said technology can avail of it, he said.
“This is a new technology so we need a Research Center to study how it can benefit people suffering from cancer,†he said.
The rate of success for stem cell is very high compared to the other remedies, he said.
While del Rosario, who is the primary author of the bill, is pushing for the establishment of the Stem Cell Research Facility in Mindanao, other lawmakers want the center to be located in their own areas in Visayas or in Manila and deciding on its location alone can take some time.
“Of course as the principal author of the bill I would insist that it be established in Mindanao but other lawmakers are saying that since the experts are in Manila then it should be located there,†he said. - PNA
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Topic: Bill proposing Mindanao stem cell facility now in Congress (Read 477 times)