That's a whole lot of money!

From CBCP News / CBCP for Life:

P500M for contraceptives ‘a waste of money’

MANILA, June 19, 2012— The government’s allocation of P500 million for birth control supplies supposedly to reduce maternal and child deaths is a waste of taxpayer’s money, a Catholic Church official said.

Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the CBCP’s Commission on Family and Life said that if the Department of Health really wants to reduce the problem, adequate health care services for pregnant mothers and unborn children is needed.

“They should use that P500 million in improving medical facilities and services instead of wasting that hefty amount on contraceptives,” Castro said.

DOH Secretary Enrique Ona yesterday announced that they would be allocating P500 million for family planning commodities and supplies in community health centers.

The move, he said, is in line with the government’s doubling of efforts to reducing maternal and child deaths in the country as sought by the Millennium Development Goal (MDG).

However, Castro said it is unfortunate that the DOH continues to give “false justifications” in promoting the widespread use of condoms and other artificial family planning methods.

“The contraceptives, by its nature, are population control. So let’s not invoke maternal deaths because they are using the women just to push population control,” he said.

Castro also believes that Filipinos will not support the government’s desire to promote the use of contraceptives in the country.

“I trust our people. Even if they give it free, Filipinos with well-formed conscience will not accept it… their morality will not go down,” he said. [CBCPNews]