It’s DOH’s Cabral now, who’s the next target, DepEd’s Valisno? RH advocates ask

By PLCPD
June 5, 2010

QUEZON CITY  –  A leading reproductive health advocacy group reacts in defense of Department of Health’s Secretary Esperanza Cabral amid calls from the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urging President-apparent Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III not to reappoint the gutsy Secretary of Health.

According to Ramon San Pascual, Executive Director of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD) pronouncements such as this coming from a heavily biased institution like the Catholic church is really unbecoming.

San Pascual laments that the Catholic church is again trying to unduly influence the incoming Aquino presidency on an all-important issue which is reproductive health.  “Why can’t the Bishops just allow President-apparent Aquino to decide on the composition of his cabinet,” expressed San Pascual.  “Besides, Fr. Melvin Castro’s claim that Sec. Cabral is inefficient because of her support on reproductive health is illogical,” he said.  “Sec. Cabral in her short stint in DOH so far has proven to be the most efficient and effective DOH Secretary under the Arroyo administration. Her unwavering support for reproductive health does not reveal inefficiency, rather it shows courage of the heart and strength of character, traits that we need badly among our leaders,” San Pascual stressed.

In another note, PLCPD express appreciation to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Secretary Mona Valisno for taking the cudgel for the long forsaken issue of sexuality education and the promotion of responsible behavior towards sex among the youth.

“We laud DepEd’s response on the increasing HIV and AIDS cases and other alarming reproductive health related cases among the youth.  We see DepEd’s effort as part of the continuing build-up of reproductive health momentum within the Arroyo administration even if this happens in the last few months of her governance.  We can see that the RH momentum is in many ways encouraged by election results that produced many pro-RH candidates winning in all levels from Presidential, senatorial and local government,” San Pascual said.

San Pascual further explains, the recent mainstreaming of sex education and family planning programs in DOH, DepEd and the re-election of reproductive health champions in Congress, and the open mind of President-apparent Aquino augurs well for the swift passage of the reproductive health bill in the 15th Congress.