LEGISLATORS lauded the increase of 1,000 percent in the family-planning budget, saying the government really needed to address the booming population because of its effects not only on food security but also on development plans.

From a puny P200 million last year, the budget on family planning was increased to P2 billion this year, or 10 times.

Lakas Rep.  Edcel Lagman of Albay, chairman of the House appropriations committee, said he was happy that the amount, which was the result of House and Senate “budget augmentation maneuver” did not merit a presidential veto which observers said indicated President Arroyo’s openness to  forms outside of  the natural birth control.

“The government wanted parents to have freedom of choice, what family method they want to use,” said Lagman.

To its credit, Malacañang proposed a P1.2-billion allocation for “family health, including family planning,” in the Department of Health’s P15.7 billion budget this year.

But the bill increased the amount for “family health” to P3 billion, P2 billion of which will be earmarked for “reproductive health.”

The latter was further broken down into P1.2 billion for the procurement of “reproductive-health commodities” and P800 million for “reproductive health and family-planning seminars.”

Lagman expressed belief that the amount allocated for family planning would not result in a clash between the State and the Church.

“I don’t think the Church and the State should be on a collision course,” said Lagman.

For his part, Lakas Rep. Mauricio Domogan of Baguio lauded Congress and Malacañang for taking a serious stand in addressing the ballooning population in the light of worldwide tight food supply, particularly rice.

“We really need to address the population problem because whether we like it or not, population has a connection to all, not only to food security. In all development plan, population must be part of it. The Church must also be involved in addressing the population issue and not only insist on responsible parenthood,” Domogan said.

Under the provisions governing the use of the P800 million for seminars, it is stated that the information and education drive must lead to “an informed choice [for] a family-planning method that is best suited to their needs, personal convictions and religious belief.”

The allocation for the P1.2 billion for “reproductive-health commodities” calls for “modern natural and artificial family-planning devices, which are medically and legally permissible, for free distribution to poor family- planning acceptors.”

This, the legislator said, showed a big umbrella approach to family planning, where every mode is accepted. By adopting the cafeteria approach, wherein one can choose a method based on religious and medical considerations, the allocation should be acceptable to all.

THE spike in the prices of food will hit the poor the hardest and pose risks to their nutrition, especially if the government will not take measures to shield them from price increases, warned the International Food Policy Research Institute  (IFPRI).

LEGISLATORS lauded the increase of 1,000 percent in the family-planning budget, saying the government really needed to address the booming population because of its effects not only on food security but also on development plans.

The performance of Customs collectors should not be measured solely on their increased collection but on the increments resulting from their vigilance to prevent revenue leakage out of technical smuggling.

AMID the Philippine Electricity Market Corp.’s readiness to operate the power market in the Visayas, the Department of Energy (DOE) said Tuesday it has deferred the proposed launching of the Visayas Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

NINGBO city in China’s Zhejiang province is sending a business delegation in the Philippines by middle of this year to look into possible investment opportunities with particular interests in garments and electrical equipment, said the Philippine Consulate in Shanghai.

THE Arroyo government must move fast to cushion the impact of an economic slowdown in the United States, the country’s top trading partner, by quickly adopting anticipatory measures, such as lowering  transaction cost to prop up the export industry and intensify promotion of Philippine exports to other countries, Sen. Loren Legarda suggested Tuesday.

DAGUPAN CITY—Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has tagged Pangasinan as one big sleeping giant in agriculture even as it now lags far behind in the production of rice, corn and vegetables over the years.

BEING an efficient and profitable business goes hand in hand with being a good steward of the environment.