2 congressmen to fight Reproductive Health Bill; group to push for proposed law

CEBU, Philippines - Two Cebu congressmen have been very vocal about their opposition to the proposed Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008, saying they will continue to lobby against the bill in the succeeding sessions of the lower house.

Third District Representative Pablo John Garcia and First District Representative Eduardo Gullas believe there are more pressing issues that the country should give its attention to than the Reproductive Health Bill.

Garcia said the funds that would be allotted for the Reproductive Health Bill is better off allocated for other health-related concerns such as the budgets of the health centers in various local government units.

“We should not be on the prevention of birth but more on the prevention of diseases,” Garcia said.

Gullas, for his part, said the problem of unemployment in the country is a far bigger problem that needs to be given attention.

 “What we need to do is investing more on the source of employment for the people,” Gullas said.

Meanwhile, the Visayas Media Advocates for Responsible Parenthood yesterday reiterated its support to the controversial Reproductive Health Bill. The group believes “irresponsible parenthood” is the root of population crisis.

Recently, VIMAR issued a statement of support to House Bill No. 5043 or the Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008- an Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development, as well as to Senate Bill No. 3122 or Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2009- an Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health.

VIMAR says the bill is advantageous for both men and women because it responds to the emerging challenges of sustainable development, as well as the intergenerational equity and empowerment of men and women.

The International Conference on Population and Development marks 2009 as its 15th Year of providing opportunity for the Philippines to take stock of where the country stands in terms of Program of Action.

VIMAR said that with the Program of Action, ICPD is targeting to reduce infant, child, and maternal mortality and improve access to reproductive and sexual health services including family planning, and reproductive health.

ICPD hopes to reduce reproductive health care issues by 50 percent in 2015, especially on cutting the number of people living in absolute poverty by 2015.

VIMAR believes population crisis often results to extreme poverty, unemployment, human rights abuses especially on women and children, peace and order, environment- related problems such as Climate Change, and other health problems.

VIMAR said the Philippines cannot afford to be complacent in its current situation, stressing that the country faces serious problems of unemployment, political unrest and poverty, which burdens the country’s social and health systems.

With close to 90 million people, VIMAR said the Philippines is far from its other neighbors in Asia as far as economic development is concerned.

“Reproductive health is everybody’s right, it’s everybody’s fight, and it’s everybody’s call,” said VIMAR convenor George de La Cruz.

VIMAR was organized by the Council on Population and Reproductive Health through the Commission on Population last October 2, 2009 and is composed of media practitioners from the tri-media in regions VI and VII. – AJ A. de la Torre and Johanna Natavio/JMO (FREEMAN NEWS)