Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 10354)
The official title is "The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012."
The State recognizes and guarantees human rights including equality and nondiscrimination, sustainable human development, the right to health (including reproductive health), education and information, and the right to make decisions based on religious convictions, ethics, and cultural beliefs.
Family planning is defined as a program which enables couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and to have access to a full range of safe, affordable, effective, non-abortifacient modern natural and artificial methods of planning pregnancy.
LGUs shall endeavor to hire an adequate number of nurses, midwives, and other skilled health professionals to achieve an ideal skilled health professional-to-patient ratio for maternal health care and skilled birth attendance, ensuring equal access for isolated or depressed areas. The national government shall provide additional funding and assistance.
BEMONC includes administration of parenteral oxytocic drugs, anticonvulsants, antibiotics, maternal steroids for preterm labor, assisted vaginal deliveries, removal of retained placental products, manual removal of retained placenta, newborn resuscitation, provision of warmth, referral, and blood transfusion where possible.
Minors are not allowed access to modern methods of family planning without written consent from their parents or guardians, except when the minor is already a parent or has had a miscarriage.
Violations are penalized by imprisonment from one (1) month to six (6) months or a fine of Ten thousand pesos (P10,000) to One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000), or both, at the court’s discretion. Public officers may face suspension or removal and forfeiture of benefits. Aliens shall be deported after serving sentences. Pharmaceutical companies involved in violations may have their licenses revoked and pay triple fines.
The DOH is the lead agency responsible for full implementation of the reproductive health care program, ensuring access to safe, legal, affordable reproductive health goods and services, coordinating with LGUs, strengthening regulatory agencies, and engaging NGOs and experts for program delivery and training.
No, the Act explicitly states that abortion is illegal and punishable by law. It prohibits use and distribution of abortifacients and does not include abortion as part of reproductive health rights.
They can refuse based on conscientious objection grounded on ethical or religious beliefs but must refer the patient immediately to another provider within the same facility or a conveniently accessible one, provided the person is not in an emergency or serious condition as defined by law.
Applicants must present a Certificate of Compliance, issued for free by the local Family Planning Office, certifying that they have received adequate instructions and information on responsible parenthood, family planning, breastfeeding, and infant nutrition.
Cities and municipalities must remove barriers by providing physical access, adapting examination and laboratory equipment, increasing access to information in accessible formats, educating health care providers on PWDs' rights, and addressing public misconceptions.
Employers cannot require or unduly influence employees or applicants to undergo sterilization or use or refrain from using family planning methods as a condition for employment, promotion, or benefits. Pregnancy or number of children cannot be grounds for non-hiring or termination.
NHTS-PR is used to identify poor and marginalized sectors who are given preferential access to reproductive health care, services, and supplies which are provided free and prioritized under the Act.
The State must provide age- and development-appropriate reproductive health education to adolescents, taught by trained teachers, integrated into relevant subjects, with flexibility after consultations with stakeholders.