Big push for reproductive health law

CEBU CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) and Population Commission (POPCOM) hope to pursue the full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) law despite the legal challenges it faces.

In his message during the National Family Planning Conference in Cebu recently, Health Undersecretary Herminigildo Valle said members of the drafting committee has come up with the revised implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the law.

Valle said a court had ordered the DOH and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make revisions to the IRR.

She said the revisions include the deletion of the qualifier “primarily” in defining abortifacients and contraceptives. It also reiterates the requirement for a written consent from parents of teenagers who want to use contraceptives even if the minor already had a baby or has had a miscarriage.

Another amendment penalizes any health care service provider who fails and refuses to disseminate information on the programs and services on reproductive health because of his or her religious beliefs.

“Our next move is for the FDA to come up with certain commodities and prove that contraceptive implants are non-abortifacient leading to the lifting of the TRO, then we can start distributing the family planning commodities to the health centers or in facilities where they are mostly needed,” he said.

The family planning conference here is expected to create stronger allies and support in the aggressive implementation of the RPRH Law, Valle said.

“Hopefully there are no more challenges or opposing views for the implementation of RA -10345. Despite the TRO (temporary restraining order), the family planning component of the law has been successful after more than four years of implementation,” he said.

But Valle sees the next phase of implementation as “even more challenging for the DOH and POPCOM.”