As the lead agency in social protection, the Department of Social Welfare and Development is joining the call for the full implementation of Republic Act No. 10354 or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law, which was enacted four years ago.

RPRH Law is a landmark legislation that institutionalizes a national policy for reproductive healthcare in the Philippines. While the law is seen as the single most important political commitment made by the government towards fulfilling Filipinos’ sexual and reproductive health and rights, the real measure of success, its implementation, remains wanting.

“Family planning should be made available to all Filipinos. It is a sad fact that women, especially those in the remote, rural areas in the country continue to denied access to reproductive health resources,”said DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo.

Lack of knowledge on reproductive health also results in the increasing number of teen-age pregnancies and single mothers, she added.

“Karapatan ng mga kababaihan na magkaroon nag sapat na kaalaman at rekurso hinggil sa reproductive health. Ang malamyang pagpapatupad ng batas ay pagkakait ng karapatang eto (It is women’s rights to have access to adequate knowledge and resources regarding reproductive health. The lukewarm implementation of the law is denial of this right),” Sec. Judy emphasized.

In celebration of the fourth anniversary of the enactment of RPRH Law, the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. held the” Apat na Taon, Apat na Hiling” event at Microtel Wyndham Hotel in Quezon City on December 7.

The event gathered 100 advocates from different sectors, personalities, and media partners to communicate a strong and loud message on the urgency of fulfilling the promise of the law, especially the promise to make family planning accessible for all.

Representatives from DSWD, DOH, POPCOM, PCW, CHR, DepEd and DILG attended the event.

The “Apat na hiling” (four requests/messages) are:

1. to the Supreme Court: lift the Temporary restraining Order (TRO) on Family Planning
2. to the executive: intensify government program on FP, make FP accessible for everyone
3. to local government units: invest in FP, pursue implementation of the law
4. to the legislature: exercise oversight in implementation, invest in FP (budget appropriation), fill in policy gaps

Four years since its enactment, the law has been meeting challenges in all branches of government and all levels of governance which have become the battleground for RH.

Problems in implementation include inadequate budget, uneven implementation or lack of political will to implement at the local level, and lack of awareness of the law among its beneficiaries. To date, the greatest legal barrier is the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order (TRO) on the registration, procurement, and distribution of family planning (FP) products, which—if unresolved—would result in the stock-out of FP products in the Philippines and the elimination of access to family planning by anyone anywhere in the Philippines.

Hence, there is an urgent need for advocates representing various sectors of the Philippine society, including: women, children and youth, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, labor sector, health service providers, interfaith community, the elderly, LGBT community, and others, to push for the full implementation of the law. #