RH Bill

I am happy that Senator Pia S. Cayetano has become the default poster girl of the RH Bill.  It's a long overdue bill that has just got to get passed, and the lady has done much to shepherd the bill to fruition.  While this is no magic overnight solution, the bill, when signed into law, will enable the country to properly address not only the rights of women and the unborn, but will also pave the way for some measure of economic progress.  To my mind, and make no mistake--the two most important influence points of the bill are: 1)  the much debated "safe and satisfying sex" passage, under which the state recognizes the rights of women, and 2) the reinforcement of institutionalized efforts of the state to curb poverty and increase economic welfare.

The first part is pretty obvious, and anyone who objects to the inclusion of the words "safe and satisfying sex" probably has not experienced "safe and satisfying sex."  Why?  Because it is a truism that once you have experienced "safe and satisfying sex" you will not settle for anything less than "safe and satisfying sex."  And, as is obvious to those who have experienced "safe and satisfying sex," you will believe that "safe and satisfying sex" is a basic human right.  Enough said.

On the second point, I read a recent article penned by former Budget Secretary and my UP professor Ben Diokno which supported the economic arguments for the RH Bill--that high birth rates force the government to spend less on infrastructure, which is a key ingredient of economic take-off.  To my mind, this is simply the bare truth--the country simply cannot break the cycle of poverty if 2 million Filipinos are born every year.  The RH Bill, in conjunction with other government efforts, will provide stimulus to stabilize population growth, which already has ballooned to record levels in recent years.

We are now in the last two minutes of the game.  I pray that the Senate and the House versions of the RH Bill get synchronized soon, and that this bill gets signed into law by early 2013.