Hello there. (^_^) I hope someone would find the time to read this writing of mine about the issue on the Reproductive Health Bill. Yeah, I know this may sound boring to lots of people, but hey this issue may greatly affect the future especially the future of the young generations of our country, and its need to be thoroughly thought of before arriving at a conclusion and decision. this is my opinion…
I am a concerned youth, a nursing student, a Filipino citizen and a Catholic. I am concerned not of the intention why it has been proposed because I know it was proposed for a good intention. However, I am much more concerned on the content of the said proposed bill and what would be the possible effect it may have on us if passed.
The bill is not pro-abortion, that, what I know of. It did not contain anything about legalizing abortion and in fact, it is an anti-abortion bill. However, it contains something about contraception and sex education and family planning, things like that, my knowledge is only up to that.
I am a Catholic, and as I grew up, it has instilled on me that sex is a sacred act of love. Sacred? Absolutely. Just look in the mirror and there you’ll see yourself as a great miracle that was and is realized through the consummation of the marriage of your parents. And that miracle is the miracle of your life. Sex is such a beautiful gift from the Almighty. To be one in heart, body and soul with your spouse your love, there can be no other more wonderful. To give every person you are to your wife (if you’re a man) or to your husband (if you’re a woman), to just give and give and take nothing; such is what love making for me is. Sex for me should only be done by two persons who, not just truly loving each other, but who to whom have reached their maturity (physically, emotionally, psychologically, financially and all other lly’s not mentioned) and stability and such is manifested in marriage ( I welcome and I’m open to your opinions in contrast with mine). In short, sex should only be done by two persons who commit all of themselves wholeheartedly in the context of marriage. Imagine how our society will be if the foundation of the family, which is marriage, is grounded on love, maturity and stability. What if there will be a bill that will be all about the value of sex and family? (hmmm, think!*)though we cannot force people to accept what be belief,still i think it’s worth a try..
Sad to know that a big population of our young generations today is actively engaging in sex at a very young age. And many of our teenagers are already parents on their own! These are some of the issues we are facing in this new generation; issues that should be dealt with, not just by the government, but more importantly by the family. What family I have today, is what I could also pass on to my future family. It’s just like a cycle that keeps repeating by itself. If my family today is an abused one, then it’s time to break the cycle, that hopefully my future family will be a better one. Keep in mind, that the strongest and most powerful shield and armor the parents could give to their children is the power of love, which builds broken selves, and heals broken hearts.
Sex education is a good thing. But who will be the educators? What will be that sex education all about? Will it imply to the teenagers that “premarital sex is good as long as your protected”? Will it be all about ‘SAFER sex’? I have lots of concerns because once this bill is passed as a law, we and the generation next to us will be greatly affected. These are what concern me about. In the near future to come, I don’t want to ask my daughters, ‘have you taken your contraceptive pills?’, or remind my sons ‘always bring condoms whenever, wherever’. What I would like to educate my children with is the value of valuing their embodied souls, to respect what they are blessed with as well as others, to discipline themselves to learn to wait for the right time, and to love unselfishly and to manifest this love based not on sexual expressions. I would like to instill on them that ‘sex in the context of marriage, marriage grounded on love and maturity, a love which is not self-seeking pleasure, and a family centered on God’. Am I talking about religion? Yes, because Christ’s love guides, heals and gives purpose to life. Why not educate the parents through the Local Government Unit about family values and let these parents educate their children? It might be a very long run, educating the parents and it will be difficult to straighten bend branches of old trees, but it’s worthy, very much worth trying.
We all have the right to be educated especially on decisions that concerns about us. So, this bill is about providing information on contraceptives and having these means within reach. So, on the ‘problem’ of overpopulation, this bill becomes the solution. Is this really the solution? Or it is just merely trimming the weeds without pulling off the roots, and that sooner or later the weeds will just continue to grow? I am a nursing student, and somehow I have knowledge regarding these contraceptives. When the egg of the mother unites with the sperm of the father, a zygote forms and a new life of a human being begins. However, some of these artificial contraceptives, aside from the barrier method, doesn’t only inhibit the union of sperm and egg, but kills the life of that one-day or perhaps five-day old zygote. How? This zygote this burrow in the inner layer of the uterus so that it will gain nutrition from the mother, and some of these contraceptives enables the inner layer to shed off so that this zygote cannot gain nutrition, and that will cause the zygote to die. That, is how some of these contraceptives deny the inherent right of the zygote to live, which is a violation of Section 5,11, and 12 of Article II of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines which states that “ the state recognizes the sanctity of family and shall protect and strengthen the family.. it shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn”.
Love. Family. Virginity. Celibacy. Abstinence. Well, one might say ‘Hey, it’s the new generation! Why dig up what has long been buried?’ Why? In the first place, the problems on ‘overpopulation’, teenage pregnancies, abortion, may have arise because these values have been buried; and in recovering them, who knows the solution will be uncovered by bringing these up. Who knows by continued perseverance in looking for a dragging solution (and not abrupt solutions) we might make better changes to build a better place… for us, and the generation next to us.