CEDAW/C/SR.328 English Page 3 recognized the freedom of women and men to choose the size of their families, to practice family planning based on their own beliefs, religion and conscience and to have equal access to information, services and guidance in planning their families. Meanwhile, in its reply to question No. 107, the Government referred to the passage of the Local Government Code of 1991, which promoted the decentralization of services from the national to the local government units. On the basis of that Code, however, one provincial government had promulgated an administrative order banning the distribution of contraceptives in all public health units. Moreover, in its reply to question No. 139, the Government stated that the sale, dispensation or distribution of contraceptives had been outlawed by Republic Act 4729 of 1996; that Act, however, had been implicitly nullified by an earlier presidential decree of 1971. The relationship among those various pieces of legislation needed clarification. She also urged the Government to review its ban on abortion in fulfilment of the commitment embodied in the Beijing Platform for Action. 8. The Committee had received reports that clinical trials were being conducted of a new contraceptive and sterilization agent that had not yet undergone toxicological testing; the State party should indicate whether it was aware of such trials and whether it had taken steps to verify their legality. 9. Lastly, she was greatly concerned about the practice of forcing prostitutes to undergo medical examinations. Voluntary testing was the method favoured by most public health experts; compulsory testing tended to drive practices underground and was ineffective, furthermore, since the prostitutes’ male clients were not examined. The resources devoted to compulsory testing could be better spent on educating sex workers and providing them with economic alternatives. 10. Ms. SCHÖPP-SCHILLING commended the Government for the wealth of information provided and for its energetic approach to issues affecting women. It was a positive sign that the number of women’s organizations had grown from 900 to over 4,500. She was concerned, however, at the lack of monitoring systems, which posed problems not just for the advancement of women, but for the country’s development in general. It was to be hoped that the next report would reflect an improvement in the techniques for measuring the impact of programmes. 11. In general, a budgetary allocation of 5 per cent appeared to be insufficient to meet women’s needs. 12. It would be interesting to learn whether Philippine men supported the measures to improve the status of women. Educational programmes must also be directed towards men in order to avoid a backlash. 13. With regard to the evaluation of housework, the Government should refer to the indicators developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. 14. As to the role of the Catholic Church, she would appreciate information on whether Catholic women’s groups were in contact with their counterparts in other countries. The Government should indicate whether it would accept assistance from other countries for the promotion of consciousness-raising activities.