of the EO and the pull out of contraceptives. The stop gap measures implemented by
the DOH through the Nurse Deployment Program helped in providing unmet needs
of women in Sorsogon City. However, being a stop gap measure, the NDPs are not
sustainable and women, especially the most marginalized and those in GIDA areas are
unable to access both RH services and information.
The TRO on the Implanon also has the same effect, as it deprives women free access
to the commodity. In NCR for example, women who are informal settlers prefer
Implanon with its effectivity lasting for three (3) years, however, the TRO prevents
them from obtaining free Implanon shots. They simply cannot afford to purchase
Implanon on their own. Women who are economically capable of purchasing
Implanon are not affected by the TRO as it can still be purchased and is dispensed in
private clinics.
On the absolute prohibition of abortion and the absence of emergency contraception,
the submissions from Center for Reproductive Rights and EngendeRights have made
clear that such polices mostly impact the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable women.
The prohibition casts a stigma on women who’ve suffered from abortion and in effect
results in the denial of post abortion care which the RH law supposedly assures. The
stigma and criminalization of abortion has also led many poor women to resort to
unsafe abortions. Documentation on women who’ve suffered from unsafe abortions
and who were unable to access PAC was compiled and submitted to the Commission
by CRR. EngendeRigths further submits and as echoed by participants during the
public hearing that the absence of emergency contraceptives fail to protect women
and girls who are victims of sexual violence. Their absence limits the autonomy of
women and girls over their bodies and result to unwanted pregnancies as a result of
sexual violence.
On the proliferation of ordinances criminalizing and penalizing traditional and
indigenous home births, the women who mostly bear the brunt of these measures
were found to be Moro and Indigenous women and women who mostly live in
geographically inaccessible and disadvantaged areas. While these ordinance were
adopted to encourage facility based delivery and to address increase of maternal
mortality, the effect of the measure has been discriminatory to Moro and Indigenous
women, it has also resulted to the imposition of penalities and criminalization of
women from GIDA areas for the failings of the State specifically for the State’s failure
to bring health centers and facilities to far flung areas and to women who need them
most.
We have documented accounts of traditional birth attendants refusing to help women
because of fear of imprisonment, we have submissions of IP women who were forced
to travel distances to go to the health facilities for fear of imprisonment. In the
submission of Lilak Purple Action for Women, they forwarded the declaration of
Indigenous women denouncing the passage of these ordinances and calling for
respect of the traditional birthing practices of Indigenous women. A Council of Elders
in Bukidnon likewise issued a resolution calling for the repeal of the Ordinance
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