01/07/2006

What Does the New Year Hold for the Pro-life, Pro-family People of the Philippines?

Less than Two Weeks Left Before Destructive Legislation Comes to Vote "The nearly three million Filipino Americans with aunts, uncles, cousins and friends back in the Philippines have a stake in this radical legislation. If passed, it would have dreadful consequences on the country, including imprisoning our family and friends for their beliefs." – Eileen Macapanas Cosby, Executive Director, Filipino Family Fund

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- In less than two weeks, the world's most Catholic country could become a limited society – held captive by governmental restrictions (and impositions) regarding pro-life and pro-family healthcare, education and acts of conscience.

Just before Christmas, a bill was introduced in the Philippine legislature which, if passed, will impose a two-child limit on families. Urgent: A final vote is expected on January 16, less than two weeks. Eileen Macapanas Cosby, Executive Director of the Filipino Family Fund, is outraged. "Where did this come from? These are Western ideas, not Filipino, and they do not protect the dignity of the Filipino women. In fact, they pave the way for the kind of human rights nightmare that is already in China, with its coercive sterilization and contraception practices. This Philippine version is really just ‘China-light.' This is not a policy growing from Filipino values, it is social engineering from the outside being imposed on the Philippine people."

Disguised in clever language, HB 3773 is called "The Responsible Parenting and Population Control Act of 2005". Elements of the bill include preference in education for two child families, free access to aborti- facients, mandatory sex education for children as young as 10 years old and imprisonment penalties for health care providers who refuse to perform or provide sterilization services for a population that is 87% Catholic and 5% Muslim.

Dr. Pia de Solenni, Director of Life and Women's Issues at the Family Research Council shares Ms. Cosby's concerns, "This is nothing but a campaign against women and their health. Rather than allow women to make their own decisions about their families, advocates of the two-child policy presume that women aren't capable of making their own decisions. In addition, abortion and some contraceptives can pose substantial health risks for women, but this policy would sacrifice women's health for a flawed ideology."

The Filipino Family Fund (www.Filipino FamilyFund.org) is mobilizing a grass-roots effort of pro-life leaders in the U.S. and the Philippines to build opposition to the social engineering bill. The Fund is sponsoring an on-line petition drive and education initiatives in the Philippines from contributions made by Americans who care.