GABRIELA PARTY NEWS RELEASE
06 November 2012
For Reference: Jang Monte (Public Information Officer) 0917-4049119
GABRIELA SOLON CALLS ON CONGRESS TO DISCUSS, AMEND, PASS RH BEFORE CHRISTMAS BREAK
Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Luz Ilagan today said it would be a most appropriate early Christmas gift for women if Congress resumes deliberations on the RH bill and finish the period of amendments before the Christmas break.
“Napakatagal na itong hinihintay ng mga kababaihan. Lalo itong kinakailangan sa gitna ng papatinding kahirapan. The need for a reproductive health bill that genuinely addresses women and children’s concerns for healthcare services becomes increasingly urgent as poverty and hunger continues to rise,” said Ilagan.
According to Ilagan, “Intensified poverty automatically translates to an intensified healthcare crisis in multiple levels. Families continue to spend less and less for healthcare not just because the family budget does not allow room for health spending but because government hospitals and facilities are now charging exorbitant rates for simple procedures as a result of increased private sector intrusion into healthcare. The enactment of a national policy on reproductive health will somehow mitigate this life threatening situation.”
The Gabriela solon further explains that once Congress proceeds to amend the RH bill, amendments to ensure that a policy beyond contraception and population control will be introduced.
“This will make the RH bill genuinely responsive to the needs of women in the grassroots, focusing primarily on the delivery of free, appropriate, primary healthcare for women and not population control, family planning or responsible parenthood,” Ilagan concluded. #
