Declaration of Policy
- Recognizes human rights including equality, nondiscrimination, right to health, education, and right to reproductive choices.
- State duties: Protect family as an autonomous unit; protect life of mother and unborn; promote women's and public health.
- Advocates for a balanced and healthful environment.
- Promotes rights of children, youth, unborn, gender equality, and women empowerment.
- Recognizes marriage as a foundational institution.
- Protects rights of spouses to responsible parenthood, children's welfare, family income, and family participation in policy.
- Guarantees universal access to medically safe, legal, affordable reproductive health services and supplies with priority for marginalized sectors.
- Commits to eradicate discriminatory laws infringing on reproductive rights.
- Promotes openness to life with responsible parenting.
Guiding Principles for Implementation
- Right to free and informed decisions without coercion.
- Respect for reproductive health rights promoting welfare of all, especially women and adolescents.
- Prioritize quality reproductive health care to ensure maternal/child health and sound replacement rate.
- Ensure reproductive health services are ethical, safe, legal, accessible, affordable, non-abortifacient, and quality.
- Provide unbiased information and access to all family planning methods, including natural and modern methods, especially for the poor.
- Promote programs supporting individuals and couples to decide family size, equitable resource allocation, partnership among government and private sectors, demographic studies, and scientific evaluation of reproductive health methods.
- National government holds primary responsibility for reproductive health care delivery.
- Respect individual choices according to religious and cultural beliefs.
- Encourage participation of NGOs, civil society, faith-based groups, and communities.
- Ensure humane treatment for women needing post-abortive and pregnancy-related care.
- No demographic targets; population policies for sustainable development.
- Emphasize gender equality and women empowerment.
- Ensure resource allocation serves the entire population with life of the unborn protected.
- Recognize development as multi-faceted with policy integration.
- Address reproductive health needs across life cycle.
Definition of Terms
- Detailed definitions include: Abortifacient, Adolescent, BEMONC, CEMONC, Family Planning, Gender Equality/Equity, Male Responsibility, Maternal Death Review, Modern/Natural Family Planning, Poor, Reproductive Health (RH), RH Care, RH Rights, RTI, Responsible Parenthood, Sexual Health, Skilled Birth Attendance, Sustainable Human Development, among others.
- RH encompasses complete physical, mental, and social well-being in reproductive matters.
- RH Care includes family planning, maternal health, STI prevention, violence elimination, education, male involvement, and mental health.
- RH Rights exclude abortion and access to abortifacients.
Hiring Skilled Health Professionals
- Local Government Units (LGUs) must hire adequate skilled health professionals to achieve DOH targets.
- National government to support funding and assistance.
- Midwives and nurses may administer lifesaving drugs under proper training and emergency conditions.
Health Care Facilities
- LGUs to establish/upgrade hospitals with equipment, personnel for emergency obstetric and newborn care.
- Access parity for isolated, populated, or depressed areas.
- National government to provide necessary funding.
Access to Family Planning
- All accredited public health facilities to provide full range of modern family planning methods, including infertility services for the poor.
- Private facilities may provide services; religious hospitals exempt but must refer patients.
- No denial of family planning info or services, except minors require parental consent unless already parents or had miscarriage.
Maternal and Infant Death Reviews
- Annual reviews mandated to inform evidence-based programming for reproductive health and safe motherhood.
Drug Formulary and Family Planning Supplies
- National Drug Formulary includes safe, effective, non-abortifacient contraceptives approved by FDA.
- Emergency contraceptive pills and abortifacients prohibited.
Procurement and Distribution of Supplies
- DOH to procure, distribute, monitor family planning supplies nationwide in coordination with LGUs.
- LGUs may develop own programs consistent with national policy.
Integration in Anti-Poverty Programs
- Multidimensional, targeting poor and marginalized women with full access to reproductive health care.
- DOH provides technical support and monitoring.
PhilHealth Benefits
- Maximum coverage for serious reproductive health conditions including HIV/AIDS, cancers, obstetric complications.
Mobile Health Care Service
- LGUs may provide Mobile Health Care Services equipped for service delivery and information dissemination.
Reproductive Health Education
- Age-appropriate reproductive health education mandated, integrated in relevant subjects.
- Flexibility allowed post-consultation with stakeholders.
Certificate of Compliance
- Marriage license applicants must present certification confirming receipt of responsible parenthood information.
Capacity Building of Barangay Health Workers
- DOH responsible for information dissemination and training.
- LGUs to train BHWs and provide medical supplies.
Pro Bono Services
- Private reproductive health providers encouraged to offer at least 48 hours annually of free services to indigent patients.
Sexual and Reproductive Health for Persons with Disabilities
- LGUs to remove access barriers, adapt facilities, provide accessible information, and raise awareness on PWDs' sexual and reproductive rights.
Duties and Responsibilities
- DOH as lead agency for implementation, ensuring access to safe, legal reproductive health services.
- Includes coordination with PHIC, NGOs, private sector, training providers, supervision of LGUs, and dissemination of information.
- FDA to issue guidelines on contraceptives.
- Corporations to exercise prudence in advertising related to sexuality.
Public Awareness Campaign
- Sustained nationwide multimedia campaigns to promote reproductive health awareness.
- Materials reviewed regularly for effectiveness.
Reporting Requirements
- DOH to submit annual report to President and Congress detailing program implementation, evaluation, and legislative recommendations.
Congressional Oversight
- Creation of a Congressional Oversight Committee with members from both houses to monitor the law's implementation, recommend measures, and review every 5 years.
Prohibited Acts
- Providers must not withhold information, refuse service unlawfully, or discriminate.
- Public officers must not hinder reproductive health programs.
- Employers prohibited from coercing family planning or discriminating due to pregnancy.
- Falsification of compliance certificates and collusion in procurement forbidden.
Penalties
- Violations punishable by imprisonment (1-6 months), fines (P10,000-P100,000), or both.
- Public officers may face suspension or removal.
- Corporate violators may lose licenses and bear triple fines.
- Foreign offenders subject to deportation.
Appropriations
- Funding allocated in the General Appropriations Act and additional sums for facilities, training, and supplies.
- Gender and Development funds may be utilized.
Implementing Rules and Regulations
- Within 60 days, an IRR committee including government agencies and NGOs to promulgate rules for effective implementation.
Interpretation Clause
- The Act to be liberally construed to ensure access and protection of reproductive health rights.
Separability Clause
- Invalid provisions do not affect the remainder of the Act.
Repealing Clause
- Conflicting laws contrary to the Act repealed except existing abortion laws.
Effectivity
- The Act takes effect 15 days after publication in two newspapers of general circulation.