State of the Nation

July 16, 2012 Manila – As the upcoming 2012 State of the Nation Address is nearing, various civil society organizations are looking forward for President Aquino to include the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill in his speech. Dr. Eden R. Divinagracia, executive director of the Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare Inc. (PNGOC) is optimistic that President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III will continue his support for the RH bill. Since including the RH bill as one of the 13 priority measures to members of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) last August 2011, the RH bill still languishes in both houses of Congress. Dr. Divinagracia would like to remind the President that in able to provide a good future for one’s family, the government should create a favorable environment for every Filipino. To do this, PNGOC believes that having a sound and comprehensive Reproductive Health (RH) policy that is rights-based and central to the measure is freedom of informed choice can help alleviate the lives of every Filipino people. With a RH bill in place, it will benefit every family as the state shall guarantee the human rights of all persons; it shall include the right to universal access to reproductive health information and services. The bill shall give couples, individuals and women the right to decide freely and responsibly whether or not to have children; to determine the number, spacing and timing of their children; to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence; to have relevant information; and to attain the highest condition of sexual and reproductive health. She underscore that neither the Church nor the State has the right to dictate Filipino citizens which form of family planning they should use. That choice primarily and ultimately belongs to the couple, but most especially to women who bear pregnancy, childbirth and child care. PNGOC is a national umbrella network of 97 member NGOs that believes that NOW is the right time for the passage of a Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood, and Population Development policy to recognize the needs of our women, children and families. Contact: Dr. Eden Divinagracia, Executive Director Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare, Inc. Tel Nos. 852-1898; 833-4067; Mobile: 0917-7916103 Email: info@pngoc.org

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