Aquino may give hope to reproductive health bill

BAGUIO CITY: Reproductive health (RH) activists and health department leaders are looking forward to the possibility of the reproductive health bill being passed in Congress, especially with the proclamation of President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd.

“We are holding on to his pre-election statements that he will support programs that will provide Filipinos access to reproductive health and family planning education and services,” said Dr. Divinagracia, executive director of Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare Inc. (PNGOC).

“Sen. Aquino won the presidential elections because the Filipino people voted for him and they know that he can help alleviate their situation by prioritizing reproductive health and family planning education and services in his program of governance,” added Dr. Divinagracia.

Along with PNGOC, other RH groups are also cheering about two new congressmen from the Cordillera region. The two former governors are known for institutionalizing RH codes in their respective areas.

Divinagracia said that the election of outgoing  Gov. Maximo Dalog of Mountain Province and Gov. Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao into Congress signals the best hope for the RH law in the country.

“Baguilat and Dalog were both instrumental in coming out with their respective local RH codes in Ifugao and Moun-tain Province, respectively. These two codes have become models for other local government units to establish their own RH codes,” said Divinagracia.

“We expect the two congressmen from Cordillera to spearhead the new national RH code,” she added.

Divinagracia also asked Aquino to help support this legislation.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) had urged voters in the May 10 elections to withdraw support from candidates who are pro-reproductive health or who agree to other “anti-family” laws. The CBCP is a group whose “purpose was to unify, coordinate and organize the Filipino Catholics in the works of education, social welfare, religious and spiritual aid under the direction of the Filipino bishops.”

Based on the CBCP’s Matrix of Presidentiables on Key Issues for the recent polls, President-elect Aquino ranked low because a number of his viewpoints on issues contradict the Catholic Church’s position. –Thom F. Picaña, Manila Standard Today