REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BILL: AGAINST CHURCH’S TEACHING

The Reproductive Health bill or Responsible Parenthood bill or popularly known

as the RH bill is a proposed bill here in the Philippines seeking an assurance to
universal access to information and methods on maternal care and birth control. The bill
has become the center of a controversial national debate. This bill was introduced
by Albay 1st district Representative Edcel Lagman. The Senate has also another
version of this bill. It is known as Senate Bill No. 2378 or the Reproductive Health
Act having Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago as its principal author. One of the main
concerns of the bill, according to the Explanatory Note, is that population of the
Philippines makes it “the 12th most populous nation in the world today”, that the Filipino
women’s fertility rate is “at the upper bracket of 206 countries.” It states that studies and
surveys “show that the Filipinos are responsive to having smaller-sized families through
free choice of family planning methods.” It also refers to studies which “show that rapid
population growth exacerbates poverty while poverty spawns rapid population growth.”
And so it aims for improved quality of life through a “consistent and coherent national
population policy.”

Majority of the Filipinos are in favor of family planning. However, The Catholic
Church teaches the necessity of responsible parenthood and correct family planning,
while at the same time teaching that large families are a sign of God's blessings. It
teaches that modern natural family planning, a method of fertility awareness, is in
accord with God's design, as couples give themselves to each other as they are. The
RH bill intends to help couples to have government funded access to artificial
contraception methods which is opposed by the Catholic Church because RH Bill is
against the church’s teachings and principles.

Reproductive Health Bill is wrong because of the following reasons. First, it

assumes that the Philippines is overpopulated. An example scenario of which is
Students in public schools are well educated because the teacher to student ratio is
very low. In fact, because of our low population the government can basically guarantee
that all public school students are provided books, notebooks and other school supplies.
Second, it assumes that contraceptives are good for mankind and women. The RH Bill
is not good for women because it might draw a woman away from her one, true,
universal purpose – the uninterrupted production of healthy babies. Furthermore, the
role of women in society and the universe is to make babies. That’s why God made
women. That’s their sole purpose in life. They’re not good for anything else. Ever
wonder why there are no women in the clergy? It’s because they’re not good enough.
Contraceptives would allow women to enjoy the benefits of physical intimacy while
maintaining a successful and productive career, if she so chooses. That is so wrong.
Only men should be able to enjoy that privilege. Women should get pregnant every
single time they have sex and only immoral women enjoy sex without the possibility of
conception. Third, it will put Filipinos at risk of extinction. Population decline is just bad
for nations. Just look at the countries which have a declining population – Italy, Japan
and Singapore. They’re in such a bad shape. The Philippines obviously has a better
economy and has a higher literacy rate than these countries. In fact, many Italians,
Japanese, and Singaporeans go to the Philippines for work. That only goes to show that
a decline in population is bad for the economy. Fourth, Our population is our biggest
asset. The best way a person can contribute to his country is to contribute to its
population. Fifth, it assumes that reproductive education and contraceptives will
effectively reduce cases of abortion. Reproductive/contraceptive education will have no
effect on the number of abortion cases. These abortion cases will not lessen because
women will continue to have abortions regardless of whether they are pregnant or not.
Abortions cannot be prevented. It’s just something that women naturally do. Sixth, it will
make people participate in extra-marital and pre-marital sex. By approving the RH Bill,
we as a nation, are practically encouraging our people to engage in immoral activities.
We must protect our moral values and reject the RH Bill Seventh, it assumes that
parents don’t teach their children about sex. Eighth, it is a conspiracy. Ninth, because
the Catholic Church said so, and they are never wrong.

As Christians, we should not allow anyone nor anything to destroy what God has
made. RH Bill is against God’s plan for mankind and as such must be stopped. As what
Blessed John Paul II have said, “Human life is precious because it is the gift of God
whose love is infinite: and when God gives life, it is forever. Life is also precious
because it is the expression and the fruit of love. This is why life should spring up within
the setting of marriage, and why marraiage and the parent’s love for one other should
be marked by generosity in self-giving.”