We were like David against Goliath . We fought long and hard , and in the end we prevailed . After 14 long years in the dustbins of Congress , mainly due to strong opposition from the Catholic Church , the Reproductive Health ( RH ) Bill was approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Monday , 17 December 2012 . Indeed , there is no force more powerful than an idea whose time has come . And the time for a Philippine reproductive health law is now . The Philippines remains one of the poorest countries in the world because , among other things , for a long time , it refused to acknowledge what could easily be seen when one glances out the window : the country desperately needs a reproductive health law . Not having a reproductive health law is cruelty to the poor . The poor are miserable because , among other reasons , they have so many children . Providing reproductive knowledge and information through government intervention is the humane thing to do . It can help the poor escape the vicious cycle of poverty by giving them options on how to manage their sexual lives , plan their families and control their procreative activities . The phrase `` reproductive rights '' includes the idea of being able to make reproductive decisions free from discrimination , coercion or violence . Many poor women do not receive information on how to receive reproductive health care . Our underprivileged women have to accept standards lower than what they need , want , or deserve . According to the Department of Health , the mortality rate for Filipino mothers increased to 221 per 100,000 live births in 2011 from 162 per 100,000 live births in 2009 . But not only do the women suffer , the children do , too . The children remain undernourished and undereducated because their parents are ignorant about reproductive health care and choices . In short , the bill merely wants to empower a Filipino woman from the poorest economic class to march to the nearest facility operated by the Department of Health or the local government unit , to demand information on a family planning product or supply of her choice . The bill , at the simplest level , wants to give an indigent married woman the freedom of informed choice concerning her reproductive rights . If the bill is highly controversial , it is not because it is dangerous to humans or to the planet . It is not subversive of the political order . It is not a fascist diktat of a totalitarian power structure . The reason this bill is emotionally charged is because of the fervent opposition of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and those who wish to be perceived as its champions . Yet the majority of Catholic countries around the world have passed reproductive health laws , even Italy where the Vatican City is located . Other nations include Spain , Portugal , Paraguay , Mexico , Guatemala , Ecuador , Colombia and Argentina . Apart from the Catholic Church , all other major religions in the Philippines support the RH Bill . Other major Christian churches have not only officially endorsed the bill but have published learned treatises explaining their position . Support also comes from the Interfaith Partnership for the Promotion of Responsible Parenthood , the National Council of Churches in the Philippines , the Iglesia ni Cristo and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches . The position of these Christian bodies is supported by the most authoritative body of Islamic clerics in the Philippines , the Assembly of Darul-Iftah of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao . These constitute the top-ranking ulama , deemed to have the authority to issue opinions on matters facing Islam and Muslims . In 2003 , they issued a fatwah or religious ruling called `` Call to Greatness . '' It gives Muslim couples a free choice on whether to practice family planning . The Filipino people , regardless of religion , are in favor of RH . In June 2011 , the Social Weather Stations , a survey group , reported that 73 % of Filipinos want information from the government on all legal methods of family planning , while 82 % say family planning method is a personal choice of couples and no one should interfere with it . An October 2012 survey among young people aged 15 to 19 years old in Manila shows that 83 % agree that there should be a law in the Philippines on reproductive health and family planning . This is the will of the Filipino people ; it is the democratic expression of what the public wants from government . The anti-RH groups are mute on this ineluctable fact . Reproductive health care is a human right . The people are entitled to demand it from their government and the government is obligated to provide it to its constituents .
Philippines government signs divisive reproductive health bill . Will lead the way for free abortion and government - funded sex education . Catholic leader says it will destroy religion and morality in the Philippines . Defensor Santiago : Not having a reproductive health law is cruelty to the poor .