Wednesday, February 16, 2011

10 The Philippine Reproductive Health Bill, a Clear-Cut Solution

CBCP (Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines) is against sex education, all forms of contraceptions and family planning programs.

They started their official statement regarding their stance against the promotion of the RH (Reproductive Health) Bill with an excerpt from the Constitution of the Philippines Art. II, Section 11 that: "The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights." Followed by a follow-through from Art. II, Section 12 stating that: "The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception."

CBCP claims that they voice out the "the fundamental ideals and aspirations of the Filipino people." they say that this is "Far from being simply a Catholic issue, the RH bill is a major attack on authentic human values and on Filipino cultural values regarding human life that all of us have cherished since time immemorial... the RH Bill does not respect the moral sense that is central to Filipino cultures."

According to a October 2008 SWS (Social Weather Stations) survey, 76% Filipinos want family planning education for youth and 71% Filipinos favor the passage of the RH Bill. This is the real aspiration of the Filipino people. If CBCP really speaks for the Filipino people, they better start paying attention to information like this don't you think? CBCP is silently brandishing their morality as the "Filipino morality" even if the "Filipino morality" is almost impossible to identify because of the extreme diversity of our ethnicity.

Now, is there really any collision between life and death when the RH Bill's sole aim is to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care? Let us examine the essential components of the RH Bill No. 5043:

(1) Reproductive health education including but not limited to counseling on the full range of legal and medically-safe family planning methods including surgical methods;

(2) Maternal, pre-natal and post-natal education, care and services;

(3) Promotion of breastfeeding;

(4) Promotion of male involvement, participation and responsibility in reproductive health as well as other reproductive health concerns of men;

(5) Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications; and

(6) Provision of information and services addressing the reproductive health needs of the poor, senior citizens, women in prostitution, differently-abled persons, and women and children in war AND crisis situations.

CBCP is against sex education, all forms of contraceptions and family planning programs. Therefore they are against: 1) Empowering the public choice by instilling awareness through public education. 2) Advertent control of the spread of venereal diseases and illegal abortions through providing public access to methodologies that are safe, economic, and effective. Both of which are clearly advocated in the essential components of the RH Bill.

Overpopulation is grossly related with poverty. According to the NSO or National Statistics Office' mid-2010 census of the Philippines, our country is populated by some 94,013,200 people, ranking us twelfth among the most populated countries in the world. While many may argue whether our country is overpopulated or not, it is self-explanatory that our government doesn't have enough resources to appropriate for the already existing casualties. That's why we should undertake active steps to combat rapid population growth which will cause  serious problems in the future.

The intentions of the RH Bill is a clear-cut solution to many of our national problems. That's why it should be ratified by all means necessary, in-order to foster the betterment of our nation. The main assailants of this bill, the clergymen should try to be frank about their position because they are definitely disguising their motives regarding this matter. 

Comments :

10 Reactions to “ The Philippine Reproductive Health Bill, a Clear-Cut Solution ”
Emmaleigh said...
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I like this entry, love. ;)

We should not practice ignorance. And I don't wanna practice redundancy, but all your points, all 6 of them are exactly my sentiments. RH Bill is about getting educated and be taken care of.

And it would be really nice that they are getting the men involved. After all, men isn't just about having a dick.

AIS said...
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I've read somewhere that the poorest social groups are incredibly ignorant (Phil setting). Tapos magiging balakid pa ang simbahan. Sino ba ang kontrabida sa litratong ito?

Yes love, men SHOULD be involved in all respects. Why shouldn't we be? Responsible parenthood dapat! Don't make one (Juan), if you can't handle one (Juan). Parang mauuwi nnman tayo sa baby talk nito. Hahaha.

Arvin said...
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First of all, it is false that CBCP is against family planning programs when they are agree in a family exercising Natural Family Planning.

Isn't the reasons stated why they are against RH bill by the Bishop in the Pastoral Letter are valid like population doesn't have correlation with poverty, that we are not overpopulated actually, and that we must address the true cause of poverty like wrong philosophy of development of our country, corruption and wrong education system? Since what they say about that is true, now, it doesn't follow that RH bill is a clear cut solution. And me reading the phrase "clear-cut" solution is like jumping in conclusion because by just thinking about its after effect, it is doubtful to think that we will solve many problems at one shot.

Let's measure the motives of government and bishops. What personal interest would bishops and priests gain when they would be successful on stopping the passing of RH bill? I can't think of any and it is contrary to what may government gain. And that is either money or conscience or both. Money is the motive because passing of this bill will a create a massive project where profit can be massive; Conscience is another motive because contraceptives, from the word itself is against life and against the command of God na magpakarami, will be light on our conscience when it will be a law since anything in the law is for the good.

AIS said...
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gusto mo gawan ko pa ng balangkas ang pastoral letter na yan na napaka-mapangahas? LOL

Arvin said...
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I would love too, Aris. I'll have more chance to mentally masturbate :D

AIS said...
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never mind then, i love to disappoint people. such a nasty habit, i would rather say.

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Anonymous said...
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you people keep on blabbering about the passage of this fucked up bill... i mean, what happened to RESPONSIBLE SEXUALITY AND PARENTHOOD?... leaving everything to the contraceptives, won;t solve anything!
the Church is not perpetuating ignorance, rather they are reviving lost morals and restructuring the twisted philosophy of this country!!!

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Daniw de Leon said...
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While I would agree the RH bill is not the solution to everything, it is part of the solution.

@Anonymous, responsible parenthood and family planning is part of the bill.

The Church is perpetuating ignorance. Why else would they be against sex education in schools?

@Bleachigo, forget the population argument. The RH bill will have the most impact on the poor. Speaking about the motives of the bishops, the more ignorant people are and the poorer they are, the more they would patronize the church through attendance and donations. Remember that bishops and priests are people too and they enjoy power and wealth. Have you forgotten the lessons of the Spanish period?

The Philippine Reproductive Health Bill, a Clear-Cut Solution ~ SHOCKING TRUTHS