RH bill passes bicam level

MANILA, Philippines - Lawmakers passed the Reproductive Health bill in a bicameral conference meeting on Wednesday.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, a member of the House of Representatives' panel, said on his Twitter account that both Congress panels tried to "fast track" the discussions to allow the ratification of the bill within the day.

"Clap clap clap. Tapos," Baguilat, a co-author of the lower house version, tweeted.

Baguilat also said that they agreed on Senate versions of the proposed measure, which was voted on third and final reading by both chambers last Monday.

"Now accepting Senate versions just to fast track on RH bill. No big difference. Just that Senators feel their version is better written," the lawmaker said, adding that both panels also agreed on some "compromises."

The bicameral committee will pass the consolidated 50-page bill to Congress for ratification and then to President Benigno Aquino III for approval.

'Satisfying, consensual sex'

Among the contrasting provisions discussed in the conference was on whether the Department of Education, the agency to be tasked to craft the curriculum on sex education, will have both public and private schools adopt it.

The body agreed to enforce sexuality instruction in public schools, while private schools may opt to receive it or not, Baguilat said.

The much-contested phrase on the supposed people's right to "safe and satisfying sex life" as proposed by the Senate version had been revised and expanded by the panel to read "responsible, safe, satisfying and consensual sex life" as among the objectives of the bill, the solon added.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting,  Senate version co-author and panel chairperson Sen. Pia Cayetano admitted that the measure was "not a perfect" bill though they did their best in approving it in one sitting.

Baguilat said that television cameras were banned from the bicameral conference because lawmakers have a tendency to grandstand.

"It's just experience that if cameras are around, [politicians] tend to wax poetic and [become] passionate in their discourse. So tumatagal," Baguilat said.

This setup allowed bloggers and netizens present at the meeting to instead post updates via their mobile phones on the proceedings.