Rep. Edcel Lagman confident RH Bill will finally be passed

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman re-filed the Reproductive Health Bill, House Bill No. 96, in the 15th Congress even before it convened on July 26, reports GMANews.TV. Lagman noted two factors that are in favor of the RH Bill: Pres. Noynoy Aquino supports the responsible parenthood program which is covered by the bill and there are more RH Bill advocates than adversaries in the current Congress.

"Hopefully, this is the last Reproductive Health Bill that I will file because it will be enacted," he told Arnold Clavio, host of the morning show Unang Hirit.

Pushing for the "freedom of an informed choice," he said the central idea of the RH Bill is to give Filipinos a range of family planning methods to select from. He said the bill is anti-abortion since contraceptives, when used correctly, lower the abortion rate by 80 percent, according to experts.

Lagman said the Philippines is probably the only country in Asia with no comprehensive nationwide policy on reproductive health, population development, and responsible parenthood. He stressed that the projected population increase of two million per year is a "development for disaster."