On Reproductive Health Bill Survey says Del Mar, Garcia's stand differ with constituents

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. is urging two legislators to first conduct public consultation before making a stand on the controversial House Bill 5043 or the Reproductive Health Bill.

PLCPD addressed the call to Cebu City North District Rep. Raul del Mar and Cebu Second District Rep. Pablo Garcia, who reportedly registered strong opposition to the bill.

PLCPD executive director Ramon San Pascual said that contrary to the stand of Del Mar and Garcia, a recent opinion survey of the Social Weather Station on the bill revealed that their constituents actually favor the passage of the bill. Seventy-six percent of the survey respondents reportedly favored the proposed legislation.

This seeming conflict between the legislators’ individual stand and the sentiments of their constituents reportedly runs contrary to the principle that congressmen are supposed to represent the interests of their constituents, San Pascual said.

PLCPD, together with the Forum for Family Planning and Development, publicized the result of the SWS survey in a press conference yesterday.

PLCPD said the survey simply shows that Cebuanos support the passage of the controversial bill and believe that it will help solve various population, economic, and health problems of the country.

SWS was commissioned by FORUM to conduct the survey among Cebuanos in the North District of Cebu City and the second district of the province to ascertain whether the two representatives indeed represent the pulse of their constituents.

PLCPD said that they commissioned surveys to places that are resistant to the bill and to know how the bill is being deliberated on by the public.

The resent SWS survey showed that 55 percent of respondents have only heard of the Reproductive Health Bill during the survey itself. This, San Pascual said, implies the need to educate the public on the bill to develop more awareness among the people.

PLCPD and FORUM are pushing for the passage of the bill “to achieve sustainable human development.”

The Reproductive Health Bill pushes for promotion of information on access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible.

“It assures an enabling environment where women and couples have the freedom of informed choice on the mode of family planning they want to adopt based on their needs, personal convictions and religious beliefs,” PLCPD said.

PLCPD believes the Reproductive Health bill is a major key to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations, among which is to reduce poverty by 50 percent by 2015. In 2002, the UN said family planning and reproductive health are essential to reducing poverty. 

The survey was conducted last March 28 to 31 by the SWS, which was commissioned by the FORUM to ensure that voices of Cebuanos will be heard in the campaign to promote the RH bill.

At least 600 men and women of reproductive ages in Cebu, 300 respondents in each district were chosen as respondents of the survey. Each reproductive age group as well as various economic classes were represented.

Around 74 percent of household surveyed were classified as poor while about 94 percent are Catholics and the rest have other religions.

Results of the opinion survey revealed that about three quarters or 53 percent of men and women of reproductive age “strongly favors” the RH bill and 23 percent are “somewhat in favor.” Only 10 percent “do not favor” and 14 percent are “undecided.”

Also, the survey showed that 87 percent of Cebuanos in the surveyed areas agree that there should be a law that requires government to teach family planning to the youth.

Some 75 percent said that the country needs a law that calls on appropriate government agencies to distribute condoms and pills to people who want to avail of them and majority of respondents at 88 percent, agree that the public has the right to have access to information and services on reproductive health and family planning.

More than half of the respondents disagreed that the use of contraceptive pills, condoms and Intra-Uterine Device can be considered abortion. Some 52 percent disagreed that if family planning would be included in the curriculum, the youth would be sexually promiscuous.

San Pascual said that 55 percent of surveyed Cebuanos have heard only of the Reproductive Health Bill from the survey while only 45 percent are previously aware, which San Pascual said, is a significant findings that implies a need for education and awareness among the people.

Their Reproductive Health Bill covers the information and access to natural and modern family planning, maternal, infant and child health and nutrition, promotion of breast feeding, prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications and adolescent and youth health.

Included also are the prevention and management of reproductive tract infections, elimination of violence against women, counseling on sexuality and sexual and reproductive health, treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers, male involvement and participation in RH and prevention and treatment of infertility as well as RH education for the youth. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/JMO and WAB (THE FREEMAN)