Population Control Issues

[Nabartek]

I wonder how does that fit into the RH equation? Since it is likely that a man would have several children with his wives. How will they address the isang baranggay of anak by these men with several women? It would be offensive if the government will dictate how many children they can have per wife.

[MatudNilaBaby]

sino yong artista na nag convert into the muslim faith kasi known siya to have querida and anak here and there to justify his philandering attitudes toward beautiful women lalo na taga showbiz.

[3cr]

Well looks like the Catholic Church is having a hard time differentiating between personal view and school/university view just as they are having difficulty differentiating between pastoral care and meddling in State affairs. If this is not the Church doing this, one can easily say this is already abusing people's human rights. Don't tell me they are actually discriminating now? Why go after these professors with heresy? Just because they don't subscribe to the Church's take on the RH Bill they are branded Heretics? C'mon where does these professors' school/university affiliation/life end and their personal lives begin, after all they still have personal lives outside the university too don't they? Don't these people have just the same right to express their views on the RH Bill as the Church? Why suppress these people's personal views about the RH Bill when it was already clarified it is not their employer's/universities' view but their own? Just that if Catholic universities are truly institutions of higher learning then such censorship by the Church essentially goes against what these schools are traditionally there for, true place of knowledge and learning, for how will one truly learn if all one will be taught are Church censored dogma? If all the Church wants these schools and universities to teach their students to learn are Church approved dogma, then they might as well just turn these places of higher learning into seminaries and nunneries where these priests themselves can be the teachers and do the actual teaching of Church dogma in these Catholic universities? If the Catholic Church has truly been doing a great job teaching/instilling "The Word" to their Catholic grade school and high school students, then what do they really have to fear for their Catholic university students? Wouldn't those values been deeply engrained by then so why would these professors' personal view change that conviction? Mmm... Guess their actions speak for themselves. Extreme action for extreme desperation.

Originally Posted by 3cr

Catholic Church goes after Ateneo professors for heresy
Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/254188/...fessors-sacked


Ateneo professors - Is anybody listening?
Manila Standard Today
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2012/...y-listening-2/

Originally Posted by MatudNilaBaby

when you work for a catholic school, you are bound to uphold the teachings of the catholic church no matter what your position is regarding the rh bill. its but natural for cbcp to run after those dissenting teachers and professors because the church dogma is at risk if they let those opinions prevail.

lets take for example that i work for coca cola companyand in my lunch i would intentionally bring in pepsi products to my work place cuz thats my favorite drink over coke. dont you think, coca cola will be happy and not make a fuzz about it?

when rh bill passes, all institution whether private or public are bound to obey the law. so patay ang mga catholic establishments that they have to support whats in the provision of this law like providing condoms and birth control pills to their employees and teach the real sex education to their students starting at grade 5.

its but natural for the cbcp to oppose any law that will encroach in the teachings of the catholic faith. besides why will the government earmark at least 3 billion dollars a year to procure all these birth control devices to be distributed to people needing it when they have sex.

Yup I do get your analogy but religious beliefs cut far deeper than soda choice. Mas madaling magpalit ng soda brand/choice kaysa magpalit ng paniniwala. But if Coke actually fires a worker simply because he prefers to drink Pepsi for example, you can bet there will be a lawsuit slapped for such firing, atleast here in the States, unless of course such a clause was originally stipulated in the hiring contract. The Church is being such an extremist in its stand that it's pushing people up to a corner with no recourse. A certain action creates a corresponding reaction which is why we are seeing this push back against the Church. Now the Church is pushing back and flexing its muscles /influence not only in gov't but now in academia as well. Not only is the Church trampling on people's freedom/rights but also basically outright discriminating now that they will also make the Church affiliated universities fire professors that are not in agreement with the Catholic Church's view of the RH Bill especially considering hindi naman din kasi lahat ng teachers sa mga Catholic universities are of Roman Catholic religion to begin with. It's already been clarified that their view on the RH Bill is a personal one and not the university's that employ them. And as long as the professors are not actually actively promoting and actively recruiting while in campus in support of the RH Bill, then it does not really break any school laws I would think to warrant a firing. Hence the Catholic universities are opening themselves up to lawsuits for unlawful/wrongful termination if they continue to proceed/act with such haste. That's why I for one am following closely how things will unfold for these courageous Ateneo professors. I'm wishing them all the best.

[Nabartek]

Si Robin lang kilala ko.

If the RH bill gets passed, may pang counter dyan ang RC to offset the effects and not loose out to population growth to the Muslims -- allow polygamy

[MatudNilaBaby]

i think it was him. nabigla nalang akong malaman naging muslim na siya of all the rumors that he has a kids with this so and so pretty girls. sinusuportahan naman daw niya so no guilt there. lol

[Nabartek]

In fairness, magaganda anak nya na babae. Ilan ba anak nya?

[MatudNilaBaby]

basta marami daw lol paris kay the late dolphy

[Nabartek]

Nothing beats Ramon Revilla 80+ yata ang recognized anak nya

[MatudNilaBaby]

oks na oks lang yan basta pinalamon at pinaaral niya lahat. whats worst is manganak ka na wala kang ipakain at ipa aral sa bata.

[3cr]

Santiago defends Ateneo professors on RH bill stand
Academic freedom recognized by Vatican, says senator Lagman
Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/255938/...-rh-bill-stand

The threat to charge 159 faculty members of the Ateneo de Manila University with heresy for expressing support for the reproductive health bill (RH) is an infringement of their constitutional right to academic freedom, which is also recognized by Vatican II, according to Sen. Miriam Santiago.

“Academic freedom is enshrined in our Constitution. You cannot dictate to a professor what to teach. I think this is a backward-looking message,” Santiago reminded the Ateneo management and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which had warned the faculty members they face possible charges of heresy.

Santiago said the Vatican II ecumenical council already defined the changing role of the Catholic Church and society.

“You can no longer punish Catholics for their freedom of conscience… That’s why it was called an ecumenical council because it abandoned all its previous strict conservative ways and is now more open to what can be called questioning concern,” said Santiago, a constitutional expert who has a master’s degree in theology.

RH backer

The senator is one of the most vocal supporters of the RH bill in the Senate. Santiago, in fact, filed the first RH bill in the Senate in 1997.

The CBCP earlier called on Ateneo authorities to investigate the 159 faculty members who signed a declaration of support for the RH bill for allegedly going against Catholic dogma.

The Catholic hierarchy, the most vocal opponents of the RH bill, resists the idea of the government distributing artificial methods of contraception to poor Filipinos. Condoms and birth control pills are particularly anathema as they supposedly encourage promiscuity, especially among the young.

Ateneo president Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin, who supports the CBCP position, wrote a letter to the Ateneo community that was posted on the university’s website, telling those “engaged in the Christian formation of our students to ensure that the Catholic position on this matter continues to be taught in our classes, as we have always done.”

Wrong theology

Santiago said the Ateneo and the CBCP are not allowed “to downtrod the academic freedom of all intellectuals of the country… To threaten these (faculty members that they) would be kicked out of the Catholic Church is in effect to impose sanctions on academic freedom.”

“This is wrong theology because there is no dogma involved here, there is no specific dogmatic principle that has emanated from the Pope,” she reiterated.

Only Pope Benedict XVI “can dictate” Catholic dogma “and that is only when he categorically claims that he is speaking ex cathedra in his role as Supreme Pontiff.”

“The Pope never exercised that power with respect to reproductive health or population control or responsible parenthood so we are all agreed among the Catholic theological community that this is not a required position,” the senator said.

Party-list representative Luz Ilagan (Gabriela), who taught at the Ateneo de Davao for four decades, said it was the Ateneo professors’ right to make a stand on an important issue.

“That they view the RH bill as a piece of legislation that will help provide much-needed maternal and infant health services to Filipinos is a laudable demonstration of compassion, social awareness and a commitment for the poor and the marginalized,” Ilagan said in a statement.

True to Ateneo mission

The professors, in taking a stand for the bill, were also being true to the Ateno’s mission statement of social concern by being men and women for others, she said.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, one of the bill’s principal authors, said the Ateneo professors’ support for the bill does not go against Catholic dogma.

“It does not offend or reject Catholic dogma because it adheres to the hallmark of the measure on the right to informed choice, which negates both compulsion and reward, and promotes free will which is a cardinal principle of the Church,” Lagman said in a statement.

He said academic freedom as provided for in the Constitution extends to professors of Catholic universities. The essence of such a freedom also includes searching for truth in various disciplines and revealing this, unhampered by prior restraint or reprisal from authorities.

Lagman also said that since bishops and their supporters invoke freedom of expression in opposing the reproductive health bill, the Ateneo professors should also be given the same freedom to support the measure in good conscience as Catholics.


Lagman calls RH bill opponents extremists
PhilStar
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx...ticleId=840550

MANILA, Philippines - Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, one of the authors of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill, yesterday described his colleagues who are opposed to the measure as “extremists.”

“Some are extremists so much so they block projected amendments that even directly and favorably address their concerns and objections. It appears that they would blindly reject the RH bill even if only a comma remains of the measure,” he said.

Lagman said had these House members “relented in their dilatory and obstructionist filibustering,” certain amendments “responding to their criticisms” could have already been introduced and approved.

Lagman made the accusation following last week’s failure of the House to start the period of introducing changes in the bill due to privilege speeches delivered by those opposed to the measure.

The bill’s opponents have vowed to make more speeches and question the quorum if the chamber’s leadership tried to move the proposed RH law forward.

“They should have enough warm bodies in the session hall,” Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said.

Representatives Jeanette Garin of Iloilo and Kimi Cojuangco accused the bill’s opponents of abusing their “privilege” to deliver speeches on any issue that affects them and the House.

They said whenever there are important bills to consider, such speeches should not be given priority, except on Mondays, as the House rules provide.

They said their colleagues’ perorations are clearly intended to delay consideration of the RH bill.

Lagman said among the amendments the bill’s authors intended to propose are:

Deletion of the provision on “ideal family size” to assure critics that the bill does not impose a two-child policy like China’s one-child policy.

Deletion of the section on “employer’s responsibilities” to address concerns that a similar provision in Article 134 of the Labor Code is already adequate.

Deletion of the section on “family planning supplies as essential medicine” to accommodate objections that such a prior classification cannot be made by law.

In lieu of the protested provision, the Food and Drug Administration is charged with the determination of the safety, efficacy and classification of modern family planning products and supplies pursuant to existing law.

Deletion of the prohibited act on malicious disinformation in order to fully guarantee the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion.

Assurance of funding support to promote modern natural methods of family planning, like the billings, symptom-thermal and standard days methods. Give hospitals owned and operated by a religious group the option not to provide “a full range of modern family planning methods” in order to further guarantee religious freedom.

[InformaticIAN]

Originally Posted by 3cr

Non-Catholic groups recognize value of RH bill to maternal health
http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/08/10/...ternal-health/

MANILA — Not all religious groups are against the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

One such group is the Protestant Church and one of its leaders in the Philippines has said that the RH Bill is not evil because it aims to do good for the Filipino people.

Bishop Modesto Villasanta of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines (UCCP) was quoted in various media reports that the RH bill offers Filipinos, especially the poor, freedom to plan their families. Villasanta, however, said that Protestants nonetheless respects the position of the Catholic Church on the matter.

According to Villasanta, the RH bill aims to especially help poor families secure access to maternal and children’s health services and products, and to also help them make an informed decision about family size.

“It is not evil. It is not perfect but definitely it is not evil. The measure is in fact good for the many Filipino families who are poor and needing of help,” said Villasanta.

..................

don't we have these even before?

[InformaticIAN]

do we have the copy of the RH Bill here?

[red_jasper]

i think link has been posted here somewhere... you'll have to back-read, or just google it

Edit: here

[3cr]

Plan Int'l joins call for Philippine government to pass Reproductive Health Bill
AlertNet
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/p...ve-health-bill

Plan International, a humanitarian, child-centered organization working in 68 countries worldwide, strongly supports the immediate passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill.

As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Philippine government has an obligation to provide the means for the fulfilment of the rights of the child.

The RH Bill, we believe, not only fulfills the rights of the child but promotes the rights of women as well. It does so through the following measures:

1) Provide adequate training and employ health care providers and information givers to protect mothers and child during pregnancy, at birth and after delivery.

2) Train health care providers and information givers on responsible parenthood so they will be able to help individuals, couples and young people determine the needs and wants of family and children.

3) Make accessible to individuals and couples complete information and services on all medically safe and legally acceptable methods of family planning so they can come up with an informed choice, and exercise their right to determine the family size that they can properly and adequately care for.

4) Protect young people (adolescents and youth) from the adverse effects of lack of information or misinformation about reproductive processes and sexuality by training their teachers and parents on age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education. We would like to see that not only knowledge will be made available to young people, but RH services as well. The right to health includes reproductive health.

RH Bill does not:

1) RH bill does not promote abortion. By training and employing health care providers and making RH information and services accessible, it helps children to survive. The RH Bill is aimed at preventing unplanned and unwanted pregnancies.

2) RH bill does not support a US (or any foreign) grand design, to dominate developing countries like the Philippines by controlling their population.

3) RH bill does not promote only artificial methods of family planning. The RH Bill also promotes all the modern natural family planning methods. This is to ensure that couples are free to make informed choices on family planning methods to use according to their circumstance.

By prolonging the debate and delaying the passage of the bill, there are many Filipino mothers and newborns who die everyday due to pregnancy-related complications. These complications are mostly due to unplanned pregnancies that often results in forced abortion, pregnancies occurring at an early age or old age, and pregnancies that are too closely spaced and put the health of the mother and child at risk.

We enjoin the legislators to support and champion the rights of children and mothers. Pass the RH Bill now. Its immediate passage can save precious lives.

[MatudNilaBaby]

sige i plastada dito para malaman kung ano talaga ang entire content ng rh bill. basta what ive heard from the cebu catholic television network or cctn channel 47 that this bill will entail 3 billion pesos of government funds every year to provide these birth control and family planning services. siguro malaki ang business prospects nito sa mga pharmaceutical companies and mga kick back when its turn over sa mga govt agencies na mag manage nito.

[Nabartek]

They should amend the over the counter to prescription in the case of oral contraceptives that have steroids which can cancel out other medications taken or not be the right one for the individual. Hindi asperin o biogestic ang oral contraceptives.

I think an RH bill should be a clause in a Universal Healthcare bill. We badly need a good healthcare. Kahit middle class eh gipit dito. Sure there is Philhealth but they only cover up to 8,000 Php and will only cover maximum of 45 days. Many hospitals outside cities do not have facilities. In some places, they do not even have hospitals.

[3cr]

Fr. JOAQUIN BERNAS: On Amendments To The RH Bill
THE FIL-AM PERSPECTIVE
http://gelsantosrelos.typepad.com/my...e-rh-bill.html

Respected constitutionalist, educator and Jesuit priest FR. JOAQUIN BERNAS, S.J. wrote a very informative column on the Philippine Daily Inquirer that discusses the misconceptions about the RH bill, and the amendments that the authors of the bill have offered to address the concerns of some people.

Amending House Bill 4244.

Those seriously studying the RH bill should take a look at the amendments already offered by the authors of the bill themselves. They are contained in Rep. Edcel Lagman’s letter to Rep. Rogelio J. Espina, chair of the Committee on Population and Family Relations. However, to understand the proposed amendments, one must read and study HB 4244 and not just rely on criticisms by some who may never have read it, much less studied it.

Yes, there are a good number of misconceptions about the bill, and there can be dishonest critics who set up straw men they can merrily attack. One may ask, for instance, how many among the Church authorities have actually read and studied HB 4244? This is an important question because I see the amendments as efforts to adjust to the transition from an established Catholic Church whose word was law to today’s demands of freedom of religion.

I propose the pulling together of the various amendments already accepted by the authors of the bill.

Sec. 13. Role of barangay health workers. Instead of saying that they should “give priority to family planning work,” simply say they should “help implement this Act.” This should obviate the complaints that family planning is being given undue emphasis.

Sec. 15. Funding Mobile Health Services. Charge the funding to the national government, not to the lawmakers’ Priority Development Fund (PDAF) while at the same time allowing individual lawmakers to use their PDAF.

Sec. 16. Mandatory Age-Appropriate Sex Education. Give parents the option not to allow their children to attend mandatory sex education; at the same time give assistance to parents who want help in this matter. This is in conformity with the primary right of parents.

Sec. 20. Ideal Family Size. Delete the entire provision. This will preclude further misinformation about the meaning of this provision.

Sec. 21. Employers’ Responsibility. Delete this because it is simply a restatement of Article 134 of the Labor Code. Deleting it will preclude further debate.

Sec. 28(e) Prohibited Acts. Delete the provision which penalizes “any person who maliciously engages in disinformation about the intent and provisions of this Act.” There already are penal limits to the freedom of expression.


In addition to the amendments proposed by the authors of the consolidated bill, there are others which are worth considering. Let me mention a few:

On Age-Appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education

1. Private schools can opt to provide an alternative sexuality education curriculum based on the school’s religious beliefs or values. The government will monitor if there is a curriculum being implemented, whether the standard one or the alternative one.

2. If a public school cannot provide enough adequately trained teachers or there are public school teachers who cannot teach the government’s curriculum because of religion-based objections, the proper government agency would send trained instructors to teach the sexuality education classes.

3. An additional topic for the curriculum is the role of religious freedom and conscience in choosing the means of planning families.

On Prohibited Acts

Any health care service provider, whether public or private, who shall require a person to undergo sterilization as a condition for providing indigent patients with basic health care, emergency care or health care shall be penalized.

I realize that there are other urgent matters which Congress must consider. But the effort of some to block the period of amendments merely as a tactic for preventing the bill’s approval does a disservice to the nation.

[Askal82]

Originally Posted by MatudNilaBaby

sige i plastada dito para malaman kung ano talaga ang entire content ng rh bill. basta what ive heard from the cebu catholic television network or cctn channel 47 that this bill will entail 3 billion pesos of government funds every year to provide these birth control and family planning services. siguro malaki ang business prospects nito sa mga pharmaceutical companies and mga kick back when its turn over sa mga govt agencies na mag manage nito.

At least these pharmaceutical companies pay taxes to the government and provide jobs for the people. The Catholic Church doesn't.

They are simply afraid to lose P3b of untaxed revenues from binyag services.

[MatudNilaBaby]

the flock of the catholic church which is majority of the filipino people are the ones paying taxes since any sectarian institution is tax free. so the catholic church has the right to question the legality of rh bill. we already have laws regarding family planning why create another one that will go against religious teachings.

[Askal82]

Originally Posted by MatudNilaBaby

the flock of the catholic church which is majority of the filipino people are the ones paying taxes since any sectarian institution is tax free. so the catholic church has the right to question the legality of rh bill. we already have laws regarding family planning why create another one that will go against religious teachings.

Because the RH bill covers everybody- not just the Catholics.

Yes, the Catholic Church has the right to question it but doesn't have the right to represent in behalf of its followers because this is a matter of public interests and public welfare that the church does not have business with. That's why we have the legislative to do their jobs representing the interests of everyone.