THE POLITICS AND ETHICS OF THE PHILIPPINE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BILL

The paper documents the issues of the Philippine Reproductive Health Bill and to present a case study of the fertility experience of farmers in northern rural part of the Philippines. The first population policy , HB 4244 ,better known as the Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill) has many debatable issues that borders on the moral and ethical values such as, When does life begins and its implication on the use of contraceptives. Who will teach child sex education? and How can the Philippine government afford to spend for alternative family planning methods when at its present economic state, it can barely meet the basic needs and social services of its people. A case study done in 2011 on unmet family planning needs among farming couples in the northern rural part of the Philippines supports the RH Bill. The RH Bill is a step toward minimizing poverty.