76% want FP Educ in School; 71 Favor Passage RH Bill

taken from the SWS website: http://www.sws.org.ph/

16 October 2008

Third Quarter 2008 Social Weather Survey:
76% Want Family Planning Education in Public Schools;
71% Favor Passage of the Reproductive Health Bill


Social Weather Stations

Seventy-six percent of adult Filipinos want family planning education in the public schools, and 71% favor passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, according to the Third Quarter 2008 Social Weather Survey, done on September 24-27, 2008.

Support for the RH Bill is an overwhelming 84% among those previously aware of the bill, and a majority 59% among those who became aware of it on account of the survey.

Support for both family planning education and for passage of the RH Bill is very high among both Catholics and non-Catholics. Regularity of church-going, and trust in the Catholic church, have no effect on support for the RH Bill.

Support for family planning education and for passage of the RH Bill is very high among both men and women, whether single or married, in all areas of the country, and among all socioeconomic classes.

76% want family planning education for youth

To the test statement, “There should be a law that requires government to teach family planning to the youth”, 76% agreed, and only 10% disagreed [Table 1].

Support for family planning is high in all areas: agreement is 78% in Balance Luzon, 77% in the Visayas, 76% in Metro Manila, and 72% in Mindanao.

It is also high across socioeconomic classes: 78% in class ABC, 78% in class D, and 71% among class E.

71% favor the passage of the RH Bill

The September 2008 survey found 46% already aware of the RH Bill prior to the survey. The balance of 54% learned about it on account of the survey [Table 2].

Prior awareness of the RH Bill is 54% in Metro Manila, 47% in Balance Luzon, 44% in Mindanao, and 42% in the Visayas. It is higher in the upper-to-middle class ABC (69%) than in class D (45%) and class E (41%).

Regardless of whether they knew of the bill before, or learned of it during the interview, the survey asked all respondents if they favor it or not, and found 71% in favor, 21% undecided, and only 8% opposed [Table 3].

Those in favor of the RH Bill are 78% in Metro Manila, 72% in Mindanao, 69% in Balance Luzon, and 68% in the Visayas. They are 77% in class ABC, 70% in class D, and also 70% in class E.

Support for the passage of the RH Bill among those previously aware of it is an overwhelming 84%, and is a majority 59% among those who learned of it because of the survey [Table 4].

Family planning education and RH Bill supported by Catholic and non-Catholics

Seventy-six percent of Catholics and 78% of non-Catholics support family planning education for the youth. Such support is high regardless of frequency of church-going, and regardless of trust in the Catholic church [Table 5].

Awareness of the RH Bill, and public support for it, do not vary by religion, regularity of church-going, and trust in the Catholic church [Tables 6 and 7]. Seven out of ten Catholics (71%) and non-Catholics (68%) favor the passage of the RH Bill.

Men and women, single or married, support family planning education and the RH Bill

Three out of four men (75%) and women (77%) support having a law requiring family planning education for the youth. The support is equally high among singles and marrieds [Table 8].

Prior awareness of the RH Bill is slightly higher among women (50%) than men (42%), but support for it is equally high among men (70%) and women (71%), regardless of marital status [Tables 9 and 10].

Support for family planning education is high even among those against the RH Bill

The September 2008 survey found that support for family planning education is four out of five among those who favor the passage of the RH Bill (80% agree), and two out of three among those not in favor (68% agree) and those undecided (65% agree) [Table 11].

Survey Background

The Third Quarter of 2008 Social Weather Survey was conducted over September 24-27, 2008 using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao, and 600 in Balance Luzon (sampling error margins of ±2.5% for national percentages and ±6% for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao, and ±4% for Balance Luzon). The area estimates were weighted by National Statistics Office medium-population projections for 2008 to obtain the national estimates.

The Social Weather Survey on Reproductive Health Bill is a non-commissioned item, and is included on SWS’s own initiative and released as a public service, with first printing rights assigned to BusinessWorld.