House OKs bill mandating blood type indication on gov’t IDs, docs

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a measure that seeks to mandate all government agencies to indicate a person's blood type on his or her identification card, certificate and license.

Under House Bill 1530, the blood type of the individual should be indicated on the following:

• identification cards issued by the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System;
• passports issued by Department of Foreign Affairs;
• professional identification cards issued by the Professional Regulation Commission;
• birth certificates issued by the Local Registrar’s Office or the Philippine Statistics Authority;
• driver’s licenses issued by the Land Transportation Office;
• firearms license issued by the Philippine National Police; and
• other certificates, licenses or identification documents yet to be issued by agencies to be established after the law takes effect.

Mandaluyong City Representative Alexandria Gonzales, principal author of the bill, stressed the importance of knowing an individual's blood type for both the recipient and the donor, in case there is a need for blood transfusion during emergency medical situations.

“In case of emergency, which results in excessive blood loss, there is immediate matching so the correct blood type may be transfused in order to save the life of the victim,” she said.

The Department of Health, in cooperation with the concerned government agencies and corporations, will be tasked to create the rules and regulations for the implementation of the proposed act within 90 days from its effectivity. — BM, GMA News