CBCP: Catholic schools voice opposition to RH bill

MANILA, Philippines - The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) voiced strong opposition to the reproductive health bill, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said. An article on the CBCP website said more than 1,252 members of the CEAP took part in a signature campaign where they pushed for the scrapping of the bill. "We call attention of lawmakers to the knowledge about the abortifacient nature and effects of contraceptives that violates the provision of the Philippine Constitution on the protection of the life of the unborn from the first moment of fertilization/conception," they said in the CBCP article. They said the bill sets aside more than P2 billion in taxpayers' money to buy contraceptives. Yet, the money can be used to provide education, livelihood and basic public services, they said. Also, they faulted the Department of Health for the "disregard of, and mere lip service it pays to Natural Family Planning. Greater promotion of the more scientific and unarguably morally superior option for the NFP must be done." "Both Sacred Scripture and Reason propose that the best form of birth regulation is self-discipline," they said. CEAP said the six years of value-free sex education that the bill proposes violates the rights of parents to keep watchful guard over the moral education of their children. "The modules are not an education to sexuality, which is what is needed, but are information on how to have sex and use contraceptives," it said. Also, it reiterated the stand of the Church that strongly opposes the use of the term Reproductive Health, which it said is synonymous to abortion packaged as a method of family planning. Meanwhile, CEAP committed to engage their member schools in intensive catechesis on family, and to pray for the lawmakers behind the bill. For its part, Dominican-run University of Santo Tomas (UST) initiated a series of lectures on family issues and values to mark the Family Week 2008. "We have requested the faculty members handling theology, philosophy and sociology classes conduct activities regarding family or lecture on family issues and values, based on the directives of Commission on Higher Education," said Prof. Clotilde Arcangel, dean of the College of Education. The Commission on Higher Education – National Capital Region (CHED-NCR) endorsed the observance of Family Week every fourth Sunday of September as Family Thanksgiving Day as per Executive Order No. 238 dated September 23, 2003. - GMANews.TV