RH Bill in the Philippines Chrisheil C. Acal Seventy percent of the Philippine Society says yes to the Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill) while the rest thirty percent consistently oppose the bill which keeps the society divided. The proposed RH bill is comprises of six bills which was currently filed in both House of Representative and Senete of the 15th Congress. Among the provisions , the most controversial are Sec. which states the access to family planning, Sec. 10 which is about The family planning supplies as Essential Medicine and Sec. 16 which mandates the Age-appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education which then can be found on the House Bill 96 also known as “Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2010″which was authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman. Sec. states that all accredited health facilities shall provide the full range of modern family planning methods except in specialty hospitals which may render such services on an optional basis. After the use of any PhilHealth benefit involving childbirth and all other pregnancy related services, if the beneficiary wishes to space or prevent her next pregnancy, PhilHealth shall pay for the full cost of family planning. On the other hand Sec. 0 which is about the family planning supplies as essential medicine states that products and suplies for modern family planning method shall be part of the National Drug Formulary and the same shall be included in the regular purchase of essential medicines and supplies for of all national and local hospitals and other government health units. Lastly, the Sec. 16 which tells about the age appropriate foe sexuality education which must be taught by adequately trained teachers in formal and non-formal educational system starting from grade five up to fourth year higschool .
It covers topic about values formation, knowledge and skills in self protection against discrimination, sexual violence and abuse and teen pregnancy,physical, social and emotional changes in adolescents, children’s and women’s rights, fertility awareness, STI, HIV and AIDS, population and development , responsible relationship, family planning methods, proscription and hazards of abortion , gender and development and responsible parenthood.
If people only understand and forsee the improvement and development that this Reproductive Health Bill will bring the country,they would rather go for it. Maybe, the government still lacks on informing and making the citizens understand a issue. The country by then wouldn’t be divided, rather it would be united as one which has one goal of improving its peoples life.
