63% of Pinoys favor RH bill, Pulse Asia survey says

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the Church's all-out campaign against it, six of 10 Filipinos favor a proposed bill on reproductive health pending at the House of Representatives, according to a survey by Pulse Asia. Pulse Asia said the survey also showed eight of 10 Filipinos believe government should not only educate couples on family planning but also provide them with services and materials. "A considerable majority of Filipinos (63 percent), whether aware or unaware of the reproductive health bill, expresses support for the proposed legislation while only 8 percent are not in favor and 29 percent are ambivalent on the matter," it said. Pulse Asia said majorities ranging from 56 percent in the Visayas to 79 percent in Class ABC are in favor of the bill. In contrast, it said only 8 percent are not in favor of the bill while 29 percent are unable to say whether or not they support the bill. "Public ambivalence on the matter is more notable in the Visayas, Mindanao, and Class E (32 percent to 35 percent) than in Class ABC and Metro Manila (13 percent to 21 percent)," it said. The survey showed most Filipinos are aware of the reproductive health bill pending at the House of Representatives (68 percent) and are in favor of the bill (63 percent). Awareness of the reproductive health bill being discussed at the House is reported by 68 percent of Filipinos while 32 percent do not know about the bill, Pulse Asia said. "Across all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings, majorities (60 percent to 89 percent) know about the proposed legislation with the highest level of public awareness being recorded in the best-off socio-economic Class ABC. In contrast, lack of awareness is most pronounced in Mindanao and Class E (38 percent and 40 percent, respectively)," it said. The survey also said that while 49 percent of Filipinos say couples should follow what their religion tells them about family planning, 44 percent are ambivalent on the possibility of their church or religion influencing their vote for a candidate advocating modern family planning methods. "Big pluralities to sizeable majorities (41 percent to 68 percent) across all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings are of the view that couples should follow the dictates of their religion when it comes to the issue of family planning," it said. This sentiment is most manifest in the Visayas and least pronounced in the rest of Luzon, it said. On the other hand, around the same percentages of Filipinos are either ambivalent on the matter or do not agree that couples are obliged to abide by the teachings of their religion on family planning (27 percent versus 23 percent). As for the impact of their church or religion on their decision as to whether or not to vote for a candidate supporting modern family planning methods, indecision is the predominant public sentiment at the national level (44 percent) and particularly in the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, and Classes D and E (42 percent to 52 percent), Pulse Asia said. "In contrast, 34 percent of Filipinos say there is a big possibility their vote would be influenced by their church or religion while 21 percent express a contrary opinion," it said. In Metro Manila, a big plurality (41 percent) says there is a big possibility of their church or religion influencing their vote while in Mindanao and Class ABC, nearly the same percentages either share the same sentiment or are undecided on the matter (36 percent to 39 percent versus 38 percent to 41 percent). The survey also showed a big majority of Filipinos, or eight of 10 Filipinos (82 percent), thinks government should not only educate couples regarding modern methods of family planning but also provide them with services and materials on these methods. "Most Filipinos (82 percent) think government should teach couples about modern methods of family planning (i.e., both natural and artificial methods) – a view articulated by big to overwhelming majorities (76 percent to 91 percent) in all geographic areas and socio economic classes," it said. Also, it said exactly the same percentage says that it is the government's duty to provide the people with knowledge, services, and materials on modern methods of family planning. This sentiment is expressed by 78 percent to 87 percent across all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings, Pulse Asia said. On the other hand, less than one in ten Filipinos (6 percent to 8 percent) disagrees with either view while indecision on these matters is expressed by 10 percent to 13 percent of Filipinos. The survey also said about four in ten Filipinos (44 percent) say the government should pass a law specifying the number of children couples may have. On the matter of whether or not government should pass a law dictating the number of children a couple may have, 44 percent of Filipinos support such government action while 36 percent are not inclined to do the same. Almost one in five Filipinos (19 percent) are undecided on the matter. Across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, big pluralities to small majorities (45 percent to 58 percent) in Metro Manila, the Visayas, Mindanao, and Classes D and E favor the idea of government passing a law on the number of children couples may have. In contrast, a near majority (47 percent) of those in the rest of Luzon do not think government should pass such a law while in the poorest Class E, almost the same percentages express either agreement or disagreement (42 percent versus 40 percent) with this proposal. The survey said almost all Filipinos consider it important for one to have the ability to plan the family for the welfare of both the family (93 percent) and the country (90 percent). "Overwhelming majorities across all geographic areas and socio-economic classes (84 percent to 99 percent) say it is important for couples to have the ability to plan their families for the sake of the family and the country as a whole," it said. Less than one in 10 Filipinos (6 percent to 9 percent) are ambivalent on the matter and practically none consider this to be unimportant. The survey was based on a multistage probability sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above, and has a +/- 3 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level. Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a +/- 6 percent error margin, also at 95 percent confidence level. Face-to-face field interviews for this project were conducted from October 14 to 27, 2008. While the field interviews for this survey were being done, major developments during this period included the financial crisis in the United States that soon spilled over into other parts of the world including the Philippines, the American presidential elections, the filing of a new impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Supreme Court decision on the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), and the controversial trip to Russia of several police officials that involved a "contingency fund" of P6.9M. Other issues included the deportation from the US of former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante who is widely believed to be the brains behind the fertilizer fund scam, the decline in the price of oil at the world market, the impending increase in the electricity charges of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), and the food scare in China and other parts of the world over the discovery of melamine, an industrial chemical, in milk and other food products. - GMANews.TV