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Non-inclusion of RH Bill in the initial 12 Priority Measures submitted to LEDAC is not a setback

Press Statements
  • Office of Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
  • Tel No. 4155455
  • 0916-6406737/0918-9120137
  • 08 February 2011

 

            The non-inclusion of the Reproductive Health bill in the initial 12 priority measures of Malacañang for submission to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) is not a setback.

           What is important is that President Aquino has not backtracked from his endorsement of responsible parenthood, which is a component of reproductive health, and voluntary family planning based on freedom of choice of methods, both natural and modern modes.

           Responsible parenthood refers to the right of parents to freely and responsibly determine the number and spacing of their children to adequately respond to the needs and aspirations of the family.

           Almost 44 years ago the Philippines was a signatory to the Teheran Declaration which provided that reproductive health and family planning are basic and universal human rights.

           Freedom of informed choice is central to the substitute bill on “Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development”, which was overwhelmingly approved last week by the House Committee on Population and Family Relations.