The RH Bill: The Pros And Cons Without The Drama!

The Reproductive Health bill, popularly known as the RH bill, is a Philippine bill aiming to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care. The bill has become the center of a contentious national debate. There are presently two bills with the same goals: House Bill No. 96 or the Reproductive Health Act and Population and Development Act of 2010 introduced by Albay 1st district representative Edcel Lagman, and Senate Bill No. 2378 or the Reproductive Health Act introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

Position Of The World Health Organization (WHO):

"Family planning allows individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of involuntary infertility. A woman’s ability to space and limit her pregnancies has a direct impact on her health and well-being as well as on the outcome of each pregnancy."

World Health Organization

Key facts

• An estimated 200 million couples in developing countries would like to delay or stop childbearing but are not using any method of contraception.
• Some family planning methods help prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
• Family planning reduces the need for unsafe abortion.
• Family planning reinforces people’s rights to determine the number and spacing of their children.

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Family planning allows people to attain their desired number of children and determine the spacing of pregnancies. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of infertility (this fact sheet focuses on contraception).

Benefits of family planning

Quality family planning services bring a wide range of benefits to women, their families and society.

Preventing pregnancy-related health risks in women

A woman’s ability to space and limit her pregnancies has a direct impact on her health and well-being. Family planning allows spacing of pregnancies and can delay pregnancies in young women at increased risk of health problems and death from early childbearing. This reduces maternal mortality.

Reducing infant mortality

Family planning can prevent closely spaced and ill-timed pregnancies and births, which contribute to some of the world’s highest infant mortality rates. Infants of mothers who die as a result of giving birth also have a greater risk of death and poor health.

Helping to prevent HIV/AIDS

Family planning reduces the risk of unintended pregnancies among women living with HIV, resulting in fewer infected babies and orphans. In addition, male and female condoms provide dual protection against unintended pregnancies and against STIs including HIV.

Reducing the need for unsafe abortion

By reducing rates of unintended pregnancies, family planning reduces the need for unsafe abortion, which accounts for 13% of global maternal mortality.

Empowering people

Family planning enables people to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health.

Reducing adolescent pregnancies

Pregnant adolescents are more likely to have preterm or low birth-weight babies. Babies born to adolescents have higher rates of neonatal mortality. Many adolescent girls who become pregnant have to leave school. This has long-term implications for them as individuals, their families and communities.

Slowing population growth

Family planning is key to slowing unsustainable population growth and the resulting negative impacts on the economy, environment, and national and regional development efforts.

The Catholic Position On The RH Bill

MISCONCEPTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS by Rev. Fr. Gregory D. Gaston, STD

The world is overpopulated. Global population will soar to 11.9 billion by 2050 . "Yet this is not the full story. To the contrary, in fact. Across the globe, people are having fewer and fewer children. Fertility rates have dropped by half since 1972, from six children per woman to 2.9. And demographers say they're still falling, faster than ever. The world's population will continue to grow—from today's 6.4 billion to around 9 billion in 2050. But after that, it will go sharply into decline. Indeed, a phenomenon that we're destined to learn much more about—depopulation—has already begun in a number of countries. Welcome to the New Demography. It will change everything about our world, from the absolute size and power of nations to global economic growth to the quality of our lives." [Michael Meyer, "Birth Dearth," in Newsweek, September 27, 2004, p. 58. Since the 1970's, several demographers, economists, and other experts have been informing the public of these trends.]

Overpopulation is a scientific fact. Not overpopulation, but population ageing and underpopulation.

Our population growth rate of 2.04% is extremely high. The CIA gives a much lower estimate of 1.728% (World Factbook Country Listing of 2008, available on the internet).

We should aim for a Zero Population Growth Rate . Zero Population Growth Rate will make the Filipino race at first extremely old, and then rare, and finally extinct.

Filipino families have too many children. The UN Population Division figures indicate that it is not an exaggeration to say that as early as now the Philippine Total Fertility Rate [children per woman] is already dangerously low. Whereas in the early 1970's the average Filipina had six children, today she has around three, and in another 20 years, only two. Shortly after 2020, or just fifteen years from now, the Philippine TFR will sink below its replacement level of around 2.29." [Rev. Fr. Gregory D. Gaston, STD, World Population Collapse: Lessons for the Philippines, in Familia et Vita, vol. XII (2007) no. 2, pp. 84-113, paragraph no. 22. Henceforth referred to as WPC and paragraph number.]

Having two children should be the ideal family size. SEC. 16. Ideal Family Size. – The State shall assist couples, parents and individuals to achieve their desired family size within the context of responsible parenthood for sustainable development and encourage them to have two children as the ideal family size.

As of now the Philippines' total fertility rate, or children per woman, is projected to go below replacement (2.29 children per woman) by 2025. After that we will experience the population ageing and collapse taking place today in rich countries, and like them, we will also wish to pay parents to have more children--but unlike them, we will have no money to do so.

Pushing for only two children per family will make all this occur even earlier.

Intensified population control programs will slow down population growth, improve the economy soon, and thus solve poverty. The effect desired by population controllers, the slowing of population growth, will not immediately take place, due to population momentum, decreased mortality and longer lifespan. By the time population growth will have slowed down, the Total Fertility Rate will be way below the replacement level, and the average population age will be extremely high. In other words, the solution proposed to solve poverty, that is, population control programs, will just create more economic difficulties in the long run.
 

Domingo and Molaer : Beware of Special Discount Promos!

Debt collectors have been the most complained-about people in the credit card business . And abuses by out-of-control collectors appear to be getting worse.

 

Debt collection harassment and abuse can take a particular toll on vulnerable older consumers.  The good news is that there are Central Bank regulations that are intended to protect consumers from debt collection and harassment.  These laws apply regardless of whether the consumer owes money on the debt being collected.  The bad news is that many collectors still do not comply with the law.

The information below will help advocates counsel clients about what a debt collector can and cannot do and how consumers can protect themselves.  It is also important to work with older consumers to help them evaluate which debts are highest priorities and what the possible consequences might be if they are unable to repay all of their debts.
What Can a Debt Collector Really Do?

A debt collector working on behalf of a creditor can do little more than demand payment.  If the creditor has not taken the client’s house, car, or other property as collateral on a loan, then legally the creditor can only do three things:

1. Stop doing business with the consumer.
2. Report a default to a credit bureau.
3. Sue the consumer in court.  This threat may not be as serious as many consumers think.  Many creditors do not follow through on their threats.  Even if they do, consumers can raise defenses to paying the debt.  And even if the creditor obtains a judgment, this judgment still does not force the consumer to pay the debt.  It only gives the creditor the right to try to seize part of a consumer’s wages or property.

Bankard is now owned by the Yuchengco Group of Companies (of the PACIFIC PLAN “fame”).We wonder whether the Yuchengco Group knows about this scam! 

NOTE: Bangko Central Ng Pilipinas On Unfair Credit Card Collection Practices:  

  

“False representation or deceptive means to collect any debt or obtain information concerning a cardholder.” 

Unfair Collection Practices. Banks, subsidiary/affiliate credit card companies, collection agencies, counsels and other agents may resort to all reasonable and legally permissible means to collect amounts due them under the credit card agreement: Provided, That in the exercise of their rights and performance of duties, they must observe good faith and reasonable conduct and refrain from engaging in unscrupulous or untoward acts.  Without limiting the general application of the foregoing, the following conduct is a violation of this Subsection:  a)    the use or threat of violence or other criminal means to harm the physical person, reputation, or property of any person;  b)   the use of obscenities, insults, or profane language which amount to a criminal act or offense under applicable laws;  c)   disclosure of the names of credit cardholders who allegedly refuse to pay debts, except as allowed under Subsec. X320.9 and 4301N.9;  d)   threat to take any action that cannot legally be taken;  e)   communicating or threat to communicate to any person credit information which is known to be false, including failure to communicate that a debt is being disputed;  f)    any false representation or deceptive means to collect or attempt to collect any debt or to obtain information concerning a cardholder; and  g)   making contact at unreasonable/inconvenient times or hours which shall be defined as contact before 6:00 A.M. or after 10:00 P.M., unless the account is past due for more than sixty (60) days or the cardholder has given express permission or said times are the only reasonable or convenient  opportunities for contact.  
 

Important Note To Complainants!  Complainants should send email to BSP:  consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph

BSP requires the following:

1.   The full name of the complainant  and the financial institution (FI) being complained of: 
2.   The signatory to the complaint should be the transactor or his/her authorized agent. 
3.  Contact information and address of the complainant . 
4.   Copies of relevant documents that support the complaint. 
5. The facts of the harassment case.