Malaya Online, October 13, 2005

Aurora OKs Own Family Planning Code

Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo's unapproved congressional bill on reproductive health was approved and adopted as Aurora's family planning code.

Known as the Aurora Reproductive Health Care Code of 2005, the Angara-Castillo family planning code was passed by the Aurora Provincial Board led by Vice-Governor Anabelle Tangson last June 2005. The newly-approved code runs asunder with the Catholic Church's stand on artificial contraception. It also seeks to distribute contraceptive products which are legal and medically safe as well as provide appropriate sex education which integrates values formation while prohibiting abortion and use of drugs and chemicals that induce abortion.

Gov. Angara-Castillo also offered the code for possible adoption by other local governments at last October's presentation of the Status of World Population Report (SWP). According to Gov. Angara-Castillo, the code can be adopted by local government units who wish to initiate their own reproductive health services without waiting for the national government's guidelines in the matter.

She also said that the Aurora Code will protect the right of couples to decide on the number of children they want by expanding available choices without compulsion or coercion and through informed choices.

Furthermore, the distinguished governor from Aurora also offered the code for adoption by the local government which she observed does not have a unified statement on the protection of the reproductive rights of individuals.