ALFI's Position Statement against the proposed Quezon City Reproductive Health Ordinance

November 19, 2007


The Hon. Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. /
The Hon. City Councilors
City Hall
Diliman, Quezon City


Subject: Proposed Quezon City Reproductive Health Ordinance

Gentlemen:

We enclose our Position Statement against the proposed Quezon City Reproductive Health Ordinance.

We are alarmed that Quezon City proposes to reduce further its population growth rate (PGR), which as of the last census of 2000 (covering the years 1995-2000) was at only 1.92% per annum. This was a decline of 1.4% against Quezon City’s PGR during the previous census of 1990-1995 and a significantly lower figure than the national rate of 2.36% during the same census period.

Since the country’s PGR for 2000-2005 is now estimated at 1.95%, the PGR of Quezon City must have dropped even further. Why is Quezon City eager to reduce further its city’s PGR?

Furthermore, in Quezon City, as of 2000, the age structure no longer followed the pyramid shape but had started to bulge in the middle with the age groups 20-29 years protruding among the other age groups. This suggests a demographic dividend that has continued in the current decade.

How well has Quezon City taken advantage of this demographic benefit of a young, educated workforce ready for employment? It seems that the Labor Force Surveys in Quezon City have not indicated an employment rate that is significantly better than the national rate. With this human resource at its disposal, what has the city done to encourage private sector employment? We hope the city government can address the causes of unemployment instead of establishing this ordinance.


Very truly yours,


Rosie B. Luistro
President

• Promote large scale distribution and public promotion of various types of contraceptives and provide access to sexual and reproductive health care which include access to a full range of methods, techniques and services. These provide destructive, dangerous and unsafe programs for women of reproductive age including adolescents INSTEAD of truly addressing the authentic needs of women, mothers, children and youth and demanding respect and protection of the rights of parents, women, children and families according to their religious convictions and the demands of true and responsible parenthood.
• Include in school curricula child and adolescent sexuality education injurious to their personal development INSTEAD of educating them on the truth about the sacredness of human sexuality proper to the dignity of the human person.
• Require both private and public employers in the city to integrate in their health benefits/health plan access of their employees to means of population and reproductive health management including provision of abortifacient contraceptives INSTEAD of assisting business owners to be committed to protecting life and family.
• Attempt to eradicate poverty by reduction of birth rates and by funding population control programs INSTEAD of earmarking the Government’s resources and the use of public funds for programs and policies that really address the causes of poverty, seeking and implementing means to eliminate such causes. Decreasing the population is also decreasing the dynamics of healthy growth as a nation. With less taxpayers and workers in the future, this would mean not only lower economic output but also fewer resources for social security or health care for an ageing population.
• Encourage small families and prevent the birth of unwanted children instead of focusing on devising programs and developing measures to improve human potentials for the city’s sustainable development and economic progress.
• Violate several provisions of the Constitution on life and family INSTEAD of strengthening the family, protecting the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception, the natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth in the development of moral character, and the right of spouses to found their families in accordance with their religious convictions (Article II, Sections 12 and 13, Article XV, Sections 1 and 13).