#rePROductiveHEALTH: ADVOCACY PAPER ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN THE PHILIPPINES
Reproductive health is the state of an individual’s physical, mental, and social well being that is inclined with its reproductive system. We can say that an individual is healthy in terms of its reproductive health if he/she is able to reproduce and also have the freedom to give consent whenever or wherever he/she likes in order to have a healthy sex life. People must know the information connected to their reproductive health in order for them to be able to take care of themselves and face the issues related to it such as sexual harassments.
The reproductive health situation in the Philippines became more complicated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was projected that the population in the country will increase this year, as unplanned pregnancies rise due to the lockdowns. Other related issues such as teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, violence against women and their children, online child sexual exploitation, and rape were also reported whether there is a pandemic or none.
The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 or R.A. 10354 was implemented in order for the government and its departments to provide reproductive health care to its citizens and to be able to address the issues that the country is facing related to reproductive health. This law paved the way for the citizen’s access to reproductive health care such as family planning, sex education, social hygiene clinics, and health and nutrition supports for mothers and their children. Other laws that also helps to improve the reproductive health situation in the country are Anti-Rape Law of 1997 or R.A. 8353, Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 or R.A. 9262, Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Magnanay Act of 2018 or R.A. 11148, and the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act of 2018 or R.A. 11166. As of December 2020, the House of Representatives approved the third and final hearing of a bill that raises the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16 years old.
However, religious and supporting groups are concerned about the implementation of the laws and programs regarding reproductive health. Some of them stated that issues like teenage pregnancy have a relation to the distribution of contraceptives and the existing laws for reproductive health contradicts with the government’s policies regarding abortion. On the other hand, some government officials have suggestions and proposals that can help to improve the reproductive health situation in the country. These officials proposed that reproductive health care services and nutrition interventions must be accessible to the public despite of the pandemic. They also suggested that more appropriate sex education in schools can help adolescents to be aware of their reproductive health and be responsible enough to avoid issues such as teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
The government and its citizens must help each other to improve the reproductive health situation in the country. The government must make improvements in the curriculum for sex education among adolescents, make revisions in R.A. 9262 in order to also address violence against men or in other terms make the law equal for all, and prioritize the urban poor in giving reproductive health care and nutrition services. Citizens should start to talk about reproductive health, destigmatize people living with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses and victims of abuse in any form regardless of gender, and end rape culture. These measures can improve the reproductive health situation in the country and at the same time spread awareness to people regarding reproductive health.
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