Catholic Church Opposes Philippine Congress Proposal To Provide Funding For Contraceptives To Stem Increasing Birth Rate

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs;  Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 11 Oct 2007 - 7:00 PDT

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The Roman Catholic Church on Sunday expressed opposition to a proposal in the Philippine Congress to provide one billion pesos, or about $22.5 million, for contraceptives for women in the country, the Manila Standard Today reports (Calalo, Manila Standard Today, 10/8). The decision to provide funding is in response to a phase-out of a USAID-funded program that provides contraceptives to women, AFP/Yahoo! News reports.

The country, with a population of more than 87 million, has one of the highest birth rates in Asia at 2.3% annually, according to the Asian Development Bank. The Philippine Commission on Population has said that unless the birth rate can be reduced, the country's population could double in the next 30 years (AFP/Yahoo! News, 10/7). USAID has been the largest supplier of contraceptives in the Philippines for the past three decades, but the agency has decreased its donations and plans to terminate its contraceptive program by the end of 2008. According to USAID, the phase-out is in line with the Philippines' goal of achieving self-reliance in family planning.

Government officials in the predominately Catholic country have been reluctant to approve funding for contraceptives and birth control information to be taught in schools because of the potential reaction of Catholic bishops. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is Catholic, since taking office in 2001 consistently has promoted natural family planning methods over contraceptives. Government booklets on responsible parenting do not mention birth control pills, condoms or intrauterine devices (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/6).

Bishop's Comments
Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, in a statement said that the church "categorically" objects to a plan to provide funding to contraception and recommends the proposed funds be used to finance projects that alleviate poverty and hunger and would provide no-cost education to low-income children.

Contraception and sterilization are "wrong not because the Catholic Church forbids them; rather, the church forbids them because they destroy the fruitfulness of human reproductive capacities given by the Creator and hence are morally wrong," Lagdameo said. He added that the church does not prohibit advocating for the decrease in population growth as long as couples are free to exercise sexual and family morality based on their religious convictions. The church does not "subscribe to the allegations that population must be controlled because it is the main cause of poverty; there are other grave factors," Lagdameo said, adding, "We will not join countries with collapsing population growth rates" (Manila Standard Today, 10/8).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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