...A GUIDE TO ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BILL This matrix has been prepared by a group of Catholics who feel that a systematic comparison of the arguments for and against the reproductive health (RH) bill may still serve some purpose at this juncture. It may help to bring the debate from the emotional temper which has characterized it thus far, to a more rational temper in which both sides attempt to comprehend each other’s perspectives. It is hoped that this presentation will allow each side to view the other’s argumentation as the legitimate offering of reasons in good faith which ought to characterize a democratic process of deliberation. Such a process must be valued equally by all who are committed to living together in a democracy, be they Catholic or non-Catholic, pro- or anti-contraception. Questions in the final column are provided to aid further reflection, with a view to clarifying positions and, perhaps, to building compromises that are morally and politically acceptable to both sides. Eleanor R. Dionisio ISSUE ANTI-RH BILL PRO-RH BILL QUESTIONS I. LEGISLATION OF AN RH-BILL Necessity of RH Bill 1. Overpopulation 1. Overpopulation is not the problem. The problems are government corruption and the unequal distribution of wealth and resources. 1. Managing population growth is not the sole solution to poverty but is part of the solution. Are overpopulation and graft and corruption mutually exclusive issues? Or ought they to be addressed...
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...com Published 5:26 PM, March 27, 2014 Updated 5:26 PM, March 27, 2014 [pic] MANILA, Philippines – A social media campaign is underway to raise awareness in support of the reproductive health (RH) law, whose implementation has been put on hold by the Supreme Court for a year a now. Republic Act 10354, which would provide information on and access to reproductive health services, is under status quo ante order “until further orders” by the Supreme Court (SC). The law – probably the most polarizing national issue today – was passed on December 18, 2012, after 13 years in Congress. Anti-RH advocates immediately questioned the constitutionality of the law before the SC. The high court is expected to decide on the case in April, with insiders predicting the law could be headed for defeat in the Supreme Court. House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr has said that declaring the RH law as unconstitutional would be "a veto against the will of majority of our people." As decision time nears, frustrated reproductive health supporters are taking the fight to the social media world. The #Yes2RH campaign was initiated by Likhaan Center for Women's Health, in cooperation with several other pro-RH organization.It will run from March 28 until April 8. Likhaan calls on other RH advocates to support the campaign, and hopefully influence the upcoming SC decision. Using the hashtag #Yes2RH, they've started a campaign that asks citizens to upload selfies on their Facebook and Twitter...
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...com/2011/02/obvious-bias-of-philippine-mainstream.html By: Ishmael Fischer Ahab | ABS-CBN, consolidated RH Bill, Filipinos Unite for Life, GMA, media bias, Observations, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Pro-Life Rally, RH Bill | My trust in the Philippine mainstream media dropped further when media entities obviously showed their bias when they totally ignored the pro-life and anti-Reproductive Health (RH) Bill rally staged by various organizations at the PICC in Manila last Sunday. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, GMA Network, ABS-CBN and TV 5 intentionally ignored the anti-RH rally of 20,000 people or so. What is more irritating is that these media entities gave column space and air time to a pro-RH rally staged in front of the Philippine Congress. This rally was held by a certain party list and just attended by 50 people or so. The bias is very obvious. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, GMA Network, ABS-CBN and TV 5 can't give time and space for a rally held by thousands of people coming from various organizations, yet chose to entertain the rally of few people coming from one organization. With this, I have only one conclusion. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, GMA Network, ABS-CBN and TV 5 are untrustworthy media entities. They are biased and submit themselves to propaganda. They don't fairly air both sides of the issue, especially the issue about the RH Bill or the consolidated RH Bill. They are disgusting, especially whenever their news anchors says...
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... As defined by the World Health Organization, RH bill means "the state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes." This implies that people have the capability to safely reproduce, provided within the context of the law. In the Philippines, RH bill aims to promise complete access to modern methods and information which openly engage on birth control and maternal care. II. COUNTER ARGUMENTS Proponents Argument: 1. Overpopulation in the Philippines intensified the country's poverty rate thus causing the government to have difficulties in dealing the concern. 2. Experimental studies showed that poverty incidence is top among huge families and smaller-sized household has a larger opportunity to invest on better education, health, nutrition and eventually reduce poverty and hunger within the family level. 3. World Health Organization listed the use of contraception as one of the essential medicines to lower abortion rate according to Guttmacher Institute. 4. A 2008 SWS survey resulted that 71% of the respondents are approving of the bill as it proposed to educate people to be more responsive in choosing a smaller-sized family giving them free will to select a line-up of family planning methods set forth by reasoned population policy. Opponents Argument: 1. The bill misleads people casing the point that there has...
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...Introduction As defined by the World Health Organization, RH bill means the state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes. This implies that people have the capability to safely reproduce, provided within the context of the law. In the Philippines, RH bill aims to promise complete access to modern methods and information which openly engage on birth control and maternal care. II. Counter Arguments Proponents Arguments: 1. Overpopulation in the Philippines intensified the country's poverty rate thus causing the government to have difficulties in dealing the concern. 2. Experimental studies showed that poverty incidence is top among huge families and smaller-sized household has a larger opportunity to invest on better education, health, nutrition and eventually reduce poverty and hunger within the family level. 3. World Health Organization listed the use of contraception as one of the essential medicines to lower abortion rate according to Guttmacher Institute. 4. A 2008 SWS survey resulted that 71% of the respondents are approving of the bill as it proposed to educate people to be more responsive in choosing a smaller-sized family giving them free will to select a line-up of family planning methods set forth by reasoned population policy. Opponents Argument: 1. The bill misleads people casing the point that there has no connection...
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...RH BILL IN THE PHILIPPINES : AGREE OR DISAGREE? By RONALD ALLEN B. CASEÑAS JOSEFINA T. PERLADO Study and Thinking Skills in English TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................1 What is RH Bill? ...................................................................................................................... 2 RH Bill Surveys..............................................................................................................................3 PROS of the bill......................................................................................................................4 CONS of the bill.........................................................................................................................5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................6 Sources and References …………………………………………………………………………..7 INTRODUCTION In has been a national debate in the Philippines whether or not the government should approve the RH bill which aims to ensure a universal access to all the methods and facts about birth control as well as maternal awareness. Aside from this bill that Senator Meriam Defensor Santiago have made there is another bill that shares the same goal and was proposed by Albay’s 1st district Representative Edcel Lagman which is...
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...CATHOLICS CAN SUPPORT THE RH BILL IN GOOD CONSCIENCE (Position paper on the Reproductive Health Bill by individual faculty* of the Ateneo de Manila University) (Note: The opinions expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of other faculty. Neither do they represent the official position of the Ateneo de Manila University nor the Society of Jesus.) We, individual faculty of the Ateneo de Manila University, call for the immediate passage of House Bill 5043 on “Reproductive Health and Population Development” (hereafter RH Bill) in Congress. After examining it in the light of Philippine social realities, and informed by our Christian faith, we have reached the conclusion that our country urgently needs a comprehensive and integrated policy on reproductive health and population development, as provided by the RH Bill. We also believe that the provisions of the bill adhere to core principles of Catholic social teaching: the sanctity of human life, the dignity of the human person, the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, integral human development, human rights, and the primacy of conscience. Catholic social theology since Vatican II has evolved, on the one hand, from the emphasis on order, social cohesiveness, the acceptance of some inequality, and obedience to authorityto the recognition, on the other, of the centrality of the human person, and the concomitant need for human freedom, equality, and participation (Pacem...
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...planning devices such as birth control pills (BCPs) and IUDs, and as the government continue campaigning to broadcast a good information and effect on its use through health care centers nationwide. Everyone has been talking about this RH law, for some agreed and some don’t. In some part of each individual, RH law may help and it may bring into some point also that it may trigger to do such thing that will ruin someone’s life. But as the saying goes that every little thing that is too much is not good. So, it depends on how we’re going to take it and treat it as long as we are only motivated to do well and focus only to what could bring us a healthy and happy life. The bill mandates the government to “promote, without bias, all effective natural and modern methods of family planning that are medically safe and legal.” Although abortion is recognized as illegal and punishable by law, the bill states that “the government shall ensure that all women needing care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner.”The bill calls for a “multi-dimensional approach” integrates a component of family planning and responsible parenthood into all government anti-poverty programs. Under the bill, age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education is required from grade five to fourth year high...
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...More views against the RH bill are pouring in. Apparently they have not been considered by the Lower House Committee before the bill was endorsed to the entire body for approval in the plenary session. Hence for the enlightenment of our legislators and the entire citizenry, presented here are some more of these views, one of them coming from a lawyer Atty. Rex A. Salvilla who clearly and ably refutes some stand of the bill’s advocates: “First, the advocates say that the opponents of RH bill are anti-poor for allowing population explosion. This is not true because the opponents, like the advocates are also for population control. Both differ only on the method of control – the advocates thru condom which cost money while the opponents thru natural family planning which costs not a single centavo but only mere discipline on the part of the spouses So, who is anti-poor? It is the advocates. Second, the advocates say that they are pro-choice. This is not also true. The draft bill contains a penal clause punishing by imprisonment and/or fine those obstructing the use of condoms and promoting family planning. Is this not like tying a person to a post and telling him, “You are free”? So, where is “pro-choice” here? In fact, the bill is a “no-choice” piece. Third, the advocates say that the Pope supports condom use. This is interpreting the Pontiff out of context. The Pope simply provided an exception in the same way that God has also provided exceptions to His own commandments. Take...
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...successful counseling. Legal and ethical issues must also be considered when counseling clients. The arguments about contraception fall into several groups: * philosophical arguments such as the "natural law" argument * arguments based on different ideas of marriage, sex and the family * human rights arguments such as * 'procreative liberty' * a woman's right to control her own body * human rights arguments about mass birth control programs * arguments based on the good or bad consequences of birth control (consequentialism) * arguments about the environmental and resource problems caused by over-population * religious arguments Background of the Study The Reproductive Health Bill, popularly known as the RH Bill, is a...
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...world and maybe even why our country tops the list of the poorest countries in the world. In response to it, some members of the government last July of the year 2010 proposed House Bill No. 96 otherwise known as the Reproductive Health Bill. What are the contents of this bill that it has been the source of debates until today? Why does the church and some activists earnestly disagree with it if will help lessen the growing population of the country? What is the Reproductive Health Bill or RH Bill? The RH Bill is a bill that allows the usage of mechanical and chemical barriers such as pills, condoms and IUDs (intrauterine devices). Moreover, this bill strictly states that sex education should be taught to students starting from the third grade. Thus, it requires and allows every doctor to give barriers and perform medical processes. Any doctor who will refuse to do such acts will be charged fifty thousand pesos. In accordance to the Family Planning Survey in 2006, 2.6 million Filipinas would like to plan their families but they lack information and access to do so. 44% of the pregnancies in the poorest quintile are unwanted and some of the poorest Filipinas are still having an average of six children. These have been some of the reasons noted by Congressman Edcel C. Lagman for proposing such a bill. But is it not that the policy makers should understand and respect our side of Catholics who respect the preservation and protection of human life? Natural Family Planning is still...
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...time birth control was introduced to history was in the 1900’s. Population had increased rapidly. Margaret Sanger, a nurse, believed that the poor needed to control the size of their families. In 1916, Sanger established the first birth control clinic and in 1917, founded the National Birth Control League. Although widespread use of birth control is visible throughout the world, particularly in Europe and the United States, where birth control methods are legally available, not everyone is in favor of contraception. The Roman Catholic Church forbids artificial methods of birth control, upholding the belief that sexual love in marriage should never be separated from the chance of conception. RESEARCH LITERATURE The Reproductive Health Bill has two goals: to promote responsible parenthood through the use of birth control methods, and to assure widespread access to medically-safe, legal, and quality reproductive health care and relevant information. It stands upon the assumption that many Filipino women die of childbirth and abortion...
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...researcher offers her regards and blessings to all of those who supported her in any respect during the completion of the project. THE RESEARCHER Table of Contents Title Page………………………………………………………………………………i Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………….ii Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………..iii Chapter I a. Introduction …………………………………………………………….1-2 b. Statement of the Problem……………………………………………….…2 c. Significance of the Study………………………………………………..2-3 d. Purpose of the Study………………………………………………..….….3 e. Methodology……………………………………………………………...3 f. Definition of Terms…………………………………………………….4-5 Chapter II Presentation, Discussions and Analysis I. History of the RH Bill……………………………………………………6-8 II. Advantage and Disadvantage of the RH Bill to the Filipino family……8-10 III. Prevent overpopulation by: a....
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...Research Work Subject: Educational Sociology Ten Social Problems and Issues in our Country. |Social Issues |Causes |Alternative Plan/Reforms |Status/Condition | | | |(government/agencies) | | |1. Poverty |Population growth |- Tulong sa Tao Program of the Aquino |Philippines have not been strong | | |Lack of individual |Administration; |enough to speed up the pace of | | |responsibility / Laziness |- Social Reform Agenda (SRA) |poverty reduction. This in turn would| | |Weak Agriculture sector |of the Ramos administration, |impact on the country's progress | | |Poor government policy / Corruption |- Lingap Para sa Mahihirap program of |towards Eradicate Extreme Hunger and | | | |President Estrada, |Poverty. | | | ...
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...May isang panukalang batas sa Kongreso na pinagdedebatehan ngayon at hinati ang pananaw ng mamamayang Pilipino. Sabi ng ilang sumusuporta dito, ito ang magbibigay kalayaan sa mga mag-asawa upang makapag-plano ng pamilya at kaalaman naman sa mga kabataan. Sabi ng mga kritiko naman nito ay puputol ito ng buhay at lalason sa batang isipan. Ito ang Reproductive Health bill o sa mas tawag na ‘RH bill’. Labindalawang taon nang pinagdedebatehan at nakabinbin ito sa Kongreso, may 6 nang bersyon at 3 pangulo ng bansa na ang pinagdaanan. Ngunit ngayon ay pinagsama-sama ang mga bersyon nito at ginawang isang panukalang batas. Dahil nabuhay muli ang usaping ito, nahati uli ang pananaw ng sambayanan, ipasa o ibasura? Ano ba ang hangarin ng RH Bill? Ito’y magbibigay ng kalayaan sa mga mag-asawa upang makapamili ng planong pampamilya kung ito ba’y natural o artificial. Isasalba nito ang may 11 na babaeng namamatay araw-araw dahil sa diperensya sa pagbubuntis Matuturuan ang mga kabataan kung ano ba ang kahalagahan ng family planning Mabibigyan ng benepisyong medikal ang pamilya Bababa ang pagdami ng populasyon ng bansa taun-taon upang makasapat na rin ang inilaang budget ng gobyerno sa mga proyektong panlipunan Bubuti at sisigla ang ekonomiya ng bansa At, mapagtutuunan na ng panahon ang mga mahahalagang konsepto sa ating buhay Kanino ba ito tutulong? Tutulong ito sa mga kababaihan upang mapangalagaan ang kanilang kalusugan Magbibigay-kaalaman sa mga kabataan upang malaman...
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