MANILA: The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday approved the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10354 or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law of 2012, which will be fully implemented on Easter Sunday.
This happened as advocates who pushed for the enactment of the RH Law will launch next week a nationwide campaign dubbed “Purple Vote,” to encourage voters to choose pro-RH candidates in the mid-term elections this May.
The IRR was scrutinised by a technical working group composed of 17 multi-sector organisations including the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference for Human Development.
The implementing rules went through a series of deliberations and public consultations in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao last month.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the IRR is vital in “translating the government’s Universal Health Care or Kalusugan Pangkalahatan into an operational framework to reduce maternal death and improve overall reproductive health outcome.”
“The RH law will empower women, through informed choice and voluntarism; improve access to information, facilities and services; increase stability and sustainability of health policy across national and local governments; institutionalise the partnerships between national and local governments; and recognise the important roles and contribution of civil society organisations, basic sectors, the academe and private sector,” he said.
Ona said the IRR highlights the implementation of improved access to family planning services and Philippine Health Insurance Corp coverage, “hiring and training of skilled health professionals and continuous monitoring and review of reproductive health programme.”
“This is just the beginning of our continuing efforts to ensure that no woman will die while giving life,” he said.
DOH Assistant Secretary Madeleine Valera, who was tasked by Ona to head the technical working group that examined the implementing rules of the RH Law, assured the public that the IRR was in accordance with the provisions of law.
The Philippine Star
