Cabral: GMA won't interfere in Congress action on RH bill

MANILA, Philippines – Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza Cabral recently stressed that President Arroyo will not interfere with the legislative power of Congress and leave to the lower chamber whether to pass the reproductive health bill or not.

Cabral said that should the bill be passed into law, it will institutionalize reproductive health in the country and make life better for mothers.

“The President has stated that this (passage of laws) is the job of the legislators and she will not interfere with their job. Many people support the reproductive health bill. If the bill is not passed in Congress, the things that are happening right now will remain,” Cabral said, adding that members of the Arroyo Cabinet do not have a unified stand on the measure.

“But I don’t think the absence of the reproductive health law has prevented line agencies from doing their job and conducting their programs. Like the Department of Health, they have continued their information campaign aimed at controlling population growth,” Cabral said.

She admitted though that the government failed to meet its goal to reduce by 1.9 percent the population growth this year.

“The government’s goal is to reduce population growth by 1.9 percent in 2008. But obviously, we did not meet our goal. The National Statistics Office stated that the population growth in the country this year is at 2.04 percent, down from the 2.36 percent recorded in 2007,” Cabral said. – Jose Rodel Clapano