Reflection

The Reproductive Health Bill has been an intriguing pressing issue ever since I first heard it a little over two years ago in 2008. I remembered we have attended two symposiums regarding it.
“The Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008 guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care. It aimed to control population growth, promote reproductive health, and to exemplify responsible parenthood”. It is a bill that provides the legal use of all contraceptives. Currently, it is at its second stage: being evaluated at the Congress.
It is an extremely controversial bill, with experts, academics, religious institutions, and major political figures both supporting and opposing it, often criticizing the government and each other in the process. As the use of contraceptives prevents reproduction, or the creation of life, and we are in a predominantly Catholic country, the Roman Catholic Church expresses its opposition against the bill on many counts, most especially the procurement and distribution of family planning supplies for the whole country.
Moreover, I heard on the news that the issue is so divisive that at one point, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines threatened to excommunicate the President, Benigno Aquino III if he supported the bill.
The government and the Catholic Church have their own point of views or line of reasoning on their advocacies. Both parties were concern for the welfare of the Filipinos. However, their concerns and stands were opposing to their beliefs. Many issues have been raised before wherein the two parties were always against each other’s perspective.
I believe that that bill needs major amendments or changes before anyone should agree or disagree with it. Though it is true that the State should recognize and guarantee the exercise of the universal basic human right to reproductive health and gender equality and equity and women’s' empowerment, many of its... [continues]

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