Reproductive Health

Even as the Archbishop of Cebu, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, along with the Catholic bishops, has threatened to withdraw electoral support from presidential contenders and congressional candidates who support the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey taken from July 2 to 5, with a respondent base of 1,200 shows that there is…

Like in a horse race, the announcer declares that all the horses are already lined up ready for the starting gun to fire and you can very well say that the same is true with our Presidential race now that the tandem from the Liberal Party, Presidential standard bearer, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and…

Catholic bishops earlier threatened presidential and congressional candidates who support the birth control bill their withdrawal of support come election day, unless these candidates turn their back on the same legislative measure.

CATHOLIC bishops stepped up the pressure yesterday and urged congressmen not to attend sessions to pass a family planning bill that they oppose, but 170 lawmakers showed up to answer the quorum call anyway.

Most Cebuanos favor the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) Bill with majority also supporting the use of some birth control measures, results of a new survey revealed. The poll conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) in Cebu indicated that 78 percent of “men and women of reproductive age” are in favor of…

MANILA, Philippines – Emissaries of the pro-life movement are reportedly meeting with three top presidential candidates in an effort to convince them not to support the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill pending in Congress.

It’s now or never for controversial bill—solons MANILA, Philippines—The leadership of the House of Representatives will meet on Tuesday to finalize the rules and procedures for the debates on the reproductive health bill in order to bring the controversial measure to a vote before the 14th Congress adjourns next year.

In the wake of continuing debates between pro-lifers and advocates of the controversial Lagman bill (what is euphemistically called Reproductive Health and Population Management Act, a coverup of the promotion of the use of artificial contraceptives by the State), there’s need to clarify certain points. Real issues have been beclouded.

MANILA, Philippines — The leadership of the House of Representatives will finalize the rules and procedures for the debates on the reproductive health bill so that voting could take place before the end of the 14th Congress, according to Majority Leader and Iloilo Representative Arthur Defensor.

A wholesale, blanket rejection of any reproductive health bill sends a message of bigotry and insensitivity. It is not a thoughtful response. It is not a Christian response. The fact is that many population and poverty issues must be addressed, and House Bill 5043—and some of its predecessors—is meant to address these issues. There is…

ADVOCATES of the reproductive health bill yesterday urged Catholic bishops to stop blackmailing presidential aspirants and lawmakers into withdrawing their support for family planning.

MANILA, Philippines – Family planning advocates asked Catholic bishops yesterday to stop “distorting the truth” about the Reproductive Health Bill pending in Congress.

MANILA, Philippines—Defense Secretary Gilberto Toedoro stood pat on his pro-reproductive health bill position, despite fears of losing the support of the church.

NEWLY minted presidential poll leader Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd reiterated his support for the Reproductive Health Bill, despite the risk of losing the backing of influential Catholic Church leader Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

Will Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino bow to the Catholic bishops’ pressure on him to toe the Church line against the Reproductive Health bill which the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philppines (CBCP) claims to be anti-life and anti-family and withdraw his sponsorship of the bill in exchange for the Catholic bishops’…

The fact that children raised in homes without a dad have sex earlier is down to their genes, say US researchers. The study tested for genetic influences as well as factors such as poverty, educational opportunities and religion.

MANILA – Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal on Monday said he is thinking of withdrawing support from Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III after learning that the lawmaker supports the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill.

Three UN agencies—Unesco, WHO, and Unicef—have been working for two years on guidelines on sex education with the aim of improving children’s awareness of sexuality in order to reduce sexually transmitted diseases as well as illegal abortions.

After saying there is no more time to pass a bill promoting population control, Speaker Prospero Nograles yesterday ordered Majority Leader Arthur Defensor to simplify the plenary debate to pave the way for the voting on the measure.

BERLIN—A conference here made a breakthrough Sunday after delegates approved in plenary to ask the United Nations’ 179 members to legalize abortion as a mode of family planning, provide universal access to contraceptives, and uphold sex workers’ rights.

BERLIN—Sex happens 125 million times a day, but the subject remains taboo and the issues associated with it—including abortion and contraception—remain a source of division among people with different persuasions, a conference was told here Monday.

A law is necessary and desirable if its purpose is to promote public welfare and advance the common good. And we can be sure that this is its purpose if it is based on the truth. This is the problem with the RH bill. It is based on grounds that are not true or accurate.…

For the first time, a Cabinet official of the Arroyo administration has publicly admitted that the reason why economic benefits are not trickling down to the poor is due to the country’s high population growth. Finance Secretary Gary Teves even used imagery to illustrate his point, correctly pointing out that people will just have to…

MANILA, Philippines – Catholic bishops have vowed to continue to support pro-life groups in opposing the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health Bill.

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Vice President Alejandro Villaviza and TUCP Part-list Representative Raymond Democrito Mendoza welcomed the resolve of trade union leaders attending the NACUSIP / PACIWU / CIO–ALU / FLO–ALU  National Convention to pursue more aggressive action on Reproductive Health programs and services in the workplace at the company and local…

MANILA, Philippines – Catholic bishops have vowed to continue to support pro-life groups in opposing the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health Bill.

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal joins calls with Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo and Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales in questioning the recently approved Magna Carta of Women.

A big-time syndicate could be behind the rampant sale of “abortion pills,” known as cytotec, in the Quiapo area, according to a high ranking priest who urged authorities yesterday to bust the group.

MANILA, Philippines – Passing the controversial reproductive health bill may be an uphill battle, but the leadership of the House of Representatives is determined to approve the measure that influential Catholic bishops have continued to block.

The president is on time. Her purple gown is big and wraps her shoulders like a protective gear. She is flanked by sunglass-sporting escorts and piña-clad lawmakers. The carpet is red and waiting.