LAWS GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF FAMILY PLANNING IN THE PHILIPPINES
Answer the following questions and post your answers here. Cite references if possible.
What is your opinion about the practice of family planning? Are you for it or against it?
Despite being a devoted Catholic, I stand firm in being an advocate of family planning as I believe that these techniques empower women as it provides sovereignty and freedom as well as control over their bodies and reproductive processes. This diminishes the fears of unexpected and undesired pregnancies, which can lead to healthier and more empowered lives for the woman in its essence. Consequently, family planning provides women the opportunity to care for their husbands and children while also allowing them to pursue their progress in career and personal interests.
Focusing on familial responsibilities, family planning guarantees that the environment in which a child would be born is prepared to nurture and satisfy the child’s growth requirements on emotional, social, and economical aspects because it provides an avenue to plan the births of upcoming children while giving reference to the ability to offer care and financial assistance. The father is also given more time to care for his family and enhance his career while at the same time garnering a substantial budget to support the family’s demands and necessities.
I am indeed, in favor of family planning as after all, investigatory explorations have already proven that practicing family planning creates healthier and better opportunities for the parents, and the family as a whole. As Philip Kotler once said, “One of the major causes of poverty is a lack of family planning” and this relates to the excessive population with economical predicaments which disables them from obtaining daily sustenance and necessities. With this, therefore, family planning is indeed, crucial to alleviate the Philippines ’ overall health state.
Are you in favor of the Reproductive Health Law and its provisions? Elaborate your answer.
As a Filipino woman, I stand firm in being in favor of the Reproductive Health Law and its provisions, since in its essence, the law recognizes the importance of reproductive health and provides for optimal growth and development of women of reproductive age with regard to sexual activities. It genuinely defends everyone's right to make educated decisions about their Family Planning method of choice and intended family size. Furthermore, the comprehensive reproductive health law assures that reproductive health services, education, and information dissemination are accessible to the general population while focusing on high-risk groups as well as the marginalized citizens, and the cruciality of education and reproductive services accessibility is very much exposed in our country.
The RH law is fundamentally pro-choice and pro-life which promotes healthy measures for the mother, baby, and child's health. With this, the law adheres to address the continued rise in teen pregnancy and unplanned births and thereby, minimizing maternal morbidity and mortality, premature labor, and sexually transmitted diseases acquisition. With the Philippines being predominantly populated with Roman Catholic Christians, these subjects remain taboo due to conservativity which exacerbates the risk of unsafe sex and pregnancy which jeopardizes women’s holistic health and development. I envision the RH Law playing a crucial role in opening active discourses on reproductive health and sexual practices, which helps in diminishing unprotected sex, especially among the marginalized communities. The RH law marks the beginning of instigating knowledge and awareness to women regarding safe sex, towards promoting a healthy lifestyle and if intended, healthy childbearing, childbirth, and pregnancy as a whole. No life should be created without thorough planning and smart decision-making, and with the adoption of the RH Law, individuals are being given the opportunity to make educated decisions about their health and future families. Through a deep thought, in implementing this RH law, every parent would have no excuse and should be held liable for every child born, hence, promoting a better course of life and nurturing environment conducive to every child’s growth and development.