consolidated reproductive health bill full text – House Bill RH 4244
15 March 2011
HON. ROGELIO J. ESPINA
Chairman
Committee on Population and Family Relations
House of Representatives
Constitution Hills, Quezon CityDear Chairman Espina:
The principal authors of House Bill 4244, the consolidated substitute bill on “The Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2011? met yesterday to formalize voluntary amendments to the bill in order to preclude misconceptions and protracted debates. The authors have also authorized me to inform you that the following amendments be adopted as Committee amendments at the proper time:
1. Section 13 on “Roles of Local Governments in Family Planning Programs” found on lines 9-14, page 12, of the bill, which reads: “The LGUs shall ensure that poor families receive preferential access to services, commodities and programs for family planning. The role of Population Officers at municipal, city and barangay levels in the family planning effort shall be strengthened. Barangay health workers and volunteers shall be capacitated to give priority to family planning work.”
should be amended by deleting the phrase “give priority to family planning work.” found in the last sentence of the Section, and should be substituted with the phrase “help implement this Act.” This would obviate complaints that family planning is given inordinate priority.
2. Section 15 on “Mobile Health Care Service” found on page 12, lines 20-25, and page 13, lines 1-6, reading “Each Congressional District may be provided with at least one (1) Mobile Health Care Service (MHCS) in the form of a van or other means of transportation appropriate to coastal or mountainous areas. The MHCS shall deliver health care supplies and services to constituents, more particularly to the poor and needy, and shall be used to disseminate knowledge and information on reproductive health. The purchase of the MHCS may be funded from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of each congressional district. The operation and maintenance of the MHCS shall be operated by skilled health providers adequately equipped with a wide range of reproductive health care materials and information dissemination devices and equipment, the latter including, but not limited to, a television set for audio-visual presentations. All MHCS shall be operated by a focal city or municipality within a congressional district.”
should be amended to read as follows: “Each Congressional District may be provided with at least one (1) Mobile Health Care Service (MHCS) in the form of a van or other means of transportation appropriate to coastal or mountainous areas, the procurement and operation of which shall be funded by the National Government. The MHCS shall deliver health care supplies and services to constituents, more particularly to the poor and needy, and shall be used to disseminate knowledge and information on reproductive health. [The purchase of the MHCS may be funded from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of each congressional district.] The operation and maintenance of the MHCS shall be operated by skilled health providers adequately equipped with a wide range of reproductive health care materials and information dissemination devices and equipment, the latter including, but not limited to, a television set for audio-visual presentations. All MHCS shall be operated by a focal city or municipality within a congressional district.”
The reason for this amendment is to liberate the PDAF without prejudice to Members of the House who may still wish to use a portion of their PDAF for the purchase and operation of the MHCS.
3. Section 16 on “Mandatory Age-Appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education” found on page 13 from lines 7-25, and page 14 from lines 1-13, which reads: “Age-appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education shall be taught by adequately trained teachers in formal and non-formal education system starting from Grade Five up to Fourth Year High School using life skills and other approaches. The Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education shall commence at the start of the school year immediately following one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act to allow the training of concerned teachers. The Department of Education (DEPED), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), TESDA, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH) shall formulate the Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education curriculum. Such curriculum shall be common to both public and private schools, out of school youth, and enrollees in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) based on, but. not limited to, the psychosocial and physical wellbeing, demography and reproductive health, and the legal aspects of reproductive health.
“Age-appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education shall be integrated in all relevant subjects and shall include, but is not limited to, the following topics:
Values formation;
Knowledge and skills in self protection against discrimination, sexual violence and abuse, and teen pregnancy; Physical, social and emotional changes in adolescents; Children’s and women’s rights; Fertility awareness; STI, HIV and AIDS; Population and development; Responsible relationship; Family planning methods; Proscription and hazards of abortion; Gender and development; and Responsible parenthood.
“The DepEd, CHED, DSWD, TESDA, and DOH shall provide concerned parents with adequate and relevant scientific materials on the age-appropriate topics and manner of teaching Reproductive Health Education to their children.”
should be amended by providing a final paragraph which shall read: “Parents shall exercise the option of not allowing their minor children to attend classes pertaining to Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education.”
4. Section 20 on “Ideal Family Size” found from lines 5-9 on page 15 which reads: “The State shall assist couples, parents and individuals to achieve their desired family size within the context of responsible parenthood for sustainable development and encourage them to have two children as the ideal family size. Attaining the ideal family size is neither mandatory nor compulsory. No punitive action shall be imposed on parents having more than two children.”
should be deleted in its entirety considering that the norm on ideal family size is neither mandatory nor punitive. Its total deletion will preclude further misinformation and misrepresentation as to the import of the provision. Moreover, its deletion will also underscore freedom of informed choice.
5. Section 21 on “Employers’ Responsibilities” found on page 15 from lines 10-15 and on page 16 from lines 1-4 which reads: “The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) shall ensure that employers respect the reproductive rights of workers. Consistent with the intent of Article 134 of the Labor Code, employers with more than 200 employees shall provide reproductive health services to all employees in their own respective health facilities. Those with less than 200 workers shall enter into partnerships with hospitals, health facilities, or health professionals in their areas for the delivery of reproductive health services.
“Employers shall furnish in writing the following information to all employees and applicants:
1. The medical and health benefits which workers are entitled to, including maternity and paternity leave benefits and the availability of family planning services;
2. The reproductive health hazards associated with work, including hazards that may affect their reproductive functions especially pregnant women; and
3. The availability of health facilities for workers.
“Employers are obliged to monitor pregnant working employees among their workforce and ensure that they are provided paid half-day prenatal medical leave for each month of the pregnancy period that the pregnant employee is employed in their company or organization. These paid prenatal medical leave shall be reimbursable from the Social Security System (SSS) or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), as the case may be.”
should be deleted in its entirety considering that this provision is a restatement and amplification of the existing Article 134 of the Labor Code. This deletion would obviate further objections and debates.
5. Section 28 (e) on “Prohibited Acts” found on lines 24-25 on page 21 which reads: “Any person who maliciously engages in disinformation about the intent and provisions of this Act.” should be deleted in its entirety in order to afford widest latitude to freedom of expression within the limits of existing penal statutes.
Thank you and warmest personal regards.
Very truly yours,
EDCEL C. LAGMAN
this is the revised and latest RH Bill version that is up for review in congress. this consolidates all the other RH Bill that have been filed during the current congress to the original RH Bill 5043.
post your comments here.
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Fifteenth Congress
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _____
(In substitution to House Bill Nos. 96, 101, 513, 1160, 1520 & 3387)
Introduced by
Honorables Edcel C. Lagman, Arnulfo Fegarido Go, Janette L. Garin, Arlene Bag-ao, Walden Bello, Rodolfo G. Biazon, Rodante D. Marcoleta, Augusto Syjuco, Luzviminda Ilagan, Emerenciana De Jesus, Robert Estrella, Mar-Len Abigail S. Binay, Francis Emmanuel R. Ortega, Nur Gaspar Jaafar, Eufranio C. Eriguel, M.D., Ma. Angelica M. Amante-Matba, Catalina Leonen-Pizzaro, Marc Douglas Cagas IV, Salvador Escudero IIII, Napoleon Dy, Nur-Ana Sahidulla, Romeo Jalosjos Jr, Ignacio Arroyo Jr., Carol Jayne B. Lopez, Ronald V. Singson, Abigail C. Ferriol, Jeffrey Padilla Ferrer, Joel Roy Duavit, Jesus “Boying” F. Celeste, Teddy A. Casiño, Teddy Brawner
Baguilat Jr., Simeon A. Datumanong, Seth F. Jalosjos, Josefina Manuel Joson, Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza, Reena Concepcion G. Obillo, Raymond V. Palatino, Carlos Mapili Padilla, Angelo B. Palmones, Philip Arreza Pichay, Jesus Crispin Catibayan Remulla, Mark Aeron H. Sambar, Danilo Etorma Suarez, Susan A. Yap, Jose F. Zubiri III, Antonio L. Tinio, Victor Jo Yu, Ana Cristina Siquian Go, Emmeline Y. Aglipay, David L. Kho, Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo, Vicente Florendo Belmonte Jr., Rodolfo Castro Fariñas, Eric Gacula Singson Jr., Narciso Recio Bravo Jr., Orlando Bongcawel Fua, Roy Maulanin Loyola, Mary Mitzi Lim Cajayon, Arturo Ompad Radaza, Pastor M. Alcover Jr., Leopoldo Nalupa Bataoil, Victor Francisco Campos Ortega,
Sharon S. Garin, Nicanor M. Briones, Godofredo V. Arquiza, Nancy Alaan Catamco, Acmad Tomawis, Mohammed Hussein P. Pangandaman, Elmer Ellaga Panotes, Aurora Enerio Cerilles, Antonio Chaves Alvarez, Rodel M. Batocabe, Enrique Murphy Cojuangco, Bernardo Mangaoang Vergara, Daisy Avance-Fuentes, Luis Robredo Villafuerte, Cresente C. Paez, Michael Angelo C. Rivera, Antonio Diaz, Jose Ping-ay, Teodorico Haresco, Josephine Veronique Lacson-Noel, Solaiman Pangandaman, Kimi S. Cojuangco, Jerry Perez Treñas, Niel Causing Tupas, Jr., Florencio Tadiar Flores, Jr., Jorge “Bolet” Banal, Rafael V. Mariano, Teddy A. Casiño, Neri Colmenares
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE POLICY ON RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD,
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, AND POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:
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SECTION 1. Title. – This Act shall be known
1 as the “The Responsible
2 Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2011.”
3 SEC. 2. – Declaration of Policy. – The State recognizes and guarantees the
4 exercise of the universal basic human right to reproductive health by all persons,
5 particularly of parents, couples and women, consistent with their religious convictions,
6 cultural beliefs and the demands of responsible parenthood. Toward this end, there
7 shall be no discrimination against any person on grounds such as sex, age, religion,
8 sexual orientation, disabilities, political affiliation and ethnicity.
9 Moreover, the State recognizes and guarantees the promotion of gender
10 equality, equity and women’s empowerment as a health and human rights concern. The
11 advancement and protection of women’s human rights shall be central to the efforts of
12 the State to address reproductive health care. As a distinct but inseparable measure to
13 the guarantee of women’s human rights, the State recognizes and guarantees the
14 promotion of the welfare and rights of children.
15 The State likewise guarantees universal access to medically-safe, legal,
16 affordable, effective and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices,
17 supplies and relevant information and education thereon even as it prioritizes the needs
18 of women and children, among other underprivileged sectors.
19 The State shall eradicate discriminatory practices, laws and policies that infringe
20 on a person’s exercise of reproductive health rights.
21 SEC. 3. Guiding Principles. – This Act declares the following as guiding
22 principles:
23 (a) Freedom of choice, which is central to the exercise of right must be fully
24 guaranteed by the State;
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(b) Respect for, protection and fulfillment of reproductive
1 health and rights
2 seek to promote the rights and welfare of couples, adult individuals, women and
3 adolescents;
4 (c) Since human resource is among the principal assets of the country,
5 maternal health, birth of healthy children and their full human development and
6 responsible parenting must be ensured through effective reproductive health care;
7 (e) The provision of medically safe, legal, accessible, affordable and effective
8 reproductive health care services and supplies is essential in the promotion of people’s
9 right to health, especially of the poor and marginalized;
10 (f) The State shall promote, without bias, all effective natural and modern
11 methods of family planning that are medically safe and legal;
12 (g) The State shall promote programs that: (1) enable couples, individuals
13 and women to have the number and spacing of children they desire with due
14 consideration to the health of women and resources available to them; (2) achieve
15 equitable allocation and utilization of resources; (3) ensure effective partnership among
16 the national government, local government units and the private sector in the design,
17 implementation, coordination, integration, monitoring and evaluation of people-centered
18 programs to enhance quality of life and environmental protection; (4) conduct studies to
19 analyze demographic trends towards sustainable human development and (5) conduct
20 scientific studies to determine safety and efficacy of alternative medicines and methods
21 for reproductive health care development;
22 (h) The provision of reproductive health information, care and supplies shall
23 be the joint responsibility of the National Government and Local Government Units;
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(i) Active participation by non-government, women’s, people’s, 1 civil society
2 organizations and communities is crucial to ensure that reproductive health and
3 population and development policies, plans, and programs will address the priority
4 needs of the poor, especially women;
5 (j) While this Act recognizes that abortion is illegal and punishable by law, the
6 government shall ensure that all women needing care for post-abortion complications
7 shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate
8 manner;
9 (k) There shall be no demographic or population targets and the mitigation of
10 the population growth rate is incidental to the promotion of reproductive health and
11 sustainable human development;
12 (l) Gender equality and women empowerment are central elements of
13 reproductive health and population and development;
14 (m) The limited resources of the country cannot be suffered to be spread so
15 thinly to service a burgeoning multitude that makes the allocations grossly inadequate
16 and effectively meaningless;
17 (n) Development is a multi-faceted process that calls for the coordination and
18 integration of policies, plans, programs and projects that seek to uplift the quality of life
19 of the people, more particularly the poor, the needy and the marginalized; and
20 (o) That a comprehensive reproductive health program addresses the needs
21 of people throughout their life cycle.
22 SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. – For the purposes of this Act, the following terms
23 shall be defined as follows:
24
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Adolescence refers to the period of physical and physiological
1 development of
2 an individual from the onset of puberty to complete growth and maturity which usually
3 begins between 11 to 13 years and terminating at 18 to 20 years of age;
4 Adolescent Sexuality refers to, among others, the reproductive system, gender
5 identity, values and beliefs, emotions, relationships and sexual behavior at
6 adolescence;
7 AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) refers to a condition
8 characterized by a combination of signs and symptoms, caused by Human
9 Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which attacks and weakens the body’s immune system,
10 making the afflicted individual susceptible to other life-threatening infections;
11 Anti-Retroviral Medicines (ARVs) refer to medications for the treatment of
12 infection by retroviruses, primarily HIV;
13 Basic Emergency Obstetric Care refers to lifesaving services for maternal
14 complications being provided by a health facility or professional, which must include the
15 following six signal functions: administration of parenteral antibiotics; administration of
16 parenteral oxytocic drugs; administration of parenteral anticonvulsants for pre17
eclampsia and eclampsia; manual removal of placenta; removal of retained products;
18 and assisted vaginal delivery;
19 Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care refers to basic emergency
20 obstetric care including performance of caesarian section and blood transfusion;
21 Employer refers to any natural or juridical person who hires the services of a
22 worker. The term shall not include any labor organization or any of its officers or agents
23 except when acting as an employer;
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Family Planning refers to a program which enables
1 couples, individuals and
2 women to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children,
3 acquire relevant information on reproductive health care, services and supplies and
4 have access to a full range of safe, legal, affordable, effective natural and modern
5 methods of limiting and spacing pregnancy;
6 Gender Equality refers to the absence of discrimination on the basis of a
7 person’s sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in opportunities, allocation of
8 resources or benefits and access to services;
9 Gender Equity refers to fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits and
10 responsibilities between women and men, and often requires women-specific projects
11 and programs to end existing inequalities;
12 Healthcare Service Provider refers to (1) health care institution, which is duly
13 licensed and accredited and devoted primarily to the maintenance and operation of
14 facilities for health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care of
15 individuals suffering from illness, disease, injury, disability or deformity, or in need of
16 obstetrical or other medical and nursing care; (2) a health care professional, who is a
17 doctor of medicine, nurse, or midwife; (3) public health worker engaged in the delivery
18 of health care services; and (4) barangay health worker who has undergone training
19 programs under any accredited government and non-government organization (NGO)
20 and who voluntarily renders primarily health care services in the community after having
21 been accredited to function as such by the local health board in accordance with the
22 guidelines promulgated by the Department of Health (DOH);
23 HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) refers to the virus which causes AIDS;
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Male Responsibility refers to the involvement, commitment, 1 accountability, and
2 responsibility of males in relation to women in all areas of sexual and reproductive
3 health as well as the protection and promotion of reproductive health concerns specific
4 to men;
5 Maternal Death Review refers to a qualitative and in-depth study of the causes
6 of maternal death with the primary purpose of preventing future deaths through changes
7 or additions to programs, plans and policies;
8 Modern Methods of Family Planning refers to safe, effective and legal
9 methods, whether the natural, or the artificial that are registered with the Food and Drug
10 Administration (FDA) of the DOH, to prevent pregnancy;
11 People Living with HIV (PLWH) refers to individuals whose HIV tests indicate
12 that they are infected with HIV;
13 Poor refers to members of households identified as poor through the National
14 Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction by the Department of Social
15 Welfare and Development (DSWD) or any subsequent system used by the national
16 government in identifying the poor.
17 Population and Development refers to a program that aims to: (1) help couples
18 and parents achieve their desired family size; (2) improve reproductive health of
19 individuals by addressing reproductive health problems; (3) contribute to decreased
20 maternal and infant mortality rates and early child mortality; (4) reduce incidence of
21 teenage pregnancy; and (5) recognize the linkage between population and sustainable
22 human development;
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Reproductive Health refers to the state of complete physical,
1 mental and social
2 well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to
3 the reproductive system and to its functions and processes;
4 Reproductive Health Care refers to the access to a full range of methods,
5 facilities, services and supplies that contribute to reproductive health and well-being by
6 preventing and solving reproductive health-related problems. It also includes sexual
7 health, the purpose of which is the enhancement of life and personal relations. The
8 elements of reproductive health care include:
9 (1) family planning information and services;
10 (2) maternal, infant and child health and nutrition, including breastfeeding;
11 (3) proscription of abortion and management of abortion complications;
12 (4) adolescent and youth reproductive health;
13 (5) prevention and management of reproductive tract infections (RTIs), HIV
14 and AIDS and other sexually transmittable infections (STIs);
15 (6) elimination of violence against women;
16 (7) education and counseling on sexuality and reproductive health;
17 (8) treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers and other gynecological
18 conditions and disorders;
19 (9) male responsibility and participation in reproductive health;
20 (10) prevention and treatment of infertility and sexual dysfunction;
21 (11) reproductive health education for the adolescents; and
22 (12) Mental health aspects of RH care;
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Reproductive Health Care Program refers to the systematic
1 and integrated
2 provision of reproductive health care to all citizens especially the poor, marginalized and
3 those in vulnerable and crisis situations;
4 Reproductive Health Rights refer to the rights of couples, individuals and
5 women to decide freely and responsibly whether or not to have children; to determine
6 the number, spacing and timing of their children; to make decisions concerning
7 reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence; to have relevant information;
8 and to attain the highest condition of sexual and reproductive health;
9 Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education refers to a lifelong learning
10 process of providing and acquiring complete, accurate and relevant information and
11 education on reproductive health and sexuality through life skills education and other
12 approaches;
13 Reproductive Tract Infection (RTI) refers to sexually transmitted infections, and
14 other types of infections affecting the reproductive system;
15 Responsible Parenthood refers to the will, ability and commitment of parents to
16 adequately respond to the needs and aspirations of the family and children by
17 responsibly and freely exercising their reproductive health rights;
18 Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) refers to any infection that may be
19 acquired or passed on through sexual contact;
20 Skilled Attendant refers to an accredited health professional, such as midwife,
21 doctor or nurse, who has been educated and trained in the skills needed to manage
22 normal (uncomplicated) pregnancies, childbirth and the immediate postnatal period, and
23 in the identification, management and referral of complications in women and newborns,
24 to exclude traditional birth attendant or midwife (hilot), whether trained or not;
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Skilled Birth Attendance refers to childbirth managed by
1 a skilled attendant
2 including the enabling conditions of necessary equipment and support of a functioning
3 health system, and the transport and referral facilities for emergency obstetric care; and
4 Sustainable Human Development refers to bringing people, particularly the
5 poor and vulnerable, to the center of development process, the central purpose of which
6 is the creation of an enabling environment in which all can enjoy long, healthy and
7 productive lives, and done in a manner that promotes their rights and protects the life
8 opportunities of future generations and the natural ecosystem on which all life depends.
9 SEC. 5. Midwives for Skilled Attendance. – The Local Government Units
10 (LGUs) with the assistance of the DOH, shall employ an adequate number of midwives
11 to achieve a minimum ratio of one (1) fulltime skilled birth attendant for every one
12 hundred fifty (150) deliveries per year, to be based on the annual number of actual
13 deliveries or live births for the past two years; Provided, That people in geographically
14 Isolated and depressed areas shall be provided the same level of access.
15 SEC. 6. Emergency Obstetric Care. – Each province and city, with the
16 assistance of the DOH, shall establish or upgrade hospitals with adequate and qualified
17 personnel, equipment and supplies to be able to provide emergency obstetric care. For
18 every 500,000 population, there shall be at least one (1) hospital with comprehensive
19 emergency obstetric care and four (4) hospitals or other health facilities with basic
20 emergency obstetric care; Provided, That people in geographically isolated and
21 depressed areas shall be provided the same level of access.
22 SEC. 7. Access to Family Planning. – All accredited health facilities shall
23 provide a full range of modern family planning methods, except in specialty hospitals
24 which may render such services on optional basis. For poor patients, such services
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shall be fully covered by PhilHealth Insurance and/or government
1 financial assistance
2 on a no balance billing.
3 After the use of any PhilHealth benefit involving childbirth and all other
4 pregnancy-related services, if the beneficiary wishes to space or prevent her next
5 pregnancy, PhilHealth shall pay for the full cost of family planning.
6 SEC. 8. Maternal and Newborn Health Care in Crisis Situations. – Local
7 government units and the Department of Health shall ensure that a Minimum Initial
8 Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health, including maternal and neonatal health
9 care kits and services as defined by the DOH, will be given proper attention in crisis
10 situations such as disasters and humanitarian crises. MISP shall become part of all
11 responses by national agencies at the onset of crisis and emergencies.
12 Temporary facilities such as evacuation centers and refugee camps shall be
13 equipped to respond to the special needs in the following situations: normal and
14 complicated deliveries, pregnancy complications, miscarriage and post-abortion
15 complications, spread of HIV/AIDS and STIs, and sexual and gender-based violence.
16 SEC. 9. Maternal Death Review. – All Local Government Units (LGUs), national
17 and local government hospitals, and other public health units shall conduct annual
18 maternal death review in accordance with the guidelines set by the DOH.
19 SEC. 10. Family Planning Supplies as Essential Medicines. – Products and
20 supplies for modern family planning methods shall be part of the National Drug
21 Formulary and the same shall be included in the regular purchase of essential
22 medicines and supplies of all national and local hospitals and other government health
23 units.
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SEC. 11. Procurement and Distribution of Family
1 Planning Supplies. – The
2 DOH shall spearhead the efficient procurement, distribution to Local Government Units
3 (LGUs) and usage-monitoring of family planning supplies for the whole country. The
4 DOH shall coordinate with all appropriate LGUs to plan and implement this procurement
5 and distribution program. The supply and the budget allotments shall be based on,
6 among others, the current levels and projections of the following:
7 (a) number of women of reproductive age and couples who want to space or
8 limit their children;
9 (b) contraceptive prevalence rate, by type of method used; and
10 (c) Cost of family planning supplies.
11 SEC 12. Integration of Family Planning and Responsible Parenthood
12 Component in Anti-Poverty Programs. – A multi-dimensional approach shall be
13 adopted in the implementation of policies and programs to fight poverty. Towards this
14 end, the DOH shall endeavor to integrate a family planning and responsible parenthood
15 component into all anti-poverty programs of government, with corresponding fund
16 support. The DOH shall provide such programs technical support, including capacity17
building and monitoring.
18 SEC. 13. Roles of Local Government in Family Planning Programs. – The
19 LGUs shall ensure that poor families receive preferential access to services,
20 commodities and programs for family planning. The role of Population Officers at
21 municipal, city and barangay levels in the family planning effort shall be strengthened.
22 The Barangay Health Workers and Volunteers shall be capacitated to give priority to
23 family planning work.
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SEC. 14. Benefits for Serious and Life-Threatening
1 Reproductive Health
2 Conditions. – All serious and life threatening reproductive health conditions such as
3 HIV and AIDS, breast and reproductive tract cancers, obstetric complications,
4 menopausal and post-menopausal related conditions shall be given the maximum
5 benefits as provided by PhilHealth programs.
6 SEC. 15. Mobile Health Care Service. – Each Congressional District shall be
7 provided with at least one Mobile Health Care Service (MHCS) in the form of a van or
8 other means of transportation appropriate to coastal or mountainous areas. The MHCS
9 shall deliver health care supplies and services to constituents, more particularly to the
10 poor and needy, and shall be used to disseminate knowledge and information on
11 reproductive health. The purchase of the MHCS shall be funded from the Priority
12 Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of each Congressional District. The operation
13 and maintenance of the MHCS shall be subject to an agreement entered into between
14 the district representative and the recipient focal municipality or city. The MHCS shall be
15 operated by skilled health providers and adequately equipped with a wide range of
16 reproductive health care materials and information dissemination devices and
17 equipment, the latter including, but not limited to, a television set for audio-visual
18 presentations. All MHCS shall be operated by a focal city or municipality within a
19 congressional district.
20 SEC. 16. Mandatory Age-Appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality
21 Education. – Age-appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education shall be
22 taught by adequately trained teachers in formal and non-formal education system
23 starting from Grade Five up to Fourth Year High School using life skills and other
24 approaches. Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education shall commence at the start
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of the school year immediately following one (1) year from the effectivity
1 of this Act to
2 allow the training of concerned teachers. The Department of Education (DepEd), the
3 Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills
4 Development Authority (TESDA), the DSWD, and the DOH shall formulate the
5 Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education curriculum. Such curriculum shall be
6 common to both public and private schools, out of school youth, and enrollees in the
7 Alternative Learning System (ALS) based on, but not limited to, the psycho-social and
8 the physical wellbeing, the demography and reproductive health, and the legal aspects
9 of reproductive health.
10 Age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education shall be integrated
11 in all relevant subjects and shall include, but not limited to, the following topics:
12 (a) Values formation;
13 (b) Knowledge and skills in self protection against discrimination, sexual
14 violence and abuse, and teen pregnancy;
15 (c) Physical, social and emotional changes in adolescents;
16 (d) Children’s and women’s rights;
17 (e) Fertility awareness;
18 (f) STI, HIV and AIDS;
19 (g) Population and development;
20 (h) Responsible relationship;
21 (i) Family planning methods;
22 (j) Proscription and hazards of abortion;
23 (k) Gender and development; and
24 (l) Responsible parenthood.
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The DepEd, CHED, DSWD, TESDA, and DOH shall provide 1 concerned parents
2 with adequate and relevant scientific materials on the age-appropriate topics and
3 manner of teaching reproductive health education to their children.
4 SEC. 17. Additional Duty of the Local Population Officer. – Each Local
5 Population Officer of every city and municipality shall furnish free instructions and
6 Information on family planning, responsible parenthood, breastfeeding, infant nutrition
7 and other relevant aspects of this Act to all applicants for marriage license. In the
8 absence of a local Population Officer, a Family Planning Officer under the Local Health
9 Office shall discharge the additional duty of the Population Officer.
10 SEC. 18. Certificate of Compliance. – No marriage license shall be issued by
11 the Local Civil Registrar unless the applicants present a Certificate of Compliance
12 issued for free by the local Family Planning Office certifying that they had duly received
13 adequate instructions and information on family planning, responsible parenthood,
14 breastfeeding and infant nutrition.
15 SEC. 19. Capability Building of Barangay Health Workers. – Barangay Health
16 Workers and other community-based health workers shall undergo training on the
17 promotion of reproductive health and shall receive at least 10% increase in honoraria,
18 upon successful completion of training. The amount necessary for the increase in
19 honoraria shall be charged against the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses
20 (MOOE) component of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program of the DSWD. In
21 the event the CCT is phased out, the funding sources shall be charged against the
22 Gender and Development (GAD) budget or the development fund component of the
23 Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).
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SEC. 20. Ideal Family Size. – The State shall assist
1 couples, parents and
2 individuals to achieve their desired family size within the context of responsible
3 parenthood for sustainable development and encourage them to have two children as
4 the ideal family size. Attaining the ideal family size is neither mandatory nor compulsory.
5 No punitive action shall be imposed on parents having more than two children.
6 SEC. 21. Employers’ Responsibilities. – The Department of Labor and
7 Employment (DOLE) shall ensure that employers respect the reproductive rights of
8 workers. Consistent with the intent of Article 134 of the Labor Code, employers with
9 more than 200 employees shall provide reproductive health services to all employees in
10 their own respective health facilities. Those with less than 200 workers shall enter into
11 partnerships with hospitals, health facilities, and/or health professionals in their areas for
12 the delivery of reproductive health services.
13 Employers shall furnish in writing the following information to all employees and
14 applicants:
15 (a) The medical and health benefits which workers are entitled to, including
16 maternity and paternity leave benefits and the availability of family planning services;
17 (b) The reproductive health hazards associated with work, including hazards
18 that may affect their reproductive functions especially pregnant women; and
19 (c) The availability of health facilities for workers.
20 Employers are obliged to monitor pregnant working employees among their
21 workforce and ensure that they are provided paid half-day prenatal medical leaves for
22 each month of the pregnancy period that the pregnant employee is employed in their
23 company or organization. These paid pre-natal medical leaves shall be reimbursable
Page 17 of 24
from the Social Security System (SSS) or the Government
1 Service Insurance System
2 (GSIS), as the case may be.
3 SEC. 22. Pro Bono Services for Indigent Women. – Private and non4
government reproductive health care service providers, including but not limited to
5 gynecologists and obstetricians, are mandated to provide at least forty-eight (48) hours
6 annually of reproductive health services ranging from providing information and
7 education, to rendering medical services free of charge to indigent and low income
8 patients, especially to pregnant adolescents. The forty-eight (48) hours annual pro bono
9 services shall be included as prerequisite in the accreditation under the PhilHealth.
10 SEC. 23. Sexual And Reproductive Health Programs For Persons With
11 Disabilities (PWDs). – The cities and municipalities must ensure that barriers to
12 reproductive health services for persons with disabilities are obliterated by the following:
13 (a) providing physical access, and resolving transportation and proximity
14 issues to clinics, hospitals and places where public health education is provided,
15 contraceptives are sold or distributed or other places where reproductive health services
16 are provided;
17 (b) adapting examination tables and other laboratory procedures to the needs
18 and conditions of persons with disabilities;
19 (c) increasing access to information and communication materials on sexual
20 and reproductive health in braille, large print, simple language, and pictures;
21 (d) providing continuing education and inclusion rights of persons with
22 disabilities among health-care providers; and
Page 18 of 24
(e) undertaking activities to raise awareness and address
1 misconceptions among
2 the general public on the stigma and their lack of knowledge on the sexual and
3 reproductive health needs and rights of persons with disabilities.
4 SEC. 24. Right to Reproductive Health Care Information. – The government
5 shall guarantee the right of any person to provide or receive non-fraudulent information
6 about the availability of reproductive health care services, including family planning, and
7 prenatal care.
8 The DOH and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) shall initiate and sustain a
9 heightened nationwide multi-media campaign to raise the level of public awareness of
10 the protection and promotion of reproductive health and rights including family planning
11 and population and development.
12 SEC. 25. Implementing Mechanisms. – Pursuant to the herein declared policy,
13 the DOH and the Local Health Units in cities and municipalities shall serve as the lead
14 agencies for the implementation of this Act and shall integrate in their regular operations
15 the following functions:
16 (a) Ensure full and efficient implementation of the Reproductive Health Care
17 Program;
18 (b) Ensure people’s access to medically safe, legal, effective, quality and
19 affordable reproductive health supplies and services;
20 (c) Ensure that reproductive health services are delivered with a full range of
21 supplies, facilities and equipment and that service providers are adequately trained for
22 such reproductive health care delivery;
Page 19 of 24
(d) Take active steps to expand the coverage of the
1 National Health
2 Insurance Program (NHIP), especially among poor and marginalized women, to include
3 the full range of reproductive health services and supplies as health insurance benefits;
4 (e) Strengthen the capacities of health regulatory agencies to ensure safe,
5 legal, effective, quality, accessible and affordable reproductive health services and
6 commodities with the concurrent strengthening and enforcement of regulatory mandates
7 and mechanisms;
8 (f) Promulgate a set of minimum reproductive health standards for public
9 health facilities, which shall be included in the criteria for accreditation. These minimum
10 reproductive health standards shall provide for the monitoring of pregnant mothers, and
11 a minimum package of reproductive health programs that shall be available and
12 affordable at all levels of the public health system except in specialty hospitals where
13 such services are provided on optional basis;
14 (g) Facilitate the involvement and participation of non-government
15 organizations and the private sector in reproductive health care service delivery and in
16 the production, distribution and delivery of quality reproductive health and family
17 planning supplies and commodities to make them accessible and affordable to ordinary
18 citizens;
19 (h) Furnish local government units with appropriate information and resources
20 to keep them updated on current studies and researches relating to family planning,
21 responsible parenthood, breastfeeding and infant nutrition; and
22 (i) Perform such other functions necessary to attain the purposes of this Act.
Page 20 of 24
The Commission on Population (POPCOM), as an attached
1 agency of DOH,
2 shall serve as the coordinating body in the implementation of this Act and shall have the
3 following functions:
4 (a) Integrate on a continuing basis the interrelated reproductive health and
5 population development agenda consistent with the herein declared national policy,
6 taking into account regional and local concerns;
7 (b) Provide the mechanism to ensure active and full participation of the
8 private sector and the citizenry through their organizations in the planning and
9 implementation of reproductive health care and population and development programs
10 and projects; and
11 (c) Conduct sustained and effective information drives on sustainable human
12 development and on all methods of family planning to prevent unintended, unplanned
13 and mistimed pregnancies.
14 SEC. 26. Reporting Requirements. – Before the end of April of each year, the
15 DOH shall submit an annual report to the President of the Philippines, the President of
16 the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report shall provide
17 a definitive and comprehensive assessment of the implementation of its programs and
18 those of other government agencies and instrumentalities, civil society and the private
19 sector and recommend appropriate priorities for executive and legislative actions. The
20 report shall be printed and distributed to all national agencies, the LGUs, civil society
21 and the private sector organizations involved in said programs.
22 The annual report shall evaluate the content, implementation and impact of all
23 policies related to reproductive health and family planning to ensure that such policies
Page 21 of 24
promote, protect and fulfill reproductive health and rights, particularly
1 of parents,
2 couples and women.
3 SEC. 27. Congressional Oversight Committee. – There is hereby created a
4 Congressional Oversight Committee composed of five (5) members each from the
5 Senate and the House of Representatives (HOR). The members from the Senate and
6 the House of Representatives shall be appointed by, the Senate President and the
7 Speaker, respectively, based on proportional representation of the parties or coalition
8 therein with at least one (1) member representing the Minority.
9 The Committee shall be headed by the respective Chairs of the Senate
10 Committee on Youth, Women and Family Relations and the House of Representatives
11 Committee on Population and Family Relations. The Secretariat of the Congressional
12 Oversight Committee shall come from the existing Secretariat personnel of the Senate’
13 and of the House of Representatives’ committees concerned.
14 The Committee shall monitor and ensure the effective implementation of this Act,
15 determine the inherent weakness and loopholes in the law, recommend the necessary
16 remedial legislator or administrative measures and perform such other duties and
17 functions as may be necessary to attain the objectives of this Act.
18 SEC. 28. Prohibited Acts. – The following acts are prohibited:
19 (a) Any healthcare service provider, whether public or private, who shall:
20 (1) Knowingly withhold information or restrict the dissemination
21 thereof, and/or intentionally provide incorrect information regarding
22 programs and services on reproductive health, including the right to
23 informed choice and access to a full range of legal, medically-safe and
24 effective family planning methods;
Page 22 of 24
1
2 (2) Refuse to perform legal and medically-safe reproductive
3 health procedures on any person of legal age on the ground of lack of
4 third party consent or authorization. In case of married persons, the
5 mutual consent of the spouses shall be preferred. However in case of
6 disagreement, the decision of the one undergoing the procedure shall
7 prevail. In the case of abused minors where parents and/or other family
8 members are the respondent, accused or convicted perpetrators as
9 certified by the proper prosecutorial office or court, no prior parental
10 consent shall be necessary; and
11 (3) Refuse to extend health care services and information on
12 account of the person’s marital status, gender, sexual orientation, age,
13 religion, personal circumstances, or nature of work; Provided, That, the
14 conscientious objection of a healthcare service provider based on his/her
15 ethical or religious beliefs shall be respected; however, the conscientious
16 objector shall immediately refer the person seeking such care and
17 services to another healthcare service provider within the same facility or
18 one which is conveniently accessible who is willing to provide the requisite
19 information and services; Provided, further, That the person is not in an
20 emergency condition or serious case as defined in RA 8344 penalizing the
21 refusal of hospitals and medical clinics to administer appropriate initial
22 medical treatment and support in emergency and serious cases.
23 (b) Any public official who, personally or through a subordinate, prohibits or
24 restricts the delivery of legal and medically-safe reproductive health care services,
Page 23 of 24
including family planning; or forces, coerces or induces
1 any person to use such
2 services.
3 (c) Any employer or his representative who shall require an employee or
4 applicant, as a condition for employment or continued employment, to undergo
5 sterilization or use or not use any family planning method; neither shall pregnancy be a
6 ground for non-hiring or termination of employment.
7 (d) Any person who shall falsify a certificate of compliance as required in
8 Section 15 of this Act; and
9 (e) Any person who maliciously engages in disinformation about the intent or
10 provisions of this Act.
11 SEC. 29. Penalties. – Any violation of this Act or commission of the foregoing
12 prohibited acts shall be penalized by imprisonment ranging from one (1) month to six (6)
13 months or a fine of Ten Thousand (P 10,000.00) to Fifty Thousand Pesos (P 50,000.00)
14 or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the competent court; Provided
15 That, if the offender is a public official or employee, he or she shall suffer the accessory
16 penalty of dismissal from the government service and forfeiture of retirement benefits. If
17 the offender is a juridical person, the penalty shall be imposed upon the president or
18 any responsible officer. An offender who is an alien shall, after service of sentence, be
19 deported immediately without further proceedings by the Bureau of Immigration.
20 SEC. 30. Appropriations. – The amounts appropriated in the current annual
21 General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Family Health and Responsible Parenting under
22 the DOH and POPCOM and other concerned agencies shall be allocated and utilized
23 for the initial implementation of this Act. Such additional sums necessary to implement
24 this Act; provide for the upgrading of facilities necessary to meet Basic Emergency
Page 24 of 24
Obstetric Care and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care
1 standards; train and
2 deploy skilled health providers; procure family planning supplies and commodities as
3 provided in Sec. 6; and implement other reproductive health services, shall be included
4 in the subsequent GAA.
5 SEC. 31. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days from
6 the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the DOH shall formulate and adopt
7 amendments to the existing rules and regulations to carry out the objectives of this Act,
8 in consultation with the Secretaries of the DepED, the Department of Interior and Local
9 Government (DILG), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the DSWD,
10 the Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and
11 the Commissioner of the CHED, the Executive Director of the Philippine Commission on
12 Women (PCW), and two Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) or Peoples’
13 Organizations (POs) for women. Full dissemination of the Implementing Rules and
14 Regulations to the public shall be ensured.
15 SEC. 32. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this Act is held invalid
16 or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and
17 effect.
18 SEC. 33. Repealing Clause. – All other laws, decrees, orders, issuances, rules
19 and regulations which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
20 repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
21 SEC. 34. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
22 publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
23 Approved,
source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/49328993/Consolidated-RH-Bill-HB-4244
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I will comment almost every line and will focus more on the erroneous side of this Bill, minimizing religious talks as much as possible.
SEC. 2. – Declaration of Policy. – The State recognizes and guarantees the exercise of the universal basic human right to reproductive health by all persons, particularly of parents, couples and women, consistent with their religious convictions, cultural beliefs and the demands of responsible parenthood. Toward this end, there shall be no discrimination against any person on grounds such as sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, disabilities, political affiliation and ethnicity.
–> Therefore when this bill becomes a law, Filipinos can either use contraceptives or natural birth control.
SEC. 2(Continued) – The State likewise guarantees universal access to medically-safe, legal, affordable, effective and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices, supplies and relevant information and education thereon even as it prioritizes the needs of women and children, among other underprivileged sectors.
–> Philippines are already economically unstable. How can the government spent millions to provide the said serveices to all Filipinos where in fact oil prices nowadays are already increasing? “Spend much money on contraceptives so that Philippines will wake up from economic crisis” is an argument which makes the temporary decrease of the budget permanent. Prior the Philippine budget is spent for contraceptives, Philippines is more poorer at that time, unminding other costs such as educational system costs, salaries for workers, etc.
SEC. 3. (a) Freedom of choice, which is central to the exercise of right must be fully guaranteed by the State; (f) The State shall promote, without bias, all effective natural and modern methods of family planning that are medically safe and legal;
–> Another statement which leads us to think that we have a choice to either use contraceptives or not.
SEC. 3. (g) The State shall promote programs that: (1) enable couples, individuals and women to have the number and spacing of children they desire with due consideration to the health of women and resources available to them;
–> If we decide to have the number of children be 12 as long as the parents have the available resources, population is still uncontrolled. But with regards that parents have the financial support to support their children, it won’t be a problem. How about those financially unstable parents who decided to have 12 children? Their is even no punishment for bearing children where parents are not financially stable enough. That makes the Philippines still poor.
SEC. 3. (i) Active participation by non-government, women’s, people’s, 1 civil society organizations and communities is crucial to ensure that reproductive health and population and development policies, plans, and programs will address the priority needs of the poor, especially women;
–> This statement only gives remedy to population control and responsible parenthood in terms of population control. The argument starts when the officials focus only of population control. The moral values, the human dignity of person, bad health effects of the bill, the application of the teens prior to them watching pornographic movies, and the like are not being considered here.
SEC. 3. (j) While this Act recognizes that abortion is illegal and punishable by law, the government shall ensure that all women needing care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner;
–> Here abortion is said illegal but when abortion complication happens it will be treated in a good manner, is a contradictory statement. It is emphasized that abortion has complications. RH Bill may be a solution to reduce or at most eliminate the risk of abortion that is when all the contraceptives are working perfectly. However, use of contraceptives MAY lead addiction to sex to some young people (based on the proof that pornographic streaming in the internet are rampant to teens nowadays). Sex between teenagers may be fine to some people as long as they use contraceptives; but given that addiction is there, the woman teenager may get pregnant when the contraceptives fail. However, research shows that contraceptives will reduce sex addiction. But research also shows that this is not always true to many couples. From this statement, the human dignity of the person as a whole is not considered because situations like when the teenage lovers had sex and the boy leave her girlfriend would reduce the human dignity of the girl (as heard from many girls bearing this sentiment). Also, pornographic viewing will become more rampant as their will be a not-so-common case that teenagers would make a pornographic videos for themselves. Worse, when children are involved in sex, which is not good for some concerned parents.
SEC, 3, (m) The limited resources of the country cannot be suffered to be spread so thinly to service a burgeoning multitude that makes the allocations grossly inadequate and effectively meaningless;
–> This shows that not all people can have birth control. Based onthe argument on SEC. 2, population is still uncontrolled by the totality of the Filipinos.
SEC. 4. Adolescence refers to the period of physical and physiological development of an individual from the onset of puberty to complete growth and maturity which usually begins between 11 to 13 years and terminating at 18 to 20 years of age;
Adolescent Sexuality refers to, among others, the reproductive system, gender identity, values and beliefs, emotions, relationships and sexual behavior at adolescence;
–> Sex on children is not prohibited on this statement.
SEC. 4. Family Planning refers to a program which enables couples, individuals and women to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children, acquire relevant information on reproductive health care, services and supplies and have access to a full range of safe, legal, affordable, effective natural and modern methods of limiting and spacing pregnancy;
–> The same argument as on SEC. 3 (g). Children are included here.
SEC. 4. Poor refers to members of households identified as poor through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or any subsequent system used by the national government in identifying the poor.
–> A paradoxical definition of what is poor. That is, “poor” is used in the definition of “poor”. It is obvious that the word poor is the common understanding to everone. The definition of “poor” should be elaborated further in this statement.
SEC. 4. Population and Development refers to a program that aims to: (1) help couples and parents achieve their desired family size; (2) improve reproductive health of individuals by addressing reproductive health problems; (3) contribute to decreased maternal and infant mortality rates and early child mortality; (4) reduce incidence of teenage pregnancy; and (5) recognize the linkage between population and sustainable human development;
–> For (1), see SEC. 3(g). For (3), see SEC. 3(j).
Reproductive Health refers to the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes;
–> Moral well-being should be included here, i.e in promotion of the human dignity of the person; because from the international standards of what “sexuality means”, Sexuality refers to the person as a whole–his dignity, his life, his mentality, everything as a whole–and not just the sex organ.
SEC. 4 (Continued). (3) proscription of abortion and management of abortion complications;
–> Again, abortion is illegal but is treated when complication happens as a result of abortion. A contradictory statement.
SEC. 4 (Continued). (4) adolescent and youth reproductive health;
–> This statement proves that sex on the young is not prohibited, which is not okay for most parents. Some parents would say, “Studies first before relationships” as they fear that their child will become a parent at an early age. But with contraceptives, pregnancy is avoided. Hence, it is okay for the young unmarried couples to have sex with contraceptives with them. From this, the education of the individuals will be affected. Research shows that sex can reduce the cognitive analysis of individuals, especially to males. This is the reason why sex should have been prohibited to young who are still educating. Also, American statistics shows that about 40% of teens engaging in sex early in middle school have low grades.
SEC. 4 (Continued). (6) elimination of violence against women;
–> A not-so-common event resulting from this RH bill is the introduction of promiscuity, rape, and the like, to the women. This may be exaggerating to some, but is actually true to others. The arguments of the latter is obvious: Why afraid to have sex to anyone when they cannot be pregnated through contraceptives. Again, this is an issue of moral values which others did not care of.
SEC. 4. Reproductive Health Rights refer to the rights of couples, individuals and women to decide freely and responsibly whether or not to have children; to determine the number, spacing and timing of their children; to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence; to have relevant information; and to attain the highest condition of sexual and reproductive health;
–> See SEC. 4(Family Planning Definition)
SEC. 4. Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education refers to a lifelong learning process of providing and acquiring complete, accurate and relevant information and education on reproductive health and sexuality through life skills education and other approaches;
–> One approach would be to educate the child about condoms, pills, etc to avoid pregnancy. Another would be to show a pornographic film to educate the child about the necessary life skill about sex. Worse approach would be to have a demonstration in class and have a pratical exam. Another approach would be to discuss how human dignity is affected from RH Bill. Another approach would be dealing to physiological matters about fertilization, etc (this has already been discussed in Biology in highschool). For some, another approach would be to discuss moral matters regarding the sexuality of the person as a whole.
SEC. 4. Responsible Parenthood refers to the will, ability and commitment of parents to adequately respond to the needs and aspirations of the family and children by responsibly and freely exercising their reproductive health rights;
–> Responsible Parenthood can not only be exercised through reproductive health rights. On can be a responsible parent through fostering their child in education, avoiding their child to illegal drugs and snares of evil acts, fostering their child through moral values to be good socially and mentally, fostering their family to be happy always and minimize problems, and the like. According to
SEC. 5. Midwives for Skilled Attendance. – The Local Government Units (LGUs) with the assistance of the DOH, shall employ an adequate number of midwives to achieve a minimum ratio of one (1) fulltime skilled birth attendant for every one hundred fifty (150) deliveries per year, to be based on the annual number of actual deliveries or live births for the past two years; Provided, That people in geographically Isolated and depressed areas shall be provided the same level of access.
–> Getting the relative-extremum value of midwives:
Approximate Maximum Skilled Attendant = 80 X 10^6 / (150 * 2) = 270 X 10^3 (approx.) That is assuming that all couples in the Philippines would give birth at the same time.
Approximate Minimum Skilled Attendant = 0. That is assuming that all couples in the Philippines did not give birth at the same time.
Studies shows that 14% of all women gets pregnant when using contraceptives, and 46% of all women gets pregnant without contraceptives, provided that couples do sex at the same time for a month on a corresponding days interval.
Provided that people use condoms, the approximate maximum skilled attendant would be:
aMAXsa = 270 X 10^3 * 0.14 = 37800(approx).
aMAXsa for each island = 37800 / 7000 = 5 (approx), a negligible number when couples are using contraceptives.
Therefore, the maximum skilled attendant for each island in the Philippines ranges from 5 to 20, w/c is insufficient because it will still be divided among different cities. The point is that, the ratio 1:150 is not sufficient. That means, the couples would need to transfer far away to another place to be provided with such service. Take note that this is the MAXIMUM computation. The values lower than the maximum would lead to lower number of midwives, ie. nb_midwives Let us derive the data again. From, http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/population_of_philippines_in_2011, the population of the Philippines is 91 million. Let us exaggerate this number. Suppose the maximum population of the Philippines is 100million. Therefore:
MAX#hospitals = 100 X 10^6 / (500000 * 2) = 100, assuming that half of the population are females and that all needs obstetric care. Assume that the Philippines today have 7000 islands. Oh, how should the 100 maximum number of hospitals be divided among all cities in the Philippines? Take note that this is the maximum value. For popluation less than the given would result to a number of hospitals less than 100. A bill should not a informed to public without sufficient proofs ofnd effect.
SEC. 8. Maternal and Newborn Health Care in Crisis Situations. – Local government units and the Department of Health shall ensure that a Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health, including maternal and neonatal health care kits and services as defined by the DOH, will be given proper attention in crisis situations such as disasters and humanitarian crises. MISP shall become part of all responses by national agencies at the onset of crisis and emergencies. Temporary facilities such as evacuation centers and refugee camps shall be equipped to respond to the special needs in the following situations: normal and complicated deliveries, pregnancy complications, miscarriage and post-abortion complications, spread of HIV/AIDS and STIs, and sexual and gender-based violence.
–> See SEC. 2, SEC. 3g and SEC. 3j
SEC. 10. Family Planning Supplies as Essential Medicines. – Products and supplies for modern family planning methods shall be part of the National Drug Formulary and the same shall be included in the regular purchase of essential medicines and supplies of all national and local hospitals and other government health units.
–> Contraceptives can be bought exactly similar as we buy Biogesic
SEC. 15. Mobile Health Care Service. – Each Congressional District shall be provided with at least one Mobile Health Care Service (MHCS) in the form of a van or other means of transportation appropriate to coastal or mountainous areas. The MHCS shall deliver health care supplies and services to constituents, more particularly to the poor and needy, and shall be used to disseminate knowledge and information on reproductive health. The purchase of the MHCS shall be funded from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of each Congressional District. The operation and maintenance of the MHCS shall be subject to an agreement entered into between the district representative and the recipient focal municipality or city. The MHCS shall be operated by skilled health providers and adequately equipped with a wide range of reproductive health care materials and information dissemination devices and equipment, the latter including, but not limited to, a television set for audio-visual presentations. All MHCS shall be operated by a focal city or municipality within a congressional district.
–> See Section 2.
SEC. 16: Mandatory Age-Appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education.
Age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education shall be integrated in all relevant subjects and shall include, but not limited to, the following topics:
(a) Values formation;
–> This has already been taught in my highschool: Values Education, 1st yr to 4th yr.
(b) Knowledge and skills in self protection against discrimination, sexual violence and abuse, and teen pregnancy;
–> This has already been taught in my highschool: Values Education, 3rd year to 4h year.
(c) Physical, social and emotional changes in adolescents;
–> This has already been taught in my highschool: Biology, 2nd year; 2nd, and 3rd grading period.
(d) Children’s and women’s rights;
–> This has already been taught in Economics: 4th year high school. And in college: PolSci
(e) Fertility awareness;
–> This has already been taught in 2nd year highschool: Biology, 3rd and 4th grading period.
(f) STI, HIV and AIDS;
–> This has already been taught in 2nd year and 4th year highschool: PEHMS (2nd yr) and MAPEH (4th yr).
(g) Population and development;
–> All subjects in highschool and in college leads to Development. For population, this has already been taught in 2nd year highschool (PEHMS) and Social Studies on 2nd year and 3rd year highschool.
(h) Responsible relationship;
–> This was not well taught in highschool but was covered up when I was 4th year highschool, 1st grading period on our HomeRoom class. Is this needed to be taught in elementary and highschool? Study shows that falling in love is an intrinsic tendency of the human which is called by the reaction on the signals from the hypothalamus and the cortex of our brain. And actions to handle relationships are subject to moral values of the human person.
(i) Family planning methods;
–> This has been taught in PEHMS / MAPEH in 2nd year and 4th year highschool. However, only the natural family planning. Also in Biology, 2nd year, hs, 3rd grading period.
(j) Proscription and hazards of abortion;
–> This was not taught in my highschool. But my parents and our church leaders taught me about the hazards of abortion.
(k) Gender and development; and
–> This doesn’t need to be taught as it is obvious that I am male and you are female. The development of genders is attributed by the values formation in (a).
(l) Responsible parenthood.
–> This was taught in my PEHMS and homeroom classes on 4th year highschool.
–> The general point here is that, why focus on things which has already been taught and not focus on what has not been taught. A proof: In Japan, highschool students have already learned how to make a robot from circuits they created. That is, they know basic engineering methods. They know Jacobian theorem which is essential in robotics. They know Calculus which is essential in some engineering fields. This is the reason why Japan has advanced technology than us. Yes, we are an agricultural country but not at all times. Internet are already flowering. Technologies have flourished. Many people in the Philippines doesn’t know Cloud Computing, Neural Networks, Agricultural Bound, Global Transmission System, etc, which highschool students in Japan already know! Philippines has not enough resources for such? Educational system such as of Japan focuses more on theory first. Teachers here in the Philippines know little theory. As a result, we are always behind the development of the modern world today. Philippines is behind innovation.
–> Also, more information can be obtained through the use of internet. I would say “intelligent person knows many about many, not just what is around him”.
SEC. 16 (continued). The DepEd, CHED, DSWD, TESDA, and DOH shall provide 1 concerned parents with adequate and relevant scientific materials on the age-appropriate topics and manner of teaching reproductive health education to their children.
–> I wonder what these scientific materials are. We have different views so no need to argue on this part.
SEC. 18. Certificate of Compliance. – No marriage license shall be issued by the Local Civil Registrar unless the applicants present a Certificate of Compliance issued for free by the local Family Planning Office certifying that they had duly received adequate instructions and information on family planning, responsible parenthood, breastfeeding and infant nutrition.
–> More than 50% of the Filipinos TODAY produced babies even without marriage. But with contraceptives, the percentage may reduce to 10%. But the case of rape, promiscuity, mental defficiency, breast and cervical cancer, and the likes, will increase to 70%.
SEC. 20. Ideal Family Size. – The State shall assist couples, parents and individuals to achieve their desired family size within the context of responsible parenthood for sustainable development and encourage them to have two children as the ideal family size. Attaining the ideal family size is neither mandatory nor compulsory. No punitive action shall be imposed on parents having more than two children.
–> No assurance can be imposed upon that population in the Philippines be controlled when some couples have as much as 10 children.
SEC. 28 Prohibited Acts
(2) Refuse to perform legal and medically-safe reproductive health procedures on any person of legal age on the ground of lack of third party consent or authorization. In case of married persons, the mutual consent of the spouses shall be preferred. However in case of disagreement, the decision of the one undergoing the procedure shall prevail. In the case of abused minors where parents and/or other family members are the respondent, accused or convicted perpetrators as certified by the proper prosecutorial office or court, no prior parental consent shall be necessary; and
–> Natural Family Planning is MEDICALLY safe and is legal–just to emphasize.
SEC. 29. Penalties. – Any violation of this Act or commission of the foregoing prohibited acts shall be penalized by imprisonment ranging from one (1) month to six (6) months or a fine of Ten Thousand (P 10,000.00) to Fifty Thousand Pesos (P 50,000.00) or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the competent court; Provided That, if the offender is a public official or employee, he or she shall suffer the accessory penalty of dismissal from the government service and forfeiture of retirement benefits. If the offender is a juridical person, the penalty shall be imposed upon the president any responsible officer. An offender who is an alien shall, after service of sentence, be deported immediately without further proceedings by the Bureau of Immigration.
–> I wonder how many will be imprisoned and what is their cause of imprisonment.
SEC. 33. Repealing Clause. – All other laws, decrees, orders, issuances, rules and egulations which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
–> Hopefully.
General Comment:
For those who failed to read all the points of the comments, here are the general points:
(1) RH Bill has good and bad effects.
(2) RH Bill controls population and thus economy may increase.
(3) RH Bill increases the rate of rape, promiscuity, mental deficiency, breast and cervical cancer, and the likes.
(4) Sex on teenagers is not good for their studies as it affects their mental/cognitive capacity to think, learn, innovate, and develop. Thus, sex leads to lower grades.
(5) The Philippines may spend millions to provide the contraceptives to all cities. Those millions could be spent to other more important needs of the country. Oil prices are already increasing.
(6) The educational system of the Philippines focuses more on agricultural, moral, and family matters (including rh). Technological, technical, and other modern aspects of life should be taught in the Philipppines in addition.
Proofs of the 6 statements are proven on my comments above.
THIS IS DECEPTIVE BILL. CALLING IT RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD WHERE THE TRUTH IS THIS BILL IS TEACHING THE PARENTS NOT TO DO THEIR RESPONSIBLITIES TO THEIR CHILDREN.
I SENSE THAT THE ONLY REASON WHY SOME CONGRESSMEN IS PURSUING THIS TO RATIFIED IS BECAUSE OF THE HUMUNGUS AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WILL BE RELEASE ONCE IT IS IMPLEMENTED WHICH ANOTHER FORM OF CORRUPTION.
NAMAN, NAMAN!!!! TAMA NA!!!, SOBRA NA!!! TIGILAN NA!!! ANG PANGUUTO NYO SA KAPWA NYO PILIPINO. PLEASE MAG-ISIP NAMAN KAYO NG MATINONG BILLS, HINDI NA MGA TANGA ANG MGA PILIPINO NGAYON.
SAYANG LANG MGA BOTO NG MGA CONSTITUENTS NYO SA INYO. TAMAAN SANA KYO NG GALIT NG LANGIT.
Ang masama pa nyan, lumalabas na ang mga kababayan ni Edcel Lagman sa Albay ang may pinakakulang na serbisyo pagdating sa mga nagdadalantaong ina. That just reflects his stand that pregnancy is the culprit, so instead of providing a real maternal health and obstetric services, he would rather discourage pregnancy. Walang pera sa panganganak, sa contraceptives sobrang dami.
I dont understand how people can agree to this bill when clearly it is another means for government to have access on funds. The fertilizer fund was meant for a good cause but people who took advantage of the funds got tremendous/ridiculous amounts of money and living freely in our country. This may be another one of that kind and am doubtful in the end it will prevent population growth. Its just giving access for another scam.
What I believe to be beneficial for us in this bill is the fact that parents and the church should strengthen their education of their children and their flock instead of simply just attacking this and doing nothing. Like what the comment here suggests and clearly pointed out is the fact that women who engage in these things whether contraceptives disable them to get pregnant get part of them torn out or lost during these times. Again, isn’t this something related strongly to what we call freedom of choice? Remember, unless it is considered rape or forced intercourse, engaging in these would require the consent of two people….either you both like it and did it or that decision was forced upon you. Giving people the choice to use condoms does not entail them to use it. Whether this becomes a law or not, people will continually use them because it is a choice based on our knowledge and preference. It can be a law but it states that I have an option to use a different approach and they won’t sue me if I chose to have natural methods instead.
My stand on the issue is simply to have everyone be vigilant in making sure supplementary measures are taken with this law. I would encourage my fellow catholics to make sure our children and everyone we know are educated with regards to immorality which can be brought about by this law if not properly educated. We can always count on ourselves if we really believe ourselves to be properly educated in this manner that we can convince people that engaging in sexual activities outside marriages is not right and cannot bring about good things to one’s personal being or self worth. I think it would be best that if we can actually empower people to say ‘no’ to these things, then whether it is a law or not, they will not take it or do it.
It’s just sad to know that despite our best efforts (or not) to educate people, we haven’t really succeeded in our mission frankly because we still lack the will and probably the skills and knowledge to do it. Let us not forget that this bill has been put on hold for so many years because we always try to do it our way and still, population has increased to tremendous heights. So what if we decide for now to allow this and then make our own move to make sure it stays according to how it is stated and keep our morals intact because we believe we can educate them well enough to make that choice? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to everyone?
Education is the key; simply put. And even if people are already educated enough and still want to take the choice of contraceptives, then it just means that a person simply just wants it and not because he was compelled by law (which accordingly stated is not mandatory) to choose it.
I don’t mean to go out of topic, I support the RH Bill. But I think its time for us to talk about Charter Change. I believe its time to do it esp abolishing the 60/40 provision in our 1987 Constitution.
All these anti-RH Bill people are only assuming that the money will be pocketed by the government. We are here to argue without these kinds of assumptions, because if we think this way, then we believe that there is not even a spark of good governance in the country.
How about we look at it this way first:
STATUS QUO isn’t working for us right now; we know how agglomeration and clustering is affecting the Metro.
In a macro scale, it’s pretty basic that necessities like rice and land (for shelter) are limited. Higher demand with constant resources makes these commodities meet higher prices. If our population outgrows the growth of the resource for these necessities, then we are in deep sh!t.
Regarding education:
Status Quo:
They’re not teaching their children the values and importance of sexuality at home.
What RH Bill wants:
Teach them.
Most parents are too young or too shy (maybe both) to talk to their children about sex. For years, we’ve been experiencing this problem. Why not give the RH bill a chance now?
IF YOU PUT SEX EDUCATION INTO TEXT BOOKS, AND THE CHILDREN ARE TASKED TO STUDY THESE TEXTBOOKS , THEN THIS IS MANDATORY. THE RH BILL WANTS PARENTS TO OPT OUT OF THIS MANDATORY LESSONS. BUT HOW MANY PARENTS WILL EVEN BE AWARE OF THESE LESSONS? REMEMBER THE LESSONS WILL BE FROM GRADE 5 TO 4TH YEAR HIGH SCHOOL. THIS OPT OUT IS DECEPTIVE.. WHAT THEY SHOULD PUT IN THERE IS OPT IN.. MEANING IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO ATTEND SEX EDUCATION CLASSES THEN YOU CAN OPT IN.. THE WAY TO OPTING OUT IS DECEPTIVE AND IS NOT REASONABLE
Even without this rh bill. every one is free to choose his way of contraception. GUSTO MO MAG PILLS- YOU ARE FREE TO DO IT. GUSTO MO MAG CONDOM – YOU ARE FREE TO DO IT NOW. You want ligation or vasectomy or iud– nobody is stopping you from getting access to it.
What this bill does is to make it mandatory by means of brainwashing our children (by means of mandatory attendance in sex education classes). So that when they are of reproductive age, the children will find it ACCEPTABLE OR EVEN THE EASIER CHOICE, to get contraceptives rather than to EXERCISE SELF CONTROL.
This bill not only makes it alright for teens to engage in promiscuity. It promotes it by making it alright so long as you have protection or contraceptives.
This Rh bill should be restricted to a rating of PG (parental guidance) or R (restricted) or even For Adults only.. This Rh bill makes it mandatory for children to attend sex education classes (without parental guidance)
Ano ba naman ang gusto ng proponents nitong Rh bill na gawin sa bansa natin?
Poverty is caused by lack of drive of people to succeed, lack of faith in God, and by greed/corruption of people. Sometimes by sheer stupidity and laziness.
The solution for poverty is not immorality. Spending of millions of pesos (tax payers money) to give away contraceptives to people, to me seems to be the wrong approach.
KAILAN BA NAGING ESSENTIAL MEDICINES ANG CONTRACEPTIVES? That we the taxpayers should be obligated to purchase with our taxes. Hypertension medicines, anti tuberculosis medicines, vaccines, antibiotics etc.. yun ang essential medicines.
HOW CAN IT PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD when you give away contraceptives, which will be purchased from taxes of the people.
HINDI BA NAKAKAHIYA IYON NA IBA ANG GAGASTOS NG CONDOM, PILLS ,etc para sa pagtatalik ng isang magka partner? Ano responsible doon? Dapat kung gusto mo mag condom, mag-condom ka pero ikaw bumili galing sa pera na pinaghirapan mo. Hindi galing sa pera ng ibang tao. DELIKADEZA LANG YUN, AT SELF RESPECT. And we are not talking only of a few pesos per condom, we are talking of hundreds of millions of pesos.
THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE MORE CIRCUMSPECT IN SPENDING PEOPLE’S MONEY. Contraception is a private matter. The rh bill should promote individual responsibility.
THIS IS HOW THEY WANT TO BRAINWASH OUR CHILDREN.. THEY WILL BE USING THE EDUCATONAL SYSTEM ( MANDATORY SEX EDUCATION ) TO MAKE CONTRACEPTION ACCEPTABLE TO YOUNG CHILDREN. SO THAT WHEN THEY GROW OLDER, THE CONTRACEPTIVE INDUSTRY WILL HAVE A MARKET FOR THEIR PRODUCTS.
READ ON……
What’s New
Philippines adopts US designed family-planning promotion plan
02 September 2010
United States Agency for International Development designed a new family planning promotion strategy being implemented by the Philippines government. The May Plano Ako programme has been conceptualised in line with the MDGs on population control and reproductive health and aims not only at women but also men and youth.
The government has started implementing a new family planning marketing strategy designed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The “May Plano Ako” program, conceptualized by the USAID’s Health Promotion and Communication Project, or HealthPRO, is in line with the country’s Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs, especially those on population control and reproductive health.
May Plano Ako “targets not only women but also men and young people” on the importance of family planning and contraceptive use, according to a top official of the Department of Health (DoH).
Unlike previous family planning initiatives of the DoH, which were “sporadic and small-scale,” the new program will be “unified, national and comprehensive,” according to USAID and DoH program materials furnished the Inquirer.
The US Embassy in Manila has acknowledged Washington’s active role in the Philippine government’s family planning initiatives.
In a text message, Wossie Mazengia, the US Embassy deputy spokesperson, told the Inquirer that the USAID “continues to work in partnership with the DoH, local governments and the private sector to increase access to and improve the quality of basic health services, including family planning.”
Training of nurses
HealthPRO and the DoH-attached National Center for Health Promotion (NCHP) have so far trained 607 nurses and midwives and 2,217 barangay (village) health workers in 11 pilot provinces on “interpersonal communication and counseling on family planning, and maternal and child health.”
The provinces are Bulacan, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Zamboanga del Sur, Compostela Valley, Albay, Pangasinan, Capiz and Davao del Sur.
HealthPRO and NCHP are set to train another 700 health service providers and 3,000 barangay health workers in 12 other provinces: Cagayan, Isabela, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aklan, Bohol, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Agusan del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay.
The two groups plan to use “strategic communication to enhance family planning and maintain behavior change among targeted market segments in the Philippines.”
May Plano Ako, finalized in June, has the “full support” of Health Secretary Enrique Ona, said Dr. Ivanhoe Escartin, NCHP head.
Ona is scheduled to lead the launching of the program on Aug. 31 in Legazpi City while Undersecretary David Lozada and Assistant Secretary Nemesio Gaco are expected to grace similar activities in San Fernando, La Union, and Bacolod City, respectively.
Communication strategy
In a 37-page report, titled “Family Planning Behavior Change Communication Strategy,” the NCHP said: “The strategy builds on the understanding that encouraging individuals or couples to use family planning is a process, involving distinct audiences that need different messages and approaches.”
“Information alone is not enough to bring about behavior change among any audience. Instead, the strategy is based on a multilevel, synchronized and holistic marketing approach to family planning.”
The same report said “the approach is unique in that it focuses on increasing modern contraceptive use through demand generation, or increasing knowledge and forming positive attitudes toward contraceptive use and birth spacing; social marketing, or repackaging or selling the concept of family planning as a lifestyle that contributes to better quality of life; and service marketing, or building capacity of family-planning service providers and promoting model providers.”
Lost opportunities
The report also noted that previous family planning approaches of the DoH had “resulted in lost opportunities to involve men and young people and address values that may actually drive contraceptive use.”
Citing data from the National Demographic and Health Survey and the Commission on Population, among others, the NCHP said that:
Many poor Filipino women are having more children than they want.
“Currently, the total number of children a Filipino woman has during her reproductive years is one child higher than the desired number, or 3.3 vs. 2.4. For the poorest women, it is two children (5.2) higher than the desired number.”
A large proportion of married women, especially those with more than two children want no more kids, yet contraceptive use is low.
“More than half (54 percent) of married women in the Philippines want no more children. The proportion of women who no longer want additional children increases with the number of living children.”
“However, contraceptive use is low and has remained fairly stagnant over the last five years. Only one out of three married women is using a family planning method and only one out of three is using a modern method.”
Unmet need
Adolescents, those aged 15 to 19, have the “highest unmet need for family planning.”
The DoH defines “unmet need” as “the percentage of married women who either want to stop having children or want to wait for their next birth but are not using any family planning method.”
More than one in five pregnancies in the country are either mistimed or unwanted.
Worse, “many women obtain an abortion when they discover an unplanned pregnancy.”
“About one in five pregnancies in the Philippines end up in illegal abortions, mostly in unsafe conditions that can lead to maternal deaths.”
In a May Plano Ako briefing paper, HealthPRO said “many Filipinos believe having a plan is good for their families.”
“They not only want their government to help them plan their families. They also have to get the information and services they need to help them plan their families,” HealthPRO also said.
Aside from HealthPRO, USAID’s other health-related projects in the country include SHIELD, short for Sustainable Health Improvement Through Empowerment and Local Development; Health Policy Development Program (HPDP); Private Sector Mobilization for Family Health (PRISM); and Strengthening Local Governance for Health (HealthGov).
These projects are part of the US government’s “Country Assistance Strategy for the Philippines” from 2009 to 2013.
P4.46B in USAID projects
Last year, the USAID allocated $96.04 million (about P4.46 billion) to its projects in the Philippines.
Nearly $27 million (about P1.25 billion) of the budget was spent on health-related projects like the drive against HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
In June, then Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral cited the USAID as a DoH partner in the state’s family planning campaign.
Earlier in an interview, Cabral told the Inquirer that the government’s family planning program had “not been as successful as we want it to be.”
“Even as population growth is coming down, it is not coming down at the rate necessary to improve the country’s socioeconomic status,” she said.
Target growth rate
Cabral said the state needed to “bring it down (from 2.04 percent in 2008) to a level of 1.3 to 1.4 percent per annum where the population will stabilize.”
In a report on the Philippines, the UN Millennium Campaign (on the MDGs) said “the country’s high population growth is diluting the gains of economic growth.”
“The larger the population a country has, the greater will be the pressure on basic social services and on natural resources,” it said.
Here, “more than one million babies are born every year. They will be needing resources in the future, such as health care, schooling, food, clothing and later on, employment. Even today, these needs are not being met,” the report added.
Source: Asian Journal
Catholic church are manipulating the law and state again.
THIS HAS TO STOP!
ANG KAUWAG (LUST FOR SEX) SA TAWO ANG GIPASULABI. HE/SHE CAN DO ANYTHING HERE ON EARTH, KAY NAA NAY BALAOD BOTH SA INDIVIDUAL UG SA MAGTIAYON AT THEIR CHOICE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, SOMEBODY’S BEHIND ALL OF THIS THING, A GODLESSNESS BEING. . . . .