Rh Bill

Reproductive Health Bill The continuous debate on the proposed Reproductive Health Bill keeps on polarizing our country. The mere fact that the State and the Church are two separate entities has become more evident since the provisions of the RH Bill surfaced. The Catholic Church has been firm with its stand on the moral and religious principle of protecting human life. The Government, on the other hand, has intensified its campaign towards family planning including the artificial or modern methods of contraception to which has been greatly opposed by the Church over the years. Now, with the introduction of the RH Bill still at the center of the heated discussion, opposition and rejection between two conflicting parties, the nation is now faced with an even more challenging scenario as to when Reproductive Health would be made accessible to the people without causing any division and polarization in our society.

For several months now, I have heard exchange of views from the proponents of this bill and from different sectors in our society who are not in favor with the passage of this bill. Disputes and conflicting views still arise even though we share the common goal of improving the quality of life of our countrymen. Moreover, considering that the Philippines is one the largest Catholic country in the world, majority of us Filipinos make use of our moral, ethical and religious principles as our basis and guide in making major decisions in our life. Consequently, it is not surprising to know that this RH bill encountered difficulties before it could ever be passed. There are objectionable portions in this bill. There are even vague and confusing points that need to be clarified. One of those is the provision of assisting of couples, parents and individuals to achieve their ideal family size. It encourages them to have only two children as the ideal family size through birth spacing and family planning. This will lead to optimizing care for children to