House RH Bill Author Wants Funding for Health Programs

One of the principal authors of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill in the House of Representatives yesterday urged her colleagues to pass the measure to ensure funding for reproductive health services from the national government.

“As it is today, the lack of a comprehensive national law on RH worsens the condition (maternal mortality) as there is no assured budget for family planning and reproductive health education and services,” Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said.

She said funding for maternal and child health programs is dependent on local chief executives.
“The RH law will standardize reproductive health services across the country,” Garin said.
“We call on the anti-RH groups to refrain from confusing the public, making it appear that there is no need for this law, just to push for their agenda of blocking the passage of the bill,” she added.

In an earlier interview, Shiv Khare, executive director of the Thailand-based Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), said the Philippines will be able to get more foreign grants for women’s rights and reproductive health programs once the RH bill is enacted into law.

Khare said the passage of the measure could remove existing legal barriers and motivate more foreign aid agencies to fund such projects.

Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy noted that three million Filipino couples do not have access to family planning services and that over 3,700 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth every year.

She said that this year, the Aquino government has allocated some P731.4 million for family health, including family planning/responsible parenthood, and P150 million for maternal and newborn child health and nutrition.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III continued his attacks against the RH bill, saying that even though the measure does not promote or support abortion, it has certain provisions that may be misinterpreted.

Citing a section of the proposed bill, Sotto said that “while this Act does not amend the penal law on abortion, the government shall ensure that all women needing care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner.”

Another section of the bill states that “each family shall have the right to determine its ideal family size provided, however, that the State shall equip each parent with the necessary information on all aspects of family life including RH, in order to make that determination.

(source: Phil Star)