Church-gov’t partnership needed to uplift poor

It is now an opportune time that the Catholic Church must agree to a compromise with our national government that only the oral contraceptive pill must be followed for contraception. Mutilating procedures like tubal ligation, vasectomy, hysterectomy and the use of IUDs (intrauterine devices) and condoms be put aside.

May I react to what has been written in the local broadsheets with regard to the use of the two most controversial contraceptives, and these are, the pill and condom.

The core of the issue is whether the pill causes or lead to abortion. Scientifically, any form of oral contraceptive in the market is not abortifacient (does not cause abortion). It is not a carcinogenic (does not cause cancer) agent. However, the pill may enhance the spread of cancer cells to adjacent tissues and through the main circulatory system if the patient is already suffering from breast malignancy. The principal action of the pill prevents the ovulatory function of a woman in a monthly menstrual cycle-phase, thereby, now ovum is released from the ovaries and there can be no union of the ovum and spermatozoon for conception or fertilization. Consequently, nothing to abort at all.

The pharmaceutical industries had perfected the micro-pill at the lowest concentration and had been used worldwide by millions of women for birth spacing and control and has minimal side effects. The Catholic Church must accept the fact that definitely the pill does not cause abortion. Even the pill is the safest form of oral contraceptive.

Abortion in any form is a no-no word as it is against the law of God and nature. Whether life begins at the time of fertilization or implantation in the inner lining of the uterus does not matter. Pregnancy must go on until birth for we are for the absolute protection of human life.

The use of condom is a must in South Africa to prevent the alarming increase of the dreaded HIV infection and AIDS. Thousands of adult die daily and thousands of children are orphaned leading to famine, malnutrition and are very vulnerable to infectious diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. The main culprit – overpopulation.

We cannot deny that our country has the highest birth rate in Asia. Overpopulation breeds poverty. More people, more mouths to feed. Parents have the sole responsibility to plan as to how many children they can sustain to give them proper education, provide adequate food and formation of moral values.

The hierarchy of the Catholic Church in cooperation with their regional parishes and in partnership with our government and NGOs must join together for the upliftment of our underprivileged families by providing free education in the primary and secondary levels, regular health maintenance by building more day care centers and rural health clinics, low cost housing loans with zero interests and livelihood program. No doleouts that breeds laziness..

Let us now act in unison for a healthy and better Philippines. – ELISEO R. REBLANDO, MD, Director, Sta. Veronica Gen. Clinic, Olongapo City