Repro health linked to MDG goals

AN official of the United Nations Development Program sees the passage of a reproductive health bill as aiding the country in achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing the incidence of extreme poverty.

Renaud Meyer, UNDP country director, also said that members of the House where RH measures are being discussed should take note of the latest Pulse Asia survey showing almost seven of 10 Filipinos supporting the bill.

“Congress is here to represent individuals, not lobby groups. The RH bill should be voted by seven out of 10 congressmen,” he said.

Reducing extreme poverty is the first of eight Millennium Development Goals. The others are achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empower women; reducing child mortality rate; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; and ensuring environment sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.

The MDGs were laid out by 192 member-states of the United Nations and some 23 international organizations in September 2000 and are set to be achieved by 2015.

The strongest oppositor to the RH bill is the Church which allows couples to adopt only the natural family planning method. The proposed RH bills allow the use of artificial contraceptives like condoms and pills.

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines said it is about time for lawmakers to pass an RH bill as the population continues to grow.

“As a council, we support the spirit of the RH bill mainly since it talks about responsible family and giving the right to the couples to determine how. Ang hinihingi natin sa couples is to seriously consider how they plan their family. We have no problem with the spirit of the RH bill. We totally agree with it,” said Rev. Rex Reyes, NCCP secretary general.

He said it is about time the lawmakers pass the RH bill pending before it since the country’s population continues to grow everyday.

Reyes said the NCCP does not believe that overpopulation is the only problem that is being tackled by the RH bill but also the problem on poverty and proper sharing of resources of the country.

“…You feed your people, you keep them healthy, you send them to school and give them decent housing…everything will be fine. Ang ating bansa ay magkakaroon ng mataas na antas ng pagbabago,” he opined.

“It is not just about contraceptives. It’s basically about responsible parenthood and the responsibility of the State to see to it that all its citizens are given the opportunity to live decent lives as Filipinos,” he added.

The organization first expressed support to the bill in 2008.

The NCCP is a fellowship of at least 10 mainline Protestant and non- Catholic churches in the Philippines. –GERARD NAVAL, Malaya