Why Pro on the RH Bill

Pro Poor; Pro Development PRO RH BILL

A number of arguments for and against the Reproductive
Health bill have been posited and the debates have been
mostly emotional, with the Senate seemingly succeeding in
derailing the passage of the measure. The Catholic Church
has taken the lead in opposing the passage of the bill into
law, claiming that certain provisions are against Church
teachings. The Church has even broadly defined abortion to
include the use of condoms and other common
contraceptives. It has mislabeled the RH bill as promoting
abortion notwithstanding specific provisions to the contrary.
Those opposed to the RH bill contend that we do not need
measures to limit population growth because we are not
really overpopulated. In fact, a number of global economists
look favorably at the Philippines because of its young and
growing population. They claim that the demand for goods
that these young Filipinos need will increase the growth of
the Philippine economy.
But isnt this similar to our current situation, where the
productive working class is unable to support the
unproductive sectors of our population?
Since population growth is highest among the poor, this
vicious chain of the rich getting richer and the poor getting
poorer will be preserved. Access to contraceptives is
contradicted only the very poor and uneducated in the
country; it has never been a problem for the rich and a large
part of the middle class. Thus, making contraceptives more
accessible will not redound much to the benefit of these
groups in our society. The RH bill, providing for better and

easier access to contraceptives and pushing for responsible

parenthood, is pro-poor and pro-development and will at
least afford the poor the opportunity to better manage the
size of their families. Access to a better life is a paramount
right of every individual, and it is the governments duty to
make this possible.
People can be an asset or a liability. If they are educated,
skilled and possess the right attitude and values, they are an
asset.
The ideal situation is, of course, one where there are both
good quantity and good quality of Filipinos. However,
blocking the RH bills passage and keeping the status quo
will not make this possible. The governments current
resources are not enough to take care of the poor and give
them opportunities to pull themselves out of the predicament
of continuing poverty.
Undeniably, the chances of improvement in the quality of life
of the greater mass of Filipinos will be better with the RH bill
being passed. It is high time we set aside our personal
beliefs as to Gods mandate for us to go forth and multiply,
looked squarely into the face of reality, and stopped being
hypocritical. Surely, the majority of the millions who hear
Catholic Masses every Sunday use contraceptives one way
or another, particularly those with less than four children. If
this were not so, then the average size of the Filipino family
would have remained the samearound nine children
Even Senator Santiago said, "We must stand for freedom of
conscience, we must stand for responsible family planning,
we must stand in support of the RH Bill."