Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Lawmakers revive health bills
WITH the proposed “name and shame campaign” in Congress to deal with absenteeism, a reproductive health bill might finally be passed, Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio said during a multi-sectoral conference on human development.
Custodio (South Cotabato, 1st district) believes that the death of House Bill 3773 or the Reproductive Health and Population Management Act of 2004 was because the lack of quorum during the 13th Congress.
But another issue that destroyed HB 3773’s chances during the previous Congress was the Catholic Church’s strong opposition and speculations that the bill is the first step toward the legalization of abortion.
Custodio belies this saying, “No one supports abortion as a family planning method.”
Improved version
In fact, Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay, 1st district) filed an “improved version” of the Reproductive Health Bill this 14th Congress.
When asked what an “improved version” means, Lagman explained that this time around, he spelled it out—that the bill is against abortion.
Lagman’s new proposal is House Bill 17 or the Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population Management Code of 2007.
His colleague in the House, Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, also filed House Bill 812 or the Reproductive Health Care Act.
The chances of the bills, though, as observed during the 13th Congress, maybe tricky. But Lagman is optimistic.
“I’m always optimistic that some of my colleagues will co-sponsor the bill and that we will get the support of the majority,” Lagman told Sun.Star Cebu.
Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, who filed a counterpart proposal, Senate Bill 40, admitted that the passage of population-related bills in the Senate or in the House is not assured.
“No, I cannot (assure survival). But I’m not going to surrender. I will keep on passing and passing (bills),” said Biazon.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson also filed Senate Bill 43.
“But one thing I would like to explain…it does not propose, it does not encourage abortion. The institutional opposition of this had been focused wrongly, intentionally or unwittingly on the issue of abortion. The bill is not encouraging abortion. It is against abortion,” Biazon clarified.
For a military man like Biazon, supporting a reproductive health bill made him the butt of jokes and even almost caused him the 2004 elections.
But this is his advocacy, he said, even leading the recruitment of legislators to support the bill that he has been pushing for in the last two Congresses.
Growth rate
“Achieving sustainable and genuine development is a long-cherished aspiration of the Filipino nation,” Lagman said during the 2nd national multi-sectoral policy conference on population and human development last week.
The conference was organized by the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development.
He continued, “This elusive dream will degenerate into a nightmarish failure if our policymakers and implementers fail to contain the inordinately huge population growth rate which impacts adversely on all the indicators of human development like health, education, food security, shelter, employment and the environment.”
The Philippines ranks as the 12th most populous country in the world. In 2004, the Population Commission estimated that there are four babies born every minute in the country. (JGA)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 21, 2007 issue)
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