Champion of RH reforms in the Philippines, Ben De Leon, receives lifetime achievement award

Benjamin De Leon, who helped pave the way for reproductive health reforms in the Philippines, has just been honored with an international lifetime achievement award.

According to a statement, he received the award at the 2022 International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) held in Pattaya, Thailand this week.

“With his national and international experience, [De Leon] was able to leave behind historical legacies in the Philippines, including playing a major role in passing and implementing the landmark Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RH) bill in the Philippines in 2012 after languishing in the Congress for 14 years," Jose G. Rimon II, director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health.

Rimon added that honorees of the lifetime achievement award have "provided exemplary leadership throughout a significant portion of their professional lives and become known as role models as a result of their exceptional accomplishments in increasing access to family planning information, services, and/or supplies."

Formerly an undersecretary to the late President Fidel V. Ramos, De Leon has devoted himself to social development work, especially in the field of population and family planning, since 1971.

From 1971 to 1980, he served as deputy executive and executive director of the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM), where he was involved in the implementation of population and family planning programs and projects.

He later became the chief of staff of former Senator Leticia R. Shahani, under whom he helped draft legislation on population, reproductive health, family planning, and gender rights and welfare.

From 1988 to 1989 he was the founding executive director of the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD).

After retiring from the government in 2004, he founded The Forum for Family Planning and Development Inc. He has been the president from its inception to this date.

In 1998, he received the Presidential Medal of Merit in “recognition of his distinguished and exemplary service rendered to the Republic of the Philippines.” —JCB, GMA Integrated News