CHAPTER 5
CHR NATIONAL INQUIRY ON
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
T
he CHR National Inquiry on
Reproductive Health was launched on 01 March
2016 with the following objectives: (1) examine the
effectiveness and implementation of the MCW and
the RPRH Law, and related issuances; (2) document
individual and/or systemic accounts of acts or
omissions, structures, policies, or practices which
result to denial of access to reproductive health
services; (3) to focus on the denial of and barriers
to reproductive health services as experienced by
the most vulnerable and marginalized; and (4) to
document the problems experienced by service
providers, both State and non-State, in providing
reproductive health services, particularly to those
most vulnerable and marginalized. It also provided
an analysis of the state of reproductive health rights
in the country, using international and national
human rights standards, cognizant of the multiple
and intersecting identities of women.
This chapter presents the main findings and
conclusions of the CHR Inquiry.
THE NATIONAL INQUIRY BY THE
NUMBERS
The CHR National Inquiry on Reproductive
Health entailed 15 regional consultations on CEDAW
and Magna Carta of Women with special focus on
reproductive health,38 and 15 fact-finding missions
and public hearings in five cluster areas namely
the National Capital Region, Legazpi-Sorsogon,
Zamboanga City, Tacloban-Leyte-Samar, and
Cagayan de Oro-Bukidnon. Five (5) public hearings
were likewise conducted in these areas.
The National Inquiry involved a total of
1,263 individuals: 551 in the Regional consultations
and 712 in the fact finding and public hearings. It
covered five regions, 13 cities and municipalities,
23 barangays and 29 government health facilities.
It gathered 89 statements under oath, some 80
individual oral and written submissions, and seven
submissions from organizations.
The 15 regional offices of the CHRP conducted “Regional Consultation on CEDAW and Magna Carta of Women with special focus on Reproductive Health” within their areas of
jurisdiction the whole month of March 2016. The consultations covered: Access to Justice and VAW; Issues of Women in Marginalized sectors; Issues in relation to displacement and
development aggression, and last, the reproductive health and rights. The consultations gathered a total of 551 individuals including 33 indigenous peoples, 32 persons with disabilities, and
27 LGBTs.
38