Executive Order No. 12, s. 2017: Attaining and Sustaining “Zero Unmet Need for Modern Family Planning” Through the Strict Implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act, Providing Funds Therefore, and for Other Purposes

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 10354, otherwise known as the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (RPRH Law) recognizes the right of Filipinos to decide freely and responsibly on their desired number and spacing of children, within the context of responsible parenthood and informed choice, and to access needed reproductive health care information and services;

WHEREAS, the Administration’s 10-point socio-economic agenda includes, among others, the strengthening of the RPRH Law implementation to enable poor couples to make informed choices on financial and family planning;

WHEREAS, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty and fight inequality and injustice in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the goal of ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services and rights, which the Philippines committed to achieve by 2030;

WHEREAS, the findings of the 2013 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) carried out by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that at least six million women, of which two million are poor, have unmet need for any modern method of contraception, and remain unable to fully exercise their reproductive rights;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby order:

Section 1. Unmet Need for Modern Family Planning Defined. Couples and women with unmet need for modern family planning are those who are fecund and sexually active and want to limit or space their children but are not using any modern method of contraception.

Section 2. Purpose. This Order aims to intensify and accelerate the implementation of critical actions necessary to attain and sustain “zero unmet need for modern family planning” for all poor households by 2018, and all of Filipinos thereafter, within the context of the RPRH Law and its implementing rules;

Section 3. Accelerating Mechanisms. Upon the effectivity of this Order, the following mechanisms and strategies shall be implemented:

(a) The Department of Health (DOH), Commission on Population (POPCOM), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and other relevant national government agencies shall work in close collaboration with all LGUs for the implementation of the strategies below. All LGUs are encouraged to integrate these strategies in their Local Development Plans (LDPs) and investment programs to support universal access to RH services through demand generation, service delivery network and mobilization of community volunteers including the Barangay Health Workers (BHWs), Barangay Population Volunteers (BPVs) and Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).

i. Map areas to locate couples and individuals with unmet need for modern family planning;

ii. Capacitate and mobilize local structures, including, but not limited to, health, population, social welfare, barangay operations, and other relevant offices to accelerate the implementation of the RPRH Law, particularly in the provision of modern family planning commodities and services;

iii. Conduct intensive community-based demand generation and referral activities and ensure the provision of quality modern family planning information and services, within the principle of informed choice and voluntarism; and

iv. Engage, collaborate, and partner with civil society organizations (CSOs) and the private sector in attaining zero unmet need for modern family planning in their respective localities.

(b) The Department of Health (DOH) shall review the gaps in the implementation of the RPRH Law, issue corresponding orders and guidelines, and implement interventions to support LGUs and CSOs in ensuring the equitable availability of, and access of all Filipinos to, modern family planning and other reproductive health care services.

(c) All other relevant government agencies are also hereby directed to implement their mandates in support of attaining the purpose of this Order. Specifically:

i. The Department of Education (DepEd) shall implement a gender-sensitive and rights-based comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in the school curriculum;

ii. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall integrate RPRH strategies in the national poverty reduction and social protection programs;

iii. The National Youth Commission (NYC) shall ensure the integration of adolescent reproductive health concerns in youth development agenda and strategies;

iv. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) shall integrate RPRH strategies in the Philippine Development Plan;

v. The DILG shall monitor compliance of LGUs with the implementation of the RPRH Law;

vi. The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) shall promote reproductive health rights in their initiatives for women’s empowerment and gender equality;

vii. The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) shall implement benefit packages that ensure maximum benefits for family planning services, in addition to other mandates provided for by the RPRH Law and its IRR; and

viii. The POPCOM shall adopt the attainment of zero unmet need for modern family planning as a population management strategy, particularly in assisting couples and women to achieve their desired family size and to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy.

Section 4. Reporting. The National Implementation Team for the RPRH Law shall prepare and submit to the Office of the President, within six (6) months from effectivity of this Order and, thereafter, at the end of April of each year, an annual progress report on the status of the implementation of this Order, with corresponding technical recommendations to address emerging issues and concerns. Except for the initial report, such annual progress reports shall be integrated with the annual report for the implementation of the RPRH law.

Section 5. Funding. The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Order shall be sourced from available funds of the agencies concerned.(awÞhi( The funding requirements for succeeding years shall be included in the budget proposals of the same agencies. In order to ensure effective implementation of this Order, the DBM may realign and augment appropriations in accordance with applicable budgetary and auditing laws, rules and regulations.

Section 6. Repeal. All executive issuances, orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Order, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 7. Separability. If any provision of this Order is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 8. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 9th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Seventeen.

(Sgd.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

By the President:

(Sgd.) SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA
Executive Secretary