MANILA, Philippines — The birth of the 100 millionth Filipino baby should compel the government to fully implement the reproductive health law, former Albay Representative Edcel Lagman said.
Lagman, one of the authors of the law, said there was “critical immediacy” to make the law work for the people “as an increasing population imperils finite resources and strains limited budget.”
“It is symbolic that baby girl Chonalyn was born at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, which has long been reputed to be a baby factory, where inordinately numerous deliveries are recorded daily,” he said.
It took Congress 13 hears to enact the measure, which was passed during the 15th Congress.
Lagman highlighted the following provisions of the RH law, which he said needed immediate implementation:
1. Government extension and grant of reproductive health care, services, and commodities to the marginalized sectors who are willing acceptors of RH and family planning programs.
2. The procurement by the Department of Health (DOH) of medically-safe, legal, effective, and non-abortifacient contraceptives and devices for distribution to the poor and to the local government units (LGUs).
3. The retraining of barangay health workers so that they could competently assist in the implementation of the RH Law.
4. The immediate formulation of an RH curriculum by the Department of Education (DepEd) for enrolled adolescent pupils and students which may be adopted by private schools so that RH good practices and beneficent results can be instilled early among the young.
5. Extensive training of teachers who will handle reproductive health classes for adolescents in the coming school years.
6. Adequate outlays for RH for inclusion in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to be submitted to the Congress by the President after the SONA.
7. Meaningful and responsive appropriations by the Congress starting 2015 to fully implement the RH Law. –Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, InterAksyon.com
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