MANILA, Philippines - The Senate's version of the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill has been sponsored on the floor 2 days before the first regular session of the 15th Congress ends.

In her sponsorship speech on Senate Bill 2865 on Tuesday, Senate health and demography committee chair Pia Cayetano emphasized that the bill seeks to save the lives of both mothers and the unborn, provide Filipinos with information and education on reproductive health, and give people access to reproductive health care facilities.

She also clarified that the bill does not legalize abortion, impose any mode of family planning method on families, require a certain family size, or promote sexual activity among the youth.

"This bill will not solve all the problems of our country. Like most of the bills filed in the Senate, it is just one measure that will address a particular problem. In this case, it is the reproductive health of all Filipinos, particularly the woman and her child," Cayetano said in her speech.

Cayetano noted the high maternal death rate in the country.

"A child who loses a mother at childbirth is ten times more likely to perish. Without a mother, who will now care for the child?" she said. "No other human being can take the place of the mother....and I dare say neither can the State."

Primarily a women's issue

In the speech, the senator also appealed to her male colleagues to support the measure, saying it is primarily a women's issue.

For one, she said, only women are vulnerable to deaths and complications related to their reproductive health.

"No man can claim that he has experienced the pain of choosing to end the life of the unborn baby in his womb. But half a million mothers in this country do that every year," Cayetano said.

The bill seeks to provide adequate information and access to all safe and effective methods of family planning, and mandates "humane, non-judgmental, and compassionate" care for women with post-abortion complications.

It includes family planning supplies, including safe contraceptives, in the government's list of essential medicines.

The bill also gives families the choice to determine the family size ideal for them, but requires the government to give parents enough information on all aspects of family life.

Furthermore, it establishes an "age-appropriate" sex education program for students, but does not specify when it should start.

Twenty members of the committees on health, finance, and youth, women, and family relations signed the committee report on the the RH bill, with a number expressing reservations and intentions to amend certain provisions of the measure.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano dissented.

"I concur and dissent with respect to certain principles and provisions of the bill. I am affixing my signature to signify my desire to bring this committee report to a productive and enlightened debate on the floor," Cayetano wrote beside his signature.

Sotto vowed to challenge the bill.

"The unexplained budget for family health and the obvious budgetary requirements of the bill are still there," Sotto told reporters. "Alisin natin 'yang pagkakagastusan ng taumbayan para pambili ng contraceptives. Huwag nating ipilit, huwag nating i-compel ang pagbili at paggamit ng contraceptives."

Yes, with reservations

Those who signed with reservations and other comments are Senators:

• Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.
• Antonio Trillanes IV
• Lito Lapid
• Francis Pangilinan
• Joker Arroyo
• Ralph Recto
• Francis Escudero
• Jinggoy Estrdada
• Franklin Drilon
• Gregorio Honasan
• Teofisto Guingona III, and
• Juan Miguel Zubiri

Aside from Sen. Pia Cayetano, Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Panfilo Lacson, Sergio Osmeña III, Edgardo Angara, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed without reservations.

Santiago and Lacson are authors of different versions of the bill, while Marcos was a co-author of a similar measure when she was still a congressman.

The bill will be opened for debates and amendments after Congress resumes session in the last week of July.