N O T O R E P R O D U C T I V E H E A L T H B I L L !

With the population of the country growing fast—three births following only one death of an individual—the government has been frantic about what to do as a response. Overpopulation has been one of the reasons why Philippines has been on twelfth of the most populated countries in the world and maybe even why our country tops the list of the poorest countries in the world. In response to it, some members of the government last July of the year 2010 proposed House Bill No. 96 otherwise known as the Reproductive Health Bill. What are the contents of this bill that it has been the source of debates until today? Why does the church and some activists earnestly disagree with it if will help lessen the growing population of the country?
What is the Reproductive Health Bill or RH Bill? The RH Bill is a bill that allows the usage of mechanical and chemical barriers such as pills, condoms and IUDs (intrauterine devices). Moreover, this bill strictly states that sex education should be taught to students starting from the third grade. Thus, it requires and allows every doctor to give barriers and perform medical processes. Any doctor who will refuse to do such acts will be charged fifty thousand pesos.
In accordance to the Family Planning Survey in 2006, 2.6 million Filipinas would like to plan their families but they lack information and access to do so. 44% of the pregnancies in the poorest quintile are unwanted and some of the poorest Filipinas are still having an average of six children. These have been some of the reasons noted by Congressman Edcel C. Lagman for proposing such a bill.
But is it not that the policy makers should understand and respect our side of Catholics who respect the preservation and protection of human life? Natural Family Planning is still the best way to control the growing population and not these artificial devices. Our side of the conservative religious should say that the sanctity of marriage must be preserved. People, in all practicality, get married in order to build a family. If one of the purposes of marriage is to pro-create with God, then why tolerate married individuals and even those who are not yet married to have sexual relations without the intention of doing so?
The Anti-RH Bill side argues that beside the hazardous physical health issues or concerns that contraceptives may cause, government official should also consider the moral impact of implementing such a bill to the Filipino people. I mean morality not only in the sense of religion but being part of society and as a human being. But then again, the 90% of the population of our country belong to the Christian faith while 80% belong in the Christian denomination of Catholicism. Instead of giving them a solution through this law, they will give the people, even the unmarried, the license to do sexual activities more frequently, thus worsening the risk of unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and other maternity and congenital health problems. All the worse is that it will leave an impression towards teens and young adults alike that premarital sex is morally right and acceptable in society and religion even though it is not.
Is RH Bill really the answer to overpopulation? In the first place, is overpopulation actually the main root why the Philippines is unprogressive? Why doesn't the government look at it this way: the Philippines is one of the most corrupt countries in the world and the greater the corruption that is present then the smaller the budget that can be allocated for education. The smaller the budget for education, the more people will be uneducated not only in the terms of academics but also of natural family planning and sex. If people know only a little or even nothing at all about family planning and sex, the greater the possibility for them to experience unsafe sex and unwanted pregnancies. Also, the bill states that the government will provide free contraceptives such as condoms for the poor. In that case, the government will now need to adjust the budget in order to fulfill the promises of the bill which might also result in reduction of the funds for education and other highly prioritized government projects and even corruption. So why focus on overpopulation if it is only an effect of the main problem of the country, that which is corruption?
Support not the RH Bill but the fight against corruption. Overpopulation will only be solved if people are educated enough to know safe sex, for whom it is really intended for and the full responsibility for making a decision on it. Life begins at conception. Sex is for married couples who intend to pro-create with God for the sake of having a child and as a sign of love and holy bond of marriage. Do not let RH Bill erase the value not only of life and sex, but the morality of Filipinos itself. Indeed, let us say no to RH Bill.