RH rules approved; ‘Purple Vote’ to be launched

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) approved yesterday 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 developed 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 midterm elections this May.

The IRR was scrutinized by a technical working group composed of 17 multi-sector organizations including the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference (BBC) 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; institutionalize the partnerships between national and local governments; and recognize the important roles and contribution of civil society organizations, 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. (PhilHealth) coverage, “hiring and training of skilled health professionals and continuous monitoring and review of reproductive health programs.”

“This is just the beginning of our continuing efforts to ensure that no woman will die while giving life,” he said.

Contentious issues

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 is in accordance with the provisions of the law.

“It was really scrutinized. I’ve been involved in several laws and this is one of the laws that has really been very thoroughly developed,” she said.

Valera said there were two contentious issues raised during their meetings but members were able to reach a consensus to settle these matters.

One of the issues was concerning the request of BBC to include the funding for natural methods of family planning in PhilHealth’s allocation.

“So how did we come up with a consensus on that? We said that even up to now, PhilHealth does not have a specific benefit on artificial family planning alone. It should be seen as a whole package. The law is very comprehensive so PhilHealth should look at it as a comprehensive package as well,” she said.

The other issue is concerning private and public healthcare providers whose belief might be against the promotion of artificial methods of family planning.

The technical working group has agreed that they will be the “conscientious objectors,” meaning, they will not be held liable if they do not promote these artificial methods.

Valera, however, said these healthcare providers or someone from the health center will have to refer those seeking information or service on family planning to other facilities.

“The law is very strong in making sure that access to reproductive health services will not be denied. That is the beauty of the law.  If others will say that the law is promoting promiscuity, I would say ‘no’,” she said.

Purple Vote vs Team Patay

Meanwhile, the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) will lead the launching of the Purple Vote campaign on March 20 in Quezon City.

The campaign is the answer of pro-RH groups to the Catholic Church’s “Team Patay” campaign against political candidates who pushed for the signing of the law.

“The Purple Vote campaigners will take to the campaign trail to encourage the public to vote for pro-RH candidates running for national or local posts in the mid-term elections in May,” the PLCPD said in a statement.

The pro-RH advocates will be wearing purple shirts with the words “Purple Voter Ako” and will be giving out purple ballots to voters on the street, the PLCPD said.

Former health secretary Esperanza Cabral and representatives from different civil society and religious groups are expected to attend the launching of the Purple Vote campaign.

Earlier, the Archdiocese of Bacolod posted a tarpaulin with a list of senatorial candidates called Team Patay who voted for the RH Law.

The same archdiocese also made public a list of pro-life senatorial candidates whom it wants the Catholic voters to support in the May elections.

Last week, the Supreme Court granted Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra’s request for a temporary restraining order, preventing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from removing the tarpaulin.

The court also set the case for oral arguments on March 19.

The Comelec warned the persons who permitted the posting of the tarpaulin to remove it immediately as it violates rules on the allowed sizes of campaign materials.

– With Helen Flores