by magnolia_eic | Jun 9, 2011 | Headlines, Health and Medicine, National News
The controversial reproductive health (RH) bill has finally been endorsed for plenary debates at the Senate, but discussions and voting on the legislation will take place in July as Congress goes on recess on Thursday. Twenty senators signed Committee Report No. 49 of the Senate committees on finance, health and demography, and youth, women and family relations, paving the way for heated arguments just like in the House of Representatives, on whether to allow or not, unhindered public access to contraceptives.
The committee report contained the consolidated reproductive health bill versions of Santiago and Lacson.
The Senate’s RH bill seeks to “provide information and access, without bias, to all methods offamily planning which have been proven safe and effective in accordance with scientific and evidence-based medical standards such as those set by the World Health Organization (WHO)and registered and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”
The RH bill, which proposes to “guarantee to universal access to medically-safe, legal, affordable and quality reproductive health care services,” is one of the most contentious issues in the Philippines. The bill has been filed in previous congresses but was never passed into law.” The Catholic Church only promotes natural family planning methods and is against the use of artificial forms of contraception like condoms and contraceptive pills.
by magnolia_eic | Jun 4, 2011 | Headlines, Health and Medicine, National News
Tagbilaran City, June 3 (PIA) – Gitataw ni Presidente Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III nga dili prayoridad sa iyang administrasyon ang gidusong Divorce Bill sa Kongreso. Matud pa sa Presidente nga ang Divorce Bill mahimong makaingon sa pagkabahin-bahin sa
publiko. Gikuwestyon usab sa Presidente kun seryoso ba gayud ang nagduso sa maong balaodnon.
Nagtuo ang Malakanyang nga dili angay idungan ang Divorce Bill sa pagtuki sa Reproductive Health (RH) Bill nga mao karon ang prayoridad sa administrasyong Aquino. Sigun pa ni Presidential Communications Group Secretary Ricky Carandang, gustong idungang sa RH Bill ang Divorce Bill human nahibaw-an nga ang maong balaodnon napasar ug legal na karon sa Malta, ang kapartner sa Pilipinas sa tibuok kalibotan nga nahabiling nasud nga walay diborsyo. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)
by magnolia_eic | May 18, 2011 | Headlines, National News
APPEALING for sobriety, Malacañang on Sunday sought to heal a widening rift between
Church and State over the controversial parenthood bill that last week saw prelates
threatening civil disobedience and President Benigno Aquino III warning he would jail them.
Malacañang yesterday encouraged the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) to a healthy debate over the reproductive health bill in Congress, but only within the
bounds of law – without resorting to anything unlawful, like civil disobedience.
“This is a debate on an issue of national importance. We have different views but discussions
should be within the means of the law,” Secretary Ricky Carandang stressed.
“That is what the President said. There is room for debate, but it doesn’t have to degenerate
to illegal acts or anything like that,” he said, referring to the civil disobedience threat of those
opposed to the RH bill in the House of Representatives.
Some Catholic prelates have indicated they would rather go to jail on charges of sedition –
a warning that no less than President Aquino himself issued to anti-RH bill advocates – than
give up their campaign to promote life. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Sep 30, 2010 | Headlines, National News
MIHULGA ang mga Katolikong obispo nga ilang pangunahan ang kampanya sa civil disobedience kon mamahimong balaod ang kontrobersyal nga reproductive health (RH) bill.
Sa usa ka pagpakighinabi sa radyo niadtong Miyerkoles, ang pangulo sa Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) public affairs unit nga si Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez Jr., nagkanayon nga ang population control angay nga trabahuon sa gobyerno ug sa simbahan. Apan ang simbahan hugtanon sa ilang baruganan nga ‘non-negotiable’ kabahin sa artificial contraception.
Matud pa ni Iñiguez nga hayan nga mamahimong balaod ang RH bill tungod sa bag-ohay lang nga pamahayag ni Presidente Benigno Simeon Aquino III nga pabor kini sa “responsible parenthood” nga maghatag og kagawasan sa mga magtiayon sa pagpili gikan sa natural ngadto sa artificial methods.
Niadtong Martes, ang Malacañang niingon nga dili bag-ohon ni Aquino ang iyang baruganan mahitungod sa responsible parenthood bisan pa sa pagbabag sa simbahan sa paggamit sa artificial birth control methods.
Apan matud pa ni Iñiguez nga magpabiling bukas ang simbahan sa usa ka diyalogo tali sa kagamhanan mahitungod niini ug kon adunay imbitasyon gikan sa gobyerno, pwede kining ipaagi sa CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jul 26, 2010 | Headlines, National News
A Catholic Church official urged President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to state publicly his position on the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill in his first State of the Nation Address on July 26.
Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Family and Life, said on Thursday Aquino should lay down his plan regarding family planning.
“His next years at the helm of the government would show if he believes our populace is an asset or liability … Our appeal to him is prioritize good governance and poverty would be solved,” Castro said in an article posted on the CBCP news site.
Earlier, Philippine bishops urged Aquino to reject current policies that promote artificial contraception to control the country’s growing population.
CBCP President Nereo Odchimar said the government must protect the sanctity of life by putting an end to contraceptive mentality.
Odchimar said the bishops hope the new administration will not pursue programs that promote the use of contraceptives such as condoms and pills.
Aquino has been known to be in favor of the reproductive health bill, saying he wants contraceptives to be available in government health centers, the CBCP noted. (PIA-Bohol)
