PIA Press Release
2008/11/25
Multi-sectoral groups in Cebu to support RH Bill 5043
Cebu City (25 November) -- An information campaign to deepen the understanding of the public and showcase the support of various multi-sectoral groups in Cebu on the importance of passing House Bill 5043 is slated tomorrow in a scheduled press conference in Cebu City.
Rep. Edcel Lagman, who is pushing for the immediate passage of the proposed bill will discuss the salient points of the bill and its status in Congress.
HB 5043 is otherwise known as "An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development, and for Other Purposes", or "The Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008."
A highlight of tomorrow's activity will be the presentation of respective positions and statement of support for the proposed RH and Population Development Bills by Rev. Danny Maing, senior pastor of the Mandaue City Alliance Church and the Interfaith Partnership for Responsible Parenthood, Rev. Orlando Carvajal, president of the Philippine Federation of Married Priests and Francis Monera, Board of Trustees of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The bill has received flak from the Catholic religious hierarchy as it firmly stood pat on its position that the bill is anti-life which is against the principle of the church on pro-life, this is learned.
In keeping with their policy on pro-life, Church leaders are not advocating for artificial birth control and instead advocate the use of natural family planning in population control management.
HB 5043 is the Substitute Bill that consolidates the four Bills on Reproductive Health originally proposed by various authors in the 14th Congress. These 4 Bills are HB 17 authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman (An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development, and for Other Purposes), HB 812 by Rep. Janette Garin (An Act Providing for Reproductive Health Care Structures and Appropriating Funds Therefor), HB 2753 by Rep. Narciso Santiago III (An Act to Protect the Right of the People to Information About Reproductive Health Care Services) and HB 3970 by Rep. Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel (An Act Providing for Reproductive Health Care Structures and Appropriating Funds Therefore).
Tomorrow's activity is organized by the Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD) as it pushes for relevant human development policies in both Houses of Congress.
One of the PLCPD's banner advocacies is the Reproductive Health and Population Development Bill as it currently conducts a series of media events in various provinces nationwide to intensify public support on the bill. (PIA-Cebu/FCR) [top]
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
If one is PRO-CHOICE, Does that make him/her Evil? NO!
BARACK Obama is pro-choice, yes. Does that make him pro-evil? No.
by Melanie Lim Sun Star Daily Cebu Nov 23, 2008
I cannot imagine how any society can define a person as evil because he supports freedom of choice.
If Obama does not sit well with Catholics, it is not because he presents the epitome of evil. It is because he presents the epitome of leadership for the entire consti tuency not just for a few sectors of society.
I am not anti-life. But I will always be pro-choice. Contrary to what others may think, I am not batting for abortion. But I believe in freedom of choice—-even if that choice entails abortion.
This is the reality of adulthood. When you offer choices, you accept the choices made—-whatever they are.
This is the lifeblood of a democracy. And lest you need reminding, Obama is not a leader of a church. He is a leader of a country.
With choices comes accountability. You only need to answer for yours. Let others answer for theirs. Terminating a pregnancy is not an easy decision. But sometimes, circumstances compel others to make difficult decisions. Real Christianity dictates we show compassion rather than condemnation.
Do I believe in God? Yes. Do I believe in gospel truth? No. I neither believe nor support dogma. For me, obedience is NOT the highest virtue. Submission is. And make no mistake—-they are NOT the same.
Obedience is to never question the truthfulness of anything. Submission is to question and then to accept the truthfulness of something.
When you submit, you walk with your eyes wide open—-you think, you ponder, you struggle before you arrive at your decision. Hence, the decision to submit carries significance. When you obey, you walk with your eyes wide shut and plunge into oblivion.
If Catholics think that abortion, artificial methods of contraception, divorce and capital punishment are evil, I will not argue with them.
That is their concept of right and wrong, not mine. And if my convictions are worthy of Catholic condemnation, I will accept the mortal judgment of the Catholic Church.
But I will stake my soul on the belief that God does not demand obedience but submission from me. If God had wanted me to follow blindly, He would have made me a robot. But God made me a human being and granted me the gift of free will. What greater clarity do I need that God wants me to think?
Catholics who are up in arms should understand—-I opine. I do not evangelize. This is an opinion, not an edict. Where does the fear come from? I am neither preacher nor prophet. If anything, I am a heretic. If your faith is as unwavering as mine, you should have nothing to fear.
What is evil? I doubt if dissension and disobedience are evil.
Choice certainly is not. But hypocrisy and self-righteousness, I call evil. Greed, corruption, oppression, sexual misconduct and molestation—-these are evil.
I absolutely agree that those who depart from Catholic tenets should abstain from receiving Holy Communion.
But shouldn’t this rule apply to those GIVING Holy Communion as well?
If you are not worthy to GIVE Holy Communion but you do it anyway, I think that might fall under the fiery definition of evil.
(sunstarcebucolumnist@yahoo.com)
( I really like this article of Melanie Lim. We have a similar stand. I am PRO RH and for PRO -Quality life ( not just pro-life I hope this can enlighten the catholic hierarchy and lay catholics who are against RH, most specially the Philippine Legislators,hoping they will support the passage of the RH Bill.
by Melanie Lim Sun Star Daily Cebu Nov 23, 2008
I cannot imagine how any society can define a person as evil because he supports freedom of choice.
If Obama does not sit well with Catholics, it is not because he presents the epitome of evil. It is because he presents the epitome of leadership for the entire consti tuency not just for a few sectors of society.
I am not anti-life. But I will always be pro-choice. Contrary to what others may think, I am not batting for abortion. But I believe in freedom of choice—-even if that choice entails abortion.
This is the reality of adulthood. When you offer choices, you accept the choices made—-whatever they are.
This is the lifeblood of a democracy. And lest you need reminding, Obama is not a leader of a church. He is a leader of a country.
With choices comes accountability. You only need to answer for yours. Let others answer for theirs. Terminating a pregnancy is not an easy decision. But sometimes, circumstances compel others to make difficult decisions. Real Christianity dictates we show compassion rather than condemnation.
Do I believe in God? Yes. Do I believe in gospel truth? No. I neither believe nor support dogma. For me, obedience is NOT the highest virtue. Submission is. And make no mistake—-they are NOT the same.
Obedience is to never question the truthfulness of anything. Submission is to question and then to accept the truthfulness of something.
When you submit, you walk with your eyes wide open—-you think, you ponder, you struggle before you arrive at your decision. Hence, the decision to submit carries significance. When you obey, you walk with your eyes wide shut and plunge into oblivion.
If Catholics think that abortion, artificial methods of contraception, divorce and capital punishment are evil, I will not argue with them.
That is their concept of right and wrong, not mine. And if my convictions are worthy of Catholic condemnation, I will accept the mortal judgment of the Catholic Church.
But I will stake my soul on the belief that God does not demand obedience but submission from me. If God had wanted me to follow blindly, He would have made me a robot. But God made me a human being and granted me the gift of free will. What greater clarity do I need that God wants me to think?
Catholics who are up in arms should understand—-I opine. I do not evangelize. This is an opinion, not an edict. Where does the fear come from? I am neither preacher nor prophet. If anything, I am a heretic. If your faith is as unwavering as mine, you should have nothing to fear.
What is evil? I doubt if dissension and disobedience are evil.
Choice certainly is not. But hypocrisy and self-righteousness, I call evil. Greed, corruption, oppression, sexual misconduct and molestation—-these are evil.
I absolutely agree that those who depart from Catholic tenets should abstain from receiving Holy Communion.
But shouldn’t this rule apply to those GIVING Holy Communion as well?
If you are not worthy to GIVE Holy Communion but you do it anyway, I think that might fall under the fiery definition of evil.
(sunstarcebucolumnist@yahoo.com)
( I really like this article of Melanie Lim. We have a similar stand. I am PRO RH and for PRO -Quality life ( not just pro-life I hope this can enlighten the catholic hierarchy and lay catholics who are against RH, most specially the Philippine Legislators,hoping they will support the passage of the RH Bill.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Churches unite for RH Bill
Churches unite for RH Bill
_____
By LILITA BALANE, Newsbreak | 11/22/2008 12:01 AM
A coalition of churches and faith-based organizations in the Philippines has given their support for House Bill 5043, also known as the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, which seeks to address the high population and worsening poverty in the Philippines through the promotion of reproductive health, responsible parenthood and population development.
Contrary to the Catholic Church's position that the RH Bill was pro-abortion, the Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches of the Philippines (CMACP) , United Church of Christ of the Philippines (UCCP), Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA), Apostolic Catholic Church , and the Philippine Council for Evangelical Churches said the RH bill clearly espoused that abortion is a crime.
Moreover, they said that it seeks to provide mothers to the right to have safer pregnancies by giving them access to information and services.
"Primarily, we read and see it as a more intentional effort by our government to clear and provide for our nation a path that would lead to better management of our resources, both human and otherwise, which will eventually bring us into a more sustainable future," CMACP explained.
A position paper submited by the Iglesia ni Cristo also said that one need not be an expert to see for himself that the problem on population is real.
The INC said rapid population growth amply shows the need for family planning.
A group of professors from Jesuit-ran Ateneo de Manila University also attended the symposium to show their stand on HB 5043. The ADMU professors said that their move to support the bill was dictated by their conscience and not by their religious belief.
Patriach Dr. John Florentine Teruel, founding bishop of the Apostolic Church, made it clear that not all Catholic churches oppose the RH bill.Teruel said that the Apostolic Catholic Church was once skeptical of the bill. But after hearing the discussion of Representative Edcel Lagman, principal author of the bill, they now fully support the measure.
A Catholic denomination which started in Bataan, the Apostolic Catholic Church separated from the hierarchy of Roman Catholic in the 1980s. Though the church follows the Roman Catholics'seven sacraments, they have a patriarch instead of a Pope and a "Mahal na Ingkong" as their Holy Spirit. Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, Teruel said his church is more conservative. "We denounce sin vices. We observe modesty in dressing among women and we do not allow members below 24 years old to engage in courtship or sexual relationship," he said.
Teruel said that RH bill is pro-life, which is contrary to the information dissemina-ted by the Catholic Church.
"It is now clear to the Apostolic Catholic Church that the artificial family
planning method in the bill is not an abortive measure.
Let us leave the fathers and the mothers to decide. Let us not control how they will plan their families.
Let's us give them free will as the Bible says," Teruel said adding that the CBCP should not resort on threatening legislators just to advance their interests.
The CBCP reportedly threatened that lawmakers will be deprived of communion in their dioceses if they vote in favor of the bill.
Church groups however vowed to help in Lagman's efforts to have the RH bill
approved in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
as of 11/22/2008 4:54 AM
http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/11/21/08/churches-unite-rh-bill
_____
By LILITA BALANE, Newsbreak | 11/22/2008 12:01 AM
A coalition of churches and faith-based organizations in the Philippines has given their support for House Bill 5043, also known as the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, which seeks to address the high population and worsening poverty in the Philippines through the promotion of reproductive health, responsible parenthood and population development.
Contrary to the Catholic Church's position that the RH Bill was pro-abortion, the Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches of the Philippines (CMACP) , United Church of Christ of the Philippines (UCCP), Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA), Apostolic Catholic Church , and the Philippine Council for Evangelical Churches said the RH bill clearly espoused that abortion is a crime.
Moreover, they said that it seeks to provide mothers to the right to have safer pregnancies by giving them access to information and services.
"Primarily, we read and see it as a more intentional effort by our government to clear and provide for our nation a path that would lead to better management of our resources, both human and otherwise, which will eventually bring us into a more sustainable future," CMACP explained.
A position paper submited by the Iglesia ni Cristo also said that one need not be an expert to see for himself that the problem on population is real.
The INC said rapid population growth amply shows the need for family planning.
A group of professors from Jesuit-ran Ateneo de Manila University also attended the symposium to show their stand on HB 5043. The ADMU professors said that their move to support the bill was dictated by their conscience and not by their religious belief.
Patriach Dr. John Florentine Teruel, founding bishop of the Apostolic Church, made it clear that not all Catholic churches oppose the RH bill.Teruel said that the Apostolic Catholic Church was once skeptical of the bill. But after hearing the discussion of Representative Edcel Lagman, principal author of the bill, they now fully support the measure.
A Catholic denomination which started in Bataan, the Apostolic Catholic Church separated from the hierarchy of Roman Catholic in the 1980s. Though the church follows the Roman Catholics'seven sacraments, they have a patriarch instead of a Pope and a "Mahal na Ingkong" as their Holy Spirit. Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, Teruel said his church is more conservative. "We denounce sin vices. We observe modesty in dressing among women and we do not allow members below 24 years old to engage in courtship or sexual relationship," he said.
Teruel said that RH bill is pro-life, which is contrary to the information dissemina-ted by the Catholic Church.
"It is now clear to the Apostolic Catholic Church that the artificial family
planning method in the bill is not an abortive measure.
Let us leave the fathers and the mothers to decide. Let us not control how they will plan their families.
Let's us give them free will as the Bible says," Teruel said adding that the CBCP should not resort on threatening legislators just to advance their interests.
The CBCP reportedly threatened that lawmakers will be deprived of communion in their dioceses if they vote in favor of the bill.
Church groups however vowed to help in Lagman's efforts to have the RH bill
approved in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
as of 11/22/2008 4:54 AM
http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/11/21/08/churches-unite-rh-bill
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Appeal for the passage of RH Bill into Law
An Appeal to the Philippine Legislators,
While the “POPE APPEALS TO WORLD LEADERS TO FIGHT POVERTY” and to “"courageously take and apply the necessary measures to wipe out extreme poverty, hunger, ignorance and the plague of pandemics,which above all, hit the most vulnerable." (CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy 09/22/2008 | 12:19 AM GMA News TV)
The undersigned, an ordinary Filipino, a Catholic, ( a Social Worker, who has long been dealing with the difficulties of the many poor children and their families in the squatter and non-squatter areas) appeals to our other legislators to -
PLEASE … do something for our FILIPINOS living in extreme POVERTY !
and for families in very difficult circumstances, with too many children
who are neglected, malnourished and some dying!
Is this what “pro-life” Catholics … call,the sanctity /sacredness of life? When
many of the Filipinos are living but dying young or having a miserable life?
compared to that life which is well-planned, using safe and effective Family
Planning Method of their choice and a better chances of having children with
a better quality of life!
the least your Honor can do for the poor Filipinos is to
SUPPORT the RH Bill ! which has been long overdue …
The Filipinos expect your Honor and the rest of the Legislators to be INDEPENDENT-MINDED, to DECIDE based on what is FOR THE GOOD OF THE MANY poor Filipinos … and not to be swayed by the threats of one religious group. Pls. consider that not all Filipinos are Catholics nor are all Catholics oppose the RH Bill; many lay people are just silent for various reasons and so are a number of priests and devout but liberal Catholics.
I greatly hope you will consider this and the appeals of the many RH Supporters who are thinking of the benefits this law will have, to the many poor Filipinos … Thank you very much!
Very truly yours,
Mrs. FROHNIE D. CAGALITAN
PRO-QUALITY LIFE Training & Dev’t. Inc. (Q-Life)
“Advocating Poverty Reduction and Quality of Life for the Poor”
e-add: proqualitylife@gmail.com http:// proqualitylife.blogspot.com
. . . being pro-life is not enough, we should be pro-quality life . . .
“ let us aim for a better QUALITY OF LIFE for every Filipino …”
While the “POPE APPEALS TO WORLD LEADERS TO FIGHT POVERTY” and to “"courageously take and apply the necessary measures to wipe out extreme poverty, hunger, ignorance and the plague of pandemics,which above all, hit the most vulnerable." (CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy 09/22/2008 | 12:19 AM GMA News TV)
The undersigned, an ordinary Filipino, a Catholic, ( a Social Worker, who has long been dealing with the difficulties of the many poor children and their families in the squatter and non-squatter areas) appeals to our other legislators to -
PLEASE … do something for our FILIPINOS living in extreme POVERTY !
and for families in very difficult circumstances, with too many children
who are neglected, malnourished and some dying!
Is this what “pro-life” Catholics … call,the sanctity /sacredness of life? When
many of the Filipinos are living but dying young or having a miserable life?
compared to that life which is well-planned, using safe and effective Family
Planning Method of their choice and a better chances of having children with
a better quality of life!
the least your Honor can do for the poor Filipinos is to
SUPPORT the RH Bill ! which has been long overdue …
The Filipinos expect your Honor and the rest of the Legislators to be INDEPENDENT-MINDED, to DECIDE based on what is FOR THE GOOD OF THE MANY poor Filipinos … and not to be swayed by the threats of one religious group. Pls. consider that not all Filipinos are Catholics nor are all Catholics oppose the RH Bill; many lay people are just silent for various reasons and so are a number of priests and devout but liberal Catholics.
I greatly hope you will consider this and the appeals of the many RH Supporters who are thinking of the benefits this law will have, to the many poor Filipinos … Thank you very much!
Very truly yours,
Mrs. FROHNIE D. CAGALITAN
PRO-QUALITY LIFE Training & Dev’t. Inc. (Q-Life)
“Advocating Poverty Reduction and Quality of Life for the Poor”
e-add: proqualitylife@gmail.com http:// proqualitylife.blogspot.com
. . . being pro-life is not enough, we should be pro-quality life . . .
“ let us aim for a better QUALITY OF LIFE for every Filipino …”
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