Gender and Society

• REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10354 - AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL POLICY ON RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
• SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known as "The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012".
• SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy
• Moreover, the State recognizes and guarantees the promotion of gender equality, gender equity, women empowerment and dignity as a health and human rights concern and as a social responsibility. The advancement and protection of women's human rights shall be central to the efforts of the State to address reproductive health care.
• The State recognizes marriage as an inviolable social institution and the foundation of the family which in turn is the foundation of the nation.
• (a) The right of spouses to found a family in accordance with their religious convictions and the demands of responsible parenthood;
• (b) The right of children to assistance, including proper care and nutrition, and special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their development;
• (c) The right of the family to a family living wage and income; and
• (d) The right of families or family associations to participate in the planning and implementation of policies and programs that affect them.
• Reproductive health care services

  Medically-safe, non-abortifacient, effective, legal, affordable, and quality
• Reproductive health care methods, devices, supplies

  Do not prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Beneficiaries of reproductive health care, services and supplies

  • Women
  • Children
  • Other underprivileged sectors
• Preferential access to reproductive health care, services and supplies

  Given to those identified through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) and other government measures of identifying marginalization
• The State guarantees universal access to reproductive health care, services, methods, devices, supplies and relevant information and education thereon
• Beneficiaries of reproductive health care, services and supplies shall be voluntary
• The State shall eradicate discriminatory practices, laws and policies that infringe on a person's exercise of reproductive health rights.

  The State shall also promote openness to life: Provided, That parents bring forth to the world only those children whom they can raise in a truly humane way.
• SEC. 3. Guiding Principles for Implementation. Act declares the following as guiding principles
• (a) The right to make free and informed decisions, which is central to the exercise of any right, shall not be subjected to any form of coercion and must be fully guaranteed by the State, like the right itself;
• (b) Respect for protection and fulfillment of reproductive health and rights which seek to promote the rights and welfare of every person particularly couples, adult individuals, women and adolescents;
• (c) Since human resource is among the principal assets of the country, effective and quality reproductive health care services must be given primacy to ensure maternal and child health, the health of the unborn, safe delivery and birth of healthy children, and sound replacement rate, in line with the State's duty to promote the right to health, responsible parenthood, social justice and full human development;
• The State shall promote programs that: (1) enable individuals and couples to have the number of children they desire with due consideration to the health, particularly of women, and the resources available and affordable to them and in accordance with existing laws, public morals and their religious convictions:
• Provided, That no one shall be deprived, for economic reasons, of the rights to have children; (2) achieve equitable allocation and utilization of resources;
• (3) ensure effective partnership among national government, local government units (LGUs) and the private sector in the design, implementation, coordination, integration, monitoring and evaluation of people-centered programs to enhance the quality of life and environmental protection;
• (4) conduct studies to analyze demographic trends including demographic dividends from sound population policies towards sustainable human development in keeping with the principles of gender equality, protection of mothers and children, born and unborn and the promotion and protection of women's reproductive rights and health; and
• (5) conduct scientific studies to determine the safety and efficacy of alternative medicines and methods for reproductive health care development;
• (g) The provision of reproductive health care, information and supplies giving priority to poor beneficiaries as identified through the NHTS-PR and other government measures of identifying marginalization must be the primary responsibility of the national government consistent with its obligation to respect, protect and promote the right to health and the right to life;
• (h) The State shall respect individuals' preferences and choice of family planning methods that are in accordance with their religious convictions and cultural beliefs, taking into consideration the State's obligations under various human rights instruments;
• (1) Active participation by nongovernment organizations (NGOs), women's and people's organizations, civil society, faith-based organizations, the religious sector and communities is crucial to ensure that reproductive health and population and development policies, plans, and programs will address the priority needs of women, the poor, and the marginalized;
• (j) While this Act recognizes that abortion is illegal and punishable by law, the government shall ensure that all women needing care for post-abortive complications and all other complications arising from pregnancy, labor and delivery and related issues shall be treated and counseled in a humane, nonjudgmental and compassionate manner in accordance with law and medical ethics;
• (k) Each family shall have the right to determine its ideal family size: Provided, however, That the State shall equip each parent with the necessary information on all aspects of family life, including reproductive health and responsible parenthood, in order to make that determination;
• (1) There shall be no demographic or population targets and the mitigation, promotion and/or stabilization of the population growth rate is incidental to the advancement of reproductive health;
• (m) Gender equality and women empowerment are central elements of reproductive health and population and development;
• (n) The resources of the country must be made to serve the entire population, especially the poor, and allocations thereof must be adequate and effective: Provided, That the life of the unborn is protected;
• (0) Development is a multi-faceted process that calls for the harmonization and integration of policies, plans, programs and projects that seek to uplift the quality of life of the people, more particularly the poor, the needy and the marginalized; and
• (p) That a comprehensive reproductive health program addresses the needs of people throughout their life cycle.
• (a) Abortifacient refers to any drug or device that induces abortion or the destruction of a fetus inside the mother's womb or the prevention of the fertilized ovum to reach and be implanted in the mother's womb upon determination of the FDA.
• (b) Adolescent refers to young people between the ages of ten (10) to nineteen (19) years who are in transition from childhood to adulthood.
• (c) Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEMONC) refers to lifesaving services for emergency maternal and newborn conditions/complications being provided by a health facility or professional to include the following services:
• BEMONC include the following services: administration of parenteral oxytocic drugs, administration of dose of parenteral anticonvulsants, administration of parenteral antibiotics, administration of maternal steroids for preterm labor, performance of assisted vaginal deliveries, removal of retained placental products, and manual removal of retained placenta. It also includes neonatal interventions which include at the
• (d) Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEMONC) refers to lifesaving services for emergency maternal and newborn conditions/complications as in Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care plus the provision of surgical delivery (caesarian section) and blood bank services, and other highly specialized obstetric interventions.