We have the power to pass this bill. Write to your congressman about it. Let them know your thoughts on this bill and all the others that they should be or should not be passing. If they know the thoughts of the people that they are serving, perhaps they will make the right move and vote the voice of the people.
www.congress.gov.ph
Select the name of your representative, you can email them from there. Also, you'll be able to know which bills they have authored and voted.
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Reproductive health bill: Facts, fallacies
By Rep. Edcel Lagman
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:46:00 08/03/2008
(Editor’s Note: Upon the request of readers, we are running the salient features of the proposed Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008. We asked its principal author in the House of Representatives to present the main points of and misconceptions about the bill. We hope that this issue will help readers reach an informed opinion on the measure.)
THE BILL IS NATIONAL IN SCOPE, COMPREHENSIVE, rights-based and provides adequate funding to the population program. It is a departure from the present setup in which the provision for reproductive health services is devolved to local government units, and consequently, subjected to the varying strategies of local government executives and suffers from a dearth of funding.
The reproductive health (RH) bill promotes information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible. It assures an enabling environment where women and couples have the freedom of informed choice on the mode of family planning they want to adopt based on their needs, personal convictions and religious beliefs.
The bill does not have any bias for or against either natural or modern family planning. Both modes are contraceptive methods. Their common purpose is to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
The bill will promote sustainable human development. The UN stated in 2002 that “family planning and reproductive health are essential to reducing poverty.” The Unicef also asserts that “family planning could bring more benefits to more people at less cost than any other single technology now available to the human race.”
Coverage of RH. (1) Information and access to natural and modern family planning (2) Maternal, infant and child health and nutrition (3) Promotion of breast feeding (4) Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications (5) Adolescent and youth health (6) Prevention and management of reproductive tract infections, HIV/AIDS and STDs (7) Elimination of violence against women (8) Counseling on sexuality and sexual and reproductive health (9) Treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers (10) Male involvement and participation in RH; (11) Prevention and treatment of infertility and (12) RH education for the youth.
Strengthening of Popcom. The existing Population Commission shall be reoriented to promote both natural and modern family planning methods. It shall serve as the central planning, coordinating, implementing and monitoring body for the comprehensive and integrated policy on reproductive health and population development.
Capability building of community-based volunteer workers. The workers shall undergo additional and updated training on the delivery of reproductive healthcare services and shall receive not less than 10-percent increase in honoraria upon successful completion of training.
Midwives for skilled birth attendance. Every city and municipality shall endeavor to employ an adequate number of midwives and other skilled attendants.
Emergency obstetrics care. Each province and city shall endeavor to ensure the establishment and operation of hospitals with adequate and qualified personnel that provide emergency obstetrics care.
Hospital-based family planning. Family planning methods requiring hospital services like ligation, vasectomy and IUD insertion shall be available in all national and local government hospitals.
Contraceptives as essential medicines. Reproductive health products shall be considered essential medicines and supplies and shall form part of the National Drug Formulary considering that family planning reduces the incidence of maternal and infant mortality.
Reproductive health education. RH education in an age-appropriate manner shall be taught by adequately trained teachers from Grade 5 to 4th year high school. As proposed in the bill, core subjects include responsible parenthood, natural and modern family planning, proscription and hazards of abortion, reproductive health and sexual rights, abstinence before marriage, and responsible sexuality.
Certificate of compliance. No marriage license shall be issued by the Local Civil Registrar unless the applicants present a Certificate of Compliance issued for free by the local Family Planning Office. The document should certify that they had duly received adequate instructions and information on family planning, responsible parenthood, breast feeding and infant nutrition.
Ideal family size. The State shall encourage two children as the ideal family size. This is neither mandatory nor compulsory and no punitive action may be imposed on couples having more than two children.
Employers’ responsibilities. Employers shall respect the reproductive health rights of all their workers. Women shall not be discriminated against in the matter of hiring, regularization of employment status or selection for retrenchment. Employers shall provide free reproductive health services and commodities to workers, whether unionized or unorganized.
Multimedia campaign. Popcom shall initiate and sustain an intensified nationwide multimedia campaign to raise the level of public awareness on the urgent need to protect and promote reproductive health and rights.
* * *
Smear offensive
Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
THERE IS A CONTINUING campaign to discredit the reproductive health bill through misinformation. Straightforward answers to the negative propaganda will help educate and enlighten people on the measure.
The bill is not antilife. It is proquality life. It will ensure that children will be blessings for their parents since their births are planned and wanted. It will empower couples with the information and opportunity to plan and space their children. This will not only strengthen the family as a unit but also optimize care for children who will have more opportunities to be educated, healthy and productive.
The bill does not interfere with family life. In fact, it enhances family life. The family is more than a natural nucleus; it is a social institution whose protection and development are impressed with public interest. It is not untouchable by legislation. For this reason, the State has enacted the Civil Code on family relations, the Family Code, and the Child and Youth Welfare Code.
The bill does not legalize abortion. It expressly provides that “abortion remains a crime” and “prevention of abortion” is essential to fully implement the Reproductive Health Care Program. While “management of post-abortion complications” is provided, this is not to condone abortion but to promote the humane treatment of women in life-threatening situations.
It will not lead to the legalization of abortion. It is not true that all countries where contraceptive use is promoted eventually legalize abortion. Many Catholic countries criminalize abortion even as they vigorously promote contraceptive use like Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Paraguay and Ireland. The Muslim and Buddhist countries of Indonesia and Laos also promote contraceptive use yet proscribe abortion. According to studies, correct and regular use of contraceptives reduces abortion rates by as much as 85 percent and negates the need to legalize abortion.
Contraceptives do not have life-threatening side effects. Medical and scientific evidence shows that all the possible medical risks connected with contraceptives are infinitely lower than the risks of an actual pregnancy and everyday activities. The risk of dying within a year of riding a car is 1 in 5,900. The risk of dying within a year of using pills is 1 in 200,000. The risk of dying from a vasectomy is 1 in 1 million and the risk of dying from using an IUD is 1 in 10 million. The probability of dying from condom use is absolutely zero. But the risk of dying from a pregnancy is 1 in 10,000.
The bill will not promote contraceptive mentality. The bill does not prohibit pregnancy. Critics are mistaken in claiming that because contraceptives would be readily available, people would prefer to have no children at all. Couples will not stop wanting children simply because contraceptives are available. Contraceptives are used to prevent unwanted pregnancies but not to stop pregnancies altogether. Timed pregnancies are assured.
The bill does not impose a two-child policy. It does not promote a compulsory policy strictly limiting a family to two children and no punitive action shall be imposed on parents with more than two children. This number is not an imposition or is it arbitrary because results of the 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey show that the ideal of two children approximates the desired fertility of women.
Sexuality education will neither spawn “a generation of sex maniacs” nor breed a culture of promiscuity. Age-appropriate RH education promotes correct sexual values. It will not only instill consciousness of freedom of choice but also responsible exercise of one’s rights. The UN and countries which have youth sexuality education document its beneficial results: understanding of proper sexual values is promoted; early initiation into sexual relations is delayed; abstinence before marriage is encouraged; multiple-sex partners is avoided; and spread of sexually transmitted diseases is prevented.
It does not claim that family planning is the panacea for poverty. It simply recognizes the verifiable link between a huge population and poverty. Unbridled population growth stunts socioeconomic development and aggravates poverty. The connection between population and development is well-documented and empirically established.
UN Human Development Reports show that countries with higher population growth invariably score lower in human development. The Asian Development Bank in 2004 also listed a large population as one of the major causes of poverty in the country.
The National Statistics Office affirms that large families are prone to poverty with 57.3 percent of families with seven children mired in poverty while only 23.8 percent of families with two children are poor. Recent studies also show that large family size is a significant factor in keeping families poor across generations.
Family planning will not lead to a demographic winter. UP economics professors in their paper “Population and Poverty: The Real Score” declared that the threat of a so-called demographic winter in the Philippines is “greatly exaggerated, and using it as an argument against a sensible population policy is a plain and simple scare tactic.”
The National Statistical Coordinating Board projected that a replacement fertility of 2.1 children per couple could be reached only by 2040. Moreover, despite a reduced population growth rate, the effects of population momentum would continue for another 60 years by which time our total population would be 240 million.
Humanae Vitae is not an infallible doctrine. In 1963, Pope John XXIII created the Papal Commission on Birth Control to study questions on population and family planning. The Commission included ranking prelates and theologians.
Voting 69 to 10, it strongly recommended that the Church change its teaching on contraception as it concluded that “the regulation of conception appears necessary for many couples who wish to achieve a responsible, open and reasonable parenthood in today’s circumstances.”
However, it was the minority report that Pope Paul VI eventually supported and which became the basis of Humanae Vitae.
Even 40 years ago when the encyclical was issued, theologians did not generally think that it was infallible. Monsignor Fernando Lambruschini, spokesperson of the Vatican at the time of its release, said “attentive reading of the encyclical Humanae Vitae does not suggest the theological note of infallibility… It is not infallible.”
Five days after the issuance of the encyclical, a statement against it was signed by 87 Catholic theologians. It asserted that “Catholics may dissent from … noninfallible Church doctrine” and that “Catholic spouses could responsibly decide in some circumstances to use artificial contraception.”
(Rep. Edcel C. Lagman of Albay is the principal author of the proposed Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008.)
Guess who just posted another comment...
Pfew! At first I didn't notice. I went to Chun's blog to post a comment. Then I Noelle told me to check out the comments and voilà! I've seen some recently uploaded pics too in Chun's HK album. I will post the pics here later... Be back in a jiffy!
Rushing...
The Brain!
And last but not the least...
Our entrance to fantasy world!
There's one thing I wanna say though..
飛輪海加油加油加油!!!
Hmmm. What is that thing? *Points up*
CHUN, JIRO AND CALVIN UPDATED THEIR FAHRENCITI BLOGS!!!
Aiyoh! I missed it. Atikah was right. She told me yesterday, while we were chatting, that if Chun would update his blog, she might miss it. She left for Byron Bay yesterday at 10am and I'm afraid she was right. Chun did update his blog. What's more amazing is that he also updated his Wretch. Aw.
I'm just a little annoyed because I wasn't around when he posted last night. Although I had this strong feeling that he would update this week, days before their Fantasy concert. But what am I ranting about? He did update his blog, right? This is what I was waiting for in the first place. *Sighs*
Here's another pic uploaded last night which I couldn't figure out what...
After reading Calvin's blog entry, I realized that it's an ear monitor and the logo up there was the one he designed for himself.
Because of the world tour concert, we had our own ear monitor made. We were able to design our own logo on the monitor. I designed my own logo as shown in my album. What does it mean? I believe you will find out really soon. Creativity makes life more fun, right?
I wonder what the other logos look like. Cool design, Cal!
Noelle writes....
Ever since I was a little girl, I always had dreams of an empty stage, dancing shoes, spotlights and a wonderful orchestra. I even told my friends that I truly and really believe that I am a reincarnation of a 1940s musical actress who was deprived of her voice and her dancing skills upon her rebirth as me. Thus, the reason for my distinctly horrible voice and my uncoordinated left feet... Anyone who hears me sing karaoke and goes clubbing with me can attest to this. Ok, I'm straying from the topic.
I love M-U-S-I-C-A-L-S.
When I was a kid, I know no other music than that of Schonberg or Lloyd Webber or Sondheim. I dream of myself onstage, of being Kim or Christine or even Javert. I memorize the lyrics and I sing all the parts of the song which is kinda weird if you think about it but fun when you actually do it. Wait. Did I say sing? I meant attempt to sing.
Ok. Back to the topic which is the title of the blog.
I just saw the Manila version of West Side Story. And it moved me. The Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer film version is my most favorite movie of all time. I was expecting so much from this musical because no doubt about it, theatre gives so much more than what a movie can. But my excitement was ruined by my sister who saw the play earlier on and said that it was disastrous. So I went to the theatre with low expectations and a heavy heart. Skeptical of the entrance of the Jets and doubtful of the first five minutes. But once they leapt to those high jumps and the wonderful wonderful music of Sondheim filled my ears, I was captured.
The choreography was pretty much the same as the movie but seeing it live sent shivers down my spine. I wanted to kick and twirl and swing my hips (which I can't really do except in my head). And once the play began, the singer and the dancer and the actor in me plays out the parts in my head. I was Tony. I was Maria. I was Bernardo. I was Anita. I fell in love. I hated the PRs. I wanted to kill the Jets. My boyfriend died. I killed my lover's brother. I was everyone. I was everywhere. Until they started the curtain call. It ended. And I was once more myself.
Congratulations to the outstanding cast. I was very very impressed. Karylle went well and beyond my expectations. Christian Bautista did make some mistakes but he was perfectly casted as Tony that those little things could be forgiven. Rowena Vilar is a thread away from Rita Moreno. And we all know how Rita Moreno owned the character of Anita. I looked twice at Jake Macapagal's Bernardo and then looked some more. He looked so much like George Chakiris that I actually let out a little shout when he went for his bow. Gian Macapagal was good in his portrayal of Riff but I did miss the womb to tomb and birth to earth part which they left out or changed. I'm not exactly sure. Or else I just missed that part. No. Wait. They said sperm to worm instead of birth to earth. Ok, I'm rambling. I just had to add one more thing. I don't exactly remember his name but the actor who sang Get Cool was also spot on. No strain on his voice despite the breathless dance they did.
I have to stop typing cos I might just go on and on. I know this blog entry is boring but I just had to write it. I want to relive every moment.
Another confession before I end the entry. I actually looked up the cast in facebook, saw some of the cast pictures and it made me smile.
More than that, it made me sad. I will never experience the joy of performing, the exxhaustion of rehearsals, the friendship backstage and all the other things that go with it. I get stuck on the seats before the stage. In the nameless crowd. Dreaming. Singing and dancing in my head. All because I was blessed with two left feet and a distinctly horrible voice.
I could not log into Wretch earlier and I posted that screenie on Multiply already. I'm glad, not only because I knew 1010 was gonna post another comment over the weekend, but also because of the comment itself. Sweet dreams (of me) tonight.. Last time I checked his albums, he uploaded some pic of a skenk's foot wearing a copperish/goldish Prima Crocs just like Jezzy's. Ewww. Click here to see the skenk's foot. I even told Jezzy that if it was her foot, I'd kill her. Hahaha! That was totally irrelevant! I mentioned that skenk's foot because I got pissed. And now I'm not pissed anymore because I saw his post just around 3am today. Sweet dreams (of me)... Now I don't have to wonder where he got that from. Hihihi.
He also posted a picture of Bulgogi (yum yum!) and added a caption My favourite korea dish..beef bulgogi , which is very interesting because I also love Bulgogi!!! Weeeeeeeeeee!!!
Lastly, he watches Travel and Living, where he posted some pics of the world's best beaches, taken from his tv screen. I think my dream of going to the ABC is finally gonna come true!!!
Ok
since everybody has been posting pics and tickets of exciting events...i will post mine too. HA! yeah whatever! i've had a rough 3 days and i don't even wanna talk about it but here is one of the things that makes me SMILE and nervous at the same time!bwahahaha. I will be backpacking in HongKong this December for 7 freaking days!!!!! WHY HONGKONG??you should ask....and WHY NOT?! i should answer.haha. Ok this is my first ever travel by myself. YES you heard it...ALONE.weeeheeeheeeheee. so what the hell am i gonna do there for seven days? shop?hike?barhop?binge-drink?fuck and all that jazz? Maybe spend all my 13th month pay in disneyland and ocean park. UGH.
nonsense blog. just showing off. maybe luis' highschool classmate would read this and swallow her 3-swimming-pools illusion. At least this is real.bwahahaha.
Evil B
I remember the time when a friend of mine shared about her former classmate who told everyone in class that they had three big swimming pools and one of them was shaped into her name. I wish I knew the name so I would know how many letters there were that made the pool up. But that wouldn't be just three swimming pools, would it? Jeez, if this ain't a lie, then I dunno what chicken is. Speaking of which, I just ate one. LOL.
Reading through stuff on some random sites earlier, I came across another article. It says here that it isn't even an official clinical diagnosis. Does this mean there isn't any cure to this at all? Wooooh scary.
Okay, this one is no longer random. I deliberately searched for it on Google, typed in the words PATHOLOGICAL LIAR. I kinda like what's being described, or should I say advised, by the author in this article. She is just a regular person (just like you and me) and she talks about a patho (By the way, we call them pathos, okay?) friend who suffers from the condition. Here are some observations she shared that might be helpful to us get to know pathos better and distinguish them from normal people:
* They, meaning true pathos, change their story all the time.
* They will exaggerate and lie about everything, the smallest and easiest things to tell the truth about and the big serious things.
* What ever you do, they can do it better.
* They often don't value the truth, and can often live in their own type of reality.
* They will act defensively when questioned or challenged, they see their lies as not hurting anyone.
* They lie for sympathy or to seem better.
* They usually never own up to the lies.
* They contradict what they say, they lose track of the many lies told.
* They lie because they are insecure.
Insecure. Hmmm. I feel really bad for those honest people who get to be with pathos everyday. Do they even know their friends are already lying to them? Poor friends. They're being deceived and they're not aware. Boohoo.
the girl stuck in hsinchu is back to ruin your day. wak wak wak! and today, we talk about concerts. not that i'm a teeny or anything (that has to be you, Tala pft.) but i've got tickets to see Wang Lee Hom this very Friday... and then Arashi next month. Behold!!!
AAAHHHH! ... AHHHHHHH!!!! ... AAAAHhhahhHAHAHAHhahahahHHHH! -coughTEENYcough- Well, I would be 100000,000000x (that's not even a real number!!! do i care?) more excited if it's _________'s concert. but I guess the talented Mr. Hom... oh, Mr. Wang is good enough. So are the fine Arashi boys.
1: He calls himself "Musicman" like a superhero or something. So I'm kinda hoping he prances on the stage in his tight underwear (worn over tights of course... like Batman!). Okay, so I'm not really a fan. But the seats are near-ish the stage so I'm going gaga just thinking of the Leehom sweat that might splatter near the vicinity of my face (or mouth). AHHHHH!
2: Arashi~ I only know one song. And I think it's the theme from their TV drama Hana Yori Dango. I didn't even finish that series... like I only watched the first episode of Meteor Garden II. The second half/part just gets so boooo-rrrrrring. And it doesn't help that our seats are so far from the stage, it's gonna be like watching five dwarves going at it on stage, yes? I supposed scalpers got the best seats and are selling them to desperate teenies for twice the price. Again, if this were _________'s concert, I'm willing to pay that price just so I can revel at the sight of their pit stains... oh my god... even GROIN STAINS! HAHAHAHA!
by the way, by _________'s concert... of course I mean THE BEATLES! But half of them are dead (including my favorite Georgie ~RIP~) so it's not gonna happen. I so miss Beatlemania. Why wasn't I alive then?
of course this entry cares not for grammar, punctuation, parental guidance, NONE OF THAT SHIT. hackerzzz like meh don't care about none of that. bwahaha!!! well, i've blabbed enough nonsense for now. i must do some mature stuff now... like reading the bible... i'm feeling all leviticus and stuff. until next~ wak wak wak!
Calvin, I think I might have to give you up. I have fallen for Joe Jonas.
On second thought, can I just have a teeny tiny fling with him? I'm sure it will pass. My heart does not want to let you go.
Last Saturday, while listening to NU at around 5 in the morning, I heard the DJ mention that there would be some album launching at Magnet Bonifacio High Street later that night. Honestly, I did not know who was gonna be launching their first album because the only familiar band I heard was Stonefree. B is friends with their frontman, Miro, and it's been 5 months since we last saw them perform live. Remember the Gweilos incident, B? Hahaha! Guess that was the last.
B decided to call Miro up to confirm if they were really gonna be performing that night and he said Moonstar 88 would also be there. Whoa! The last time we went to Moonstar's gig was last February. Or was it January? I can hardly remember. All I know is that it was at Saguijo and I can remember Maysh's lovely light purple guitar. It had glitters on it and it was really adorable. See that?
I was just not able to take a closer shot because there were people in front and we were seated a few meters away from the stage. The band that launched their very first album was Menaya. I liked their sound. Cool to the ears and a little electro. Their vocalist is really cute. Jezzy and I were tempted to ask for a photo with him but we were shy. Yeah, that's right. I'm shy. Hehe.
Oh Jezzy brought her friend, Flaej (who was cute by the way) and we also got to meet her friend JF when we went to Meatshop after the Magnet stint. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Beanie Boy there. But hey, 3 straight Saturdays at Meatshop? Hahaha! I don't think there's a fourth eh Jezz?
Here are more fangirl pics...
Till next time! Bolinao, here we come! Again! LOL.
