 On Barriers/Challenges Encountered by State and Other Health Service Providers The National Inquiry has established that both government and private health service providers continue to face challenges in the implementation of the provisions of the RPRH law. Policy and legal barriers to RH likewise affect health service providers and health workers. The issuance of the TRO on Implanon by the SC, the voiding of key RPRH provisions, the passage ‘Pro-Life EO’ are some of these policy and legal barriers. Specific to Region X, another policy barrier, one that is explicitly discriminatory against women nurses and midwives exist – the prohibition against pregnancy. The latter, while reportedly enacted to protect women nurses and midwives during pregnancy has resulted to discrimination against women nurses, who unlike their male counterparts, can become and do become pregnant during the course of their contract with DOH. Raised during the Inquiry, the DOH committed to review these policies to make them non-discriminatory and human rights compliant. Another barrier found by the Commission is the unsustainability of Health Human Resource Management. In all of the cluster areas visited during the fact-finding, the Commission documented the temporary nature of the appointments of midwives and nurses in Barangay Health Stations and Rural Health Units. LGU midwives complained of being contractual for ten years with contracts renewed every six months. The NDPs and the midwives deployed to different areas shared that their contracts will be ending in December of 2016. A doctor that the fact finding team interviewed shared the number of patients he sees every day, sometimes reaching up to 250; he then complained that his request for additional doctors to the barrio was denied. In all areas, the ratio of doctor to population, or nurse/midwife to population were often not complied with. These posed barriers to government health service providers. These are also related to the various complaints raised regarding the attitude and unprofessional demeanor of health service providers/workers which may be caused by the stress experienced in challenging work environment. The National Inquiry was able to document as well the uneven support for Barangay Health Workers. Some barangays and LGUs are supportive of BHWs, providing substantial separate allowance, in other cases the allowance is granted on a quarterly basis and in an almost negligible amount. Reports have been made as well that the appointment and provision of allowances of BHS have been subject to much politicizing on the ground. The recommendation for the standardization of allowances for BHWs and for the professionalization of their services are very well grounded. Another challenge for health services providers is the lack or inadequate support. Accounts have been made during the Inquiry on how many health workers are overworked and underpaid, with some forced to work under conditions that threaten their physical security. Reports were made that Barangay Health Stations, RHUs and some municipal and provincial health facilities have insufficient supplies that again 11