Family planning champs

Even as the controversy over the proposed Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Act of 2005 rages, champions continue their struggle to make family planning an accepted norm by families. At a restaurant in Quezon City yesterday, medical doctors, legislators, government officials, and NGO representatives and media persons – all of them called "family planning champions" – talked about experiences and strategies to get the bill passed. They were all ears as Rep. Gilbert Remulla (2nd District, Cavite) spoke about the status of House Bill No. 3773, of which he is a leading proponent.

The bill, he said, has made it at the Lower House’s committee on women. Sometime during the informal meeting, someone texted the legislator, saying 93 congressmen has signed up in support of the bill. About 60 have sympathy for it, others are silent, and 40 will say no. But, he said he was sure that his colleagues would get the bill passed. But he wonders if it will pass in the Senate – and if it does, Malacañang is likely to buckle down to pressure from the Catholic Church.

Remulla urged NGOs to lobby for the bill, to write the senators and congressmen. "We have to lobby, because if there are 50 of us knocking at the door for the bill, there will be 50 knocking at the door against it." He said Catholic bishops have been calling legislators to block the bill’s passage.

Indeed the bill has fallen under vicious attack by Catholics who see it as "nothing more than a technical guide for sexual enjoyment." Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay, principal author of the bill, has quickly denied the charge, as have members of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc. (PLCPDF).

Some of the members of the foundation in fact received the other day envelopes containing an "erroneous" copy of the bill, complete with a page of illustrations showing a couple engaged in sexual acts. The page carried the label "Sample graphic sex education pictures."

Lagman said the illustrations misrepresented the intention of the bill, as they said reproductive health and sexuality education aim to teach minors "no more than the coital positions." They also "debase sexuality education," the legislator added.

Another reproductive health advocate, Rep. Nereus Acosta (LP, Bukidnon), presented one such envelop at a press conference in the House the other day, and said the material being circulated defined population manage-ment as "a comprehensive program limiting family size by inculcating even in young minds their sexual and reproductive rights."

At Annabel’s restaurant yesterday, the meeting of family planning advocates, which may well become a regular bi-monthly Kapihan under the sponsorship of the Social Acceptance Project - Family Planning, participants spoke about efforts to promote family planning.

Wil Pamintuan of Rotary Club of New Manila East said that nationwide, Rotary clubs are emphasizing family planning among families. Next weekend, the Toro Elementary School will be the site of what promises to be a family planning fest attended by 500 parents. Consultation booths will be put up, with medical personnel showing different kinds of FP methods.

Dr. Evelyn Palaypayon, chair of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, spoke of getting family planning into medical schools’ curricula and in midwife training courses.

In Pasig, there will be sessions on family planning issues designed for teachers during the summer vacation.

Angelo Palmones, award-winning DZMM broadcaster, said members of the Opus Dei, a conser-vative Catholic organization, have tried, but failed, to convince him to drop family planning as an advocacy. Also from DZMM, Cynthia Herece, who hosts a program called Love Lines, has talked about ligation and vasectomy. A 72-year-old listener came to the station’s studio to take a look at her, and someone asked Cynthia if she did not have sleepless nights as she kept talking about artificial contraceptives on the air. She said yes, she does, and that’s because she talks about scientifically based family planning methods.

An NGO representative said she was surprised that each year, the same questions would be asked, like will not pills cause cancer, and can I still perform sexually if I have a vasectomy? Hence, the need for information dissemination, as well as instruction on places where family planning services are available, she said.

Dr. Jondee Flavier, who’s becoming famous like his father, talked of having to repeatedly tell men that vasectomy is a safe procedure.

Ariel Lim, presidential assistant for public transport affairs and president of the National Confederation of Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, has always spoken freely about the need for people to practice family planning.

Remulla said in response to the question on what magic word to use in lobbying for the passage of HB 3773, "Show them that there is no Catholic vote." He said that despite Catholic bishops’ stern warning against voting for pro-family planning electoral candidates, these candidates won. These include Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, Nerissa Ruiz of Cebu, Nereus Acosta of Bukidnon, and former representative, now governor of Aurora Province Bellaflor Angara Castillo. It’s a good thing his bishop in Cavite has not asked him to stop talking about family planning, Remulla said.

Asked how he became a staunch FP advocate, the legislator talked of "powerful stories that show the human dimension of family planning." He said one time, during a visit to a poor area in his district, he saw a woman who seemed ketatonic, and whose husband was distraught; their ninth child had just died. Then he heard of a woman who died when she was delivering her 17th child. After seeing the suffering of these families, he resolved to make family planning one of his priority programs, even asking local government units to devote their GAD (gender and development) budget to responsible parenthood.

The meeting ended with words intended to cheer – from Protestant bishop Fred Magbanua. He said, "We should not have an adversarial attitude towards the Catholic church. We are not anti-life, in fact, we are pro-life."

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