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A forum on reproduction and population was held recently at the audio-visual room 1 of the Southwestern University (SWU) Medicine building.
The forum was presented by the Rotary Club of El Pardo de Cebu, SWU Department of Family Planning, Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) ? Cebu Chapter and Philippine-Australian Alumni Association, Inc., in cooperation with the Commission of Population in Central Visayas (Popcom-7).
The topics included ?Food and other resources and population? by columnist and University of San Carlos Economics Professor Fernando C. Fajardo, ?Is Natural Family Planning truly natural and is it really a family planning method?? by Dr. Filemon S. Alberca of the Rotary Club of El Pardo and ?Population, Poverty and Reproductive Health? by Popcom-7 director Leo R. Rama.
Before the discussion started, Fe Cagalitan of the Quality of Life gave a brief presentation on the Reproductive Health (RH) bill.
She said RH bill is not anti-God, but is rather pro-God because it gives dignity and value to a person.
She added the bill is not an anti-life but pro-life. She explained that if the couple wanted to bring a child into this world, they should make sure that they can give him/her a quality life.
She said RH bill is not also anti-family because it would enhance family life and it does not also promote contraceptives mentality but it is in favor for wanted pregnancy rather than unwanted and unintended pregnancy.
She said the bill would also guide the couple about the number of children that they desire depending on their ability to support.
Fajardo said rapidly growing population will bring a negative impact on the economic development.
He said poor families are heavily burdened when they end up with more children than they themselves desire. He also said unwanted pregnancies are more likely to have complications during labor.
Dr. Alberca mentioned the rhythm, calendar and ovulation as among those recommended in the natural family planning methods.
Alberca also introduced to the participants the Alberca disc, a fertility calendar that he created to track the monthly menstrual cycle of a woman. The calendar will guide the couple when it is safe to have sex without having the risk of getting pregnant and when it is not safe.
Alberca also mentioned other family planning methods such as intra-uterine device, condom and withdrawal, which are commonly practiced by majority of the couples nowadays.
Rama, for his part, said he is in favor for the passage of the RH bill because it does not legalize abortion unlike in some parts of the United States where abortion is allowed.
