In an expert testimony to the House of Representatives on January 28, 2026, Theology and Biological Sciences professor fr. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, O.P., SThD, representing the National Transplant Ethics Committee of the Department of Health, present recommendations for House Bills 503, 2226, 2517, 4287, and 6777, which all aim to 鈥渟trengthen the human donation and transplantation infrastructure鈥� in the Philippines.
Sounding the alarm on proposals to give government financial assistance to the families of deceased organ donors, fr. Austriaco stated that 鈥渁ny act of organ donation must NEVER include an exchange of financial assistance鈥as] allowing this would corrupt our system by creating a loophole for the commercialization of organ exchange.鈥� Fr. Austriaco said the proposed practice is potentially exploitative, especially of the poor. He likewise cited the Declaration of Istanbul of 2008, to wit: 鈥淥rgan donation should be a financially neutral act.鈥�
Furthermore, fr. Austriaco called for the strengthening of the opt-in system of organ donation instead of the proposed opt-out system, emphasizing that the personal choice of the human being must be respected. He cited two studies, conducted in 2009 and in 2021, respectively, stating that only 54-55% of Filipinos were willing to be organ donors. He called instead for the government to include opportunities to declare one鈥檚 intent to donate, such as through the processes for applying for a PhilHealth card, a driver鈥檚 license, and other government documents.
Finally, Austriaco and the NTEC called for the maintenance of a single official registry for organ donation and transplantation instead of 鈥渇ragmenting or duplicating the registry鈥� by devolving the same to regional and institutional levels.
Fr. Austriaco serves as the Chair of the National Transplant Ethics Committee. He specializes in moral theology and bioethics, and also teaches at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.