Reproductive Health

This will guide local governments and national agencies in implementing reproductive health and family planning programs. This will incorporate issues on population development, responsible parenthood, parenting, men’s involvement, corporate social responsibility, financing for family planning, adolescent reproductive health, and sexuality education.

Population and Development

This will strengthen the Population Commission to ensure that population dynamics and issues are mainstreamed in national policies and programs.

Budget appropriation for family planning commodities

Immediate release of the Php 180 million budget allocation in the 2007 GAA to artificial family planning commodities; or continuing or automatic appropriation to be allocated for family planning and reproductive health. Congress can also allot a portion of the debt appropriations for reproductive health programs.

Amendments to the Local Government Code, particularly the revision of the criteria of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA)

There is inequitable distribution of IRA which results in the fragmentation of local government system. Additional criteria like performance measures in place, openness to working together, higher revenue collection and emphasis on equality can be incorporated. Population dynamics plays an important role in income growth. A lower population growth at the local level may lead to a decrease in IRA but this will be offset by increased local taxes and fees resulting from higher per capita income and lower expenditure on government overhead services due to a lower population base.

Reproductive Health

• HB 17
• HB 812
• SB 42
• SB 47

Population and Development

• SB 43

Regulation of the migration of health workers

The rising number of migrating health workers (doctors, nurses, caregivers, pharmacists) undermines the nation’s capability to provide health services to its people. Private and public hospitals are losing their highly skilled and experienced health personnel. A law is urgently needed to regulate the alarming migration of health workers. Part of this advocacy is to encourage doctors to remain as doctors and to serve in rural communities.

Access to Cheap Quality Medicines (amendment to IPC, drug price regulation)

Big pharmaceutical companies are guilty of practicing evergreening through patent monopoly. Other patented medicines are restricted entry in the country. There is no enabling law to implement TRIPS safeguards. IP Code needs to be amended to achieve greater flexibility in acquiring cheaper medicines. Local industry should also undertake development of patented products and encourage parallel importation of cheaper medicines. Creation of a drug price regulatory board will also lower cost of medicine.

Access to Cheap Quality Medicines (amendment to IPC, drug price regulation)

• SB 90
• SB 101
• HB 1
• HB 307
• HB 672
• HB 764
• HB 955
• HB 1199

Foster Care bill

This bill has been pending in Congress for several years. There is a need to put premium on providing children with a family-like environment in cases where they are deprived temporarily or permanently of a family environment. Foster and kinship care for the abandoned, neglected and children with special needs are being proposed as substitute parenting approaches.

Anti-Corporal Punishment bill

This will prohibit corporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment to protect the physical integrity and human dignity of children against abusive forms of discipline at home, in schools and other institutional settings. General Penal Laws do not cover the 2nd category of discipline: humiliating or degrading punishment. Other restrictions require that a deed or physical act to be committed before any person may be deemed to have committed an offence. The law does not define what may be considered as cruel and unusual punishment which is open to subjective interpretation. Corporal punishment in the home is also not explicitly prohibited by law.

Foster Care bill

• SB 111
• HB 263

Anti-Corporal Punishment bill

• HB 682

Increase subsidy/budget allocation for education

Public investment for education remains inadequate to meet even the basic requirements of the education sector. Funding for education should be at least comparable to other South-East Asian nations. At the minimum, education budget should be equivalent to 6 percent of GDP.

Magna Carta of Women

Twenty-six years after the Philippines ratified the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Filipino women continue to suffer from discrimination and unequal relations. There is no definition of discrimination in national legislation. There are existing law or provisions therein that continue to discriminate against women, e.g., definition of infidelity, treating sex workers as petty criminals under the anti-vagrancy provision in the Revised Penal Code, Code of Muslim Personal Laws which permit marriage of girls under the age of 18, polygamy and arranged marriages.  The Magna Carta of Women is envisioned as an omnibus law to eliminate discrimination against women and to recognize, respect, protect, fulfill and promote all human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, particularly the poor and marginalized. It also provides for gender mainstreaming as strategy for implementing the law.

Magna Carta of Informal Sector

Women suffer from unequal employment and livelihood opportunities. They compose majority of workers in the Informal Sector (IS). However, there is lack of social protection for women in the IS. There is also an inappropriate provision of SSS coverage for IS workers. A Magna Carta for IS workers will cover provisions on protecting women workers in the informal economy. It should also feature an amendment to the SSS law which will provide social insurance for women workers in the IS.

Magna Carta of Women

• HB 164
• HB 797

Magna Carta of Informal Sector

• HB 97

National Land Use Act

This is a priority measure which has been proposed since the 8th Congress. This bill was identified in the last State of the Nation Address and LEDAC meeting. There is absence of land use planning and zoning and unclear property rights. A comprehensive Land Use Act will resolve conflicting land laws and provide mechanisms to address conflicting land claims. This will mitigate loss of lives and ensure food security amid declining food availability by properly allocating land to various competing uses, preserve prime farm land, especially irrigated fields for agricultural purposes, and ensure community participation in defining local land use.

National Land Use Act

Senators Biazon, Honasan and Legarda have filed bills on the National Land Use Act.

Penalizing Torture

Groups have been advocating for the passage of law against torture for a long time. A large network of individuals, groups and institutions is supporting this proposal. There is no opposition to this measure. A law against torture will hopefully promote new consciousness among soldiers and police forces and positively affect the enforcement of their duties. The House of Representatives should also pass a resolution to ratify Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. The bill is a stop-gap measure against the Human Security Act. Two leading coalitions, United Against Torture Coalition and the Philippine Network Against Torture, can serve as support groups in lobbying in Congress and Senate.

Criminalize and Penalize Forced Disappearances

Cases of torture and forced disappearances continued to swell even after the downfall of the Marcos government. Congress needs to pass a law that will institute measures and protect individuals against forced disappearances. Senate should also ratify Convention on Involuntary Disappearance. The Coalition Against Involuntary Disappearances can lead the lobbying efforts for the bill/s.

Penalizing Torture

Rep. Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna has already asked 131 congressmen to co-author this bill. The Rep. Lagman Bill was also filed with Sen. Escudero and Sen. Santiago as possible champions.

Criminalize and Penalize Forced Disappearances

Bills were filed by Rep. Lagman, Bayan Muna and Akbayan groups.

Local Sectoral Representation

The Local Government Code provides for sectoral representation system. But there are no sectoral representatives in local legislative bodies. To ensure participation of marginalized peoples at all levels of decision-making, a local sectoral representation similar to the partylist system in the Lower House is proposed in local governments. The Local Sectoral Representation bill should be refiled and a guideline on the selection process should be included. To broaden support for this proposal, advocacy initiatives should be localized as well.

Right to Information Act

Although stated in the Constitution, there is no law which provides clear operationalization of the public’s right to information. Access to government documents should be guaranteed to promote transparency in governance. Congress should pass Right to Information bill which will identify transparency indicators and data protection measures. The bill will provide sufficient public information regarding criteria for the selection and profile of candidates for appointive government positions. The law should also include accountability of public officials who lost or damage vital public documents.

Review of Public Debt and Debt Policies

Every year, debt payments are bigger than the amount appropriated for government operations. Various government officials and agencies are authorized to contract debt which leads to increasing debt stock. There is need to review and assess the country’s debt policies, strategies and programs. Proposals include a debt audit, cap on borrowings, creation of debt management office, debt renegotiation and repeal of automatic appropriations for debt servicing.

Right to Information Act

• SB 16
• SB 109
• SB 576

Review of Public Debt and Debt Policies

• Debt Audit bill
• SB 825 (Debt Management Office)

Agrarian Reform – extensions with reform

After 2008, funding of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) will expire despite major Land Acquisition and Development (LAD) backlog, lack of support services delivery to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries and access to credit. Five House Bills were filed in the 14th Congress calling for agrarian reform extension. But CARP’s extension should be accompanied by reforms. A law is needed to provide adequate funds for validation of remaining LAD targets and actual distribution status. An inter-agency committee could audit CARP funds to ensure more transparency. Compulsory Acquisition should be declared as primary approach in land acquisition. Reforms should also make farm lands as collaterals. The Department of Agrarian Reform should be reorganized / rationalized to improve its operations. Inclusion of MC 18 of 1996 in the law can lead to recognition of rights of women to access support services and implementation of separate titles for women. Amending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law can put enough mechanism to prevent abuse of non-distributive CARP schemes such as leaseback, Joint Venture Agreements and stock distribution options.

Agrarian Reform – extensions with reform

• HB 328
• HB 743
• HB 935
• HB 1257
• HB 1265

Philippine Trade Representative Office

In other countries, especially the developed economies, there is unified approach to trade. In the Philippines, there is poor coordination between trade negotiators and other national agencies of the government. Under globalization, national strategizing and policy coherence is crucial. A PTRO should define more clearly the development framework and priorities of the trade policies of the country. This will enhance coordination and ensure accountability. This proposal also asserts the power of congress over trade policy. The PTRO should calibrate tariff and other measures based on country’s level of development, identify strengths, weaknesses, and complementaries of trade partners and strategize the country’s position for maximum gains and minimal pains. The PTRO should consult and share information to the public. This ensures peoples’ participation in government’s negotiating positions.