Cebu bishop rejects 2-children policy
Updated 06:38am (Mla time) Aug 08, 2004
By Jolene R. Bulambot
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A19 of the August 8, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
CEBU CITY -- "Life is a gift. I don't think we have to limit God's gift to us otherwise he will limit his gift for us."
This was the response of Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal on the proposal for families to limit their number of children to two.
Vidal said the Catholic Church is advocating only one means of birth control -- the natural family planning method.
"The Church is always asking everybody to be always responsible, to follow responsible parenthood. But of course, it will always differ in the means and the Church is only advocating one means that is the natural family planning and that is the only thing," said Vidal.
He said poverty should not be connected with overpopulation because there were other causes. One of them is greed, he said.
The cardinal said he would leave the matter to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to issue an official stand on the two-children policy endorsed by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman. said the CBCP had issued in the past its official position on matters that may affect the views and standing of the Church.
Provincial board member Estrella Yapha, chairperson of the committee on health, said the bill violated the right of couples to determine the number of their children.
She said her committee was studying the bill so the board could make an official stand during its regular session on Monday.
Yapha agreed with Cardinal Vidal that the two-children policy in the bill was not the answer to the worsening problem of overpopulation.
She said the government should instead focus on other programs for couples such as alternative livelihood projects to sustain their families.