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A proposed law that would provide
Philippine government funding for contraceptives received UN support on Sunday.
The Reproductive Health bill would require the government to provide
information about family planning methods, ensure that poor couples have access
to free contraceptives such as condoms, and establish reproductive health and
sexuality classes in schools. It also would encourage families to limit their
number of children to two.
The House of Representatives could
decide to end debate on the bill on Tuesday, moving it closer to a vote. The
issue has divided the country for years and pits the Roman Catholic Church,
which opposes the bill, against popular President Benigno Aquino III, who
supports it.
On Saturday, Catholic bishops led
thousands in a rally to push for the bill’s rejection. Archbishop Socrates
Villegas called on Aquino to reject “a culture of contraception” that “looks at
babies as reasons for poverty ... a mistake and not a blessing.” Bill
supporters planned a rally Monday outside Congress.
In a statement issued in Manila on
Sunday, the UN said the bill would promote responsible parenthood, help reduce
the high number of maternal deaths, prevent abortions, and slow the spread of
HIV/AIDS.
“As in many other countries where
similar policies have been introduced, enacting a law that would address the
reproductive health needs of the Filipino people would, over time, vastly
improve health and quality of life and support development,” the UN said. If
left unchecked, the country’s rapid population growth could keep millions of
Filipinos in poverty, and “hopes of future prosperity could turn to dust,” the
UN said.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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