Bigger budget for population control pushed
By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:34:00 09/07/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman is making another pitch for his controversial population control bill in the House of Representatives’ deliberations on the proposed P1.4-trillion budget for 2009.
Describing as "miniscule" the existing allocation of P1.299 billion in the current budget, the lawmaker wants Malacañang to give priority to reproductive health programs in the 2009 budget.
"The inordinate multitude of beneficiaries virtually sours the delectability of the budget pie," he said in a statement. "The expanding population impacts adversely on all indicators of human development and imperils food security."
Lagman cited Malacañang’s centerpiece program dubbed "FIELDS," an acronym for fertilizers, irrigation, extension services, loans, driers and post-harvest facilities, and seeds which has been aimed at attaining food security.
He said the administration should also give equal importance to "fertility reduction, informed choice on all forms of family planning, eradication of violence against women, lower population growth rate, decrease in abortion rates and maternal and child mortality, and sexuality education."
"There is a need to augment the appropriation for family planning in order that the government can attain its MTPDP and MDG targets," said referring to the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan and the Millennium Development Goals, respectively.
Lagman was shopping for more allocations for population control programs even if his pet bill had yet to be calendared for plenary deliberations.
He claimed that as of last week, it already had "close to 100" signatories from the 238-member lower house.
Last Wednesday, some congressmen opposed to the measure finally came out in the open in a "pro-life" Mass concelebrated by three Roman Catholic bishops at the North Wing lobby of the Batasan Complex.
Calling themselves the "Pro-Life Caucus," lawmakers led by Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita vowed to block Lagman’s bill in the plenary.
"With God on our side, everything is possible and we will win in the end," he told a crowd of around 100 people at the end of the Mass.
In attendance were Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, chair of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Commission on Family and Life, and Bishops Manolo de los Santos of Virac, Catanduanes, and Antonio Tobias of Novaliches.
Aniceto said there would no longer be any dialogue between Catholic bishops and Lagman’s group following the congressman’s pronouncement that he would never bend on his advocacy, particularly in promoting contraceptive use.
The Catholic Church is against the use of all contraceptives, including condoms which are being promoted by the Department of Health to prevent the spread of the AIDS-causing HIV virus.
Late last month, a group of Filipino Catholics came out in support of pending legislation on reproductive health with the launching of the "RH Speak Out!" movement in Intramuros, Manila.
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