This is my take on the RH BILL.
I applauded when the Catholic Church succumbed to cease fire with the stand on Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill). While my family remains to be devout Catholics, it doesn’t prevent me to think that there is no better way to be a responsible parent than to welcome the idea of artificial birth control methods and mind my reproductive health.
Pondering on the issue, I remember the time when hubby and I joined pre-cana seminar, a requirement that should be complied if you want your marriage to be blessed by the Church. The speaker was a man in his retiring age, who had been very successful in using natural family planning, he was convincing us to employ the same strategies. He furthered that there are many couples who can attest to the success of the natural methods.
“In fact,” he said, “We have a family friend and who now live in Australia. They were also very religious in following one natural method and they really prospered because of it.” Out of curiosity, I asked, “Unya, Sir, pila man ilang anak (Sir, how many kids do they have)?” And like slip of the tongue, he was quick to reply, “Uhm, kuan, seven.” So I said to hubby, “Sobrang successful na man (Successful indeed)!”
Fortunately for the lecturers’ friend, they could afford to provide for seven children but that’s not the case to most of us in this country.
During the peak of the debate between the pro and anti RH Bill, I realized that it is pointless to argue with a group who hasn’t been through the challenges that parents have to go through so that their family could live well. No. The leaders of the Church have never tried being a parent. They have never tried how hard it is to earn below minimum wage and feed four mouths (at least). They have never been through feeling so hopeless while looking for money just so the kids can have baon as they go to school. And definitely, they have never tried how hard it is to bear a child almost every year because the natural birth control that was employed has failed. Once it fails, a couple can’t just say “oopsie!” and shake it off.
The RH Bill is an urgent need that will respond to the so many issues that press our people. How will a mother be able to take care of her children if she is not even well enough to take care of herself? It is said that a woman who gave birth can fully recover her strength only after three years. How else will she recover if a natural method fails every after natural method?
Apart from that, RH Bill will also look on to the needs of the young individuals and could even prevent them from the dreaded and fast-spreading HIV-AIDS and sexually transmissible infections. Furthermore, RH Bill could provide a healthy venue for the young individuals to get in touch with their sexuality and get sane answers with the questions which they are so afraid to ask.
Now, won’t it be better if we have a society with informed individuals who know well what choice to make than with people who can only talk about sex in corners and assume false beliefs (e.g. having sex with a buko once you get Sexually Transmitted Infections will cure you)? I’m really wondering what issue does the Church have with spreading the correct information regarding sex among all ages. We cannot refer to the sex organ as birds or flowers anymore.
More so, as we keep our young minds not properly informed with their sexuality, cases of sexual abuse will continue to rise because the children will remain blinded and mum. I remember a rape victim who told me during an interview that at 7 years old, she was being fondled by her stepfather in her sensitive parts. But she doesn’t know what the perpetrator was doing to her because she had no idea about sex.
While it is quite easy for the Church to say that “God doesn’t want this, so do this,” the issues that hound our society are just to hurting to ignore. If a law can give remedy to the issues concerning health, gender, and welfare, why else should it be repudiated?
And so I remain. RH Bill should not be hampered anymore with false arguments of powerful entities. Ignorance and taboo has taken so many tolls among our society. We can’t afford some more.
