Malacañang, Church OK informed choice in family planning

THE PALACE and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) held another dialogue on the reproductive health (RH) issue yesterday, underscoring the importance of free and informed choice on family planning, a Palace spokesperson said.

It was the second of such meetings between both parties after initial talks last December when the government and Church hierarchy agreed to pursue an information drive on both natural and artificial methods.

“There was an emphasis on no compulsion on both sides; there’s no compulsion from the state to insist upon one particular method,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a briefing after the dialogue.

“There is a full range of information to be disclosed to all people so that an informed decision may be reached,” he added.

A responsible parenthood bill, which reflects the stand of President Benigno S. C. Aquino III of an informed choice for couples, is among the 12 priority measures Malacañang will push during the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon J. Soliman mentioned during the dialogue that the bill is primarily a poverty-reduction measure, and also explained to CBCP representatives the need to allocate resources, Mr. Lacierda said.

“[It’s] making sure the individual would live a life something they can afford without burden on the family itself,” said Mr. Lacierda, who was also present during the meeting.

While promoting responsible parenthood, Mr. Lacierda said the administration has not set population growth targets.

“As to what the rates will be, there is no specific population growth rate,” he said.

Based on latest data from the National Statistical Coordination Board, the projected 2010 population is 94 million or a yearly population growth of 1.95% from 2005 to 2010.

For its part, CBCP secretary-general Msgr. Juanito S. Figura, in a separate briefing, said both panels agreed that population is not the cause of poverty.

“Secretary Soliman herself said that she does not recall any Cabinet cluster meeting saying that population is the cause of poverty,” Mr. Figura said.

“Instead, she said the main concern of the government is to ensure that parents take good care of their children,” he added.

The Church has opposed RH bills in Congress which it claimed promotes abortion.

Others in the meeting were Presidential Management Staff chief Julia R. Abad and Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona for the government, while CBCP was represented by Imus Bishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle, San Fernando Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto, Antipolo Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes and some medical experts.

The next meeting, which will focus on public policy, has been set for end-February.

Meanwhile, pro-life supporters yesterday criticized RH bill pending in Congress, with a demography lecturer calling it suicide in the economic point of view.

George von Winternitz, a lead person from the Alliance for Families and Education for the Upbringing of Children Foundation, Inc., said in a symposium at the University of Asia & the Pacific (UA&P) that the RH bill’s objective of curbing population will impede demographic growth necessary for economic prosperity.

He said reducing the population will cause a decline in the work force and loss of human resources, leading to economic crash.

“There is no need to step on the brakes. The brakes are built-in already,” Mr. Winternitz said.

He added that by the time a major segment of the population gets employed, career-oriented individuals will no longer be as interested in child-bearing.

For his part, economist Bernardo M. Villegas of UA&P said the government has to focus on development of human resources.

He added that the roots of poverty are errors in economic policies, poor governance which causes tax evasion and corruption.

Raymond Ganar, training officer of the World Organization of the Ovulation Method by Billings, said partners can opt to use the billings method, a natural birth control method which tracks a woman’s fertility pattern.

Lawyer Eugenio H. Villareal said anti-RH bill groups can question the measure’s constitutionality should it be enacted. — Ana Mae G. Roa and Jo Javan A. Cerda, Businessworld