Republic of the Philippines

Province of Siquijor
Municipality of Enrique Villanueva
OFFICE OF THE SANGGUNIANG BAYAN
evsiq716@gmail.com
+639176201103

EXCERPT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE SANGGUNIANG BAYAN OF
ENRIQUE VILLANUEVA, SIQUIJOR, HELD AT THE MUNICIPAL SESSION HALL ON OCTOBER 15,
2014

PRESENT:

Hon. LEONARDO P. PACULBA --- Municipal Vice Mayor I, Presiding Officer

Hon. PORFERIO C. INGUITO, Jr. --- Sangguniang Bayan Member I
Hon. EDITHA L. SUMINGUIT --- Sangguniang Bayan Member I
Hon. JERRY L. KITONG --- Sangguniang Bayan Member I
Hon. BELINDA B. INAO --- Sangguniang Bayan Member I
Hon. NENITA F. BALIQUIG --- Sangguniang Bayan Member I
Hon. JOEL C. MAGSALAY --- Sangguniang Bayan Member I
Hon. AVELINO V. PACULBA --- Sangguniang Bayan Member I
Hon. RUTH BON AQUE --- Sangguniang Bayan Member I
Hon. PORFERIO L. ACHAY --- Sangguniang Bayan Member I, Ex-Officio
Municipal LIGA President
ABSENT:

None

Introduced by: Hon. PORFERIO C. INGUITO, Jr.

(Unanimously Seconded)

ORDINANCE NO. 2014 – 121

“AN ORDINANCE SETTING GUIDELINES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SAFE

MOTHERHOOD PROGRAM IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ENRIQUE VILLANUEVA,
SIQUIJOR, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEREOF AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES”

BE IT ENACTED by the Sangguniang Bayan of the municipality of Enrique Villanueva,

Siquijor, that:

Section 1. Title. This ordinance shall be known and cited as the “Safe Motherhood
Ordinance of the municipality of Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor.”

Section 2. Policy. It is the policy of the municipality to be always in consistent with the
country’s constitutional mandate to make essential health goods and social services
available to all Filipinos, especially the poor, the administration’s social sector shall pursue
schemes supportive of the Local Government Code through an integrated approach and in
accordance with other national rules, laws and regulations.
 Republic of the Philippines
Province of Siquijor
Municipality of Enrique Villanueva
OFFICE OF THE SANGGUNIANG BAYAN
evsiq716@gmail.com
+639176201103

(Ordinance No. 121, s. 2014)

Page 2 of 5
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Accordingly, the Philippines has committed to the United States millennium

Declaration that translated into a roadmap a set of goals that targets reduction of poverty,
hunger, and ill health. In the light of this government’s commitment, the Department of
Health (DOH) is faced with a challenge: to champion the cause of women and children
towards achieving MDGs 4 (reduce child mortality ), 5 (improve maternal health) and 6
(combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases). Pregnancy and childbirth are among the
leading cause for death, disease and disability in women of reproductive age in developing
countries. The Philippine government’s commitment to the MDGs is among others, a
commitment to work towards the reduction of maternal mortality ratios by three-quarters
and under five mortality by two-thirds by 2015 at all cost.

It has been noted that the country has been confronted with the challenge of MDG 5
and the multi-faceted challenges of high maternal mortality ratio, increasing neonatal
deaths particularly on the first week after birth, unmet need for reproductive health services
and weak maternal care delivery system, in addition to identifying the technical interventions
to address these problems, the DOH Safe Motherhood Program decided to focus on making
pregnancy and childbirth safer and sought to change fundamental societal dynamics that
influence decision making on matters related to pregnancy and childbirth while it tries to
bring quality emergency obstetrics and newborn care facilities nearest to homes. This move
ensures that those most in need of quality health care by competent doctors, nurses and
midwives have easy access to such care.

Section 3. Coverage. The provisions of this ordinance shall cover all women in the
Municipality encouraging them for the promotion of safe motherhood in accordance with
Aquino Health Agenda (AHA) promoting Universal Health Care and in support to the
government’s commitment to achieve the United Nations Millenium Development Goals
(UN MDGs).

Section 4. Definition of Terms. – When used in this ordinance, the term:

a. Safe Motherhood – encompasses a series of initiatives, practices, protocols and

service delivery guidelines designed to ensure that women receive high-quality
gynecological, family planning, prenatal, delivery and postpartum care, in order
to achieve optimal health for the mother, fetus and infant during pregnancy,
childbirth and postpartum (http://www.policyproject.com).

b. Prenatal care – is a health care that a pregnant woman receives from an

obstetrician or a midwife. Services needed include dietary and lifestyle advice,
weighing to ensure proper weight gain, and examination for problems
of pregnancy such as edema and preeclampsia (http://www.medicinenet.com).

- is a type of preventive care with the goal of providing regular check-

ups that allow doctors or midwives to treat and prevent potential
health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy while
promoting healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child
(http://en.wikipedia.org).

c. Newborn Screening - means the process of collecting a few drops of blood from
the newborn onto an appropriate collection card and performing biochemical
testing for determining if the newborn has a heritable condition (Sec. 4 (8) Art. 2,
Republic Act No. 9288).
 Republic of the Philippines
Province of Siquijor
Municipality of Enrique Villanueva
OFFICE OF THE SANGGUNIANG BAYAN
evsiq716@gmail.com
+639176201103

(Ordinance NO. 121, s. 2014)

Page 3 of 5
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d. MHO – Municipal Health Office

e. RHU – Rural Health Unit

f. Facility-based service delivery – refers to services rendered by the MHO staff to all
pregnant women and who have undergone pre-natal care and consultations,
and who are due to deliver their babies.

Section 5. Purpose. – The purpose of this ordinance are:

5.1. To promote safe motherhood program to provide optimum health and

medical care to the mother, the unborn and the newly born child to prevent undue
health caused by unskilled birth attendants and lack of health and medical facilities
necessary for the quality newborn care;

5.2. To provide comprehensive prenatal, natal, and post-natal care for all
pregnant women in the municipality;

5.3. To promote facility-based delivery services among pregnant women by

skilled birth attendants; and

5.4. To eradicate or at least reduce maternal deaths and/or illnesses of

mothers who are undergoing prenatal, delivery, and postnatal treatment at the
municipality of Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor, Philippines.

Section 6. Guidelines

6.1. All prenatal, birth delivery, and postnatal services on mothers within the
territorial jurisdiction of the municipality of Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor shall be
performed only by skilled birth attendants, like licensed nurse, licensed midwife, and a
licensed physician at the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of this municipality.

6.2. All traditional birth attendants or locally known as “hilots” are prohibited
to handle birth deliveries, provided, however that they are only to assist supportive
care and services during prenatal, natal and post natal of the mother, such as to
assist in the formulation of birth plan for pregnant mothers;
guide/identify/locate/report all pregnant mothers to the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of this
municipality. Provided, further that they are allowed to assist the skilled birth
attendants/skilled health personnel upon instruction and supervision of the latter.

6.3. All pregnant mothers shall have a proper prenatal check-up in the Rural
Health Unit (RHU) health facility of this municipality of at least one (1) visit during the
first trimester; one (1) visit during the 2nd trimester; and at least two (2) visits during the
3rd trimester.

Trimesters of Pregnancy:

1st Trimester First three months (up to 12 weeks)

2nd Trimester Four – six months (13-27 weeks)
3rd Trimester Seven – nine months (28 weeks or more)
 Republic of the Philippines
Province of Siquijor
Municipality of Enrique Villanueva
OFFICE OF THE SANGGUNIANG BAYAN
evsiq716@gmail.com
+639176201103

(Ordinance No. 121, s. 2014)

Page 4 of 5
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6.4. All pregnant women shall have a compulsory delivery at the Rural Health
Unit of this municipality and therefore home birth deliveries are prohibited.

6.5. All newborn babies shall be required to have newborn screening at the
Rural Health Unit within 48-72 hours after delivery for early diagnosis to prevent
congenital disease.

6.6. The Municipal Health Office personnel shall, but not limited to:

a. encourage exclusive breastfeeding;

b. conduct periodic family planning counselling on mothers one week
after delivery;
c. monitor pregnancy tracking. And
d. supervise maternal and neonatal care.

Section 7. Prohibited Acts

7.1. All birth delivery performed at home is strictly prohibited.

7.2. All traditional birth attendants or locally known as “hilots” are prohibited to
handle birth deliveries at home.

Section 8. Penal Clause

8.1. Any violation of Section 6 and 7 of this ordinance shall have penalty of
One Thousand Pesos (₱ 1,000.00), and One Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (₱ 1,500.00),
respectively.

Section 9. Administrative Provision

9.1. All payments for service fees for Facility-based service delivery and other
health services rendered at the Rural Health Unit of this municipality, and penalties in
violation of this ordinance shall be made at the Office of the Municipal Trasurer, and
the issuance of corresponding Official Receipt shall be made accordingly.

Section 10. Repealing Clause

10.1. All provisions of existing issuances that are inconsistent with this
Ordinance are hereby repealed/amended accordingly.

Section 11. Effectivity Clause – This ordinance shall take effect immediately.

ENACTED: This 15th day of October, 2014 at the Municipal Session Hall of Enrique
Villaneueva, Siquijor, Philippines.

x-------------------------------------------------------x
 Republic of the Philippines
Province of Siquijor
Municipality of Enrique Villanueva
OFFICE OF THE SANGGUNIANG BAYAN
evsiq716@gmail.com
+639176201103

(Ordinance No. 121, s. 2014)

Page 5 of 5
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I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND ACCURATE COPY OF

AN ORDINANCE DULY ENACTED BY THE SANGGUNIANG BAYAN
OF ENRIQUE VILLANUEVA, SIQUIJOR ON OCTOBER 15, 2O14.

ALLAN H. BALUCAN
Secretary to the Sangguniang Bayan

Concurred in and Approved:

PORFERIO C. INGUITO, Jr. NENITA F. BALIQUIG

Sangguniang Bayan Member I Sangguniang Bayan Member I

EDITHA L. SUMINGUIT JOEL C. MAGSALAY

Sangguniang Bayan Member I Sangguniang Bayan Member I

JERRY L. KITONG AVELINO V. PACULBA

Sangguniang Bayan Member I Sangguniang Bayan Member I

BELINDA B. INAO RUTH BON AQUE

Sangguniang Bayan Member I Sangguniang Bayan Member I

PORFERIO L. ACHAY
Sangguniang Bayan Member I

Attested:

LEONARDO P. PACULBA
Municipal Vice Mayor I
Presiding Officer

Approved:

GEROLD V. PAL-ING
Municipal Mayor I

Date of Approval: 17 Oct 2014

copy furnished: - as stated