Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH (177) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 5434

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

ee

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In this country, only 49 percent of Filipinos use a method of
contraception, weather natural or artificial. This level of
contraceptive prevalence has not changed much in the five years
from 1998, when it was at 47 percent, to 2003.

Yet knowledge of family planning methods in very high at 98
to 99 percent among. currently married men and women.
Philippine population control advocates insist the increased
acceptance, ignoring the fact the despite substantial American
and local funding and support, there has been no such change of
heart in Filipinos towards family planning.

Filipinos may indeed in interested in having less children,
but they are not interested in artificial contraceptives. The
educational campaign must therefore focus instead on the merits


of responsible parenthood, the modern methods of natural family
planning, and the emphasis on pro- life alternatives to
unexpected pregnancies.

This act envisions the establishment of more pregnancy
health care centers set up by the private sector, due to the
availability of tax credits, as long as the health care centers will
empower woman to make healthy life choices consistent with the
intrinsic value of every human life and the inherent dignity, when
properly used, of the procreative conjugal act.

The centers will provide pregnancy testing, pregnancy
confirmation through ultrasound, mentoring and nurturing
support, linkage to community resources, education, material
aid, housing referrals, abstinence education for unmarried
persons, and natural family planning methods for those married
couples who are considering a postponement of their first or
additional children.

These pregnancy health care centers will provide services to
all women, but particularly to those who are pregnant and may
be considering abortions. These are the women severely lack the
right information and support.

Pregnant women with unexpected pregnancies do not get
illegal abortions because of freedom of choice, but because they
fee they have no freedom and no choice. This Act will also correct
that problem by funding practical alternatives to abortion. This
assistance could include direct care such as medical attention,
nutritional support, housing assistance, adoption services,
employment assistance and parenting education and support.

It is time we encourage life — affirming choices for pregnancy
and sexuality, aside from promoting abstinence as the positive
life choice for unmarried persons. These pregnancy care centers


will value the sanctity of life, chastity, marriage, and personal
responsibility.

There is no need to fear the risk that these pregnancy care
centers would use these funds to promote as specific region.
Since our countrymen have their own religious beliefs which they
can practice freely in the many churches, mosques and gathering
places all over the islands, Filipinos will not turn to these
Pregnancy care centers for religious support but for counseling
and practical help.

Hence, the request for the approval.

Quen,

ERIC L. OLIVAREZ


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH (177!) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

5434

House Bill No.

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

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AN ACT PROVIDING TAX CREDITS TO ASSIST THE PRIVATE
SECTOR IN ESTABLISHING NATION-WIDE PREGNANCY CARE
CENTERS THAT WILL PROVIDE COUNSELING, CARE
INFORMATION RELATED TO ALTERNATIVES TO ABORTION
AND ARTIFICIAL CONTRACEPTION

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of
Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title - This Act shall be known as “The
Pregnancy Care Centers Act of 2016”.

SECTION 2. Definition of Terms -For purposes of this Act,
the following terms shall mean:

(a)"Abortion” means the use of any legal or illegal means,
weather by surgical of other medical procedure, or through
the use of drugs, pills or devices to terminate the pregnancy


of a woman known to be pregnant, with the knowledge that
the termination with those means will, with reasonable
likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child.

(b)’Unborn Child” means an individual organism of the
species Homo Sapiens from fertilization until birth.

(c) “Pregnancy Care Center” is an organization, facility,
clinic, or hospital providing free pregnancy- related services
to all women such as tests, ultrasound, information,
counseling, classes on childbirth and/or child care, and
other services to support women who are pregnant or may
be pregnant. May also be known as “Crisis Pregnancy Care”.

SECTION 3. Eligibility for Grants and Tax Rebates:

(a)The Department of Health shall make grants and tax
rebates to agencies or organizations for the reasonable
expenses of programs:

(1)Providing Information on, referral to, and assistance in
securing the services of relevant existing programs or
agencies that assist women in carrying their pregnancies
to term, including, but not limited to, agencies and
programs that provide:

(i) Medical attention for the pregnant woman for the

duration of her pregnancy;

Nutritional supports services;

Housing assistance

(iv) Adoption services;

(v) Education and employment assistance; and

(vi) Parenting education and support services.

(2)Providing information or services to women, in person
and though community outreach, that encourage and
assist women in carrying their pregnancies to term.

(b)To be eligible for a grant or a tax rebate, an agency or
organization must:


(1)Be a private, nonprofit corporation;

(2)Demonstrate that the program is conducted under
appropriate supervision;

(3)Not charge women for services provided under the
program;

(4)Provide each pregnant woman counseled with accurate
information on the developmental characteristics of
unborn children, including offering any printed
information or multimedia presentation;

(5)Ensure that the program’s sole purposes are to assist
and encourage women in carrying their pregnancies to
term;

(6)Ensure that none of the funds provided are used to
encourage or counsel a woman to have an abortion, to
provide her such an abortion, or to refer her for such
an abortion;

(7)Have a program exclusively for natural family planning
in existence for at least one year as of the enactment of
this law.

(8)Ensure that there is a policy in place to keep all
information about women seeking their services in
kept confidential nor shared with any other
organization without the woman’s written consent.
This information shall include, but not be limited to
her name, address, age, and other relevant data, and
such other information that the women deemed
confidential.

SECTION 4. Public Information Campaign:

(a)The Secretary of the Department of Health shall develop
and carry out a nationwide public information campaign
to educate the public about:


(1)The scientifically accurate developmental
characteristics of the unborn child at various stages of
gestation;

(2)Alternatives to having an abortion or taking
contraceptives to prevent or terminate pregnancy,
including bringing a child to term to parent or for
adoption;

(3)The availability and importance of parental care,
including how to obtain it;

(4)The availability of adoption services; and

(5)Parenting and support services, including medical
care, nutrition information, counseling, job training
and assistance, education, and housing assistance.

(b)The public information campaign may include the
following, all of which materials must be objective,
nonjudgmental, and designed to convey only accurate
scientific information and must be designed to reach
populations of different languages/dialect and f different
social and economic backgrounds:

(1)The preparation, publication, and dissemination of
information, pamphlets, brochures, and other reports,
including multimedia presentations and formats;

(2) The preparation, maintenance, and promotion of
informative Web sites; and

(3) The preparation and dissemination of advertising.

SECTION 5. Appropriations - Upon enactment, the amount
of shall be appropriated annually to the Department of
Health to make grants or tax rebates according to Section 3 of
this Act.

The amount of is appropriated annually to the
Department of Health to make grants according to Section 4 of
this Act.


SECTION 6. Duties of the Department of Health - The
Department of Health shall make grants and provide tax credits
under Section 3 beginning no later than
20. and review the programs of each grantee to ensure that
the grantee carefully adheres to the purposes and requirements
of Section 3 shall cease funding a grantee that fails to do so.

SECTION 7. Severability — If any provision, word, phrase, or
clause of this Section or the application thereof to any person or
circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect those
provisions, words phrases, clauses, or applications of this Section
that can be given effect without the invalid provision, word,
phrase, clause, or application and to this end, the provisions,
words, phrases, and clauses of this Section are declared to be
severable.

SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations - The
Secretary of the Department of Health, in coordination with the
Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) and the Department of Finance shall promulgate such
rules and regulations in relation to the matters as may be
necessary to implement the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause - All laws, presidential
decrees, executive orders, presidential proclamations, rules and
regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 10. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect after
thirty (30 days from publication in at least two (2) newspapers of

general circulation.

Approved.