Certification Guidelines for Family Planning Clinics

Establish guidelines and procedures for certifying Free Standing Private Family Planning Clinics.
Ensure access to safe and quality modern FP services for all.
Promote gender-sensitive delivery of modern FP services.

Applies to private health facilities offering modern FP methods: contraceptive pills, injectables, implants, IUD, no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV), natural FP methods.
Excludes bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) and traditional/incisional vasectomy, which require separate licensing to operate.
Does not restrict scope of practice for individual healthcare providers prescribing or delivering FP methods independently.

Certification: DOH Regional Office assessment and evaluation of facilities against quality standards.
Electronic Document & Signature: Recognized legal documents and signatures in electronic form, valid under the Electronic Commerce Act.
Free Standing Family Planning Clinics: Facilities providing specified modern FP services outside hospital accreditation.

Certification qualifies clinics for PhilHealth accreditation for specific FP procedures.
Certified clinics receive DOH-purchased FP supplies prioritizing marginalized and vulnerable groups.
Clinics with suspended or revoked certification are disqualified from receiving DOH FP supplies until compliance is restored.
Adherence to informed choice, voluntarism, and proper healthcare waste management is mandatory.
Facilities must include “Family Planning Clinic” in their registered name to indicate functional capacity.
No fees for marginalized clients for FP services or commodities.
Required reporting of PhilHealth clients served and compliance with DOH standardized training.
Timely submission of FP service reports to local government health units is compulsory.
Interpretations favor increased access and protection of reproductive health rights.

Provision of fertility awareness, FP information, and counseling based on medical eligibility criteria.
Offering a minimum package of modern FP methods including pills, injectables, condoms, implants, IUDs, NSV, and natural methods.
Referral networks for services and procedures not offered at the clinic, including BTL and complicated implant/IUD removal.
Compliance with infection control standards and management of adverse events.
Support personnel for administrative and logistic functions.
Conduct risk assessment, management of minor side effects, routine follow-ups, and thorough documentation.

At least one trained health provider with competency-based training in family planning and specific procedures offered.
Personnel must demonstrate competency through post-training evaluation.
Facility size, staffing, and equipment must be proportionate to client volume ensuring quality service delivery.

Certification is evidenced by a Certificate of Compliance valid for three years.
Re-application and review required six months before expiration.

Use of electronic documents and signatures is allowed and legally binding under RA 8792 (Electronic Commerce Act).
Verification of documents during certification and monitoring visits is standard procedure.
Use of fake or fraudulent documents leads to suspension or revocation of certification.

Clinic managers must complete a detailed checklist to assess compliance.
Submit application packet including checklist, application form, and ownership proof to the DOH Regional Office.
DOH Regional Office reviews applications and schedules certification visits upon approval.
Certification visits involve on-site validation by a minimum two-person DOH Certifying Team.
Facilities rated for further validation will undergo reexamination by a three-person team for final decision.
Non-compliance requires correction before reapplication with specified waiting periods.

All facilities, compliant or not, are registered in a central DOH registry with unique facility IDs.
DOH Regional Director issues Certificates of Compliance for compliant clinics with official authentication.
Monitoring inspections are periodically conducted; deficiencies lead to notices of suspension or revocation.
Semi-annual reporting of violations and actions taken is submitted by DOH Regional Offices to the central division and PhilHealth.

DOH Regional Directors investigate complaints against certified clinics or personnel.
Certification may be suspended, canceled, or revoked for violations without prejudice to judicial or human rights actions.

Clinics may appeal DOH Regional Office decisions to the Secretary of Health within 10 days of notice.
The Secretary’s decision on appeal is final and executory.

Previously inconsistent provisions from earlier issuances are repealed or modified.
Invalidity of any part of the Order does not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.

The Order becomes effective 15 days after approval and publication in a newspaper of general circulation.