DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A proposed legislation that would allow pregnant women, especially the Lumad, to avail maternity programs of the city has been submitted for enactment, a City councilor said Monday.
In a news conference, Councilor Mary Joselle Dilig-Villafuerte, chairperson of Committee on Health, said the proposed ordinance is seen to lower maternity deaths in the city.
She noted that maternity deaths among the Lumad pregnant women is high, attributing it to the lack of maternity programs for the IP communities.
“We feel that a lot of our brothers and sisters in IP community still deliver children at home and we advise them not to do so since it’s not safe,” she said, urging pregnant women to stop delivering babies at home.
For this year alone, there are 28 deaths caused by maternity labor, much lower when compared to 2014 maternal when maternal death rate reached up to 68 deaths.
Despite the decrease of maternal death rate, Villafuerte advised pregnant women to patronize labor in health centers to be safe. (davaotoday.com)
