Could HB 17 be the solution? by Bb. Oria

All of a sudden just when we turned a new leaf and started the year 2010, the Philippines experienced a sudden growth of victims who have Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). This kind of illness is nothing new here in our country since the Philippines has encountered its first ever case in the year 1984. Having unprotected sex and having multiple partners are one of the causes of this particular condition. Just recently I’ve read and seen news reports about the Department of Health (DOH) have been distributing condoms to the public especially during the love month and the Catholic Church’s wanting to ban commercials of condoms. These particular issues made me want to write about the Reproductive Health Bill.

The proposed House Bill (HB) 17: “Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008” by authored by Representative Filemon “Popoy” Lagman. The proposition of this is bill is to inform parents who have children or planning to have children regarding both natural and modern family planning methods which are medically safe and legally acceptable and have access to it. This allows an environment wherein women and couples are given the freedom of informed choices regarding modes of family planning that they would like to take on, on the basis of their needs, and their personal and religious beliefs. A lot of fuzz surrounds this bill for the reason of the Church’s opposition and they’re unfavorably use of artificial contraceptives. According to the reports I’ve read on the Internet the representative of the 1^st district of Albay continually states that “The bill does not have any bias for or against either natural or modern family planning. Both modes are contraceptive methods with a common purpose of preventing pregnancies.”

Though this bill present some drawbacks such as: the favorability of using birth control measures which are opposed by the religious and ethical groups and its directive to sex education which a lot of parents are against it just to name a few. On the positive side the bill offers maternal, infant and child health and nutrition care, promotion of breastfeeding, elimination of violation against women, prevention of abortion and prevention and management of reproductive tract infections, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.

I think that the Reproductive Health Bill would be a big help to our country especially our economy. Why? With the continuous growth of our population that would equate to a huge budget for our country that would be borrowed and in return turned as taxes, taxes even my great grand children would still have to pay. With the lack of classrooms, lack of teachers and proper salaries for them too, and lack of school buildings in the public sector: How would these future children be properly educated? It would be good if every Filipino citizen could pay for private school education but, a huge part of our population could not afford that. I t would be also great if this huge part of our population can afford to have their check-up, treatment in case of ailments and the like in a private hospital but the sad reality is, they cannot. With the high prices of doctor’s fees, hospital fees and a whole lot of fees, a Filipino who belongs to the Class C and D cannot afford to give out a lot of money for that. With the lack of facilities, proper health centers, proper salaries for the doctors and nurses: How would the parents of these children and even themselves as well, be given the proper health care? Our government not giving the proper attention and budget to the agriculture sector and now that our country is experiencing a terrible climate condition and with the continuous rising of prices on commodities and food products: How would these families feed themselves and their children if there would be a continuous growth in our population?

This would not be a problem if the government is giving the proper attention and budget is given to the following sectors and the sectors I forgot to mention. This would not be a problem if the budget allocated for them is received by those people who need it and not straight into the pockets of the corrupt public official. A reproductive health bill would not be necessary if people today would not a stray and follow what must be followed and practice responsible sex but, in today’s society an alarmingly growth of teens do deed outside marriage, the lack of well-educated and responsible people to guide them and the high influences of their friends and the easy accessed media I think it would be hard for today’s society to practice responsible and well-protected intercourse.

I think it would be only right to pass the proposed House Bill 17: “Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008” because it would be for the betterment of our society, economy and most especially our country.