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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS DATE og
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES | ive,

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

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House Bill No. ane 3

EXPLANATORY NOTE,

According to the World Health Organization, about 830 women died every day in 2018
due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Almost all of these deaths occurred in low-
resource settings, and most could have been prevented,"

To address this global problem, the United Nations adopted the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), which intend to eradicate poverty and improve the social and
economic conditions in the world's poorest countries. In 2015, nations all over the world,
including the Philippines, renewed this agenda through the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), The SOGs continue to include targets of reducing maternal mortality, neonatal
mortality, and under-5 mortality,”

Health workers play a vital role in lowering maternal mortality rate in the country
Unfortunately, there is a lack of access to professional health care practitioners all over the
country, Healthcare professionals are sorely lacking and unequally distributed in rural and
urban areas, Most of our healthcare professionals, especially doctors and nurses, have left
the country in search for greener pastures abroad, Given this problem, health experts
recommend that the gap on the delivery of maternal and infant healthcare services be
covered by the appointment of midwives who are’ trained to provide healthcare services,
especially maternal and infant healthcare

Midwives constitute a large segment of the health personnel sector, comprising 65% of
the public health workforce. in rural areas, they are the first point of contact for patients
coming into the health system, and in fact, they implement public health programs in these
areas,’ With the great potential and significant contribution of midwives in augmenting the
presence of professional healthcare practitioners in rural areas, the increased community
presence of midwives is necessary.

This bill thus mandates to provide one midwife in each barangay. Recognizing the
importance of primary healthcare and the presence of midwives in the country, especially in
the rural areas, the bill further seeks to increase the number of midwives in a barangay
where there is a population of more than 5,000. This will enable the midwives to provide
quality and efficient health care services.

Indeed, the midwifery profession is central to the delivery of effective health service,
particularly in rural areas. In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought

pa & la pf
PIAS. CAYEVANO,

* ittp:/¢www. who intigho/maternal_health/mortality/maternal_mortality_texven’
® hitp:/wnw.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/health!
® http /www.uce. edu, ph/onlineresources/Midwifery/_Midwifery_in_the_Philippines_ PDF


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32

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Dre
House Bill No. 1179

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE PIA S. CAYETANO

AN ACT
MANDATING THE APPOINTMENT OF ONE MIDWIFE FOR EACH BARANGAY,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title, - This Act shall be known as the “Midwife to the Barangay
Act.”

SEC. 2. Statement of Policy. — It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the
right to health of the people. The State shall provide appropriate programs and
measures to provide access to affordable and quality health and social services,
especially in rural areas. The services of midwives, as front liners in the country's
health care delivery system, are essential in achieving the State’s health policy,
especially with regard to pre-natal and post natal maternal, and newborn, care
Toward this end, this Act shall mandate the appointment of midwives for each
barangay to increase access to health care services for the people, especially the
underprivileged

SEC. 3. Ratio of Midwives to the Barangay. ~ All barangays shall be equipped with
one (1) midwife; Provided, That if the population of a barangay exceeds five
thousand (5,000), the number of midwives shall be increased, as determined by the
Department of Health (DOH)

SEC. 4, Role of Midwives to the Barangay. - All Midwives to the Barangay are
mandated to ensure that mothers and infants, in their respective jurisdictions, are
given quality and essential health care services, including, but not limited to, pre-
natal and post natal care, breastfeeding support, providing information on the
importance of immunization and ensuring that infants are given the proper vaccines
as provided in the DOH Expanded Program on Immunization, and proper care and
nutrition of both the mothers and the infants.

SEC. 5. Appointment of Midwives to the Barangay. ~ The DOH, through its Center
for Health Development, is mandated to appoint the Midwife to the Barangay. It shall
immediately determine which areas are in need of midwives. Priority in appointments
shall be given to remote areas where there are no existing healthcare professionals
providing for the healthcare services of the population and areas which have high
maternal mortality rate


SEC. 6. Qualifications of Midwives to the Barangay. ~ The DOH shall provide for the
qualifications of the Midwife to the Barangay, who shall, as much as possible, come
from the same barangay or municipality where he or she will be appointed

SEC. 7. Basic Emergency Obstetric Care ~ The DOH shall ensure that the midwives
are equipped with Basic Emergency Obstetric Care, It shall also determine, subject
to guidelines that it may issue, the need to further provide these midwives with
training on Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care.

SEC. 8. Compensation and Benefits. - All Midwives to the Barangay shall be
appropriately compensated by the DOH and shall be entitled to all the benefits
provided in Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as the "Magna Carta of Public
Health Workers."

SEC, 9. Implementing Rules and Regulation, - The DOH, in cooperation with the
Department of Interior and Local Government, the Civil Service Commission, and
other concerned government agencies and non-government organizations, shall
formulate and promulgate, within ninety days (90) from its effectivity, the rules and
regulations necessary to implement this Act.

SEC. 10. Appropriations. ~ For a period of five (5) years from the passage of this
Act, the amount necessary to implement the provisions of this Act shall be charged
against the appropriations of the DOH. Thereafter, such funds as may be necessary
for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the appropriations of
the respective Local Government Units

SEC. 11. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act shall be held
unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions thereof which are not affected thereby
shall continue to be in full force and effect

SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, and other
presidential issuances which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly

SEC. 13. Effectivity. - This Act takes effect immediately after its publication in at least
two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.