Reproductive health bill welcomed, but needs to be followed with commitment

The medical charity Merlin and its national partner NGO, Likhaan, welcome the Philippines Reproductive Health Bill coming into effect on January the 17th.

Maxime Piasecki, country director for Merlin in the Philippines said: “This is a huge victory for sexual and reproductive health rights– and for millions of women in the Philippines. Our clinics are always full, which speaks volumes for the need for comprehensive reproductive health services.”

“The law is a milestone and paves the way for huge improvements in maternal health. However, the legacy of restrictions on family planning services in many parts of the country means that this will not happen overnight or without opposition. Our next step is to ensure proper implementation.”

In areas where contraception has been banned for decades, health workers will need to be trained to provide family planning advice and services. There is likely to be cultural opposition from anti-reproductive health groups which could make it hard for clinics to offer services.

The law itself still requires written consent from parents of under 18s to access family planning, despite adolescents being a priority group. Reproductive health education for adolescents is likely to be optional in private schools.

Furthermore, the budget for reproductive health services will be reviewed annually, giving the bill’s opponents a regular opportunity to limit the programme by cutting funding.

The law’s key achievements include mandatory government funding for reproductive health services and ensuring that all public health facilities provide a full range of family planning methods.

Post-abortion care will also be made legal for the first time, national health insurance (PhilHealth) benefits provided to those with life threatening conditions such as HIV and AIDS or obstetric complications. Maternal mortality reduction strategies endorsed by the WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF have been incorporated into law.

Reproductive health education will be added to the public school curriculum - crucial in a country with the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the Asia-Pacific region.

However, getting comprehensive reproductive health services to all women who need them will require the continued commitment of the Philippine government, NGOs and civil society partners.

Notes to editors

A national reproductive health bill that would guarantee universal access to FP and reproductive health information and services has been waiting to be enacted since 1998. In 2000, the city of Manila banned the provision of services in its own public health facilities. In June 2012 the Department of Health announced that the estimated maternal mortality rate had increased by more than 35% to 221 per 100,000 live births in 2011 (from 162 in 2009). Unless there is fundamental change the Philippines is extremely unlikely to reach its Millennium Development Goals relating to universal access to reproductive health services and the reduction of maternal mortality

Merlin has been in the Philippines since 2009 and is currently focusing on improving access to family planning for women and families in the urban slums of Manila, with funding from the European Union. Reproductive health services are currently being provided to 115,000 beneficiaries.