Good afternoon classmates and to you our dear instructor, today I would like to share my views about the

most controversial bill in the Philippines, the RH BILL. As a student leader in this university, my leadership view tells me that I should support a bill that will provide people with equal opportunities; opportunities for them to live, work, and be contributors to nation-building. I do believe that our legislators are obliged to make a bill with the end goal of providing our fellow Filipinos not only with choices, but with opportunities as a result of their choice, however it may swing. Its not only my obligation to my belief but to you my dear fellow students which I serve. For more than a decade, our Congress has attempted to pass legislation that provides women with choices, and the opportunities that shall bring fullness to their choice. For more than a decade, our lawmakers are attempting to pass legislation that shall provide women with choices on how to control family-size based on their physiological and economic contexts; and to support their choice with state-sponsored opportunities to back their choice. Let it not be believed that I am against the divine and natural obligation of birthing children. I believe that children are the hope and the future of our nation. Let it not be believed as well that I am in favor of curtailing the freedom of choice for Filipino families. I am in favor of them, thats why Im supporting this bill; For your information my dear audience, our constitution has vowed to protect the interests of women by making it a matter of principle to recognize womens role in nation-building. And true nation-building can only be achieved if a state makes itself a conducive seedbed of free choice and opportunity. The state has an obligation, under a democratic system, to ensure that women are actively involved in affairs of the state; and with that said, Im sure the Constitution wants our active women to be healthy. Fellow students and fellow countrymen, I am one with the anti-RH supporters in the view of their right to life. I share their view that life begins with conception, and that abortion is a crime. I am a Catholic, a believer in the Judeao-Christian concept of life. In my view, I see no provision on the measure supporting or condoning abortion. In fact, the RH Bill does not only protect one life, but two. The RH Bill protects the life of the child and the mother. Through the assurance of pre-natal and post-natal health services to mothers, the RH Bill is one with our cause and obligation to protect life. As to the allegations of the bill promoting abortion, I ask this back: since when did free choice lead to abortion, since when did informed and educated choices lead to death? Since when did empowerment and education led to an immoral decision? Isnt that our lawmakers legislative duty is to provide alternatives and choices that must not be misconstrued to lead a certain type of life or lead towards a certain type of decision? I oppose abortion, definitely. But I also support the RH Bill. Who can tell me I cannot support both at once? The RH Bill presents a medical approach to contraception, which welcomes the aid of artificial contraceptives such as condoms, pills, and injectibles. But the bill does not outlaw the calendar method, to which I personally believe on. The bill provides the people with choices, and opportunities to undertake their choice. The issue of how the family should be controlled is a personal and familial issue. Many may opt to use calendar method, but that does not eliminate our lawmakers obligation to provide other choices. A democracy values the presence of several alternatives; there is no single way out all the time. My dear classmates, if we ask our conscience to weigh in on the matter of reproductive health legislation, should we not also consult reason and facts? If we were to make choices for our constituents, as I believe we are empowered to make, are they not going to give our constituents the choice to control the way they put

gaps between births in search of a comfortable, decent life? Are they not going to give our youth the opportunity to learn that sex is a natural phenomenon that entails responsibility? Are they not going to give the poorest Filipino women a fighting chance to live and rear for their newly-born children are they not going to deprive our constituents with the constitutional guarantee of their right to life, their right to living, and their right to choose? My conscience, my belief, and my object reality is one, and I believe in the right to live, that I am obliged to support and protect it against any element that will prevent it from its fullness. I support the RH Bill. John Carlo G. Quito Y-301 Good afternoon classmates and to you our dear instructor. Today I would like to share my views about the most controversial bill in the Philippines, the RH Bill. As a student leader in this university, my view tells me that I should support a bill that will provide people with equal opportunities - opportunities for them to live, work, and be contributors to nationbuilding. Our legislators are obliged to make bills with the end goal of providing our fellow Filipinos not only with choices, but with opportunities as a result of their choice, however it may change. Its not only my obligation to my belief but to you my dear fellow students which I serve and to the laws that I am under. My dear audience, for more than a decade, our Congress has attempted to pass legislation that provides women with choices on how to control family-size based on their physiological and economic contexts; and to support their choice with state-sponsored opportunities. Our constitution states in Article 2, Section 14, that as a matter of state policy, The State recognizes the role of women in nation-building And true nation-building can only be achieved if the state is a conducive seedbed of free choice and opportunity. Under a democratic system, the state has an obligation, to ensure that women are actively involved in affairs of the state; and with that said, Im sure the Constitution wants our active women to be healthy. Fellow students, let it not be believed that the bill is against the divine and natural obligation of birthing children. In the view of the cause and obligation to protect life, the bill supports the Revised Penal Code in citing that abortion is a crime. No provision on the measure supporting or condoning abortion. In fact, the RH Bill does not only protect one life, but two. The RH Bill protects the life of the child and the mother, through the assurance of pre-natal and post-natal health services to mothers. Let it not be believed as well that it curtails the freedom of choice for Filipino families. The bill provides the people with choices, and opportunities to undertake their choice, thats why Im supporting it. As to the allegations of the bill promoting abortion, I ask this back: since when did free choice lead to abortion, since when did informed and educated choices lead to an immoral decision death? I oppose abortion, definitely. But I also support the RH Bill. Who can tell me I cannot support both at once?

Democracy values the presence of several alternatives; there is no single way out all the time. Isnt it our lawmakers legislative duty is to provide alternatives and choices that must not be misconstrued to lead a certain type of life or lead towards a certain type of decision? The issue of how the family should be controlled is a personal and familial issue. The bill does not outlaw the calendar method, to which I personally believe on. Many may opt to use calendar method, but that does not eliminate our lawmakers obligation to provide other choices. My dear classmates, are our legislators not going to give our youth the opportunity to learn that sex is a natural phenomenon that entails responsibility? Are our legislators not going to give the poorest Filipino women a fighting chance to live and rear for their newly-born children? Are our legislators not going to guarantee us of our basic right to life, our right to living, and our right to choose? My conscience, my belief, and my object reality is one, and I believe in the right to live, that I am obliged to support and protect it against any element that will prevent it from its fullness.

Ergo, I support the RH Bill.