The Philippines has participated in and endorsed International Conferences and Reservations on the International Conference on Population & Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (PoA). These are: ICPD (1994), Beijing Platform for Action (1995) and Millennium Development Goals (MDG) (2000).^[i] 

The Philippines recorded a MMR of 230 in 2005.^[ii] Although there is an average Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) of 48.9% (any method)^[iii], the MMR continues to increase. A lack of access to emergency obstetric care (EMOC), skilled birth attendance, and contraception as well as post-abortion care for women (especially women in rural areas and for young people)^[iv],[v] are issues that have been identified by ARROW country partners, that are contributing factors for the high MMR.  

This high MMR is despite the fact that the Philippines has a “high coverage of antenatal care of at least four visits…This observation that that antenatal care has poor predictive value has been known for a long time. In a letter published in the Lancet in 1934, F Neon Reynolds pointed out that more than 80% of maternal deaths were due to complications for which no antenatal screening was possible: puerperal sepsis, postpartum haemorrhage, and shock.” ^[vi]  

While the Government reports progress in reaching ICPD goals, particularly through policies and programmes developed since 1994, ARROW’s partner in the Philippines Likhaan’s report, based on in-depth interviews with poor women of Metro Manila states otherwise. There is a strong possibility that the maternal mortality rate (MMR) has been significantly underestimated by field reports. An assessment of emergency obstetrical care (EmOC) points to its inaccessibility even in urban centres where hospitals abound. Although abortion continues to be illegal in the Philippines, continues to be pervasive and attended by life-threatening complications and is largely ignored.^[vii]

In the shadow report submitted to the CEDAW committee report critiques the government strongly for not recognizing the reproductive rights of its women citizens as “nearly half a million induced abortions are estimated to occur each year, with thousands dying from complications. Still, government continues to over privilege natural family planning (NFP), strengthening religious prejudices against those who opt to choose artificial contraceptive methods.”^[viii]  

According to the report, the government does not prioritise basic health services, instead these services have had the biggest budget cuts in the national budget, leading to many rural health centers closing down or being barely operational and qualified health professional joining the migrant labour force in an increasing number.

Although more than 20 years have passed since the Philippines ratified CEDAW, yet the country still has no national legislation on the reproductive rights of the Filipino women, instead the report states that the government “continues to pay no heed to the sexual and reproductive health realities of Filipino women and in so doing, gravely neglects a continuing concern of the Women’s Convention that the many extensive forms of discrimination foisted upon women are made on the basis of their sex and function in procreation.”^[ix] Other causes of concern are the conservative Catholic church as well as fundamentalist Christian and Muslim groups that get in the way of achieving the recommendations of CEDAW.

ARROW's Work in the Philippines

ARROW's Monitoring Reports on the Philippines

ARROW's Resources on Philippines