House OKs P700-M budget for RH bills

MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives Wednesday morning approved the use of more than P700 million to fund the consolidated bills on Reproductive Health (RH) a week after the House Committee on Population and Family Relations endorsed the controversial measure for plenary approval.

But Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, the chairman of House Committee on Appropriations, clarified that his panel only allowed the “budget requirement” of the bill, which can immediately be utilized in the event that the consolidated RH bill is enacted into law this year.

“The bill was approved at the appropriation committee. However, the funding will just come from the GAA (General Appropriations Act) as approved,” Abaya said.

“(But there is) no new funding, no amount (because the) current GAA has particular items under family health and responsible parenthood,” the House leader said.

In a hearing, members of House Committee on Appropriations voted 20-3 to use the P731 million budget for the Family Health and Responsible Parenthood under the Department of Health (DoH) to meet the budgetary requirement of RH bills for 2011 only.

But the Catholic Church remained unfazed in its position against the RH bill.

Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life of the CBCP, said they are not affected since the real battle is in the plenary debate. “The real battle will be in the plenary next week,” Castro told the CBCP News.

Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona said that President Aquino still supports the RH bill despite reports that he has changed his mind on the controversial subject.

“There is no change. He (President) has repeated a number of times that the government is supportive of responsible parenthood,” Ona said. (–RIO ROSE RIBAYA with reports from Leslie Aquino and Jenny Manongdo)