Thoughts on Reproductive Health Bill

No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother.

~Margaret Sanger

Why, this is heavy. I decided to formulate my opinion about the Reproductive Health Bill in the Philippines. 1 because I am a Filipino. 2, I want to exercise demolishing the indifference nature, now prominent to most of us. Indifference is like a disease that keeps spreading and infecting the mentalities of the common folk and would hide and camouflaged itself behind our fundamentalist views and ignorance. I admit, I do too sometimes. Every time I hear any news of politics, I would sometimes shrug it off and leave it to people who give a crap and people who are full of crap. But turning my back doesn’t make it unreal though. It would still bug me out eventually (when I least expected it). That’s why somehow I’d like to contribute, even just a little, and cultivate a self revolution against these so called mental-diseases.

The Reproductive Health bills, popularly known as the RH Bill, are Philippine Bills aiming to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care. The bills have become the center of a contentious national debate. There are presently two bills with the same goals: House Bill No. 4244 or An Act Providing for a Comprehensive Policy on Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health, and Population and Development, and For Other Purposes introduced by Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman, and Senate Bill No. 2378 or An Act Providing For a National Policy on Reproductive Health and Population and Development introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. (Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

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“Let us adopt the project of theological feminism, by searching the tradition for what has contributed to female subjugation. Uncontrolled pregnancies is certainly one of them. Jesus himself was radically open to woman. Jesus was a revolutionary who accepted women as equal, and rejected any use of God to perpetuate patriarchal or hierarchical relationships.”

– Sen. Miriam Santiago

… Sometimes I wonder why women contradicts the legislation of this bill when it actually favors them. I may not be a law or pol sci grad, but the way I see it, the Philippine Constitution actually seem not fair to the woman’s role in this society.

I won’t say or add anything regarding the need to control of our population ( Though I agree anyway), rather, I’d like to focus on the impact it would be to girls who are victimized by sexual abuse.. to give rape victims a better chance to heal from their ordeal.

Research studies conducted in schools show that for every 3 Filipino children, one child experiences abuse. During the first semester of 1999 alone, there were 2,393 children who fell prey to rape, attempted rape, incest, acts of lasciviousness and prostitution.

We can’t fathom how it feels like because we never experienced it… But imagine if you’ve been raped and there’s a possibility you’d be carrying a bastard of a devil.. and that scumbag who raped you, possibly, has sexually transmitted a disease. What’s worse you’re only a 12 year old. Of course, being a child, you’ll look for someone to help you out prevent the abomination, an abortionist perhaps or maybe some herbal moon tea or whatever you call it.

… How this bill would help them out? Institutions to guide and give access to emergency contraception (EC). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines EC as a method of preventing pregnancy. According to WHO, EC does not interrupt pregnancy, therefore, it is not considered a method of abortion. For a possible of transmission of a disease: Access to life-saving supplies Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and anti-retrovirals and access to information regarding HIV prevention and treatment will be made available through a comprehensive RH law.

Adolescent girls aged 18 years and below are considered high risk pregnancies. Complications due to high blood and maternal mortality are high for these girls giving birth. They also sometimes disregard basic pre-natal and post-natal care thereby putting themselves at risk and adding to occurrence of infant mortality. The social impact of early childbirth for adolescent girls includes disruption of schooling and the resulting lack of career options due to low educational attainment and lack of necessary job skills.

And I think, Increased access to information and services on modern contraceptive methods will diminish or rather eliminate the need for abortion, and prevent maternal deaths.

If this is bill becomes a law, the legislature can appropriate the necessary budget to enforce this, so that, not only the wealthy can avail of the family planning given by this law but also the poor people.

Why would I let religious dogma dictates the future of the state when it was already said that they should be separated. They sure love to assert themselves. We’re evolving and we have to take a step forward and let go of this religious inhibition. The reproductive bill is pro life in all its sense. That’s the way I see it.. That’s how I believe it..