“I respect the opinion
of my wife. She’s there to protect her district. Malabon is over
populated,” says Cong. Noel.
It was learned that
there are 6 bills pertaining to reproductive health and/or population
management that have been filed for deliberation in both the House of
Representatives and the Senate for the 15th Congress.
The most controversial
of these bills is House Bill No. 96 authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman.
House Bill No. 96, also known as the proposed "Reproductive Health and
Population and Development Act of 2010," which cover the following
areas such as the midwives of skilled attendance, emergency obstetric
care, access to family planning, maternal death review, family
planning supplies as essential medicines, benefits for serious and
life-threatening reproductive health conditions, mobile health care
service, mandatory age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality
education, responsibility of local family planning office and
certificate of compliance, capability building of barangay health
workers, ideal family size, employer’s responsibilities, multi-media
campaign, implementing mechanisms, reporting requirements, prohibited
acts and penalties.
Among the provisions
cited, Noel said that Rep. Lagman has made an assurance to edit out
the penalties in the controversial bill.
The solon does not
consider the country’s population as a problem as he believes that it
can be an advantage in the labor sector both local and abroad.
The high competency
level of Filipinos in the employment industry globally should be
maximized, he added.
He also said that the
country has enough resources and RH bill talks more on appropriations.
With how the lower house squabbles over the issue, there is now doubt
if the bill could pass it into law.
In his assessment,
Metro Manila area strongly supports it,
Luzon provinces is 50-50, while Regions 6, 7 and 8 is anti.
Should the bill get
no support from the majority; an alternate legislation that can be
used is the Magna Carta for Women, Noel concluded.
