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Official Publication of the Philippine Information Agency Bicol Regional Office, in cooperation with the RIAC-REDIRAS - RDC Bicol



Monday, March 9, 2015

DOH Bicol organizes RH Regional Information Team

By Joseph John J. Perez

LEGAZPI CITY, March 9 (PIA) – The Department of Health (DoH) and the Commission on Population (POPCOM) Bicol regional offices has organized last week the Regional Implementation Team (RIT) to popularize and ensure implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law in the region.

The creation of RIT complies with Administrative Order No. 2015-0002 issued by DoH Acting Secretary Janette Garin on January 26 this year.

Also last week, the duo agencies led the orientation on the RPRH law which is also known as Republic Act 10354 among RIT members and other partner agencies which are identified in the said directive.

The AO provides that the DoH regional director will act as chairperson while the POPCOM regional director as co-chair and head of the RIT secretariat, together with representatives from the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Local Government Unit from Regional Development Council and representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs).

In Bicol, the RIT will be headed by both DOH RD Dr. Gloria Balboa and POPCOM RD Magdalena Abellera and will include other government agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), National Nutrition Council (NNC), and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

According to DoH Bicol Family Health cluster head Dr. Rita Mae Ang, the RIT shall manage the dissemination and implementation of all issuances pursuant to RPRH Law and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) at the regional and field levels.

Garin’s directive also defined the following tasks and functions of the RIT, that are, to coordinate the actions of the regional agencies implementing the law and its IRR in the areas of policy development, capacity building, advocacy, education, information, health service delivery, field operations, monitoring and evaluation; monitor the implementation and evaluate the impact of RPRH law and its IRR at the regional and field levels; organize, supervise and provide technical, financial and logistical support for field operations and monitoring and evaluation activities regionwide;

Craft an annual unified regional work and financial plan for RPRH Law implementation integrating resources from all members of the RIT; provide reports and recommendations to the National Implementing Team (NIT) to improve the implementation and impact of the RPRH law and its IRR in the region, among others.

Ang said that the creation of the RIT and NIT is in response to the need to establish a structure which will manage the implementation of the RPRH law and its IRR.

Earlier, Garin issued Department Personnel Order No. 2015-0200 on January 2015 designating member of the NIT with former Secretary of Health Dr. Esperanza Cabral as chairperson, DoH Assistant Secretary  Dr. Paulyn Jean Ubial as co-chairperson and Executive Director Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III as vice-chairperson and head of secretariat.

Other members of the NIT are: Dr. Irma Concepcion of DOH’s Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, Director Ella Nalipoguit of DepEd, Director Margarita Sampang of DSWD, Senior Vice President Ruebn John Basa of PhilHealth, Undersecretary Florencia Casanova-Dorotan of National Anti-Poverty Commission, Executive Director Emmeline Versoza of Philippine Commission on Women, Deputy Executive Director mateo Lee, Jr. of the National Council on Disability Affairs, Governor Alfonso Umali, Jr. of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, and Executive Director Junice Demeterio – Melgar, CSO representative of the secretariat.

The RPRH law and its IRR have been deemed effective with the lifting of the Status Quo Ante Order by the Supreme Court last April 8, 2014, Garin’s directive stated (MAL/JJP-PIA5)

- See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2591425871585/doh-bicol-organizes-rh-regional-information-team#sthash.Oq4Iyu0d.dpuf

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