As a response to the challenges faced by midwives in the Philippines, Senator Imee R. Marcos filed a senate bill to strengthen and develop the profession, especially those in public health services and rural communities.

“Our midwives often run far-flung RHUs alone, providing essential health services to communities located miles away, despite their singular role of bringing forth life and improving maternal and infant mortality and morbidity,” Marcos said.

Salary raise and provision of additional support to midwives who are in public hospitals and health centers are included in Marcos’ senate bill. It aims to improve not only the profession, but the overall quality of service given.

Aside from this, Marcos also shared the importance of her Senate Bill No. 1724, which promotes the implementation of programs and standards which will improve the health and quality of life of employees, including midwives.

Midwives have been seeking higher compensation due to difficulty of their work and shortage in number which have led to burnout and fatigue among them.

Based on studies, the right proportion is supposedly one (1) midwife per five thousand (5,000) individuals in a community, but because of the shortage in midwives, one (1) is now equivalent to eighty thousand (80,000) individuals.

Recently, the 50th anniversary of the Midwifery Week was observed, which started in 1974 when former President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Proclamation No. 1275, dedicating the third week of October for our midwives.