Impermeable: Assessing evidence-based policymaking in sexual and reproductive health in the Philippines

Adolescents in the Philippines face many sexual and reproductive health risks, with women particularly more susceptible to bearing the consequences of these risks, including unintended pregnancies, maternal morbidity and/or mortality, and complications or death from unsafe illegal abortions. While the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law has been deemed a step forward in ensuring that adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health needs are met, policies ultimately determine the level and quality of service that is provided. This paper looks into sexual and reproductive health policymaking in the Philippines, as carried out by the Department of Health (DOH) under the framework of the RPRH Law and the more recent Universal Health Care (UHC) Law. It explores the dynamics within the Department, and identifies possible external and internal factors that affect policymaking. Ultimately, it examines the extent of the effects of these factors on evidence-based policymaking in sexual and reproductive health in the Philippines.