Different types of RA Law

The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (Republic Act
No. 10354)

It is an act providing for a national policy on responsible parenthood and

reproductive health. The law, which stemmed from the strong advocacy of
stakeholders and the commitment of the Government, is a point for
convergence of multi-sectoral efforts toward the improvement of health
outcomes of the country. It mandates the government to adequately address
the needs of Filipinos on responsible parenthood and reproductive health.
The law aims to empower the Filipino people, especially women and youth,
through informed choice and age- and development- appropriate education.
Further, the law guarantees access to information, facilities and services
most especially for the poor by ensuring stable and sustainable reproductive
health programs are in place through partnerships between national and
local governments in collaboration with CSOs, basic sectors, academe and
private sector.
General Information
What is responsible parenthood (RP)?
Responsible parenthood is the will and ability of parent(s) to respond to the
needs and aspirations of the family and children. It is the shared
responsibility between parents to determine and achieve the desired number
and timing of their children according to their own aspirations. (RA 10354
Section 4v)
What is Reproductive Health (RH)?
Reproductive health can be defined as a state of complete well-being in
matters relating to ones sexual and reproductive life. It implies that people
are able to have a responsible, safe, consensual and satisfying sex life and
that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide of,
when, and how often to do so. Further, it implies that men and women attain
equal relationships in matters related to sexual relations and reproduction.
(RA 10354 Section 4s)
What are the guiding principles that govern the RP-RH Law?

The RP-RH law is rooted on the human rights of all persons including their
right to equality and nondiscrimination, the right to sustainable human
development, the right to health including RH, the right to education and
information, and the right to choose and make decisions for themselves in
accordance to their religious convictions, ethics, cultural beliefs and the
demand of responsible parenthood.
In particular, the law upholds and guarantee the following principles:

The right to make free and informed decisions of every person

particularly couples, adult individuals, women and adolescents
including preference and choice for FP methods, determination of ideal
family size;

The provision of effective and quality RH care services by the state that
will lead to universal access to affordable and quality RH care and
services;

The provision of truthful information and education on RH; and

The preferential access to the poor and the marginalized.

Benefits of the RH Bill

1. Allow couples to make decision to plan for their families
The RH Bills gives the couples and the women, specifically, the choice
and freedom on the mode of family planning they want to pursue
depending on their needs, choice, personal convictions and religious
beliefs. But the RH Bill is not just about the family planning

2. Guarantee funding for & equal access to health facilities

RH will need and therefore support many levels of health facilities. These range from
health stations that can do basic prenatal, infant and FP care; health centers for safe
birthing, more difficult FP services like IUD insertions, and management of sexually
transmitted infections; and hospitals for emergency obstetric and newborn care and
surgical contraception. Strong RH facilities can be the backbone of a strong and fairly
distributed public health facility system .

3. Save babies
Proper birth spacing reduces infant deaths. The WHO says at least 2 years should pass
between a birth and the next pregnancy. In our country, the infant mortality rate of those
with less than 2 years birth interval is twice those with 3. The more effective and userfriendly the FP method, the greater the chances of the next child to survive.

4. Respond to the majority who want smaller families

Times have changed and people want smaller families. When surveyed about their ideal
number of children, women in their 40s want slightly more than 3, while those in their
teens and early 20s want just slightly more than 2.
Moreover, couples end up with families larger than what they planned. On average,
Filipino women want close to 2 children but end up with 3. This gap is unequal, but

shows up in all social classes and regions. RH education and services will help couples
fulfill their hopes for their families.

5. Give accurate & positive sexuality education to young

people
Currently, most young people enter relationships and even married life without the
benefit of systematic inputs by any of our social institutions. We insist on young voters
education for events that occur once every few years, but do nothing guiding the young
in new relationships they face daily. The RH bill mandates the education and health
departments to fill this serious gap.

8. RH will: Protect the health & lives of mothers

The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that complications arise in 15% of
pregnancies, bad enough to hospitalize or kill women. From the 2 million plus live
births alone, some 300,000 maternal complications occur yearly. This is 7 times
the DOHs annual count for TB, 19 times for heart diseases and 20 times for malaria in
women. As a result, more than 11 women die needlessly each day.
Enough skilled birth attendants and prompt referral to hospitals with emergency
obstetric care are proven curative solutions to maternal complications. For women who
wish to stop childbearing, family. All these are part of RH.

9. Reduce cancer deaths

Delaying sex, avoiding multiple partners or using condoms prevent HPV infections that
cause cervical cancers. Self-breast exams and Pap smears can detect early signs of
cancers which can be cured if treated early. All these are part of RH education and
care. Contraceptives do not heighten cancer risks; combined pills actually reduce the
risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers.

6. Promote equity for poor families

RH indicators show severe inequities between the rich and poor. For example, 94% of
women in the richest quintile have a skilled attendant at birth, while only 26% of the
poorest can do so. The richest have 3 times higher tubal ligation rates. This partly
explains why the wealthy hardly exceed their planned number of children, while the
poorest get an extra 2. Infant deaths among the poorest are almost 3 times that of the
richest, which in a way explains why the poor plan for more children. An RH law will help
in attaining equity in health through stronger public health services.

7.Support and deploy more public midwives, nurses and

doctors
RH health services are needed wherever people are establishing their families. For
example, a report by the MDG Task Force points out the need for 1 fulltime midwife to
attend to every 100 to 200 annual live births. Other health staff are needed for the
millions who need prenatal and postpartum care, infant care and family planning.
Investing in these core public health staff will serve the basic needs of many
communities.

Prevent induced abortions

Unintended pregnancies precede almost all induced abortions. Of all unintended
pregnancies, 68% occur in women without any FP method, and 24% happen to those
using traditional FP like withdrawal or calendar-abstinence.
If all those who want to space or stop childbearing would use modern FP, abortions
would fall by some 500,000. In our country where abortion is strictly criminalized, and
where 90,000 women are hospitalized yearly for complications, it would be reckless and
heartless not to ensure prevention through FP.

Republic Act No. 9211 TOBACCO REGULATION ACT OF 2003

This Act shall be known as the "Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003." Sec. 2.
Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect the populace from hazardous
products and promote the right to health and instill health consciousness
among them. It is also the policy of the State, consistent with the
Constitutional ideal to promote the general welfare, to safeguard the
Interests of the workers and other stakeholders in the tobacco industry. For
these purposes, the government shall institute a balanced policy whereby
the use, sale, and advertisements of tobacco products shall be regulated in
order to promote a healthful environment and protect the citizens from the
hazards of tobacco smoke, and at the same time ensure that the interest of
tobacco farmers, growers, workers and stakeholders are not adversely
compromised.
Purpose - It is the main thrust of this Act to:
a. Promote a healthful environment;

b. Inform the public of the health risks associated with cigarette

smoking and tobacco use;

c. Regulate and
ban all tobacco
advertisements
sponsorships

subsequently
and

d. Regulate the labeling of tobacco products;

e. Protect the youth from being initiated to cigarette smoking and tobacco
use by prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors;
f. Assist and encourage Filipino tobacco farmers to cultivate alternative
agricultural crops to prevent economic dislocation; and
g. Create an Inter-Agency Committee on Tobacco (IAC-Tobacco) to oversee
the implementation of the provision of this Act.