Amendment of Quezon City Maternal Health Ordice

Ordinance No. SP-2327, S-2014 amends Ordinance No. SP-1145, S-2002 by revising its definitions and provisions and by adding new sections.
Section 1 of Ordinance No. SP-2327, S-2014 amends Section 2 of Ordinance No. SP-1145, S-2002.
Section 2 of Ordinance No. SP-2327, S-2014 adds a new Section 3 and a headnote “Qualified Beneficiaries” to Ordinance No. SP-1145, S-2002, and it renumbers the original Section 3 as Section 4.
Sections 4 to 7 of Ordinance No. SP-2327, S-2014 add new sections and provisions to Ordinance No. SP-1145, S-2002, including a prohibition on abortion and a funding requirement.

Section 2 amends “SECTION 2. DEFINITION” of Ordinance No. SP-1145, S-2002 by establishing the following terms:
- “Beneficiary” means the qualified beneficiaries under Section 3.
- “City Health Officer” refers to the health care professional assigned to the Maternal and Infant Health Program under the City Health Department.
- “Infant” refers to the child in the early period of life—birth to 1 year.
- “Low income” means income below the official income poverty line defined by the Department of Budget and Management.
- “Maternal” refers to the characteristics of a female parent capable of getting pregnant.
- “Pre-natal” refers to what takes place before birth of a child.
- “Post-natal” refers to what takes place after birth of a child.

New Section 3 establishes “Qualified Beneficiaries” for the Maternal and Infant Health Home Visiting Program:
- A pregnant woman falling under the low income bracket.
- A mother under the low income bracket with an infant up to the age of one (1) year.
- A household falling under the low income bracket with an infant up to the age of one (1) year.
Beneficiaries receive the maternal and infant home services mandated under the program.

Section 4 amends “SECTION 4. PRESCRIBED ACT” and directs the City Health Department to require barangay health centers to designate an appropriate health professional or qualified non-professional to deliver maternal and child health services.
The designated provider must act under the supervision of a City Health Officer.
Home visiting services for beneficiaries must include the following:
- Instruction and counseling regarding future health care for the woman and her child.
- Counseling and education on all aspects of prenatal and postnatal care, childbirth and motherhood, mother and infant nutrition and breastfeeding.
- General family counseling, including child and family development and responsible parenthood.
- Counseling on reproductive and sexual health education.
- Medical care or referral to the City Health Department or government health institutions for further maternal and infant health care.

New Section 5 establishes “SECTION 5. PROHIBITION ON ABORTION”.
Any maternal and infant health service made available under the program must not advocate, promote, or encourage abortion.

New Section 6 establishes “SECTION 6. FUNDING FOR SEMINARS, TRAINING AND MATERIALS.”
The ordinance requires that an amount shall be earmarked annually from the general budget of the city for:
- the conduct of trainings and seminars of health personnel; and
- the production of maternal and infant health related materials to be disseminated to beneficiaries.

New Section 7 establishes “SECTION 7. IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS (IRR)”, requiring the City Health Department to formulate the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of the ordinance.
The ordinance includes a separability clause: if any part or section is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder remains valid and subsisting.
The ordinance includes a repealing clause: all ordinances, resolutions, executive orders, rules, regulations, and other administrative issuances—or the provisions thereof—contrary to or inconsistent with the ordinance are repealed or modified accordingly.

The ordinance sets only an effectivity timing rule: it takes effect within fifteen (15) days after publication in any newspaper of general circulation.
The ordinance provides an IRR mandate to be formulated by the City Health Department for effective implementation.