(Note: This is the Fact Sheet from the Committee on Health on House Bill No. 5043 [full text], in substitution to HB Nos. 17, 812, 2753 & 3970. Introduced by Reps. Edcel C. Lagman, Janette L. Garin, Narciso D.Santiago III, Mark Llandro Mendoza, Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel, Eleandro Jesus F. Madrona. The full text of the explanatory note of Rep. Edcel Lagman’s House Bill No. 17, one of the substituted bills, is also reproduced below. See also updated bill, House Bill 4244, an updated article on RH Bill and the open discussion, without need of registration.)
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND POPULATION DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2008
OBJECTIVE/S:
- To uphold and promote respect for life, informed choice, birth spacing and responsible parenthood in conformity with internationally recognized human rights standards.
- To guarantee universal access to medically-safe, legal and quality reproductive health care services and relevant information even as it prioritizes the needs of women and children.
KEY PROVISIONS:
- Mandates the Population Commission, to be an attached agency of the Department of Health, to be the central planning, coordinating, implementing and monitoring body for effective implementation of this Act.
- Provides for the creation of an enabling environment for women and couples to make an informed choice regarding the family planning method that is best suited to their needs and personal convictions.
- Provides for a maternal death review in LGUs, national and local government hospitals and other public health units to decrease the incidence of maternal deaths.
- Ensures the availability of hospital-based family planning methods such as tubal ligation, vasectomy and intrauterine device insertion in all national and local government hospitals, except in specialty hospitals.
- Considers hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine devices, injectables and other allied reproductive health products and supplies under the category of essential medicines and supplies to form part of the National Drug Formulary and to be included in the regular purchase of essential medicines and supplies of all national and local hospitals and other government health units.
- Provides for a Mobile Health Care Service in every Congressional District to deliver health care goods and services.
- Provides Mandatory Age-appropriate Reproductive Health Education starting from Grade 5 to Fourth Year High School to develop the youth into responsible adults.
- Mandates the inclusion of the topics on breastfeeding and infant nutrition as essential part of the information given by the City or Municipal Office of the Family Planning to all applicants for marriage license.
- Mandates no less than 10% increase in the honoraria of community-based volunteer workers, such as the barangay health workers, upon successful completion of training on the delivery of reproductive health care services.
- Penalizes the violator of this Act from one month to six months imprisonment or a fine ranging from ten thousand to fifty thousand pesos or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the Court.
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 17
Introduced by HONORABLE EDCEL C. LAGMAN
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The present population of the country of 88.7 million has galloped from 60.7 million 17 years ago. This makes the Philippines the 12th most populous nation in the world today.The Filipino women’s fertility rate of 3.05% is at the upper bracket of 206 countries. With four babies born every minute, the population is expected to balloon to an alarming 160 million in 2038.
It is worth noting, however, that available studies, data and statistics show that the Filipinos are responsive to having smaller-sized families through free choice of family planning methods:
a. The desired fertility rate of Filipino women is 2.5 children per woman. However, the actual total fertility rate is 3.5 or a difference of one child because of the lack of information and absence of access to family planning. The current unmet need for contraceptives for example is 23.15% for poor women and 13.6% for women who are not poor (2003 National Demographic and Health Survey)
b. 61% of currently married women do not want additional children (2003 National Demographic and Health Survey)
c. 50.6% of the youth want to have only two children (2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey)
d. 97% of all Filipinos believe it is important to have the ability to control one’s fertility or to plan one’s family. It is significant to note that 87% of the total respondents are Roman Catholic (February 2004 Pulse Asia Survey)
e. Nearly nine in ten Filipinos or 86% say that candidates for elective positions who advocate a program for women’s health should be supported while only 2% say they should be rejected and 12% are undecided on the matter;
f. 82% say that candidates in favor of couples’ free choice of family planning methods should be supported while only 3% think otherwise and 15% are undecided;
g. 82% of Filipinos consider candidates supporting a law or measure on population issues worthy of their voltes while only 3% say such candidates should not be backed at the polls and 15% are undecided;
h. 83% of Filipinos say they are in favor of candidates who support the allocation of goverment funds for family planning while only 2% say they are not and 15% are undecided; and
i. A mere 8% of Filipinos believe that a candidate’s championing of family planning issues will spell that candidate’s defeat at the polls.
j. In July 1991, the Social Weather Stations conducted a survey that revealed that 97% of Filipinos want to have the ability to control their fertility and plan their families.
Notwithstanding these findings that favor smaller-sized families, this bill is not a population control measure with the sole objective of limiting population growth. It provides for population development that aims to:
(a) help couples/parents achieve their desired fertility size in the context of responsible parenthood;
(b) improve reproductive health of individuals and contribute to decreased maternal mortality rate, infant mortality and early child mortality;
(c) reduce incidence of teenage pregnancy and other reproductive health problems; and
(d) contribute to policies that will assist government to achieve a favorable balance between population and distribution, economic activities and the environment.
This measure is not coercive. It gives couples the freedom to decide whether or not to plan their families or space or limit their children. Those who decide to plan their families also have the freedom to choose what method of contraception is best suited for them. The so called “two child policy” is voluntary, not compulsory; suggestive, not coercive; and absolutely not punitive. It is not even a policy. It is a suggested ideal or norm.
Accordingly, this bill seeks to provide the enabling environment for couples and individuals to enjoy the basic right to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the information, education, and access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of family planning of their choice.
This proposed law aims to uphold and promote the four pillars of population and development enunciated by no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself in her statement of support for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) namely: (1) responsible parenthood, (2) informed choice, (3) birth spacing, and (4) respect for life.
It should be clarified, however, that this bill does not only protect the life of the unborn from the moment of implantation but that of the mother as well. Hence, the bill seeks to promote the reproductive health of women basically through massive and sustained information campaign on reproductive health rights, care, services and facilities coupled with universal access to all methods of family planning ranging from the natural to the modern which are medically safe and legally permissible. In the event they fail to prevent pregnancy and resort to abortion, they shall be provided with appropriate health and medical care. Despite the provision for humane and compassionate management of post abortion complications, this bill continues to proscribe and penalize abortion which is a crime under the Revised Penal Code.
To contribute to the empowerment and responsible behavior of the youth, this proposed legislation provides for age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education that may be initiated by parents at house, and shall be sustained and complemented by formal education in school.
An effective reproductive health education does not only instill consciousness of freedom of choice but responsible exercise of one’s rights. According to the United Nations Population Fund: “It has been, repeatedly shown that reproductive health education leads to responsible behavior, higher levels of abstinence, later initiation of sexuality, higher use of contraception, and fewer sexual partners, These good effeds are even greater when parents can talk honestly with their children about sexual and reproductive matters.”
To guarantee the right of all persons to a full range of information on family planning methods, services and facilities and to ensure their access to an equally full range of medically safe and effective family planning methods at an appropriate time and by competent and adequately trained persons,the bill mandates the Commission on Population (POPCOM) to be the central planning, coordinating, implementing and monitoring body for the comprehensive and integrated policy on reproductive health and population development. Section 5 of the bill specifies the functions of POPCOM as the lead agency in the implementation of the “Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Act of 2007”.
This proposed Act doses not only seek to protect and promote reproductive health and rights and to empower couples, individuals, more particularly women, and the youth, but it also aims to improve the quality of life of the people in general. Studies show that rapid population growth exacerbates poverty while poverty spawns rapid population growth. Consider the following:
- The Family Income and Exfenditures Surveys by the National Statistics Office (NSO) from 1985-2000 disclose that 57.3% of families having many children are poor but only 15.7% of families having two children are poor.
- Large family size is associated with negative determinant of school participation and poor health and survival rates among children. (Orbeta, Population and the Fight Against Poverty, 2003)
- The prevalence of child labor rises, and school attendance falls, with the number of children in the family (Raymundo, 2004). Moreover,the odds of a child becoming underweight and stunted are greater if he/she belongs to a household with 5 or more members (FNRI 1998). This partly explains why poverty tends to be transmitted and sustained from one generation to the next.
- According to the UN Population Fund 2002 Report, “lower birth rates and slower population growth over the last three decades have contributed faster economic progress in a number of developing countries.”
- Moreover,the same Report disclosed that fertility declines accounted for 1/5th of the economic growth in East Asia between 1960 and 1995. Additionally, it showed that countries that invest in health, including reproductive health and family planning, and in education and women’s development register slower population growth and faster economic growth.
A consistent and coherent national population policy along with sound monetary and fiscal policies and good governance could propel our people toward sustainable human development.
Accordingly, approval of this measure is earnestly sought.
(See also: Full text of House Bill No. 5043 (Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008; poll also here)
Before I begin my deconstructive statements, let me first say that from the way those against the bill are writing their comments, I can infer that they are ignorant of many things, including grammar. Before you even try to comment on large issues, consider your own issues first.
To start things off, “Not all that is moral is right; not all that is right is moral.”
For those screaming abortion, READ. PLEASE. DON’T BE STUPID. The bill states that even if it is passed, abortion is still considered a criminal act. However, it makes provisions for POST (READ PLEASE, POST MEANING AFTER IF YOU’RE TOO STUPID TO UNDERSTAND THAT) ABORTION CARE. That’s more pro-life than a stupid priest screaming sermons, because he’s just babbling. All talk, no go.
For those screaming against artificial contraceptives, all I can say is, LOOK UP CONTRACEPTION. You’re not killing on contraception; you’re preventing life from forming. Your argument that it’s tantamount to murder is totally stupid, completely off. Before commenting on something, make sure you fully comprehend it.
Let me quote this:
“The specific SOLUTIONS ABOUT THIS ISSUE is simple.
-first of all this country doesn’t and wont need corruption!
-the money to be spent for this bill should be used for a PROPER and for a “MORAL” education of our people.
-they should always tell the people about its TRUE EFFECTS in our country and to US.
-INSTEAD OF KILLING THE POPULATION GROWTH, IT IS MORE LIKELY TO USE IT FOR ITS FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS!
EFFECTS OF THE RH BILL
-the DISSOLUTION and Removal of the SIGNIFICANCE and IMPORTANCE of a proper family and matrimony.
-increase of PROSTITUTION and ABUSES!
-the loss of moral values or virtues towards our youth.
-women will loose their socio-cultural pregnancy and motherhood as to men.
– the consideration of the/our body ONLY as SEX OBJECTS!
-INCREASE in homosexuality
-Euthanasia of the Philippines
-more killings
-DEMOGRAPHIC WINTER!”
All I can say is, how stupid. No country needs or wants corruption, but we have corruption, and bad. Not to mention that statement has no connection to the bill. About morality, again, not all that is moral is right. Look up the Inquisition; the Church says it is moral, even though it tortured people and executed more than we have. True effects, you say? They did say it, only you’re too stupid to comprehend it. Killing population growth? Do some research! We have almost the same land area as Arizona in the U.S., yet we have 15 times the population! Guess who’s more developed? How stupid of you to think that we are stopping population growth when we ARE already overpopulated! If you tell us to keep on multiplying, that is tantamount to putting more people on the streets, hence throwing more lives to the grave for no reason, hence MORE ANTI-LIFE than anyone else. YOU INADVERTENTLY MURDER MORE PEOPLE.
The effects. Wow. Proper family, matrimony, and increase in prostitution. Are you stupid? If couples abstain from sex, the man is more likely to look for other women, because the truth is, what sets us apart from other animals is emotion. Sex, is not merely reproduction to us, but it is also an expression of feelings, of desire, of love, and other deep emotions; you can’t stop it. The only thing you can do is make sure it doesn’t become a problem. Again, homosexuality? Are you dumb? Did you even read the bill? The bill has no connection to homosexuality whatsoever. Euthanasia? This bill can help PREVENT it, for Christ’s sake! How many less people will suffer from poor economic, and therefore living, conditions, as well as poor post-abortion health, thanks to this bill if it is passed! DEMOGRAPHIC WINTER. DAMN STUPID; IF I GO DOWN TO YOUR LEVEL THEN I WOULD DEFINE OUR DEMOGRAPHIC STATUS AS A DEMOGRAPHIC SCORCHING, OR TOO MANY PEOPLE! USE YOUR HEAD! RESEARCH AND COMPARE DAMMIT!
Plus, about the Church. They are hypocritical. The less people here, the less that give donations to them, and then they will be unable to live their opulent lives. While majority of their congregations work hard, some even not having much to live on, they simply preach misunderstood verses, and get paid big-time for it. Hypocrites! They want more people to donate to them, regardless if they ruin the nation in doing so!
i am condemning the principles of reproductive health because it is against morality and the standards or reasons behind the building of the concepts with regard RHB is unreasonable… perhaps oo sa malaking epekto ang laki ng population sa pagusbong ng isang bansa ngunit hindi ito ang unang dahilan mas nakakaapekto pa ang laganap na corruption sa ating bayan, pilit lang kasi nilang dinidivert ang mga madla upang mapagtakpan ang kanilang pagkakamali… besides kasalanan ba ng bata na siya ay naging panlima or so on and so forth… di ba hindi naman wala lang naging control at sapat na kaalaman ang kanyang mga magulang kung kayat siya ay naging panlima… di populasyon ang problema, sadyang gobyerno lang talaga ang basura… i really wonder kung ano na ang mangyayari sa ating bayan, kawawa ang mga juan dela cruz ng hinaharap…
do you really think being over populated is the problem of our country. well i mean look at china. how come that they are about to compete with first world countries. i think the problem is on the government itself. they don’t even know how to implement other laws and now they are blaming over population. and even created this bill which will cause dilemma.
A lot of people against RH Bill says that it is against moral values. How can this be immora?It clearly states that abortion is still illegal..tell us, how do you define moral? Is keeping Filipinos from educating themselves with the issue moral? A lot of those against the bill talks about morality like they really knew it.
I am a nursing student, my knowledge about laws and bills may be mediocre compared to others commenting here, but this I know, each individual has different biological mechanisms. Natural family planning is preferred by anti-RH’s, but this is not applicable to all women for not all women have regular menstrual periods.I know that Philippines is predominantly a Christian country, but we must not be blinded from the reality that overpopulation is becoming one of the serious problems of the country.
DOESN”T THIS BILL MAKE YOU PUKE?!
Think about your children and your childrens children, enjoying their sexual rights (freedom to choose with whom, when, where, how to have sex with).
Overpopulation is not the mere issue here. It’s about morality, dignity and integrity.
So if you would like to get ovarian and uterine complications due to contaceptives coz it’s what you think is great for controlling the country’s population, so be my guest.
If you would like to have your 12yr-old daughter or son bringing a guy/girl with her at home straight to their room and you can’t do anything about it because you would be jailed for 6 months and/or fined from P10,000-P50,000 be my guest.
kung hindi parin kayo kumbinsido roon,
Isipin niyo naman ang “TUNAY NA HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN”.
mendicant_bias <- an ANTI CATHOLIC
The topic here is HB 17 not the Catholic church stupid fool
This HB 17 is a Trojan horse that leads to abortion bill eventually. The US started with this issue accessing wide variety of contraceptives as the first step towards their ultimate objective which is legalizing abortion which the Liberals were victorious.
This HB 17 is in a way the same issue with CHA-CHA, no matter how many times you change the constitution its still gonna be the same if the culture of corruption is not eliminated. Same with HB 17 even if it passed, there will still be more and more poor people because the culture of corruption will continue, the population will continue to grow, unwanted pregnancies will continue because the kids today are getting curious sexually early due to the availability of scandal videos and porn magazines in the Internet, at home, and from friends and the result is that these kids will experiment with sex at early age., also this HB 17 will be another source of funds for corrupt officials to take advantage as usual. There is gonna be mark up pricing for government purchases, the government will end up paying 200 pesos for each condom instead of 10 pesos. This practice has been going on from local to the national government, Therefore this HB is another big waste of money and a new source of corruption. If corruption is not eliminated the Philippines will remain the same.??
Overpopulated China overtakes Japan as the #2 Economic Power in the world you know why? it is because of its population or labor force market. Read http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/08/16/china-overtakes-japan-q-economy/
Chinese Over Population Made Them The #2 Economic Power in the World Taking Over Japan, USA Is ‘Practically Owned’ by China. Read CNBC News http://www.cnbc.com/id/39376706
USA is the #1 Economic Power in the world but still with 43.6 million poor Americans according to the US Census Bureau, you cannot eliminate the poor section wether in a Communist China or in a Capitalist countries.
Life Begin at Fertilization, a process by which two highly specialized cells, the spermatozoon from the male and the oocyte from the female, unite to give rise to a new organism, the zygote. Then it becomes known as a blastocyst. The inner group of cells will form the embryo.
Now here is the problem.
The House Bill 17 gives women access to a full range of contraceptives. Based on medical journals and bulletins, even the pro-contraception and pro-abortion literature from Alan Guttmacher Institute of the Planned Parenthood foundation of the U.S. those contraceptive drugs and devices have TWO MODES OF ACTION.
They may prevent ovulation, or if ovulation takes place because of the phenomenon of breakthrough ovulation, they prevent uterine implantation. The use of these contraceptives, including intrauterine devices, renders the endometrium (lining of the uterus) hostile to the fertilized ovum (product of fertilization or ovulation) and prevents its implantation in the endometrium as a consequence.
These contraceptives prevents the molecular sticking process and stops the embryo’s from sticking to the uterine wall to get its nourishment. Deprived of shelter, the growing embryo, a precious little, defenseless human being, and therefore expelled from the uterus. This is abortion.
We took 1 semester of sex education when we were in High School. And what do you think was the effect of that sex education to us? Answer is nothing, they still have sex not using condom etc and a lot got pregnant in our school. ?
FACT: The major cities in Asia — Bangkok, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong — are overpopulated, but Prosperous nevertheless. Overpopulation does not lead to poverty.
A young boy rides an ox in Laos. The hill tribes of the region are decreasing in population due to the genocidal policies of the Laotian government, as well as their being targeted by the United Nations with a population control campaign.
For example, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan are very densely populated and are some of the richest nations in Asia, if not the world. Taiwan has a population density of 1,460 per square mile, while China has a population density of 360 per square mile. Yet, according to the CIA’s “World Factbook 1999,” Taiwan’s per capita gross domestic product is $16,500, while China’s is $3,600.
Again the reason why the Philippines is not improving economically is the widespread corruption.
@Ms. Christina Santos – JUST PASS IT and LIKE EVERY OTHER BILL IT WONT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
–so, why bother debating? why do we still to pass it if it won’t make any difference? The legislation spends so much for every congressional hearing, and if it were just like any other bill and won’t make any difference, I suggest that we don’t talk about this anymore and don’t attempt to pass this RH bill. 🙂 Saved more time and energy for more productive things. 🙂
I used to be a PRO RH, but when I studied it, I have seen that this bill will not and cannot eradicate poverty and cannot effectively control the population. And also there’s a number of inconsistencies in the bill.
*It is also said that theres gender equality but the bill is empowering only women.
*While nothing in this Act changes the law on abortion, as abortion remains a crime and is punishable, the government shall ensure that women seeking care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner.
— how can you convict an abortionist and at the same time treat her in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner?
In its totality, this bill is either useless or the entrance of abortion, sexual promiscuity, teen-age pregnancy.
And hey, our nation is not congested, only in urban cities because the rural areas are not given enough help and assistance.
food for thought… a public grade 6 student studying and living not three blocks form our place was pregnant before she even graduated. and this was before this health bill. True. We need to encourage and teach values more. but it is difficult when no one agrees on anything. This is the price we pay for being a democracy. We are free to choose. Liberated ideas on sex? It’s a bit too late for that warning…HBO has mini series with different pumping positions (Blood and sands? i don’t know the title but is sounds something like that and game of thrones). nice bodies, and tantalizing sex sequences. not much editing too except for the actual…) anyway I digress. Just want to point out, that isn’t it better to teach these kids how to swim if you have a swimming pool? Instead of covering their eyes and ears? or the pool even? but not removing the pool?