>“We are pleased that PNOY has unwavered in his support for family planning. This is a clear pro-women stand of the President and we support him.” This is a statement of Ben de Leon, President of the Forum for FP and Development and member of the Catholics for RH Movement (C4RH) an alliance of Catholics from various parts of the country supportive of Reproductive Health and family planning.
During his US trip President Aquino addresses the Filipino community in San Francisco and reiterates his position on responsible parenthood which is to give the couples the power to decide on the methods of family planning that will work for them and that government will make sure that services are available. With this statement, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed their disappointment.
“The CBCP said that they are disappointed with PNOY. But as a Catholic, I express my admiration to the President. The poor health status of Filipinos especially of women has a lot to do with the lack of political will of leaders for many years.” Mr. Jeff Y. Fuentes, member of the C4RH in Davao City and the Population Program Officer of the City Population Division also expressed his support to the President.
Two cabinet members of the current administration are also very vocal about their support for reproductive health (RH) services that will help bring down the high maternal and newborn deaths in the country. During the Women Deliver national conference on maternal and newborn health care, DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman said that “RH is not hard to sell to President Aquino.” Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona also maintains the commitment of the DOH to address the high maternal mortality of the country and recognize that comprehensive RH service is important to help reduce maternal deaths. Currently, 11 mothers die everyday due to pregnancy and childbirth related complications. Reduction of maternal deaths is among the commitment of the country to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Participating in the MDG Summit is among the reasons for PNOY’s recent US trip.
“I believe that the President should not fear the Catholic church. Afterall, the CBCP is not the Catholic church. While more than 80% of Filipinos are Roman Catholic, majority of Filipinos support RH and FP according to numerous surveys conducted by Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia.” De Leon said.
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