NYC urges House to pass RH Bill

CEBU, Philippines - The National Youth Commission is urging the House of Representatives to pass the controversial House Bill 5043 otherwise known as the Reproductive Health Bill.

   The NYC has passed a resolution asking for the passage of the much-debated proposed legislative measure.        

   “The NYC does not encourage young pregnancies nevertheless, recognizes the duty of the State that proper reproductive health information and life-saving services shall be provided to them,” the NYC resolution reads.

  It is the youth commission’s position that there is nothing in the bill that legalizes abortion as claimed by its oppositors.

   NYC officials were in Cebu yesterday for a series of consultations for the formulation of the Philippine Youth Development Plan 2011-2016.

   NYC chairman and chief executive officer Leon Flores said that the consultation is the 12th in a series of consultations that they are holding in the 17 regions across the country.

   The consultation was participated in by the representatives of the Sangguniang Kabataan from the four provinces in Central Visayas, government agencies and other youth leaders.

    The PYDP, formulated through secondary and primary data gathering and research which is held every five years across the 17 regions, provides an update on the profile of the Filipino youth, their prevailing values and attitudes in relation to their needs, aspirations and problems.

   The formulation of the PYDP shall apply an inclusive process and identify key issues facing the youth, opportunities, enabling conditions and proposed strategies and policies which government, other duty bearers and other stakeholders should further create and provide and the appropriate role and activities which the youth should perform in economy, society and local community and their families.

   NYC Commissioner-at-large Percival Cendaña said that the youth’s participation in nation-building by coming up with a possible solutions to the prevailing problem being faced by the youths of today is important.

   Flores said that their recommendations will be forwarded to the Office of the President and will be forwarded to the different government agency concerned.

Cendaña and Flores recognized that the youth’s of today are facing a lot complex problems raging from poverty, lack of access to quality education and health, teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, among others.   - (THE FREEMAN)