Davao youth backs city health programs

DAVAO CITY - The City Government of Davao has seen an ally in its tiff with the Church regarding the controversial Local Development Plan for Children (LDPC) ordinance, which the Church said promotes abortion and use of unwarranted birth control methods. In a statement, the Davao Teen Center (DTC) strongly expressed their support on the programs of the local government to address the reproductive health issues of the city. They challenged civil society to support the programs, as this is the "long hope of young people when it comes to accessibility of the reproductive health services of the city." Jamail Lunar Macla, youth coordinator of DTC, expressed that the local initiative of passing and approving LDPC manifests the firmness of local leaders that reproductive health is more than moral and societal issue. "LDPC lambasted the idea that reproductive health must not only be seen as moral issue but encompasses all issues of the society, which includes economic, cultural, emotional, social and physical well-being of an individual," Macla said. "The society must note that LDPC doesn't only tackle reproductive health concerns but also the welfare and best interest of the child... like his or her participation, survival, protection and development rights," she added. Macla said the issue is not just all about morality. "Reproductive health is not only being moral. It is being human and humane to all citizenry where you let them choose to informed options based on the availability and accessibility of correct information and education that was given by all stakeholders in the society, which includes media, family, peers, academe and church," Macla said. Mayor Rodrigo Duterte earlier branded the policy of the Roman Catholic Church on human population as "antiquated and archaic". Duterte also appealed to the religious sector to give the City Government a chance to prove that LDPC would be beneficial to society in general. The mayor clarified though that he does not want to pick a fight with the Church, despite the threat by Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla that supporters of the controversial ordinance would not be given sacraments. "Dili ko gusto makig-away sa obispo, dili ko makigdebate nila. Di pud nako gusto na masilo sila sa akoa (I will not fight with a bishop, I will not debate with them. I also don't like to offend them.) But the truth is their policy is archaic, antiquated. I believe that children are gifts from God. Pero let us also see what we are doing to these gifts from the Lord," Duterte said. He said with the increasing human population, not just in the Philippines but in the entire world, the earth's resources would soon run out. Duterte said he would craft the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the ordinance. He will assure the Church that their ordinance would not favor abortion, as feared by the religious sector. He also said that he is in favor of tubal ligation, as this prevents the fertilization of egg. "The Church should realize that they should begin now to study the real situation and reconsider. Makasabot man ang Ginoo ana ba, after all He is the one who created the earth," Duterte said. - Sun.Star Davao