CBAs to include reproductive health services

The demand for provision of free con—doms and other reproductive health services may soon become a priority in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).

This, as the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) bared plans to intensify its reproductive health programs in line with the government’s new population policy.

TUCP spokesman Alex Aguilar said there is a need to fully support the government’s new population policy considering that 40 percent of Filipinos are living below the poverty line.

"The uncontrolled growth of the population would definitely swell the ranks of the unemployed which, at present, stands at almost 11 percent, unless efforts are made to create employment opportunities," he said.

Aguilar cited a TUCP study showing that a significant number of young Filipino workers have experienced unwanted pregnancies and other reproductive health problems due to lack of reproductive health services.

To address this problem, the TUCP is currently implementing reproductive health programs and even successfully negotiated for the inclusion of reproductive health services in CBAs.