Reproductive Health Bill will reduce risk of death during childbirth

CEBU, Philippines – Senator Pia Cayetano yesterday said that 10 or 11 Filipino mothers die daily in the country because of childbirth complications primarily due to lack of information and services by the government.

Cayetano, who was in Cebu yesterday to grace the Barangay Health Workers Health and Wellness Summit held at the Capitol, said that the Reproductive Health Bill, that is seen to address this problem, is now in a stalemate in both Houses.

“I am not afraid to make a stand. The RH Bill is, in fact, a pro-life, pro-mother bill. As we continue to delay the passage of this bill, more and more children are born without a mother,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano, who is the committee chairwoman on social justice said that the bill pending in the Senate will not allow abortion contrary to the claims of some pro-life advocates, especially the Catholic Church.

She even encouraged all groups, pro and against, to have a dialogue and point what provisions in the law has to be stricken out or needs improvement.

Earlier, the European Union urged the Arroyo administration to make reproductive health services available and more accessible to all the Filipinos, especially to women and children.

Ambassador Alistair MacDonald, the head of the European Commission delegation to the Philippines, cited that RH is a sensitive and controversial issue but pointed out that the lack of effective framework for reproductive health is in itself, one of the biggest causes of abortion.

RH Bill aims to require the Philippine government to assume full responsibility for reproductive health and make available RH services available to the people, including all forms of contraceptives, to enable couples to plan the number of their children.

Cayetano said that the current national rate of 162 deaths per 1,000 live births is reportedly one of the worst maternal mortality rates in Asia.

The independent senator said that it is lamentable that the country is becoming more mother-unfriendly when the government should be working for the fulfillment of our Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations, particularly reduction of maternal mortality and mortality rate of children under five.

Cayetano also said choosing a family planning method is a personal matter and the Catholic Church should not dictate to the government which method it should promote.

She further said that the bill does not dictate everyone to use artificial contraception but gives the people the right to choose between natural or artificial family planning.

Cayetano added that the Philippines is the only country in the world without any comprehensive Reproductive Health Bill as even Rome, the seat of Catholicism, has its own RH Bill. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)