Population in the Philippines is an asset, it is the biggest export of the country, but the population of the country is also somewhat a liability. The population of the country continues to balloon and yet there are no concrete measures that the government is taking to impede the growth. There are many agencies, many programs yet the population is left uncontrolled.
In the 1987 Constitution, it is written that the state is responsible to achieve and maintain population level most conducive for the national welfare. But in the present context we cannot see properly how the state clearly executes this task. The government may speak that the country has a commission that is responsible for the control and study of our population, the Commission on Population, but does the commission that the government is boasting really doing its task? Does the PopCom clearly execute programs to impede the ballooning population of the Philippines? One can say and one can observe that the commission has not clearly executed its tasks to its fullest. One can also say that only some sort of seminars conducted to couples and to some high school students are the undertakings of the PopCom.
But our complaints about the population explosion should not stop to the PopCom and to the executive branch of the government. We must also attack the legislative, the House of the Representatives and the Senate, which its primary role is to create laws and acts that shall protect and promote the welfare of the Filipino people. While we dig information in the undertakings of the legislative regarding acts that will try to control the population explosion, we will encounter the bill, the long debated bill since the Estrada’s Administration, the Reproductive Health Bill.
The Reproductive Health Bill which, since the regime of the ousted Estrada’s administration has been debated by our lawmakers is still pending inside the pillar of the House of the Representative. And now that the new administration has set its foot forward to control the population explosion, Rep. Edcel Lagman has filed again the RH Bill. But what does the RH Bill contain? Does it limit the number of children that the Filipino couple will have? (For more information regarding the bill kindly refer to this link http://2010presidentiables.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/reproductive-health-bill-facts-fallacies/)
The Reproductive Health Bill (Lagman, 2008) emphasizes the details in the natural family planning and modern family planning. The bill also allows women and families to select the appropriate family planning method based on their personal and religious judgments.
In addition to the emphasis stated above, the bill also covers the following:
1. Information and access to natural and modern family planning.
2. Maternal, infant and child health and nutrition.
3. Promotion of breast feeding.
4. Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications.
5. Adolescent and youth health.
6. Prevention and management of reproductive tract infections, HIV/AIDS and STD’s.
7. Elimination of violence against women.
8.Counseling on sexuality and sexual and reproductive health.
9. Treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers.
10.Male involvement and participation in RH.
11. Prevention and treatment of infertility.
12. RH education for the youth.
Clearly, one can say that the bill does promote and protect the welfare of the Filipino. But why does this bill kept not pass? Why is it taking so long for its second reading in the Upper House? Is it the president or is it being predominantly catholic country of the Philippines?
Indeed, the Catholic Church is impeding for the passage of the RH Bill. Priests and Bishops say that RH Bill is immoral and it does not promote life. The CBCP also says that the RH Bill somehow intervene to the decision of the couple whether or not to use artificial contraceptives. This stance of the Philippine Catholic Church has its basis to the encyclical branded Humane Vitae, which states that only natural family planning method should be used by the couples and any unnatural methods are consider illicit and immoral.
Going further, the CBCP, in 2008 and also in 2010, threatens the legislators of excommunication, the highest degree of sanction in the Catholic Church. Priests and bishops are also threatening for civil disobedience if the said bill will be enacted and duly signed by the President.
Stop! What about now? What will happen to the Philippines if population will be kept uncontrolled? Will the Church and the State sacrifice the welfare of the Filipino people? The Church for this once should cooperate to the government for the passage of the bill. The RH Bill is not immoral. The RH Bill does not legalize abortion, as the CBCP clamours. The RH Bill aims to uplift the status of the Filipino in terms of reproductive health. Argument has been too long that the welfare of the Filipino is being compromise.
For the Legislators and the President, why can’t they break their chain from the Catholic Church? If Catholic Church will continue to promote its position as anti-RH Bill why don’t they sacrifice just this once? And to the priests and bishops, why can’t they cooperate now? If they are man of morality why can’t they see the depriving lives of the Filipino? This is now the time for the Reproductive Health Bill! The Filipinos have been longing long enough.
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