On December 11, 1967, the Philippines, adhering to the UN Declaration on Population, which

recognized that the population problem should be considered as the principal element for long-term
economic development, enacted measures that promoted male vasectomy and tubal ligation to
mitigate population growth.  Among these measures included R.A. No. 6365, approved on August
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16, 1971, entitled "An Act Establishing a National Policy on Population, Creating the Commission on
Population and for Other Purposes. " The law envisioned that "family planning will be made part of a
broad educational program; safe and effective means will be provided to couples desiring to space
or limit family size; mortality and morbidity rates will be further reduced."

To further strengthen R.A. No. 6365, then President Ferdinand E . Marcos issued Presidential
Decree. (P.D.) No. 79,  dated December 8, 1972, which, among others, made "family planning a
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part of a broad educational program," provided "family planning services as a part of over-all health
care," and made "available all acceptable methods of contraception, except abortion, to all Filipino
citizens desirous of spacing, limiting or preventing pregnancies."

Through the years, however, the use of contraceptives and family planning methods evolved from
being a component of demographic management, to one centered on the promotion of public health,
particularly, reproductive health.  Under that policy, the country gave priority to one's right to freely
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choose the method of family planning to be adopted, in conformity with its adherence to the
commitments made in the International Conference on Population and Development.  Thus, on70

August 14, 2009, the country enacted R.A. No. 9710 or "The Magna Carta for Women, " which,
among others, mandated the State to provide for comprehensive health services and programs for
women, including family planning and sex education. 71

The RH Law

Despite the foregoing legislative measures, the population of the country kept on galloping at an
uncontrollable pace. From a paltry number of just over 27 million Filipinos in 1960, the population of
the country reached over 76 million in the year 2000 and over 92 million in 2010.  T72