COMMUNITY AWARENESS PUBLIC

HEALTH LAWS

TERM PAPER
 Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act of 2011

Under the law, any “physicians, nurse, midwives, nursing aide, or skilled birth attendant”
present during the delivery of a newborn are required to inform parents or legal guardians of the
“availability, nature, and benefits” of immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases at birth.
The mandatory basic immunization is given free at any government hospital or health center for
children up to 5 years old.
Established in 1976 through Presidential Decree 996, the Expanded Program on
Immunization seeks to ensure that children, particularly infants, and their mothers have access to
vaccines recommended for their age to prevent specific diseases. By providing them access to
vaccines, the program aims to decrease the morbidity and mortality among children.
When the program was first rolled out, the vaccine-preventable diseases include
tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles and rubella. In 2011, through
Republic Act No. 10152, the mandatory basic immunization now covers tuberculosis, diphtheria,
tetanus and pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella or German measles, hepatitis-b, h.
influenza type b (HIB). Because of the active campaign on vaccination, the number of cases of
certain diseases have decrease in recent years. For example, the last case of wild poliovirus in the
country was reported in 1993.
In 2004, the DOH introduced the Reaching Every Barangay (REB) strategy which aimed to
improve the access to routine immunization and reduce drop-outs in the program. All health centers
are required to have at least one staff trained to follow through with this strategy which includes
collating data on vaccinated children, strengthening links between the community and the health
sector, and supportive supervision, among others. The REB is just one of the strategies the health
department deployed to ensure that each child in the Philippines is vaccinated. Another strategy is
the Supplemental Immunization Activity (SIA) which targets children who did not develop sufficient
immunity.
Although this law has helped plenty of families already, there are still some who still refuses
because of the lack of knowledge about these vaccines. The government implemented this law for
the sake of the people and their children but since it is their own will to refuse, no one can do
anything about it. Seminars, symposiums and any other ways to provide health education is highly
necessary especially for those who live in rural areas so that they will have the knowledge on how
the vaccines can help protect their children against any of these harmful diseases before it is too
late.
 Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law of 2012

It is an act providing for a national policy on responsible parenthood and reproductive

health. The law, which stemmed from the strong advocacy of stakeholders and the commitment of
the Government, is a point for convergence of multi-sectoral efforts toward the improvement of
health outcomes of the country. It mandates the government to adequately address the needs of
Filipinos on responsible parenthood and reproductive health.
The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Act of 2012 or Republic Act
No. 10354 was enacted on December 21, 2012. The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) were
signed on March 15, 2013 in Baseco, Tondo. The law aims to empower the Filipino people, especially
women and youth, through informed choice and age- and development- appropriate education.
Responsible parenthood is the will and ability of parent to respond to the needs and
aspirations of the family and children. It is the shared responsibility between parents to determine
and achieve the desired number and timing of their children according to their own aspirations.
While Reproductive health can be defined as a state of complete well-being in matters relating to
one’s sexual and reproductive life. It implies that people are able to have a responsible, safe,
consensual and satisfying sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to
decide of, when, and how often to do so. Further, it implies that men and women attain equal
relationships in matters related to sexual relations and reproduction.
The RP-RH law is rooted on the human rights of all persons including their right to equality
and nondiscrimination, the right to sustainable human development, the right to health including
RH, the right to education and information, and the right to choose and make decisions for
themselves in accordance to their religious convictions, ethics, cultural beliefs and the demand of
responsible parenthood.
In particular, the law upholds and guarantee the following principles: The right to make free
and informed decisions of every person particularly couples, adult individuals, women and
adolescents including preference and choice for FP methods, determination of ideal family size; The
provision of effective and quality RH care services by the state that will lead to universal access to
affordable and quality RH care and services; The provision of truthful information and education on
RH; and The preferential access to the poor and the marginalized. Further, the law guarantees access
to information, facilities and services most especially for the poor by ensuring stable and sustainable
reproductive health programs are in place through partnerships between national and local
governments.
 Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act (Milk Code EO51)

An act providing incentives to all government and private health institutions with rooming-in
and breastfeeding practices and for other purposes. This law is in promotion of the state policy to
encourage the practice of breastfeeding in the Philippines. The rules and regulations were stated
during the symposium in which contain standard procedures to be followed for rooming-in and
breastfeeding in all private and government health institutions. Specific provisions are made for
complicated births.
The right of the mother to breastfeed and the right of the infant to receive breast milk is
expressed, and mothers may only exercise their right to bottle feed after being fully informed of the
benefits of breastfeeding and by expressing their intention to formula feed in writing. The
regulations which covers the establishment and operation of human milk banks and the donation of
human milk which are also said.
Provisions were also stated for the act of continuing education and training of health
personnel and the education and counseling of parents. Other provisions indicated in separate
sectors states that the only milk formula to be stocked in the hospital is to be kept in a closed
cabinet out of sight and used for only emergency purposes upon issuance of a prescription. These
prohibitions extend to the use of pacifiers, the donation of samples of formula, and the promotion
of infant formulas in hospitals. Noncompliance will place health personnel and institutions in danger
of losing their licenses and of being found guilty of a wrongdoing.
On the other hand, The Philippine Milk Code of 1986 or Executive Order 51 is a law imposing strict
formula milk marketing in the Philippines. Marketing includes product promotion, distribution,
selling, advertising, product public relations, information services. In summary, E.O. 51 imposes that
no milk company should support breastfeeding activities, no health and nutrition worker should
promote or sell infant formula and other milk products and bottles, no material that promotes
breastmilk substitutes should be visible in all health and nutrition facilities and milk companies
should ensure accurate information on the use and quality of their products (instructions, expiration
date, etc.).
In conclusion, artificial milk and any other unnatural material is strictly prohibited in the hospital and
noncompliance of this law will lead to retribution. No artificial milk can ever replace a mother’s
breast milk so it is highly recommended to all mothers out there to breastfeed their children most
especially that it is not only the child who will benefit from breastfeeding but also the mothers.
 Magna Carta of Public Health Workers

Republic Act No.7305 also known as the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers was passed
to give health workers increased benefits through two mechanisms: outright, across-the-board
salary increases for all rural doctors, and laundry and subsistence allowances for all other health
workers. Over a five-year period, the DOH was also authorized to increase other benefits such as
medico-legal fees, overtime pay, hazard pay and hardship allowances for health workers laboring
under difficult circumstances. Under the law, the DOH would set up a mechanism for managing
health worker and management issues through multi-level consultative councils. The law also
provided for a code of conduct by health workers, with penalties for any violations.
The law was especially crafted with those assigned to hardship posts in mind. It is then
hoped that this Magna Carta of Public Health Workers with all the efforts put into it, will promote
better compliance with the law’s mandates among concerned public health officials, public health
administrators and rank and file public health personnel and inspire all public health workers to
continuously improve our efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of public health services to the
people. The Magna Carta of Public Health Workers (Republic Act or RA 7305) was enacted to ensure
that health workers are properly compensated, which will in turn benefit patients through the
delivery of quality health care service. Thus, its intention was supposed to be for the benefit of the
overall health care delivery service
Since the law is already enacted, though, and it has long been recognized that hospital
workers are undercompensated, Magna Carta benefits should indeed be paid but through other
means that would not affect the ability of the government to provide quality and affordable health
care.
 Revised Dangerous Drug Law

RA 9165 mandates the government to "pursue an intensive and unrelenting campaign

against the trafficking and use of dangerous drugs and other similar substances." It is the policy of
the State to safeguard the integrity of its territory and the well-being of its citizenry particularly the
youth, from the harmful effects of dangerous drugs on their physical and mental well-being, and to
defend the same against acts or omissions detrimental to their development and preservation.
Under the law, those caught importing, selling, manufacturing, and using illegal drugs and its forms
may be fined and imprisoned for at least 12 years to a lifetime, depending on the severity of the
crime. Since the law was passed at a time the death penalty was still applicable, it is the maximum
punishment imposed by the original law. This, however, is moot at present as the death penalty was
already abolished in 2006.
This Act repealed the Republic Act No. 6425, otherwise known as the Dangerous Drugs Act
of 1972, as amended, and providing funds for its implementation. Under this Act, the Dangerous
Drugs Board (DDB) remains as the policy-making and strategy-formulating body in planning and
formulation of policies and program on drug prevention and control.
It also created the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) under the Office of the
President, which serves as the implementing arm of the DDB, shall be responsible for the efficient
and effective law enforcement of all the provisions on any dangerous drugs, controlled precursors
and essential chemicals as provided in this Act.
 Sanitation Code

The Presidential Decree No. 856, or most well known to be the Code on Sanitation, was
promulgated by the late President Ferdinand Marcos on December 23, 1975. The ultimate objective
of this was to improve the way of the Filipinos by directing public health services towards the
protection and promotion of the health of our people. There also arose the need for codifying and
updating the scattered sanitary laws to ensure the provision of handy reference and guide for fast
reinforcement.
On the symposium that we had, we mostly tackled and focused on the chapter three of the
law, the food establishment. The said chapter contained six separate parts which shall protect the
people from any possible harm that may occur related to the topic. According Section 3-A of the
Presidential Decree 856, otherwise known as the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Chapter 3:
Food Establishments of the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines, in order for a food establishment
to do business, it has to secure first a sanitary permit, which shall be given by the city health office
after the said establishment has passed the standards to do business. These sanitary permits are
only valid for a year. Regardless of when the establishment has issued a permit, it shall only be valid
at the end of December. For example, Restaurant X managed to come up with a permit only on June
1, the permit shall end on Dec. 31, which is the same as those permits filed on Jan. 1.
Arguably, the country has very good laws, but when it goes down to the implementation of
such laws, it becomes a huge problem. Large establishments follow these laws but how about those
street vendors and turo-turo kind of food? Most of them haven’t followed the law and therefore
exposes us to danger and possible diseases. Take it as a consequence when people become
recipients of diseases brought by the poor sanitation food establishments have. Nonetheless, the
people also need to be responsible enough.
The level of compliance among food establishments vary depending on a law’s
implementation since by the implementation of these laws, we are all gaining information and
knowledges about what are the laws that protects us against harm.
 Child and Youth Welfare Code of the Philippines

Children’s right to protection from abuse, exploitation and discrimination has always been
articulated in several declarations, codes, laws. Convention on the Rights of the Child the Child and
Youth Welfare Code, Presidential Decree No. 603. These and a lot more proclamations recognize
that children are one of the most vulnerable groups in society and such vulnerability oftentimes
makes children the objects and subjects for exploitation, abuse and discrimination.
Since children are one of the most important assets of the nation, any act of the nation that
involves children should be exerted to promote their welfare and enhance their opportunities for a
useful and happy life and not expose them to harm. Their individual traits and aptitudes should be
cultivated to the utmost to the extent that they do not conflict with the general welfare. The
molding of the character of the child start at the home. Consequently, every member of the family
should strive to make the home a wholesome and harmonious place as its atmosphere and
conditions will greatly influence the child's development.
Attachment to the home and strong family ties should be encouraged but not to the extent
of making the home isolated and exclusive and unconcerned with the interests of the community
and the country. The natural right and duty of parents in the rearing of the child for civic efficiency
should receive the aid and support of the government.
Other institutions, like the school, the church, the guild, and the community in general,
should assist the home and the State in the endeavor to prepare the child for the responsibilities of
adulthood. All children shall be entitled to the rights herein set forth without distinction as to
legitimacy or illegitimacy, sex, social status, religion, political antecedents, and other factors.
 Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act of 2012

This Republic Act No. 10821 of the Government of the Philippines mandates the provision of
emergency relief and protection for children before, during, and after disaster and other emergency
situations. It refers to situations when children are gravely threatened or endangered by
circumstances that affect their survival and normal development. This is the first law in the world to
protect children in emergencies.
The Act is guided by the principles of survival and development, child participation, and
consistency with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the Children's
Charter for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the minimum standards for children in humanitarian action.
This Act sets the State of the Philippines responsible to establish and implement a comprehensive
strategic program of action to provide children, pregnant and lactating mothers affected by disaster
and other emergency situations with the utmost support and assistance necessary for their
immediate recovery and protection.
While it is primary responsibility of parents to ensure the safety and protection of their
children, as provided for in the Civil Code and Family Code, the state has the obligation, under 1987
Constitution to defend the rights of children to assistance, including the proper care and nutrition,
special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty and exploitation, and other conditions
prejudicial to their development.
Pursuant to RA 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, Local
Government Units are mandated to ensure the general welfare of their constituents and to provide
basic social services, among others, for the care of abandoned minors , abuse children, juvenile
delinquents, drug dependents, and other disadvantaged persons, and other needy disadvantaged
persons, particularly children and youth below eighteen years of age.
Given the vulnerability of children to natural and human-induced emergency situations,
Republic Act No. 10821, otherwise known as the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act was
enacted to protect the fundamental rights of children before, during and after disasters and other
emergency situations when children are gravely threatened or endangered by circumstanced that
affect their survival and normal development.