Advancing Women’s Access to Menstrual-Friendly Toilets towards Ending Period Poverty: A Public Health Imperative in the Philippines

Jerico Ogaya; Ryan Guinaran; Catherine Alesna; John Don Opina; Shaila Pilo; Vic Arthur Masliyan; Christian Joseph Ong; Pearl Irish De Paz; Carina Joane Barroso; Rheajane Rosales; Analyn Españo; Don Eliseo III Lucero-Prisno

doi:10.32871/rmrj2513.01.16

Authors

Jerico Ogaya (1) Department of Medical Technology, Institute of Health Sciences and Nursing, Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines; (2) Center for University Research, University of Makati, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3595-8643
Ryan Guinaran (1) AIDS Healthcare Foundation Philippines, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines; (2) Benguet State University Open University, La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7862-0790
Catherine Alesna Southern Leyte State University, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6448-7718
John Don Opina Southern Leyte State University, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4689-6750
Shaila Pilo Leadership and Youth Advocacy Development Program, Benguet, Philippines https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0456-0684
Vic Arthur Masliyan AIDS Healthcare Foundation Philippines, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3767-3248
Christian Joseph Ong Department of Biology, College of Science, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0096-9773
Pearl Irish De Paz School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Biliran Province State University, Naval, Biliran, Philippines https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2265-6564
Carina Joane Barroso College of Nursing, Bukidnon State University, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, Philippines https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7418-9390
Rheajane Rosales College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Samar State University, Catbalogan City, Samar, Philippines https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6449-0606
Analyn Españo Office for Research, Development and Extension Services, Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City, Philippines https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8718-3337
Don Eliseo III Lucero-Prisno (1) Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; (2) Research and Development Office, John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Molo, Iloilo, Philippines; (3) Research Services Office, Palompon Institute of Technology, Palompon, Leyte, Philippines https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2179-6365

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32871/rmrj2513.01.16

Keywords:

menstruation, period poverty, public toilets, menstrual-friendly public toilet, infrastructure,, hygiene, WASH, Philippines

Abstract

Menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) remains critically neglected in the Philippines despite its fundamental role in promoting the well-being, dignity, and empowerment of women and girls. This persistent lapse disproportionately impacts the well-being, education, and social mobility of women and girls across the country. Deep-rooted stigma, outdated land-use practices, and a lack of gender-sensitive planning have resulted in fragmented and inconsistent menstrual hygiene infrastructure. While promising initiatives—such as localized policies, educational campaigns, and innovative digital tools like period tracking apps—have begun to surface, these efforts remain isolated, lack scalability, and often face resistance from conservative sectors. This perspective article highlights the urgent need to mainstream MHH within the country’s public health and development frameworks. By institutionalizing gender-sensitive sanitation infrastructure, ensuring privacy and dignity in public spaces, and adopting inclusive tools such as the Menstrual-Friendly Public Toilet (MFPT) Toolkit, the Philippines can begin to dismantle systemic barriers in advancing access to MFPT. Tackling period poverty is an integral step towards building a more equitable and inclusive society for all.

References

Alcovindas, M.M.M., Cruz, P.L.S., Inoc, P.B.V., Racho, P.E.G., Serrano, M.M.A., & Faller, E. M., (2022). Access to Health Services Among Low-Income Women in the Philippines: A Review. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 03(12), 1701–1711. https://doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.2022.31252

Avenido, J., Valmores, S., & Cabardo, R. (2013). Confidence in the Church and its Impact on the Quality of Life. Recoletos Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 1(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.32871/rmrj1301.01.01

Azad, A. D., Charles, A. G., Ding, Q., Trickey, A. W., & Wren, S. M. (2020). The gender gap and healthcare: associations between gender roles and factors affecting healthcare access in Central Malawi, June–August 2017. Archives of Public Health, 78(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-020-00497-w

Cabral, E. (2013). Reproductive health law in the Philippines. Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies, 28(1), 26–29. https://doi.org/10.15605/jafes.028.01.06

Cifalph. (2024, May 28). UP-CIFAL Philippines advocates for period visibility through period poverty forum – CIFAL Philippines. https://cifal.up.edu.ph/up-cifal-philippines-advocates-for-period-visibility-through-period-poverty-forum/

Critchley, H. O. D., Babayev, E., Bulun, S. E., Clark, S., Garcia-Grau, I., Gregersen, P. K., Kilcoyne, A., Kim, J. J., Lavender, M., Marsh, E. E., Matteson, K. A., Maybin, J. A., Metz, C. N., Moreno, I., Silk, K., Sommer, M., Simon, C., Tariyal, R., Taylor, H. S., Wagner, G. P., … Griffith, L. G. (2020). Menstruation: science and society. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 223(5), 624–664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2020.06.004

Dey, P. D. (2020). Gender Transformative planning for urban sanitation in India. In Springer eBooks (pp. 47–56). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1543-9_5

Dilim, J. N. (2022, October 21). La Union is 1st province in PH to implement ‘Menstruation Privilege’. Philippine Information Agency. Retrieved May 6, 2025, from https://mirror.pia.gov.ph/news/2022/10/21/la-union-is-1st-province-in-ph-to-implement-menstruation-privilege?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Ellis, A. E. A., Haver, J. H. J., Villasenor, J. V. J., Parawan, A. P. A., Venkatesh, M. V. M., Freeman, M. C. F. M. C., & Caruso, B. a. C. B. A. (2016). WASH challenges to girls’ menstrual hygiene management in Metro Manila, Masbate, and South Central Mindanao, Philippines. Waterlines, 35(3), 306–323. https://doi.org/10.3362/1756-3488.2016.022

Estrada, M. a. G., Cheng, K. J. G., & Lacaza, R. M. (2024). Legal changes and evidence on unmet need for contraception, Philippines. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 102(11), 778–785. https://doi.org/10.2471/blt.23.290577

Evans, Rebecca Ruth Lane .(2023). A comparative study of menarche and menstruation knowledge and experiences of girls aged 16-19 years old in low-resource settings of the Philippines and the United Kingdom. PhD thesis, University of Warwick. http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b3985899~S1

Greed, C. (2016). Taking women’s bodily functions into account in urban planning and policy: public toilets and menstruation. Town Planning Review, 87(5), 505–524. https://doi.org/10.3828/tpr.2016.35

Hennegan, J., Bukenya, J. N., Makumbi, F. E., Nakamya, P., Exum, N. G., Schwab, K. J., & Kibira, S. P. S. (2022). Menstrual health challenges in the workplace and consequences for women's work and wellbeing: A cross-sectional survey in Mukono, Uganda. PLOS global public health, 2(7), e0000589. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000589

Kajal, K. (2024). South Korean firm introduces non-camera AI systems for enhanced restroom privacy. Interesting Engineering. https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/ai-powered-solution-for-restrooms

Katsuno, C., Gregorio, E. R., Lomboy, M. F. T. C., Nonaka, D., Hernandez, P. M. R., Estrada, C. a. M., Pimentel, J. M. T., Bernadas, R. M. G. C., & Kobayashi, J. (2019). Quality of public school toilets and the frequency of changing sanitary napkins among students in public secondary schools in the City of Manila, Philippines. Tropical Medicine and Health, 47(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-018-0131-8

Kristiyani, D., & Wijayanto, A. W. (2022). Preserving Women Public Restroom Privacy using Convolutional Neural Networks-Based Automatic Gender Detection. Proceedings of the International Conference on Data Science and Official Statistics, 2021(1), 31–42. https://doi.org/10.34123/icdsos.v2021i1.29

Lewkowitz, S., & Gilliland, J. (2024). A Feminist Critical Analysis of Public Toilets and Gender: A Systematic Review. Urban Affairs Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/10780874241233529

Limpoco, N. (2025, May 15). Addressing Menstrual Inequity in Disaster Zones: A Critical Step Toward Gender Equality. AVPN. https://avpn.asia/resources/blog/addressing-menstrual-inequity-in-disaster-zones-a-critical-step-toward-gender-equality/

Manaloto, R. (2014). The Philippine Reproductive Health Legislation: Politics beyond Metaphysics. Asian Bioethics Review, 6(4), 343–358. https://doi.org/10.1353/asb.2014.0037

Menstrual Friendly Public Toilet (MFPT) Toolkit Guidance Note. (2024). MFPT Working Group. Columbia University. New York. Retrieved from https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/file/15926/download?token=VWNfxgv3

Nguyen, A., Maroko, A. R., Blake, S., Sugita, E., Fazzioni, N. H., Lomboy, M. F. T. C., Bukenya, J., Cole, H. V. S., Gregorio, E. R., Hopper, K. J., & Sommer, M. (2025). Exploring the availability and accessibility of menstrual friendly public toilets (MFPTs) in urban spaces: A global multi-city audit study. Health & Place, 103412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103412

O’Reilly, K. (2015). From toilet insecurity to toilet security: creating safe sanitation for women and girls. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Water, 3(1), 19–24. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1122

Oky Period Tracker App launch highlights the importance of menstrual health information for Filipino adolescents (2023, May 31). Commission on Population and Development - Region X. . Retrieved from https://region10.cpd.gov.ph/oky-period-tracker-app-launch-highlights-the-importance-of-menstrual-health-information-for-filipino-adolescents/?utm_source

Oky Period Tracker launch highlights the importance of menstrual health information for Filipino youth. (2023, May 26). UNICEF Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/philippines/press-releases/oky-period-tracker-launch-highlights-importance-menstrual-health-information

Poledario, S.J.A., Condes, K.A., Chan, N.K.V., & Sypongco, A.G. (2024). Menstrual hygiene management among secondary high school students. International Research Journal of Science, Technology, Education, and Management, 4(3), 132-146. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13901399

Rampaul, K., & Magidimisha-Chipungu, H. (2022). Gender mainstreaming in the urban space to promote inclusive cities. The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/td.v18i1.1163

Sachan, P. (2022). Toilet Security and Gender: Addressing the Pandemic Vulnerabilities (pp. 371–376). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0460-8_37

Schmitt, M., Clatworthy, D., Ogello, T., & Sommer, M. (2018). Making the case for a Female-Friendly toilet. Water, 10(9), 1193. https://doi.org/10.3390/w10091193

Sikka, G. (2014). The case of missing toilets in Sardar Sarovar dam resettlements in Vadodara, Gujarat. GeoJournal, 81(2), 257–266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-014-9617-z

Sommer, M., Chandraratna, S., Cavill, S., Mahon, T. & Phillips-Howard, P. (2016). Managing menstruation in the workplace: an overlooked issue in low- and middle-income countries. International Journal for Equity and Health,15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-016-0379-8

Somodio, E., and Sandajan, J. (2023). Shaping Healthy Communities through Inclusive Menstrual Hygiene Management. Action Against Hunger. https://actionagainsthunger.ph/shaping-healthy-communities-through-inclusive-menstrual-hygiene-management/

Suri, Anshika. (2018). Women and the urban sanitation challenge: Tracing an intersectional relationship. Retrieved from: https://tuprints.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/id/eprint/7478

Terefe, B., Workneh, B. S., Zeleke, G. A., Mekonen, E. G., Zegeye, A. F., Aemro, A., Tekeba, B., Tamir, T. T., Wassie, M., & Ali, M. S. (2025). Uncovering women’s healthcare access challenges in low- and middle-income countries using mixed effects modelling approach: Insights for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. PLoS ONE, 20(1), e0314309. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314309

World Bank Group. (2020). Designing Gender-Inclusive Cities that Work for All. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/02/12/designing-gender-inclusive-cities-that-work-for-all

World Health Organization. (2024, August 15). Menstrual health is a fundamental human right. https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/15-08-2024-menstrual-health-is-a-fundamental-human-right

Yamashita, T., Suplido, S. A., Ladines-Llave, C., Tanaka, Y., Senba, N., & Matsuo, H. (2014). A Cross-Sectional Analytic Study of postpartum health care service utilization in the Philippines. PLoS ONE, 9(1), e85627. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0085627

Advancing Women’s Access to Menstrual-Friendly Toilets towards Ending Period Poverty: A Public Health Imperative in the Philippines

Authors

DOI:

Keywords:

Abstract

References

Downloads

Published

How to Cite

Issue

Section

License

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Information

Make a Submission