A Firm Response to Pro-RH Propaganda

Ten Appeals in the Philippine Debate of the Reproductive Health Bill

by Joffre Balce 

1) Stop exploiting the tragedy of 11 mothers without mourning the loss of 11 children as well. Parents AND children are what REPRODUCTION is about. Express your concern & sympathy for the other stakeholder as well.

2) Stop calling the conceived a lump of cells. It is a human with a complete set of chromosomes coming into being like you & we all are. Remember your origins & be aware of your genetic blueprint & respect others’ too. Feel free to call the conceived as an unborn child.

3) Stop blaming the population of the poor for the poverty in the Philippines. They are the logical & natural consequence of social injustices & systems of bad governance. Push the politicians to do the jobs they were paid to do – social justice, political reform & good governance.

4) Stop claiming that the poor are the beneficiaries of the RH Bill. The proposed PHP 3B budget will benefit political appointees, pharma cos., media businesses & other related interests before a fraction of that get to the poor. Spend it on the care, nutrition & cure of the living malnourished & unserved/underserved poor mother & the children they are delivering.

5) Stop claiming that the RH Bill is pro-women. Motherhood is an exclusive role that only women can assume. Motherhood is neither just another career option nor even an obstacle to becoming a full woman. Respect the full role of women.

6) Stop saying the RH Bill is for sustainable development. The future generations are the raison d'etre of sustainable development & not in any way a threat or obstacle. Start treating at them as a prospective asset under a social reform agenda rather than a potential liability under the status quo.

7) Stop promoting contraceptives bought from WTO/GATT protected pharma cos. as the weapons to battle poverty. Start prioritizing a more & affordable obstetric, primary, nutrition-based & proactive health care to combat existing poverty-related diseases & syndromes as well as hygienic & safe delivery.

8) Stop telling the opposition to the RH Bill to be rational & to stop using dogma while using your own. Fix your own logic & start seeing the inconsistencies & fundamental flaws in the RH Bill.

9) Stop telling the opposition to the RH Bill to shut up. This is a democracy, y’heard? Start applying the standards you set on the opposition to the RH Bill on yourselves as well.

10) Stop blaming the Church for standing in the way of the RH Bill's passage. It’s the your fault if your own logic can’t defend it. And I’ll bet if the RH Bill passes & population growth still doesn’t decline, you’ll still blame it on the Church anyway.