Is the Reproductive Health Bill the "TRUE" Solution?

The Reproductive Health Bill: Impoverishing Filipinos

 

The debates on the RH Bill are in full swing in the Senate. On one end we have Filipinos who feel entitled to do away with other people’s money – and are willing to use the police power/power of taxation of the state to make Juan pay for the contraceptives of Pedro and Maria.

You see – the pro-RH group is trying to portray this as a moral issue – that of unwanted pregnancies. Most Filipinos perceive this to be a morality issue. The issue is which aspects of morality are we dealing with here exactly?

The Many Faces of Morality

Very well if one were to embrace the morality angle – there’s a lot more morality issues at play here – not just unwanted pregnancies.

There are also issues of personal property rights – and using the power of the state to take way those properties – for the benefit not of the property owner – but of someone else. After all – are we not all in agreement that my right ends where your right begins – and vice versa. Isn’t that the fundamental foundation of modern civilization as we know it? I must be missing something here?

I don’t have to believe in a spaghetti monster in the sky to come to the conclusion that making Pedro pay for Juan’s condom is SO wrong. Worse – Juan’s *feeling entitled* to Pedro’s money is not helping as well. Juan is entitled to Juan’s fruits – no more, no less. Lastly, ika nga – the ends do not justify the means.

It’s a setup that rewards bad behavior and punishes good behavior. Why should Pedro  be made to cough up tax money and pay for Juan’s condom every time Juan has the urge to boink Maria? Juan should pay for his condom if he wants to boink Maria – not Pedro.

Wrong Solution for the Right Problem

The RH Bill has been touted as having the potential of solving the problem of overpopulation which allegedly can solve extreme poverty in the country.” – Nothing can be further from the truth. Time and time again, empirical studies have shown that extreme poverty is caused by flawed economic policies – not by overpopulation. Poverty can be exacerbated by overpopulation – but overpopulation by itself does not cause poverty. After all, if overpopulation were synonymous with extreme poverty then the urban jungles of Hong Kong, New York, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, and Beijing wouldn’t be a magnet for those who are out to seek their fortunes.

The Pro-RH group argues that contraceptives are important. Yes – contraceptives can be important . HOWEVER, being “important” does not automatically mean that taxpayers money will be used – or that money will be raised from taxpayers to cover the cost of “free” contraceptives, “free” hospitalization, “free” mobile emergency vehicles. How can that be “free” when taxes were raised to defray the expenses of dispensing such “free” services. “Free” hospitalization? Who paid for the physician’s salary? How about the hospital’s electricity? The office supplies? Those are not FREE – those are expenses that were subsidized by taxpayers.

Where does that leave Filipinos then? When you have less money in your wallet because government took it away from you – to give away FREE CONDOMS and more FREEBIES – are  you, the taxpayer any richer? No you are not – you are POORER. For short – the RH Bill impoverishes you – the RH Bill impoverishes Filipinos.

The current generation of Filipinos are too young to remember a similar program conducted in the 1970s under the PopCom which just wasted taxpayers money. The PopCom distributed free contraceptives – and these highly subsidized contraceptives wind up being sold by the poor so they can make some extra cash! That means receiving a condom or receiving contraceptives or receiving “free” hospitalization does not improve the Filipinos quality of life because in doing so Filipinos pay a higher tax burden on products and services that are enjoyed only by a few and not by the general public.

Poverty and the Economy

The Pro-RH lobby keeps on setting up the religious strawmen because when reviewed from the view of whether free condoms will lead to solving  extreme poverty in the country – the RH bill is long on intent, is short of the end-game desired outcomes. Considering that the Philippine economy is in a chronic depression, having an RH bill that increases the tax burden, benefits the contraceptives companies only, without improving the quality of life of taxpayers is a step in the WRONG direction.

Pray tell – will a Japanese investor be able to own 100% of a locally registered business now that Pedro paid for Juan’s condom? Will Juan now be able to work for because he had free condoms? Until the Japanese investor is actually allowed by law to own 100% of a locally registered business – Juan can use up as many condoms as he wants – and have Pedro pay for stacks of free condoms – and Juan will still be jobless and poor. It’s not about contraceptives – it’s about the economy.

Access to scarce resources in order to live a decent life is about having the right economic policies in place. As shown in the experience of developed economies, when people have jobs – they have less time to procreate and that drastically reduces the probability of increasing the population. Jobs – its the natural contraceptive. When you are in the office, are at work, you are not having sex – therefore that decreases the risk of someone getting fertilized by YOU because the incidence of the sexual act was reduced.

Also distributing “free” pills only increases the risk of sexually transmitted disease – specifically AIDS. So we use taxpayers money supposedly to reduce unwanted pregnancies – and increase the prevalence of AIDS in the process. And that means more taxes needed to curb an AIDs epidemic. That’s not really helping at all. That’s not empowering people – that’s RUINING people. Don’t get me wrong – I recommend the use of contraceptives, use it myself. What I don’t recommend is feeling entitled that someone else will pay for my contraceptives because I am “poor”. The better part of valor dictates that I resort to alternatives – either abstaining or even cunnilingus until the condom becomes within reach.

Render to Caesar

Filipinos who are opposing the RH Bill for religious reasons have lost the argument long before it started. This isn’t about abortion. Given the secular nature of taxation – (the means by which the RH Bill will be funded) – the CBCP best remember the biblical injunction “render unto Caesar”.  The better argument is reject the RH Bill – on Caesar’s turf, by Caesar’s rules, using Caesar’s language.

Reject the RH Bill because it does not solve extreme poverty and  imposes a bigger tax burden on already suffering taxpayers. The RH Bill does not empower – on the contrary it turns you closer to becoming a pauper. The RH bill promotes poverty and restricts prosperity.

If we Filipinos are really serious in solving extreme poverty – what we need is wealth – not contraceptives.

Cmon – if we are wealthy – a condom cost practically nothing – and we can afford to have large families as well. Of course, just because we can afford does not mean we have to, the point being though that if it was needed or when push comes to shove- we have the sustained capability of providing for our needs by our own means. But, I digress.

We don’t get wealthy by demanding free contraceptives. We don’t improve the quality of our lives by feeling entitled to someone earnings. We don’t get wealthy by begging. We are not entitled to wealth.  But we are entitled to the wealth that we create.

We increase our wealth by creating and accumulating value, by offering a service, by satisfying a need, at a place and time, and price that customers are willing to pay for.  As creators of value – we create jobs, stimulate investments, we promote trade not aid.

Wealth – is the availability of and ability to exercise those choices that generate revenue and income, not the possession of a condom .

Cross-posted from:  The Reproductive Health Bill: Impoverishing Filipinos

The Filipino people should speak up and should not be contented of just being a "miron" (observer) in issues directly affecting their quality of life.  So let's hear the voice of the Filipino people.