The Value of life

One of the greatest gifts God has given mankind is life. Yet the country’s political, economic, academic and civic leaders continue to toy around with this God-given gift and continue to link it with poverty, recession and even corruption.

The Reproductive Health Bill, or more commonly known as the RH Bill, has become a center of debate in the Senate, the Congress, the academe and just about every barber shop around the corner.

The P-Noy administration is strongly pushing for its legislation because it claimed it would help arrest the steep rise of the country’s population. They say that over population is a hindrance to economic growth and is a major cause of poverty that can lead to criminality.

The RH Bill includes the allocation of about P4 billion in the distribution of contraceptives, conduction of seminars and integration of sex education in the curriculum of the students.

However, the Church continues to oppose the legislation because the Catholic groups believe that it is against the Law of God. Debates about this controversial RH Bill has not yet been resolved. Both sides from the government and religious groups continue to attack and counterattack each other to a point that the real issue is being set aside.

The value of life.

Also, the national budget must also be considered. With our foreign debt slowing our stride, the infrastractures and agriculture crops devastated by the typhoons and the rising prices of basic commodities, money will be a big problem.

There are things that we need to prioritize. One of these is education. Education grants people knowledge and wisdom that will lead to the nation’s progress. If the main goal is to lessen poverty, then education is the key. With education, the unemployment rate would go down. People will have good jobs and eventually, a good life. They can help contribute to the development of the country. Moreso, the more manpower we have to help the nation and its people, the greater chances we have to improve our lives.

The RH bill involves the distribution of contraceptives to people. Why do we have to waste the hard-earned money of the Filipinos on such things, when they have already been done before? These things are still being done today. Some public and private sectors are already holding seminars of natural and artificial family planning. Also, contraceptives have been known to people. So, why do we have to do the same things using people’s money?

Another facet about this controversial bill is the teaching of sex education to the students. This is another redundancy. The reproductive system is already being taught to the students in their science classes. In the case of teaching of contraceptives to students and how to use them, the Constitution also states that the parents are the ones who have the right to teach such sensitive matter to their children.

Besides, this may give them the wrong impression that there is nothing wrong with premarital sex as long as they have these pills and other contraceptives.

God taught us that sex is sacred. Its sole purpose is for us to multiply, which the book of Genesis states, “Be fertile and multiply.” Where do our morals and values go? We, Filipinos, must remain true to our faith and must stand firm on our decisions.

We should never waver on who we really are and what we are made of. Filipinos stand firm on their faith. Filipinos have the wisdom to choose right from wrong. Filipinos know how to value life.

Because we all wouldn’t be here if God has not given us the gift of life.   And you wouldn’t even be reading this if your parents had decided to rob you of your chance to live.