Lola Toyang

Reproductive Health Bill: Another Religion versus Science Encounter Disadvantage | Advantage | The disadvantage of the Reproductive Health Bill in the Philippines is the undue focus being given to reproductive health and population and development, when many more urgent and important health problems need to be addressed in the country, those that cause a significant number of deaths across the country such as cardiovascular diseases and infections. | The advantage of Reproductive Health Bill in the Philippines is that hopes to provide midwives for skilled attendance to childbirth and emergency obstetric care, even in geographically isolated and depressed areas. Thus, the one of the causes of maternal mortality, that arising from unattended births, will be addressed. | Catholic Church teaches that married couples may take advantage of the natural cycles of the reproductive system and use their marriage precisely those times that are infertile (natural family planning); in which case the RH Bill provided otherwise. | The RH Bill can greatly alter the increasing percentage of victims of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, Syphilis, Gonorrhea and more. |

INSIGHT: It is not fair for me to make a firm stand on the issue of institutionalizing the Reproductive Health Bill for the very fact that I, like most of us, have not read the entire provisions of the Bill. And I know for sure, that most of those who continuously blabber about the negativity of the bill have not read the entire legislation as well. It is pitiful to think that most of us battle and argue about this bill when most of us are half-blind about it. Despite this manifestation of my ignorance, I still find the passing of the Reproductive Health bill to become a national law, very fitting and timely considering the situation we have in our country. First and foremost, knowing that the framers of this bill are our trusted legislators, and the supporters of this are our reliable medical experts; I do not doubt the goals and the vision they have for this bill; and that is only for the betterment of our people. I am in slight pain knowing how the Church intervenes the passing of this bill when in fact, though I do not wish to disrespect, the Church is not an expert in the biological and sociological, as well the political situation of our country. The Church too can not provide enough assistance in aiding the government’s act in minimizing poverty and safeguarding the health of our citizenry.
Another point I would like to raise is that, considering the stand of the Church that this bill is not morally upright; no matter if this bill be turned in to law, the discretion still rests to the people whether they avail such services attached to the law or not. This point, I believe, is where the Church should position herself as the conscience of the people. I do not say that the Church’s active opposition to the legislation of the RH Bill is unreasonable and incongruous, I am saying that She should leave the legislations to our law makers and continue doing what Her job description tells her to do.
Thus, again, with the little knowledge I have, I still found the bill beneficial to me, to my fellow women and to my future children. If we do not act on this population and health problem now, it is for our children and their children’s children to suffer.