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Date Posted: 01:07:40 03/26/12 Mon
Author: IMRD
Subject: March 21-23, 2012 news

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/354863/bill-on-womens-health-pushed

Read below the above story.
Bill On Women's Health Pushed
By JENNY F. MANONGDO
March 20, 2012, 4:25pm
MANILA, Philippines — Supporters of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill urged lawmakers anew Tuesday to pass the bill to give women access to reproductive health education and services.
The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD) led a conference Tuesday wherein the bill’s supporters tied black and purple ribbons around their arms to show their dismay at the lawmakers’ failure to pass the bill.
“The RH bill, which has been filed and re-filed since the 10th Congress never got the chance to reach the voting period and see the light of day for our women. RH supporters have witnessed how leaders of Congress succumbed to the whims of some bishops and Catholic leaders, thus continuing the delay of the bill,” said Ramon San Pascual, Executive Director of PLCPD.
San Pascual lamented that the RH bill is not given enough attention especially now that the impeachment trial is drawing the “primary attention” of the President.
“For a while Speaker Belmonte and Majority Floor Leader wanted to close the debate on RH bill this March, the month of women. But the President thinks it’s better to do it in May since closing the debate before the Lenten season may antagonize the bishops,” San Pascual said.
“The RH bill has been debated for so long, all possible rational questions have been asked and repeatedly answered, there is no need to finish the long list of interpellators who never show up during their turn, he explained. “Clearly, the anti-RH main strategy is to delay the process until we run out of time, until election period sets in again,” he added.
Meanwhile, Department of Health (DOH) Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag also urged the lawmakers to give support the RH bill to stem the number of mothers and newborns dying each day.
In his speech during the launch of the DOH jingle that encourages expectant mothers to visit their local health centers, Tayag disclosed that seven mothers die daily due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. Moreover, seven newborns also die each day.
“We are appealing to our lawmakers to pay attention to the bill before Holy Week and we are hoping that it will be passed soon because it is what our mothers need. We also hope for the debates to finish,” Tayag said.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/355150/congress-should-pass-rh-bill

Read above story below.

Congress Should Pass RH Bill
Business Option
By ZOILO P. DEJARESCO III
March 22, 2012, 11:26pm
MANILA, Philippines — The economic well-being of the nation, the reproductive health of women and the prevention of STD (sexually transmitted diseases) are three big enough reasons the "RH" (Reproductive Health Bill) should be calendared by Congress.
The Philippines is close to 100 million people today. The National Statistics Office (NSO) said that RP will be 103 million people in 2015; 180 million or almost double after 40 years. That's a lot of mouths to feed.
The average GDP growth rate from 2001-2011 is about 4.3%. If one takes the 2.0% population growth rate – in real terms the country only effectively grew by a tiny 2.3% per annum. That will keep us forever in a Third World category.
If one factors in the 5% average inflation rate through the years – Juan de la Cruz seems to be really worse off today than before. Unabated population growth rate (among the world's highest) has been a major factor for this unfortunate state. Poverty, we submit, is still the nation's No. 1 problem today.
The lack of information especially for the unlettered poor and the deficiency in the appropriate equipment, tools and personnel to slow down population growth are contributory to this negative state of affairs.
This, to us, is the main reason why Congress should act with deliberate speed in addressing the RH Bill. Not doing so would make the country akin to doing a speed treadmill- exerting much effort (to achieve GDP growth) but getting nowhere (due to population growth).
The reproductive health of women comes in as second reason. Lack of education (including the lack of "zipper control") and lack of access to "preventive" tools cause unwanted pregnancies nation-wide – resulted in 500,000 abortions a year in a predominantly Catholic country which is supposed to practice a passionate reverence for life.
Because of poverty engulfing both mother and child – out of 1,000 borths-162 babies die at child birth and 33 others die before the age of 5. The RH Bill rightfully aims for the protection of both.
The "RH Bill" seeks to mandate LGUs to provide information, mobile equipment and train enough personnel accessible especially to the poor womenfolk. Knowledge and freedom of choice empower women who alone (not the men) die in the process of child bearing and potentially the offspring as well.
The program also aims to educate the children with "age appropriate" tools to complete the equation of widespread reproductive health education. Likewise, the program – vigorously championed by senators Pia Cayetano and Miriam Santiago, seeks to provide reproductive health care before, during and after the pregnancy of the mothers under a health insurance program.
Thirdly, it is a sad fact that RP is among only 7 nations in the world today where the prevalence of HIV AIDs is on the rise – not on the wane. At the current rate of incidence – the 11,000 (2008) cases is expected to rise to 42,000 (2015).
The RH Bill aims to provide education to mitigate the ill effects of reckless sex leading to AIDs transference from man to woman (or vice versa) – but ultimately to the child produced from that sexual union.
The bill, therefore, aims to reduce the number of mortality of men and women (due to STD) and the number of new born children afflicted with the disease. It is hard to argue against the usefulness of the effort against that dreaded disease.
The legal basis for endorsing the bill includes Article Ii Section 15 stating that " The state shall promote and protect the right to health of people and instill health consciousness among them." and Article II Section 12 :" The state shall protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn upon inception."
But the moral issue is another story where a practicing 51-year-old Catholic president in Benigno Aquino III's pro-RH Bill (representing the State) runs diametrically opposed to that of the conservative Catholic Church in a country where 80% of the population are Catholics.
One cannot begrudge the Catholic Church, that as a shepherd , She has to lead with moral authority over Her flock. It is also in consonance with Her theological position that is only the natural birth control method (rhythm and abstinence) that is consistent with God's pro-life philosophy. The artificial method uses the condom , contraceptives and pills.
But the Church faces the issue of moral relativism of the Flock. For instance while professing filial loyalty to Rome, 68% (or 7 out of 10) Catholics support both the natural and artificial birth control methods.
But the State does not prohibit any church to endorse a particular method of family planning among their followers-based on their doctrines and conscience. The Bill only proposes ot give women the power of choice through availability of information and tools to exercise such choices.
The Church has no right to interfere against the passage of the Bill as the Constitution's Article II Section 6 states that the separation of church and state is an "inviolate" doctrine and Article III Sec 5 calls for the free establishment of religion and the free exercise thereof.
"One cannot compel all Filipinos to comply with the doctrines of a Church even if a majority of Filipinos belong to that group". It smacks of religious bigotry.
There are enough reasons for the State to pursue the passage of the Bill for the well being of the citizens by giving people the democratic choices for reproductive and family health. We call on all legislators to debate the issue extensively.
After all, contraceptives are there – not necessarily to encourage sexual promiscuity in the same manner that seat belt in cars are set up – to protect man – not to encourage people to drive recklessly.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/166089/rh-bill-foes-face-the-wrath-of-student-groups

Read above story below.
RH bill foes face the wrath of student groups
By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
5:57 am | Friday, March 23rd, 2012
Politicians won’t be the only ones wooing votes in next year’s elections.
An alliance of youth leaders in universities nationwide on Thursday warned that it will fiercely campaign against legislators opposing the controversial reproductive health bill.
“We will make sure they will lose in 2013 as we are ready to launch the full force of the youth against anti-RH legislators,” said JC Tejano, Student Council Alliance (SCAP) national spokesperson, noting that a vote against the proposed measure is a vote against the youth.
In a press conference Thursday, the SCAP through its leaders in different universities, urged Congress anew to pass the RH bill, saying the measure is vital to the youth’s future.
Tejano said they have chapters in universities in the provinces to campaign against prospective candidates who are vocal in their opposition to the RH bill.
“We will be there… In Manila, Cebu, Leyte,” he said, naming a few districts whose political leaders are against the measure.
Heart Diño, transgender chairperson of the University of the Philippines student council, said lawmakers “shouldn’t belittle the youth vote. They should listen to what the youth are actually saying.”
Hanz Ocampo, chairperson of the University of the East student council, noted that 80 percent of the 2.6 million new voters in the 2010 polls came from the youth sector.


Source of Philippine Daily News

http://www.journal.com.ph/
http://www.inquirer.net
http://www.mb.com.ph
http://www.tempo.com.ph
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/
http://www.tribune.net.ph/
http://www.bworldonline.com/
http://www.manilatimes.net
http://www.malaya.com.ph/
http://www.philstar.com
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/

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