- Office of Minority Leader Edcel C. Lagman
- 0916-6406737 / 0918-9120137
- Official Website: http://www.edcellagman.com.ph
- 20 November 2010
President Benigno Aquino III needs to be complemented and supported for standing firm against the Catholic hierarchy in his advocacy for responsible parenthood and contraceptive use based on freedom of informed choice.
The steadfast position of the President on voluntary family planning is an unequivocal endorsement for the enactment of a comprehensive and nationwide statute on reproductive health and population development.
All of the six allied bills on reproductive health and family planning in the House of Representatives have been scheduled for consideration by the Committee on Population and Family Relations on November 24 and December 1, 2010.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. has repeatedly committed to prioritize the bills and call for a plenary vote on a consolidated measure without delay.
As principal author of House Bill No. 96, the first of the six RH bills filed in the 15th Congress, I salute the President for his unwavering commitment for the adoption of a national policy on reproductive health and family planning.
The Philippines is the only remaining middle income country in Southeast Asia without a complete and comprehensive national policy on reproductive health.
The enactment of a national law on reproductive health which is rights-based, health-oriented and human development-driven will enable the Philippines to improve its chances of meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).