Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Bill

Legislative Advocacy:
Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood & Population Development Bill
(taken from www.ncrfw.gov.ph)

National Situation

A quick glance at the national health situation of Filipino women reveals the following information:

* Philippine maternal mortality rate (MMR) remains high at 162 deaths for every 100,000 live births. The National Statistics Office fears that the slow decline in MMR may cause the Philippines to miss its MDG target of bringing down the MMR to 53 by the year 2015. (Family Planning Survey 2006).

* Maternal deaths account for 14% of deaths among women. According to the Commission on Population, ten (10) women die every 24 hours from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications (Popcorn 2000).

* 29 infants of every 1,000 live births die before reaching one year of age; 40 young children die before reaching five years of age. (NSO, NDHS 2003)29 infants of every 1,000 live births die before reaching one year of age; 40 young children die before reaching five years of age. (NSO, NDHS 2003)

* Close birth spacing and high-risk pregnancies have been shown to be closely related to childhood mortality. (NSO, NDHS 2003)

* The Filipino woman's desired number of children is 2.5. However, the actual fertility rate is 3.5 children or a difference of one child. This difference is due mainly to the lack of information on and access to family planning services. (NSO, NDHS 2003)

* Only 49.3% of women use any method of contraception, with the use of the pill as the leading contraceptive method, followed by female sterilization, and the calendar rhythm. Condoms, even though widely distributed, accounted for only 1.9% of the total usage. (NSO-FPS 2005)

* The unmet need for family planning averages 17.3%. Those belonging to the poorest class have the highest unmet need for family planning at 26.7%, consisting of those who want to space their pregnancies (10.9%), and those who want to limit the number of their children (15.8%). The current unmet need for contraceptives is 23.15% for poor women and 13.6% for women who are not poor. (NSO, NDHS 2003)

* The use of modern family planning methods increases with the increase in the level of education of women. (NSO, 2003 NDHS)

* 97% of all Filipinos believe it is important to have the ability to control one's fertility or to plan one's family. It is significant to note that 87% of the total respondents are Roman Catholics. (Pulse Asia Survey, Feb 2004)

Legislative Herstory

* Past government administrations have attempted to address these population and reproductive health concerns. However, their approaches differed and changed, depending on the views of whoever holds the leadership.

* From the 9th to the 11th Congress, Population Development bills have been filed, focusing mainly on controlling population growth. It was only in the 12th Congress that the reproductive health of women figured into the discussions on population development, so that population-related bills filed in the 12th and 13th Congress already considered reproductive health issues.

* At the close of the 13th Congress, the substitute bill HB 3773 or the "Responsible Parenthood and Population Management" bill reached the 2nd Reading.

* As of this writing, four bills pertaining to reproductive health and/or population management have been filed for the 14th Congress in both houses: HB No. 17 authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman, HB No. 812 authored by Rep. Janette Garin, SB No. 40 authored by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon and SB No. 43 authored by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Salient Features

The Philippines is duty-bound to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), specifically the UN CEDAW Committee's Concluding Comments, which among others, urges the government to enhance women's access to health care, including reproductive health services, to address high maternal mortality rates, high fertility rates, and inadequate family planning services.

The NCRFW is advocating for a national legislation that addresses the reproductive health needs of women and other population development issues which, among others;

* Upholds and promotes the four pillars of the present government's population policy as enunciated in President Arroyo's statement of support to the International.

Conference on Population and Development in January 2005, namely (1) responsible parenthood, (2) informed choice, (3) birth spacing, and (4) respect for life;

* Recognizes that human resource is a principal asset, hence the needs for effective reproductive health care services to be given primacy and ensure the birth of healthy children and promote responsible parenting;

* Promotes gender equality and women's rights as essential to the fulfillment of reproductive health rights;

* Defines reproductive health as 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;

* Provides the framework for implementing the ten elements of a comprehensive reproductive health program as follows: (1) maternal, infant and child health and nutrition, including the promotion of breastfeeding; (2) family planning and information services; (3) adolescent and youth health; (4) prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications; (5) prevention and management of reproductive tract infections, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmittable infections; (6) elimination of violence against women; (7) education and counseling on sexuality and sexual health; (8) treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers and other gynecological conditions; (9) male involvement and participation in reproductive health; and (10) prevention and treatment of infertility and sexual dysfunction;

* Leaves the number and spacing of children to the sound and informed judgment of couples based on their personal conviction and religious beliefs, while assuring that they are afforded free and full access to relevant, adequate and enlightening information on reproductive health;

* Provides for a mandatory reproductive health and sexuality education, that is medically correct and developmentally appropriate, to be taught by adequately trained teachers;

* Appropriates funds for the initial implementation of the proposed law and mandates Congress to include subsequent appropriations in the General Appropriations Act.

Written by: Honey Castro