In the Ignatian Spirituality which this university seeks to inculcate in our hearts and imbibe in our spirit, we are

taught the value of MAGIS which has been defined as the philosophy of doing MO !, for "hrist and for others# Allow me to stress on the word MO ! and allow me to pose this $uestion# %hat is MO !& And in relevance to our discussion on eproductive 'ealth, how significant is MO !& (irst and foremost, let me breakdown facts# 'ard, )itter but elevant and *p to date (acts# According to the +,,- .ational /emographic and 'ealth Survey by the .ational Statistics Office0

11 MOTHERS DIE EVERYDAY! 2,,,, to 3,,,, mothers die every year 14+ mothers out of 1,,,,,, live births die 115 of all deaths among women of reproductive age in the 6hilippines are maternal deaths +2 million 7from 13 to 89 years old: are of reproductive age 13 million are at risk of pregnancy

.ow let me ask you this, Is this the MO ! that we must tolerate& Should this be the MO ! that we choose to ignore and not pay heed to& Shall we not address these demographic facts simply because of our religious and conservative preconceived notions& Shouldn;t these numbers tell us that our nation, that the (ilipino people as whole, truly deserve MO ! than the horrid picture that these numbers portray& <adies and Gentlemen, I come before you tonight with conviction in saying that the eproductive 'ealth )ill is an *rgent .ecessity in our society# My co=speakers have marvelously discussed the salient provisions of the bill to which we adhere and anchor our arguments into# >hey have briefly pointed out what the ' bill seeks to address, its scope as well as its limitations# My fellow speaker even went on to pointing out what the bill does not dwell into, what it is not and what are the misconceptions on the bill that have been overlooked by the people who oppose it# Allow me to summari?e our advocacy on this issue by placing emphasis and highlighting on the 2 MO ! 6 I."I6<!@ which can be derived out of this bill# (irst, >he ' )ill enables access to MO ! I.(O MA>IO.# As its guiding principle, >he State will provide information and access, without bias, to all methods of family planning which have been proven safe and effective in accordance with scientific and evidence=based medical standards such as those set by the %orld 'ealth Organi?ation 7%'O: and registered and approved by the (ood and /rug Administration7(/A:# Overpopulation is not the primary evil that this bill intends to crucify, it is the ignorance, the lack of education and the inade$uacy of information# >he bill defines (amily 6lanning as a program which enables couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the information and means to do so# As Senator 6ia "ayetano points out, It is very clear that the bill does not seek to impose a population growth rate, a fertility rate, nor an ideal family si?e on anybody, rich or poor# %hat the bill does seek is to empower couples to make informed choices in planning the si?e of their family and spacing of their children# >o reiterate, the bill does not impose on couples or women for that matter to use contraception or to follow "hina;s One="hild 6olicy# It is merely an avenue for obtaining relevant information which is beneficial for one;s eproductive 'ealth#

Second 6oint# >he ' )ill seeks to provide MO ! (A"I<I>I!S, MO ! )!.!(I>S and MO ! '!A<>' "A ! S! AI"!S for the (ilipino people# Section 4 of the bill provides that, !ach <G* shall ensure the establishment or upgrading of hospitals or facilities with ade$uate and $ualified personnel, e$uipment and supplies to be able to provide emergency obstetric and newborn care#@ In addition, Section 1+ assures us that, All serious and life threatening reproductive health conditions such as 'IA and AI/S, breast and reproductive tract cancers, and obstetric complications shall be given the maBimum benefits, including the provision of Anti= etroviral Medicines7A As:, as provided in the guidelines set by the 6hilippine 'ealth Insurance "orporation76'l":#@ In short, the bill eBpects to deliver more services which aims to protect the health and the lives of MO ! mothers by deploying MO ! healthcare professionals and more healthcare facilities and by guaranteeing funds for more medicines so as to reduce the risks of maternal and cancer deaths# Allow me to point out that statistical data have shown that "ontraceptives do not heighten cancer risksC combined pills actually reduce the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers#@ .ow let me ask you this, who are we in the position to refuse MO ! '!A<>' "A ! S! AI"!S when we do know that 6revention is always better than cure& >hird 6oint# >he ' )ill encourages MO ! A%A !.!SS on !6 O/*">IA! '!A<>'# Section 12 states that, >he State shall provide age= and development=appropriate reproductive health education which shall be taught by ade$uately trained teachers in formal and non=formal educational system and integrated in relevant subDects# >he RH Bill will not teach a 10-yearold how to !e condo"!# RH ed cation i! a$e- and de%elo&"ent- a&&ro&riate# As Senator 6ia "ayetano has pointed out, It basically includes a child using the proper name for their body parts# It includes understanding the biological function of their bodies, such that they know that babies grow in mommy;s tummy and do not come out of bamboo trees#@ >he youth, which make up a hunge chunk of our entire population, enter relationships and even married life without the benefit of systematic inputs by any of our social institutions# As a result of Dust one faulty seBual decision, many young women and men can lose their future, their health and sometimes their lives# Isn;t it but fitting to incorporate this kind of education in a conducive venue where learning and the eBchange of intellectual discourse between fellow students and trained teachers is practiced& >hus the bill serves the option to make use of Modern Methods of (amily 6lanning as catering to safe, effective and legal methods, whether natural or artificial so as to prevent unwanted pregnancies or induced abortions# >he RH Bill $rant! the &er!onal 'reedo" to choo!e what 'a"ily &lannin$ "ethod to !e( or )OT to !e any "ethod at all# Si"&ly & t( it "erely &ro"ote! con!cio !ne!! on Re&rod cti%e Health and !ocial attenti%ene!! to &re!!in$ concern! o' the yo th and wo"en in $eneral the!e day!# As a final note, allow me to give a comparative analogy on two terms# Euantity vs# Euality# >he )ible tells us that the <ord encourages us to Go forth and multiply@# )ut surely God didn;t tell us to Dust go forth and multiply and not care for nor protect the life which he has entrusted to us# %e should not simply undermine the $uality of life; that we can provide by Dust responding to the call of procreation# 'ow can you claim to be 6ro=<ife when the life that you can give to your offspring is a life that can barely meet their and even your most basic needs& Must we sacrifice Euality for Euantity& Must we condemn change when it serves only as a catalyst for protection, for the safeguard of the rights of women and children& Must we refuse a legislation when it only seeks to achieve MO ! for the nation and for the (ilipino people& Allow me to paint a better picture of this through the words of Senator Miriam /efensor Santiago0

>here is a mother of seven in a hovel in a s$uatter;s area near you# She is old beyond her years, her eyes are dimmed by despair# She is undernourished, and so are her children# 'er husband is an itinerant manual worker, and cannot always afford to put food on the table, never mind buying medicines or paying for school# >he government health worker has warned the couple that another pregnancy might pose a risk to the life of mother and child# )ut the couple do not know how to prevent pregnancy# %ill you leave the mother and child to die, because of mere ignorance&@ I will not allow it# >his is a person who deserves the MO ! which I envision and aspire for# She is entitled to a better Dust as much as I am# And so I leave for you to decide on where you choose to stand in the greater scheme of things# Good evening#