An urgent issue

In 2012, president Benigno Aquino III signed into law Republic Act 10354 or the so-called Reproductive Health (RH) Law, which among others, guaranteed universal access to medically safe, non-abortifacient, effective, legal, affordable, and quality productive health care services, methods, devices, and supplies.

According to the law, the State shall eradicate discriminatory practices, laws and policies that infringe on a person’s exercise of reproductive health rights.

But the full implementation of the RH law suffered a major setback after the Supreme Court in August 2016 nullified the certification and recertification issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) covering 77 contraceptive drugs and implants and ordered the FDA to determine whether these contraceptive drugs and devices can cause abortion, saying the FDA certified, procured, and administered contraceptive drugs and devices without due process.

The Department of Health has in asked the SC to reverse its Aug. 24 decision while various labor groups and reproductive health advocates have also called on the Court to lift its restraining order on the implementation of RA 10354.

The DOH, the FDA and the Population Commission have feared that the SC order could jeopardize the family planning program and lead to increased mortality and morbidity among women and infants arising from unintended pregnancies.

President Duterte has issued an executive order mandating the immediate and full implementation of the RH law. The Duterte administration has accused the SC of taking too long to resolve the case and has said that this EO will pressure the Court to stop dilly-dallying. The EO calls for the mobilization of artificial methods of contraception.

As the SC continues to delay on its decision, so many unwanted pregnancies happen every day. There are also fears that there would be a shortage in contraceptive products soon. Because of the order it gave to the FDA, the agency will be forced to resolve every opposition, including baseless ones, to the certification and recertification process. If denied, these oppositors can then prolong the delay by filing appeal after appeal.

There must some degree of urgency in deciding on these oppositions to the RH law. Questions to the constitutionality of the said law have long been resolved but still, it could not be implemented. Such a waste.

HOTEL EXECS, SKAL MEMBERS SEND OFF: Turkish Airlines recentlyflew six SKAL and League of Tourism Students of the Philippines members for an educational tour to Greece. Shown in photo are (from left) students Paula Rafols Tamayo, Anna Alexis Joseph, Anjelyn Kwon, Robertte Jennieffer Fajardo, Kristine Chinatsu Delim and Diana Valenzuela with SKAL International Makati VP and New World Makati Hotel GM Farid Schoucair (4th from left) and Marriott Hotel Manila GM Bruce Winson (5th from left).