Reproductive Health is now Republic Act 10354! The law has not been officially announced throughout the media and published yet in the Official Gazette, but a signed
copy was posted on the Rappler news website Friday.
In a report made by published on http://www.gmanetwork.com on Friday:
"President Benigno Aquino III signed the much-debated Reproductive Health measure into law just two days after Congress ratified it last week, House Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzales II disclosed Friday night.
“RH is now Republic Act 10354,” he confirmed to several reporters through a text message.
“I really do not know why the Palace has not yet announced it. Baka ayaw lang pagpistahan sa mga misa,” Gonzales added in a separate message to reporter Sandra Aguinaldo of GMA News. “I myself just chanced to know about it when I asked a PLLO usec when it will be signed, only to be pleasantly surprised na pirmado na pala without fanfare last Friday.”
Palace spokespersons refused to confirm or deny the report, but indicated that an official announcement would be made on Saturday.
“I cannot comment until we release a formal statement tomorrow,” Sec. Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office said in a text message to GMA News Online.
Aquino is in Baguio City for a three-day holiday with his family, and has asked for privacy, palace officials said earlier.
The law has not been published yet in the Official Gazette, but a signed copy was posted on the Rappler news website Friday. The copy was dated Dec. 21, 2012, but the law will only take effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette.
RH Law's 14-year journey
Entitled “The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012,” the law seeks to provide improved public access to natural and artificial family planning options, better maternal care, and youth education.
The Catholic Church has strongly opposed the law, which was first introduced in Congress 14 years ago.
The Senate and the House of Representatives separately ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the controversial Reproductive Health Bill last Dec. 19.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who staunchly opposed the measure at the upper chamber, told GMA News Online that he was informed the law has been signed. However, he said he has no personal knowledge about the enactment, and had no further comment on the matter.
Under the new law, the government will promote programs that allow couples to have their desired number of children with due consideration to the health of babies and women. Resources will also be made available to parents in accordance with their personal and religious convictions.
It also aims to inform young people between the ages of 10 to 19 years old about reproductive health issues and responsible teenage behavior, among other things.
President Aquino had certified the controversial measure as urgent after it narrowly passed the crucial second reading at the House of Representatives in mid-December.
In a matter of days, both the Senate and the lower house finally voted on the approval of the bill, which Aquino quietly signed into law minus the customary photo opportunity with the bill’s main proponents.
It was not immediately clear if Senator Pia Cayetano and Rep. Edcel Lagman, the lead authors of the RH bill, were present during the signing of the law."
To know the ten good reasons why RH has passed, click here.
