VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, [9], 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 23:58:34 06/05/12 Tue
Author: IMRD
Subject: June 6, 2012 news

http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/opinion/5635-still-on-rh

Please read above link below.

Still on RH
Published on Wednesday, 06 June 2012 00:00
Written by DAHLI ASPILLERA
‘Push Reproductive Health (RH) Bill–improve on the bill further then support the closing of interpellations now.’
AFTER 11 years and three Congresses since RH was first filed; after another year of plenary debate in current Congress with at least 15 interpellators raising concerns on RH, it is about time to close the period of interpellation and end the period of amendments. It is high time that we move the concerns of the country forward by moving on with the RH bill, says majority leader Neptali Gonzales and we hope that the end of the debates on RH will really happen.
“We call on the lawmakers to support this move. Let us move forward, let us contribute towards perfecting the bill, for women’s sake, and for the sake of the country.”--Ramon San Pascual, executive director of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD), main proponents for the passage of the RH bill.
We pay taxes so that Congress can have money for having a budget. Congress approves a bill, gives it a budget to buy bullets that the soldiers can use to protect the citizens. Congress approves a bill for salaries and allowances of senators and congresspersons. Congress approves a bill for orphanages and public hospitals. All government budget expenses must be passed as bills in Congress.
If Congress does not pass the RH bill, there is no funds, no budget. Where will the funds come from to spend for family planning-related maternal care, supplies, personnel for counseling related to the RH advocacy? Every government project needs a budget that is okayed, passed by Congress.
Without a Congressional bill assigning a budget, there will be no help for couples living under bridges and cardboard dwellings on side streets having 7, 8 or 9 pregnancies. Family planning, condoms, contraceptives, tubal ligation, vasectomy cost money. Government has to provide these services free to those whose money is not enough for food; the poor have no resource to avoid unwanted pregnancy. This is what RH bill is about–budget, government money, spaced pregnancies--fewer, well-cared for, healthy educated children.
Related to the proposed move, lawmakers are urged to give due attention to the length and substance of the interpellations. The move to close the period of interpellations will give way to the period of amendments. Just like any decision in the House plenary, it is done through consensus.
Despite the opposition to the RH bill of the romano church bishops who, presumably, know nothing about women’s suffering and trauma from yearly pregnancies, lawmakers ought to support closing the period of interpellations so Congress can start with the amendments period towards further perfecting the bill.
If those who have objections and reservations on the bill are really determined to help the Filipinos, especially poor women, then they can help perfecting the bill during the period of amendments where an individual lawmaker will be given the chance to propose what he thinks is best for the bill.
Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP) through its national chairperson, Elizabeth Angsioco said that if the House leadership wants to already terminate the debates on the RH bill, it can very well do so under its rules without going to a vote. The “test vote” as explained, is unnecessary.
“After all, the bill has been under deliberation for more than 12 years and everything that can be discussed has already been exhausted. Insisting on more debates is really about further delaying the vote on the RH bill.”
DSWP members face the sad realities experienced by women in poor communities: In the first month of this year alone, 50 maternal deaths were recorded by DOH in Metro Manila; 10 girls were found pregnant in only one high school in Ilocos Norte. “This could have been averted if our young people have an age-appropriate RH education which is an important provision of the RH bill.”
“We know how fast the House can work on matters it deems important, just like on the ongoing impeachment cases. We have also seen how a single text message from the office of the Speaker can magically make absent Representatives appear in Plenary when they want to have a quorum.”–Angsioco.
For clarifications please contact, Vigie Benosa-Llorin at mobile no. 0918-2936786.
***
Dahli_a@yahoo.com
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/

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]
[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.