The law includes provisions for family planning information and services, maternal,

infant, and child health and nutrition, including breastfeeding, the prevention of abortion
and the management of post-abortion complications, adolescent and young adult
reproductive health guidance and counseling, the prevention and management of
reproductive tract infections (RTIs), HIV/AIDS, and sexually transmitted infections
(STIs), the elimination of sexual and other forms of gender-based violence against
women and children, education and counseling on sexuality and reproductive health,
treatment of gynecologic conditions and disorders, male responsibility and involvement
in RH, prevention, treatment, and management of infertility, education on RH for
adolescents, and the mental health component of reproductive health.

In addition to these elements or parts of the law, the law also provides some things:

First off, expert birth attendance is provided by midwives. Every city and municipality is
required by law to hire a sufficient number of midwives and other qualified attendants.
Only 57% of Filipino women give birth at the moment 3 with the help of a qualified
medical expert. The provision of emergency obstetric care is covered under the next
section, which states that each province and city must assure the development and
operation of hospitals with sufficient infrastructure and trained staff. The hospital-based
family planning comes next. The law mandates that all government hospitals offer family
planning procedures such as vasectomy, ligation, and intrauterine device (IUD)
insertion. The list continues with subjects like "Contraceptives as Essential Medicines,"
"Reproductive Health Education," "Employer Responsibilities," and "Capability Building
of Community-Based Volunteer Workers":

Additionally, the law imposes punishments on those who do specific unlawful activities,
including the following:

Purposefully providing false information or concealing information concerning the

programs and services covered by this Act with the knowledge (or with malice
aforethought).
Denying any individual of legal age the right to have a voluntary ligation, vasectomy, or
other reproductive health care procedures on the grounds that their spouse hasn't given
their approval or authorisation.

Refusing to offer reproductive health treatments to a juvenile who has been abused or
who is pregnant and whose condition has been confirmed by a DSWD official or staff
member, even without parental agreement, especially when the parent in question is the
abuser.

And lastly, refusing to provide reproductive health care services and information due to
the patient's race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, or nature of employment:
Provided, however, that certain considerate arguments of healthcare practitioners based
on religious grounds must also be treated with respect: Provided, further, that the
conscientious objector must then refer the person who seeks such support and
treatment to another health care service pro. (Cabral, 2013)

Both married and single adolescents in the Philippines suffer several hazards to their
sexual and reproductive health as a result of early, unsafe, and/or undesired sexual
engagement. Girls throughout their adolescence are more at risk for unwanted
pregnancies, maternal morbidity, and death, as well as complications from unsafe
abortions. Young parents frequently have to discontinue their studies, which reduces
their career options as adults. These health and social issues can be diminished by
policies that guarantee and enhance teenagers' availability of contraceptive information
and services. (Melgar et al., 2018)

Even before Reproductive Health (RH) Law was put into effect, different industries had
varying opinions. While some see its implementation as a brilliant approach to slow
population increase, others continue to make moral arguments against it. The
conservative views and ideals championed primarily by the Catholic hierarchy along
with the so-called "pro-life" campaign form the foundation of the repressive aspects of
Philippine standards. Conservatives contend that contemporary abortion degrades the
family, erodes paternal responsibility over minors, kills embryonic life, interferes with
natural reproduction, and encourages sexual freedom. Advocates who are skilled in
interacting with as well as affecting the executive, legislative, and judicial departments
apply these religious convictions in political activity. The human rights of teenagers in
contraception are highly supported by certain normative instruments in the Philippines.
This would include placing an emphasis on marginalized and vulnerable individuals and
groups, paying close attention to crucial aspects of the healthcare system like staffing,
funding, and distribution networks, integrating RH services at any and all levels of the
health-care system, and explicitly encouraging civic engagement and responsibility.
However, several provisions of current laws and regulations severely restrict individual
rights. The necessity for parental and spouse approval, the ban on contraceptive
methods in government hospitals, the requirement for verification that contraceptives do
not cause abortions, and the latitude granted to conscientious objectors are a few of
them. No clear exceptions are made for assault, health hazards, or life-threatening
pregnancies in the legal code, which makes abortion illegal.

The majority of teenagers say that their primary way of preventing pregnancy is
abstention. However, there is a gradual shift in this practice towards further sexual
engagement. Teenage women aged 15–19 who said they had ever engaged in sexual
activity increased from 9.1% in 1993 - 14.7 in 2013. Within the same time frame, the
same age group's use of modern contraceptives increased from 0.7% - 2.4%. Although
the percentage of contraceptive usage may be rising, it is still low when compared to the
percentage of teenagers who have previously had sex. Even among teenagers who are
legally or clandestinely married, low contraception usage is nevertheless prevalent.
Teenagers seemed to have the lowest utilization rate (20.6%) and the largest unfilled
need (28.7%) among wives of all ages in 2013. (Melgar et al., 2018)

Maternal fatalities are a result of teenage pregnancies. It is well acknowledged that

avoiding unwanted pregnancies can reduce maternal mortality, even if the techniques
utilized in the nation make it impossible to evaluate mortality rates by age groups with
accuracy. Teenagers are especially vulnerable as they have limited access to programs
that provide contraception. Early childhood fatalities have been linked to unintended
pregnancy. Based on the 2013 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), "the single
factor most related with higher risk of under-5 mortality in the Philippines is mother's age
less than 18 (risk ratio = 2.13)."

This is a result of the country's expanding population, which has a knock-on impact on
the rise in the poverty rate. The law intends to assist and give awareness to the
underprivileged by providing programs and access to contemporary contraceptive
treatments. Even though population growth has slowed to 2.1% a year, this is still high
when compared to the main East Asian nations, who were able to attain population
growth rates under 2% annually.

The Philippines has a diverse variety of natural resources and a decent degree of
biodiversity, but like most developing nations, it is also plagued by problems that
compound each other, such as high climatic change vulnerability, environmental
destruction, and a critical lack of access to extensive reproductive health services and
voluntary services for family planning. Increasing population and poverty are driving
significantly. Health disparities results based on gender, age, educational levels, wealth,
and race are pervasive in the country, just as they are in many other areas of the world,
especially in developing nations. The poorest Filipino women have five children on
average, which is two more than they claim they might have chosen. Wealthier women
often end up with families of one or two children, near to the number they desired.

The law supports people who survive on violence and those who are in crisis or
catastrophe circumstances, but it would also seriously address the country's rapid
population increase by providing some programs and treatments to the uneducated and
underprivileged.
Reference/s:

Cabral, E. (2013). VIew of Reproductive Health Law in the Philippines. Retrieved from
View of Reproductive Health Law in the Philippines | Journal of the ASEAN Federation
of Endocrine Societies (asean-endocrinejournal.org)

Melgar, J.L.D., Melgar, A.R., Festin, M.P.R. et al. (2018). Assessment of country policies
affecting reproductive health for adolescents in the Philippines. Reprod Health.
Retrieved from Assessment of country policies affecting reproductive health for
adolescents in the Philippines

Republic of the Philippines. (2022). GOV’T TO STRENGTHEN POPULATION, FAMILY

PLANNING PROGRAM. GOVPH. Retrieved from GOV’T TO STRENGTHEN
POPULATION, FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM - National Economic and Development
Authority