Pernia, Diokno grilled on RH budget

Economic managers were stumped on Tuesday when asked why they cut the budget for reproductive health by P600 million even as they admitted that lack of access to family planning products was a major factor for the “glacial” pace of poverty alleviation efforts.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia admitted during the first congressional hearing on the proposed P3.767-trillion budget for 2018 that the government’s failure to fully implement the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Act was a major impediment to reducing poverty.

“One reason poverty incidence is coming down slowly, glacially, is we have not fully implemented the RPRH Law. The poor’s access to modern reproductive health products is being stalled, stymied by the Supreme Court,” he said.

Under questioning by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, Pernia said the “unmet need” in terms of reproductive health access was significant.

“Unmet need is quite substantial especially among the poor. If we compare ourselves with other countries, they have practically no unmet need,” he said.

But another Albay congressman, Rep. Edcel Lagman, asked that if this was the case, then why was the budget for reproductive health commodities reduced from P4.2 billion in 2017 to only P3.6 billion in 2018.

“Are we not endorsing the President’s recommendation for the full implementation of the reproductive health law, particularly so, since it has been delayed for more than two years with respect to Supreme Court’s TRO (temporary restraining order)?” Lagman asked.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno replied: “I understand if the TRO is lifted, an additional P600 million worth of drugs shall be available.”

Lagman rebutted him: “But many are expiring.”