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Monday, July 28, 2008
CBCP heads expect health bills, agrarian reform in Sona
MANILA -- Two committee heads of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expected President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to announce the controversial reproductive health bills and agrarian reform in her State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.
"I hope and pray that the Sona would have agrarian development as its focal issue. No dole-outs, all out war, super regions and similar desperate and visionary agenda," said Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
Cruz, former president of CBCP said it is important that the current administration has a clear stand on agriculture since the Philippines is an agricultural country.
"With the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp), irrigation, fertilizer, agricultural modernization, the socio-economic progress of the Philippines will surely move on," said Cruz.
CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) chairman and Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, for his part, urged Arroyo to reaffirm her stand on natural family planning in her Sona.
"I hope the President reaffirms her stand that life is sacred and that the foundation of a strong republic is a strong family...which is also the foundation of the whole civilization," he said.
Aniceto likewise expressed confidence that the Chief Executive will heed their earlier agreement (with the bishops) that she will be pushing for natural family planning method in her Sona.
Should Arroyo change her stand, Aniceto said they would just continue to remind her that "she is a Catholic."
Meanwhile, Aniceto said they are set to meet with the country's lawmakers to discuss the anti-life measures currently pending in Congress such as the reproductive health bill.
"We are going to meet maybe after the Sona," Aniceto said, noting that they hope they will come up with an agreement. (MSN/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pampanga. (July 28, 2008 issue)
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