RH bill to address problems on reproductive issues

WHILE the entire country awaits the results of Monday's voting of Congress members on the controversial House Bill 5043, commonly known as Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said she is supporting the bill since this will address several problems related to reproductive issues.

Speaking in her weekly press briefing, Duterte-Carpio told reporters that the RH Bill could be one of the measures to institutionalize reproductive health policies aimed at addressing country's problems with reproductive health that includes high maternal death incidents.

The mayor was, however, quick to add that with or without the RH Bill, the city has already been extending informed reproductive health services to Dabawenyos.

"Dapat man gud makahibalo ang mga ginikanan nga naay limit dapat sa ilang pagpanganak (Parents should know that they should limit their number of children)," the mayor said.

The mayor said though the city is not openly promoting its reproductive health services, these are all available for those who are willing to avail of them.

"Kung dili na nila kaya ug buhi ang ilang mga anak, mogamit na lang unta sila ug artificial and natural means (If they can no longer afford to raise more children, then they should use family planning methods)," the lady mayor added.

She said so as to properly inform the public of the different methods of natural and artificial birth control, the city, through the City Health Office has been conducting artificial and natural family planning seminars and forum across the city. (JOP)