OPENING REMARKS BY BENJAMIN D. DE LEON PRESIDENT THE FORUM FOR FAMILY PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT, INC. FIRST NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING CONFERENCE NOV 21, 2016 NOVOTEL MANILA ARANETA CENTER

MY DEAR FRIENDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE COMMISSION ON POPULATION WHO ARE CO-ORGANIZERS AND CO-CONVERNORS OF THE CONFERENCE AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. HONORABLE MAYORS, BOARD MEMBERS AND OTHER LOCAL OFFICIALS FROM THE DIFFERENCE PROVINCES CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. FRIENDS OF THE MEDIA; MY BELOVED YOUTH; AND MEMBERS OF CIVIL SOCIETY. MAGANDANG UMAGA PO (GOOD MORNING). I DO APPRECIATE DEEPLY YOUR GENUINE SUPPORT AND ATTENDANCE TO THE FIRST NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING CONFERENCE. THIS GATHERING OF ADVOCATES AND CHAMPIONS FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO FAMILY PLANNING COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME. THE CHALLENGES TO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH (RPRH) LAW THAT ALLOWS FOR THE PROVISION OF THE FULL RANGE OF FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES IS STILL UNDER THREAT. THE SUPREME COURT (SC) DECLARED THE RPRH LAW IN APRIL 2014 NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THE SAME SC ISSUED IN JUNE 2015 A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER (TRO) THAT STOPS THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH), ITS AGENTS AND

1

REPRESENTATIVES FROM DISPENSING AND ADMINISTERING THE SUBDERMAL IMPLANTS, AS WELL AS ALL PENDING REGISTRATION OF CONTRACEPTIVE PRODUCTS. IN AUGUST 2016, THE SC REJECTED THE MOTION TO LIFT THE TRO AND GAVE THE FDA AND DOH DIRECTIVES TO FORMULATE RULES AND PROCEDURES IN THE REGISTRATION AND RECERTIFICATION OF CONTRACEPTIVES THROUGH PUBLIC HEARINGS. THIS LATEST RULING OF THE SC CHANGES THE VERY NATURE OF THE FDA’S WORK SINCE ANY INTERESTED PARTY CAN INTERVENE IN ITS DECISION THROUGH A PETITION FOR REVIEW TO THE COURT OF APPEALS. WORLDWIDE, APPROXIMATELY 560,000 WOMEN DIE DUE TO COMPLICATIONS FROM PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH. 1 IN 4 WOMEN COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED IF THEY HAD ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTION. IN THE PHILIPPINES, ABOUT 14 TO 15 WOMEN DIE EVERY DAY DUE TO CHILDBIRTH AND PREGNANCY-RELATED COMPLICATIONS. ALMOST HALF OF THESE MATERNAL DEATHS ARE OF WOMEN WHO HAD UNINTENDED PREGNANCY. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEY (NDHS), 8 IN 10 MARRIED WOMEN WANT TO LIMIT OR SPACE THEIR PREGNANCIES, WHILE 7 IN 10 WOMEN SAID THAT HER DESIRED FAMILY SIZE IS ALSO SHARED BY HER HUSBAND. CONTRACEPTIVE PREVALENCE RATE (CPR) REMAINS LOW IN THE PHILIPPINES AT 55 PERCENT, WHERE 38 PERCENT IS FOR MODERN CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS AND 17 PERCENT FOR TRADITIONAL METHODS. THE CPR MAY HAVE BEEN INCREASING AND MORE AND MORE WOMEN REPORTEDLY HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON FAMILY PLANNING, HOWEVER THE FAMILY PLANNING NEEDS OF FILIPINOS AS MANDATED BY LAW AND BY THEIR RIGHTS MUST BE FULFILLED. AN IMPROVED SYSTEMS AND MULTI-STAKEHOLDER APPROACH THAT IS BACKED BY MORE DEPENDABLE DATA AND EVIDENCE, BEST PRACTICES ON THE GROUND, ENABLING POLICIES, ADEQUATE BUDGET, HUMAN RESOURCE COMPLEMENT AND FACILITY-BASED SUPPORT ARE ALL IMPORTANT ELEMENTS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE GAPS. BUT WITH THE TRO NOW IN EFFECT, THE LACK OF THE PROVISION OF IMPLANTS IN GOVERNMENT HEALTH CENTERS HAS CAUSED ANGUISH AMONG WOMEN IN POOR COMMUNITIES. IMPLANTS HAVE BECOME THE FAMILY PLANNING METHOD OF CHOICE OF POOR 2

WOMEN, A STILL HIGHER RISE IN MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIO IS ANTICIPATED, AND WOULD EVEN EXACERBATE THE PROBLEM OF TEEN PREGNANCY IN THE COUNTRY. MOREOVER, THE TRO IS AN AFFRONT TO THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION’S 10-POINT SOCIOECONOMIC AGENDA AND AMBISYON NATIN 2040 (A 25-YEAR LONG-TERM VISION FOR THE PHILIPPINES) WHICH BOTH ACCENTUATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RPRH LAW AS A VITAL COMPONENT OF THE GOVERNMENT’S DEVELOPMENT PLANS. WE OWE IT TO SOCIO ECONOMIC PLANNING SECRETARY ERNESTO PERNIA, AND FORUM TRUSTEE FOR SUCCESSFULLY INCLUDING THE RPRH LAW IN 0-10 POINT SOCIO ECONOMIC AGENDA. WHEREAS BEFORE, WE FOUGHT FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE RPRH BILL IN BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS THAT TOOK US 15 YEARS, NOW THE BATTLEFIELD IS IN THE JUDICIARY, PARTICULARLY THE SC, INVOLVING ITS FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RPRH LAW. AS THE FIGHT THAT IS CRUCIAL TO ITS FULL IMPLEMENTATION IS HAPPENING NOW IN THE DOMAIN OF THE JUDICIARY, WE, AS RH ADVOCATES, NEED TO HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THE SC DECISION TO STRENGTHEN OUR ADVOCACY MORE THAN EVER. PLEASE ALLOW ME TO GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE. JUST LAST MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH, FOUR (4) NGOS AND TWO (2) REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ADVOCATES—FORMER HEALTH SECRETARY DR. ESPERANZA CABRAL AND MYSELF, FILED A PETITION FOR INTERVENTION BEFORE THE SC TO LIFT THE TRO ON CONTRACEPTIVES AND TO REVOKE THE LATEST AUGUST 2016 ORDER OF ITS SECOND DIVISION THAT WOULD DEPRIVE TENS OF MILLIONS OF FILIPINO WOMEN ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTIVES. IT WAS ASSERTED THAT THE TRO AND THE SECOND DIVISION’S ORDER VIOLATE WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS AS ENSHRINED IN VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES IN WHICH THE PHILIPPINES IS A SIGNATORY, AS WELL AS OUR NATIONAL LAWS THAT PROTECT WOMEN’S RIGHTS. EVEN AS THE RH SAGA CONTINUES, THIS FIRST NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING CONFERENCE SERVES AS A TESTAMENT TO THE COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION OF GOVERNMENT, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, PRIVATE SECTOR, ACADEME, MEDIA, YOUTH SECTOR, DONOR AGENCIES AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS TO CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT EVERY 3

FILIPINO IS ABLE TO FULLY EXERCISE HIS/HER RIGHTS AND EXPERIENCE THE BENEFITS UNDER THE RPRH LAW. THIS FIRST NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING CONFERENCE WAS A RESULT OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF FILIPINO DELEGATES TO DISCUSS WAYS TO SUSTAIN PUBLIC AND POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILY PLANNING AND THE RPRH LAW THAT WAS HELD DURING THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FAMILY PLANNING (ICFP) IN BALI, INDONESIA LAST JANUARY 25-27, 2016. THE INITIATOR OF THIS ENDEAVOR IS HERE WITH US TODAY, A FILIPINO-AMERICAN, MR. JOSE (OYING) RIMON II, DIRECTOR OF THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES INSTITUTE FOR POPULATION AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND A SENIOR SCIENTIST, JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. AT THIS JUNCTURE, I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION REPRESENTED BY MS. CAITLIN FEUREY FOR SUPPORTING THE CONFERENCE. WHILE THE FAMILY PLANNING WORK OF THE DOH AND ITS AGENTS IS BEING HAMPERED BY THE SUPREME COURT’S TRO, DEVELOPMENT WORKERS, NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, INCLUDING HEALTH PRACTITIONERS, CAN WORK TOGETHER AND STEP IN TO FILL THE GAPS IN THE PROVISION OF FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES. UNDER THE DUTERTE HEALTH AGENDA OF “ALL FOR HEALTH TOWARDS HEALTH FOR ALL”, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS SET BOLD TARGETS TO BE ACHIEVED WITHIN THE NEXT SIX YEARS. ON FAMILY PLANNING, THE GOVERNMENT HAS SET A CPR OF 65% WITH ZERO UNMET NEED FOR FP. WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION’S REVITALIZED POLICY ENVIRONMENT FOR RH AND FP, AND THE CONTINUING THREAT TO SUBVERT THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO FP SERVICES OF FILIPINOS, THE FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FAMILY PLANNING IS INDEED VERY TIMELY FOR US TO GATHER NOT ONLY TO MOBILIZE SUPPORT FOR FAMILY PLANNING BUT ALSO TO ADVANCE THE BEST PRACTICES, THE BRILLIANT IDEAS AND ADVOCATES TOWARDS IMPROVING THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY BY WAY OF BETTER INVESTMENTS AND SUPPORT FOR FP PROGRAMS. CONFRONTED WITH SO MANY CHALLENGES, I REMAIN UNDAUNTED AND OPTIMISTIC THAT ALL THESE WILL BE MET BY THE RENEWED COMMITMENT OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION TO 4

THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RPRH LAW AND A STRONGER CAMPAIGN FOR FAMILY PLANNING. WALANG IMPOSIBLENG GAWIN KUNG TAYO AY SAMA-SAMA. KAYA NATIN ITO!

BENJAMIN D. DE LEON PRESIDENT, FORUM FOR FAMILY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, INC. CONFERENCE CO-CONVENOR

5