Republic of the Philippines

NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION

10
th
National Youth Parliament
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RESOLUTION NO. NYP10-08
Series of 2014
A RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN COORDINATION
WITH NATIONAL COMMISSION ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AND ALL LOCAL
GOVERNMENT UNITS TO IMPROVE THE ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES OF
THE MARGINALIZED SECTOR SPECIFICALLY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
______________________________________________________________________
by: Committee on Health
WHEREAS, the Philippines voted in favor of the United Nations (UN) declaration on the
rights of Indigenous Peoples (IP) in 2007;
WHEREAS, the Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State
shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health
consciousness among them;
WHEREAS, Section 25 of RA 8371, also known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act
of 1997, states that Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) and IPs have the right to
special measures for the immediate, effective and continuing improvement of their
economic and social condition, including the area of health;
WHEREAS, the Department of Health (DOH)-National Commission on Indigenous
Peoples (NCIP)-Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Joint
Memorandum Circular 2013-01 sets the guidelines that will address the access,
utilization, coverage and equity issues in the provision of basic healthcare services for
ICCs/IPs to achieve better health outcomes;
WHEREAS, in an article published in Manila Bulletin dated November 16, 2013, the
provinces of Agusan del Sur, Zamboanga del Sur, North Cotabato, Bukidnon, and
Compostella Valley were the only ones recognized by DOH which are implementing the
DOH-NCIP-DILG Joint Memorandum Circular 2013-01;
WHEREAS, the Department of Health reported on April 2013 through the DOH-NCIP-
DILG Joint Memorandum Circular 2013-01the following facts:
First, the IPs comprise 13% of the entire Philippine population;
Second, the IPs are among the most disadvantaged of the Philippine populace
and are considerably vulnerable to inequities in health;
Republic of the Philippines
NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION
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National Youth Parliament
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Third, that municipalities and provinces considered to have a large,
geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas and indigenous people
population have poor health indicators compared to municipalities and provinces
that are more accessible;
Fourth, that there is a substantial population of IPs found within the urban areas
of the Philippines that are underprivileged and lack access to medical services;
Fifth, the isolation of IPs, attributed to physical segregation and socio-cultural
exclusion, contributes to the barriers in their access to health services;
WHEREAS, RA 8423 or the Traditional Medicines Act seeks to improve the quality and
delivery of healthcare services to the Filipino people through the development of
traditional and alternative healthcare and its integration into the national healthcare
delivery system;
WHEREAS, in a statement of the Katribu Partylist, it was said that, in some cases, IPs
rely on traditional herbal medicines which sometimes are insufficient or cause more dire
complications to their illnesses;
WHEREAS, the NCIP provides outreach health service activities in coordination with
the DOH and the Local Government Units (LGUs);
WHEREAS, there is absence of an existing implementing body in the DOH and NCIP
responsible for researching, curating, and growing of scientifically proven and safe
traditional medicinal plants;
WHEREAS, the persons with disabilities are also part of the marginalized sector and
vulnerable to inequities in health;
WHEREAS, there is an existing Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, the Republic Act
7277;
WHEREAS, the current Magna Carta does not cover young people with developmental
delays;
WHEREAS, that according to a current medical journal article written in 2013
Developmental delay: Need of screening tools for primary care providers, there is a
need for early screening of developmental delays among young children in rural heath
units;
WHEREAS, there is a need for training of the midwives and rural health physicians
(RHPs) to screen for developmental delays among young children in their communities;
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National Youth Parliament
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WHEREAS, there is a need for funds to acquire the necessary resources such as
screening tools and kits for the use of midwives and RHPs to screen for developmental
delays;
BE IT RESOLVED AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, by the Chairperson and the
members of the 10th National Youth Parliament, to urge the DOH, NCIP and all LGUs
to improve access to health services of the marginalized sector specifically the
indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities;
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the DILG takes the lead in reinforcing the effective
implementation and evaluation of the DOH-NCIP-DILG Joint Memorandum Circular
2013-01;
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the DOH, in coordination with the NCIP, establish a body
and provide funds for the research and growing of scientifically proven and safe
traditional medicinal plants in respective IP communities;
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the DOH also address the health issues of IPs found
within the urban areas of the country;
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the DOH will craft a program for midwives and RHPs to
conduct mandatory screening for developmental delays among young children in their
communities;
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the DOH will provide training on screening for
developmental delays to midwives and RHPs;
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the DOH and LGUs will provide funds for necessary
resources such as: screening tools and kits for screening of developmental delays in
RHPs.
Republic of the Philippines
NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION
10
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National Youth Parliament
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ADOPTED this 17th day of May 2014 at Manila, Philippines.
Certified by:
(Sgd.)
RAPONCEL D. ABUEG
Secretary General
Approved by:
(Sgd.)
FARAHNAZ A.GHODSINIA
President