Republic Act 9288, also known as the Newborn Screening Act of 2004, established a national newborn screening program in the Philippines to test for five metabolic disorders: congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, galactosemia, phenylketonuria, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. If left untreated, these disorders can cause intellectual disabilities, cataracts, severe anemia, kernicterus, or even death. However, if diagnosed through newborn screening and treated early, affected children can grow up healthy. The law aims to ensure all babies in the Philippines receive this screening to detect treatable conditions and allow children to develop normally.