Rafael P.

Quinto April 1, 2009

Thesis Statement: Reproductive Health Bill (House Bill 5043) should not be approved by the

Congress because it does not only violate a lot of moral ethics, but it can also bring possible

downfall of the country’s economy.

Reproductive Health Bill (House Bill 5043): Its Impact on Moral Issues and Economy

Convinced that our country needs a cure for poverty and economic downfall, Rep. Edcel

C. Lagman proposes the “Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008”. He

believes that this bill will improve the quality of living in our country provided that we are said

to be overpopulated. Together with his cohorts of lobbyists, they assert that the bill is neither

anti-life nor anti-family, that contraceptives are not life threatening, and that the bill could

provide quality of life. Well, I say, do not approve the bill because it does not only violate a lot

of moral ethics, but it can also bring possible downfall of the country’s economy.

The bill promotes contraception; that alone can open up many arguments on the country’s

culture, tradition, and even law. We all know that the Catholic Church, which is the main

religion in the Philippines, stands against the bill because it contains unethical ideas such as the

promotion of contraceptives. Take note, contraception is wrong not because the Church has

banned it; the Church banned it because it is wrong. Nowadays, many Filipino women, even

Catholics, are asking for contraceptives, but does that mean it is now right to use them just

because many are demanding? Does that mean right and wrong can now be reduced to what we

like and dislike?

The bill violates moral ethics towards mother and child. “Human life begins at

fertilization” (Records of the Constitutional Commission, Vol. VI, September 18, 1986, pp. 761,
801). Lagman said in a House Hearing that the bill would protect human life from implantation.

According to an article wrote by Jo Imbong, the executive secretary of the Legal office of the

Catholic Bishop’s conference of the Philippines and the consultant to the CBCP Episcopal

Commission on Family and Life, contraceptive Pills and IUD hinder implantation of the embryo

in the uterus, thereby precipitating the embryo’s destruction. That is abortion. And “every

child…needs appropriate legal protection before, as well as after birth” (UN Convention on the

Rights of a Child).

Lagman made it clear that the bill is not life-threatening. The Mayo Foundation found

that oral contraceptives are associated with an increase risk of breast cancer. Depo-Provera

increases a woman’s risk of Chlamydia and gonorrhea. Oral contraceptives containing

cyproterone increase risk of deep venous blood clots. Levonorgestrel is banned in this country as

the Bureau of Food and Drugs found it to be abortifacient. Life-threatening ectopic pregnancies

occur in mothers long after undergoing tubal ligation, particularly those sterilized before age 30.

All of these researches are facts and yet the bill declares “Hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine

devices, injectibles and other allied reproductive health products and supplies shall be considered

under the category of essential medicines and supplies” (House Bill 5043, section 10).

The bill targets the improvement of the quality of life, especially for the poor, the needy,

and the marginalized. Is this the best solution the state can provide; Is this the practical way of

improving the quality of living, or is this the easy way out? What the poor really need are jobs,

skills, education, profitable opportunities, nutrition and essential medicines, NOT

CONTRACEPTIVES. Be aware that “the State has a duty to protect the citizens against

dangerous substances” (Constitution, Article XVI, section 9).

 How about our economy, will this bill really improve it? Births are below replacement

level in most first world countries. Europe, in general, is literally called the continent of the aged,

because birth rates are lower than death rates. In the United States, there will come a time that

the whites will be called the minority. In Singapore, Lee Kwan Yew’s famous “STOP AT TWO”

has now evolved into “HAVE FOUR OR MORE!” These are only some of the many countries

who realized that Populations need to be large to gain better services. So, is population control

really the answer for economic growth? No! It is Development Aid. Poverty is often caused by

poor organization and incompetent and corrupt governments, not by too many people.

“Increase the numerator, not decrease the denominator”, says Dr. Bernardo Villegas in a

forum about the reproductive health bill conducted in de La Salle University – College of St.

Benilde. This concept of numerator over denominator pertains to development over population.

Philippines is not a third world country because it is overpopulated, but there is simply a lack of

development progress that is taking place which should support the nation. If the government

thinks that the Philippines is overpopulated, they better think again. It is Metro Manila that is

overcrowded, not the Philippines. Why? It is because development only takes place in Metro

Manila. The government should increase the numerator. The government should develop the

provinces. In this way Filipinos coming from outside of Manila will not have to go all the way

there to find opportunities, thus decreasing the so called overpopulation in Manila; and with this,

economic growth would naturally follow because development wouldn’t only take place in

Metro Manila but in the whole country. The decrease of denominator will not only hinder the

country’s economy from growing, it will also put a drop to it.

The bill gives us the impression that development should stop here. Hence, population

should be cut because a lot of citizens may not be accommodated by the available opportunities.
If this will be the mentality of the nation, then that nation is simply wasting time hoping for a

better future. Then what should be a proper mentality? If population is growing, then it means

that it is time for development growth as well.

If the congress passes the bill, women should be prepared to face all the possible life-

threatening effects of contraceptives. If the congress passes the bill, the poor should be prepared

to accept that nothing awaits for them in this country. If the congress passes the bill, the country

should be prepared to face its erasure in the surface of the earth.

REFERENCES:

Imbong, J. Reckless and irresponsible. October 3, 2008,

http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view/20080816-

155092/Church-reply-to-reproductive-health-bill-facts-fallacies.

Survey on right and wrong. March 27, 2009. http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?

page=homepage_sept24_2008.

It is killing us! The reality behind the overpopulation myth. March 27, 2009.

http://www.cqnet.com.au/~user/dancasey/Pro-lifeStudentInformation.html.