| Pass family planning bill, Manila urged |
Manolo B.Jara
MANILA Three UN agencies urged the Philippine government to pass the controversial reproductive health or family planning bill to cope with the growing problem of pervasive poverty and more young Filipino women getting pregnant.
The call was made as thousands of the Catholic faithful on Saturday defied heavy rains to gather at the historic Edsa Shrine near the Philippine military national headquarters to oppose the passage of the measure.
In separate messages, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Programme on HIV/Aids cited the urgent need to enact the measure to achieve the health-related targets in the country’s Millenium Development Goals particularly maternal health and infant mortality.
Ugochi Florence Daniels, the UNFPA country coordinator, said the bill is vital to enable couples to decide on the size of their families by making information and family planning services available to them.
On Saturday, the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines sponsored a prayer-rally called “Prayer Power Against the RH (reproductive health) Bill” to oppose the measure. The CBCP urged the faithful to wear red as a symbol of their opposition against the proposal.
Oman Tribune
|
 |
|
|
| NEWS UPDATES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
