Inquirer, today...
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/240375/...-on-rh-bill-up
The only properly organised political party in the Philippines is the Catholic Bishops Conference.
In the past, much of the planet was ruled by the priests; now only the Philippines and the Vatican City (age of consent - 12) remain under the thumb of the men in frocks.
But the Filipinos are still drugged by the opiate of the masses.
The future of the Philippines rests on this bill...
Depressing indeed. The description of the RH Bill at one point in your link as “ responsible health bill “ was inadvertent, but accurate ! “ Family planning “ may no longer be “ fashionable “ with implied coercive population control. Whatever it’s called, the fact is we’re dealing with health of mums and kids (http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....ippines-and-UK ). In countries like the Philippines where big families are the norm, many parents say they want fewer children. Direct health benefits are clear – if a woman conceives within 18 months of childbirth, chances of miscarriage, still birth, low birth weight, and poor infant health are increased. “ Family planning “ is also cost-effective – modern contraception saves in maternal and newborn healthcare. Lack of it holds back countries like the Philippines. There are large numbers of dependents, and the country misses out on the “ demographic dividend “ of increase in working-age adults, with fewer children. Where I have difficulty is in defending, or understanding, the alternative viewpoint – that the RH Bill should be blocked.
Why is the CBCP so powerful?
History offers a clue.
The Spanish colonial system differed from the British system which the Americans imitated and sought to improve in the Philippines. The Spanish system had the Church at the forefront of colonial rule, whilst the British really cared very little about the religion of their colonial subjects - a point remarked on by, amongst others, the Sultan of Sulu (Moslem) and Diego Silang (Catholic). With Spanish rule, the Church was an integral part of the system of governance - Spain did not have District Officers, it did not need them; it had friars.
Now, in the Spanish colonies in the Americas, the overthrow of colonial Spain meant the overthrow of the temporal powers of the Church, and usually a period of strong anticlericalism.
But the Philippines revolted and got - the Americans, who took a "British" view of religion, and left the Catholic Church alone. Birshop Brent, the American colonisers' first Bishop of the Philippines, expressly stated that he "did not want a battle of the altars", discouraged Episcopal proselytisation of Catholics and instead set about converting the hill peoples, whom the Catholic Church could not be bothered with for the previous three hundred years (they were not worth taxing...)
(So the hill tribes are Episcopalian to this day; and proponents of the RH Bill have visited the mountain provinces and discovered that, yes, thanks to the devolved powers of local government, they have contraception and sex education and yes, they like it very much! But thatarguent cuts no ice with the Catholic Bishops, of course)
The upshot was that the Catholic Church in the Philippines was left in an uniquely strong position - it preserved its prvileges and powers, and the anticlericalism of Rizal was forgotten.
And here we are today - the Philippines is a colony of the Catholic Church.
Nicely put.Originally Posted by CBM
A bit off topic but why is it that Spanish isn't the dominant language in the Philippines (instead of Visayan and Tagalog) ? Like in say for example Cuba.
It's usually put down to Spanish being replaced as the official language by English, during the period of American rule.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish...he_Philippines
My Filipino wife conceived 3 months after childbirth...when our 2nd son was born he was neither underweight or had any of the other defects stated.......perhaps I may of missed something again
If the parents seriously dont want anymore babies they are certainly not obliged to...there's always the withdrawal method..ok, its not 100% but then what is...also you can also chose to have sex at certain times of the month...all without taking aids to offend the church....its as simple as that.
Me thinks the goverment is passing the buck when in fact the goverment should be ploughing money into sex education etc
The poor church is being made a scapegoat
gWaPito – you welcomed me when I first joined the forum and have kindly supported my posts ever since. As you know I’m happy that things have worked out so well for you and your family. In the UK we expect high standards of health care with our NHS, even if they’re not always reached. I wish you all the best for your future
You haven’t necessarily missed anything. I know you appreciated #1 of my thread (
http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....ippines-and-UK
) although maybe you haven’t had a chance to read my next few posts ( #5, #14. and #17 ).
Ideally, every person should have the right and an equitable opportunity to live a healthy, productive, and fulfilling life. Unfortunately the Philippines does not compare well with other south-east Asian countries, and certainly not the UK, when it comes to health of mums and kids, let alone other measures of health.
Methods of family planning should be available for all women who would like to use them. It contributes to improving health of mums and kids; allows women to take part more in economic productivity; and helps families invest more in education of their children. Family planning also slows high levels of population growth, improves overall health, and reduces poverty and hunger.
It’s about listening to what parents want, not dictating what they should do, helping women and their partners to decide freely when and how many children they want to have. “ Natural family planning “ may be acceptable to all faiths and cultures, but has disadvantages ( in reality only 75% effective, requires commitment from both members of a couple, doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections ). “ Withdrawal “ ( coitus interruptus ) has similar disadvantages.
It’s a shame threads on this topic have also “ multiplied / reproduced “ and not been merged. I’ve given time already to it – as have other members - and tried to avoid politics / religion wherever possible. This is not least because there are MANY aspects to improving health of this important group of people.
GwaPiTo, it's the Church that has been firmly against sex education in schools.
The RH Bill proposes to introduce it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_Health_Bill
and the Church opposes it.
Incidentally, whilst I am the first to agree that the Church does a lot of good work, and I would particularly like to commend the Salesians,
http://www.donboscomanila.edu.ph/links.html
but I am not sure about the "poor" Church... as in France before 1789, the Church is not taxed on its investments. I'm obliged to a Filipino friend for this link to a Philippines web site:
http://www.pinoymoneytalk.com/church...wealth-stocks/
I think it is simple. Stop the rapidly expanding population growth by what is the normal means in other countries, or continue to struggle as a nation. It needs government intervention and some backing off by the church.
lastlid is absolutely right.
Here is the World Bank table of live births per 1,000 citizens:
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.CBRT.IN
It repays study.
Looking at Catholic countries, we find (number of live births per 1,000 for 2010):
Argentina: 17
Austria: 9
Belgium: 12
Brazil: 15
France: 13
Chile: 14
Ireland:17
Italy: 9
Portugal:10
Spain: 11
Philippines: 25
All the other countries in the list are most definitely Catholic, and they all have something similar to the RH Bill on their statute books.
I've already posted statistics which show that the Philippines has a much higher rate of teenage pregnancy and of abortion than the UK has.
Why does the Catholic Church think that its Filipino members ought to be denied the freedom of choice available to Catholics in almost all other countries?
Very profound statement.
Thank you Doc Alan for explaininggWaPito – you welcomed me when I first joined the forum and have kindly supported my posts ever since
You haven’t necessarily missed anything. I know you appreciated #1 of my thread (
http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....ippines-and-UK
) although maybe you haven’t had a chance to read my next few posts ( #5, #14. and #17 ).
Ideally, every person should have the right and an equitable opportunity to live a healthy, productive, and fulfilling life. Unfortunately the Philippines does not compare well with other south-east Asian countries, and certainly not the UK, when it comes to health of mums and kids, let alone other measures of health.
Methods of family planning should be available for all women who would like to use them. It contributes to improving health of mums and kids; allows women to take part more in economic productivity; and helps families invest more in education of their children. Family planning also slows high levels of population growth, improves overall health, and reduces poverty and hunger.
It’s about listening to what parents want, not dictating what they should do, helping women and their partners to decide freely when and how many children they want to have. “ Natural family planning “ may be acceptable to all faiths and cultures, but has disadvantages ( in reality only 75% effective, requires commitment from both members of a couple, doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections ). “ Withdrawal “ ( coitus interruptus ) has similar disadvantages.
It’s a shame threads on this topic have also “ multiplied / reproduced “ and not been merged. I’ve given time already to it – as have other members - and tried to avoid politics / religion wherever possible. This is not least because there are MANY aspects to improving health of this important group of people.
Equally, thanks to CBM and lastlid...as most of you know all my posts are on the hoof
Im trying to do the contributions I reply to , justice...
Opponents of the RH Bill sometimes say that the birth rate is high because the Philippines is poor, and when he country gets richer, the birth rate will fall (in the absence of contraception, this will presumably because the television will get better?)
Here are some numbers for GDP per head in US$ and live births per 1,000:
Philippines: 4,073................. 25
Malaysia: 15,568................20
Vietnam: 3,359................17
Thailand: 9,396................12
Cambodia 2,216................22
Indonesia 4,666................18
China 8,0000..............12
Singapore 59,000..............9
Well, yeah, but it won't get less poor till it reigns back on the birth rate.
Thanks!Thank you Doc Alan for explaining
Equally, thanks to CBM and lastlid...as most of you know all my posts are on the hoof
Im trying to do the contributions I reply to , justice...
Absolutely!
(Malaysia is out of line because it has oil)
I have re-arranged the numbers in descending order of number of live births per 1,000 per annum - the other figures are GDP per head in US$ :
Philippines: 4,073................. 25
Malaysia: 15,568.................20*
Cambodia 2,216................22
Brunei: 49,385...............19*
Indonesia 4,666................18
Vietnam: 3,359.................17
(Ireland: 38.369.................17)
Thailand: 9,396..................12
(China: 8,0000.................12)
(UK: 36,090.................12)
(Hong Kong: 49137................13**
Singapore: 59,000..................9
* Brunei and Malaysia are major oil and gas exporters.
**Hong Kong's birth rate is distorted upwards by Mainland mothers choosing to give birth there so that their children get right of abode there.
Interesting commentary from a liberal Filipino website which disagrees with the CBCP's count of legislators voting against..
http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/9675-...atholic-church
Presumably they don't have polls like we have in the UK?
Yes, they do, but unlike the House of Commons where the Whip system is well developed, so a "rebellion" is planned in advance and the numbers are known, the Congress and the Senate are really assemblies of independents, so predicting how they will vote is much harder because they can easily change their minds, with no penalty.
Good BBC programme, here:
Thanks CBMIf only all members could spare the time to view this, and all threads on the topic could be merged.
I will get a squint at this after work....
President and the Pulpit. Yes, I saw this a few months back, watched it through with my wife. Bishop Bacani? Amazing.
I think I saw it on TV. A Kate McGeown programme.
http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....=Bishop+Bacani
About 19 / 20 minutes in, on remedies, is quite alarming. Pampa Regla to control pregnancies. Right outside the church.....
So, lets say the bill gets passed with or without the church's blessing...you you honestly think the Philippine population are going start popping the birth pills and the guys gonna start wearing condoms at will?
I really dont think so....these anti contraception measures run deep in there minds...its been known for women to completely give intercou a miss rather than take contraceptives measures..no goverment bill is gonna change this mindset overnight..even over decades
It isnt just about that. It is also about education and raising awareness. Sure it wont happen overnight.
"The basic content of the Consolidated Reproductive Health Bill is divided into the following sections.
Title
Declaration of Policy
Guiding Principles
Definition of Terms
Midwives for Skilled Attendance
Emergency Obstetric Care
Access to Family Planning
Maternal and Newborn Health Care in Crisis Situations
Maternal Death Review
Family Planning Supplies as Essential Medicines
Procurement and Distribution of Family Planning Supplies
Integration of Family Planning and Responsible Parenthood Component in Anti-Poverty Programs
Roles of Local Government in Family Planning Programs
Benefits for Serious and Life-Threatening Reproductive Health Conditions
Mobile Health Care Service
Mandatory Age-Appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education
Additional Duty of the Local Population Officer
Certificate of Compliance
Capability Building of Barangay Health Workers
Ideal Family Size
Employers’ Responsibilities
Pro Bono Services for Indigent Women
Sexual And Reproductive Health Programs For Persons With Disabilities (PWDs)
Right to Reproductive Health Care Information
Implementing Mechanisms
Reporting Requirements
Congressional Oversight Committee
Prohibited Acts
Penalties
Appropriations
Implementing Rules and Regulations
Separability Clause
Repealing Clause
Effectivity
Summary of major provisions
The bill mandates the government to “promote, without bias, all effective natural and modern methods of family planning that are medically safe and legal.”
Although abortion is recognized as illegal and punishable by law, the bill states that “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.”
The bill calls for a “multi-dimensional approach” integrates a component of family planning and responsible parenthood into all government anti-poverty programs.
Under the bill, age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education is required from grade five to fourth year high school using “life-skills and other approaches.”
The bill also mandates the Department of Labor and Employment to guarantee the reproductive health rights of its female employees. Companies with less than 200 workers are required to enter into partnership with health care providers in their area for the delivery of reproductive health services.
Employers with more than 200 employees shall provide reproductive health services to all employees in their own respective health facilities. Those with less than 200 workers shall enter into partnerships with health professionals for the delivery of reproductive health services. Employers shall inform employees of the availability of family planning services. They are also obliged to monitor pregnant working employees among their workforce and ensure they are provided paid half-day prenatal medical leaves for each month of the pregnancy period that they are employed.
The national government and local governments will ensure the availability of reproductive health care services, including family planning and prenatal care.
Any person or public official who prohibits or restricts the delivery of legal and medically safe reproductive health care services will be meted penalty by imprisonment or a fine."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_Health_Bill
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