Manila, Philippines — The Department of Health has declared that it would continue giving away condoms “to people who need them” despite the angry reaction of the Catholic church.
According to health secretary Esperanza Cabral, the condom distribution is one of the “very many things that, if we actually do them, is going to remarkably reduce the spread of HIV-AIDS in the Philippines. she added that other than the distribution of condoms, the DoH also includes in their strategy the education of young people, children in school, those in the workplace and Filipinos who go overseas, as well as tourists and transients.
On Valentines Day this year, the DoH handed out condoms which angered the Catholic Church, prompting Bishop of Lipa, Ramon Arguelles to call for the health secretary’s resignation.
The bishops claimed that the way to stop the spread of HIV-AIDS was to follow the teachings of the Church and to respect the sanctity of the human body.
Commenting on the Catholic bishops’ opposition to the condom distribution program, Cabral said: “Di naman yan tago, di ba (It’s very obvious, isn’t it)? They are very open about it.”
“[But] we are not a religious state [like] Iran. We are a secular state where there is separation of Church and State,” she pointed out.