Reaction to "New contraceptives make menstrual period optional"

I was saddened by your article "New contraceptives make menstrual period optional" (Published on Page A1 of the May 24, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer). This time advocates of artificial contraception try to appeal to a very common aspiration among individuals, women and men alike, in a consumeristic society for less suffering and greater comforts.

Don't you realize that oral contraceptive pills taken at an early age on a regular basis and before the first full term pregnancy has an estimated increased risk of breast cancer of 40%? Studies conducted by Dr. Chris Kahlenborn have reached to this conclusion. If you want to view his study, click on the following URL: http://lifeissues.net/writers/kah/kah_10chap8canabor1.html

Dr. Chris Kahlenborn specializes in internal medicine and practices in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Dr. Kahlenborn has studied the epidemiology of breast cancer in relation to abortion and oral contraceptives for the past six years and has lectured in Canada, Russia, the Philippines, and China, in addition to testifying before the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He writes and speaks extensively in the areas of breast cancer, with its links to Abortion and the pill; artificial contraception; In-Vitro fertilization; and the Chickenpox vaccine. He has a book published entitled, Breast Cancer: Its Link to Abortion and the Brith Control Pill.

It also significant to point out that interventions to the human reproductive system is not similar to cosmetic surgery. Our capability to reproduce has a supernatural and spiritual component. The organs and processes involved in forming a human embryo includes the action of God. Each human embryo formed or could be formed has a spiritual soul that comes from God only! We cannot treat our power to generate another human being at the same level as breast augmentation surgery!

Birth control pills and other hormonal contraceptives are actually poisons that could bring greater harm to future mothers than good!

I hope you will study more carefully and deeply the link between Oral Contraceptive Pill and Breast Cancer.

Thank you for your time and best regards.

Re: No Free Lunch: Getting out of the governance trap

Dear Mr. Habito,

I was very happy to read in your article "No Free Lunch: Getting out of the governance trap" (Page B6 of the May 8, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer) that low salaries of government employees is one of the causes of poor public governance. As you mentioned in your article, it is one of several causes that propagates the vicious cycle of weak governance.

I agree with your claim. Low salaries in the public sector do lead to "inadequate quantity and quality of government services, often marked by lack of integrity, professionalism and dedication, and in too many cases, by graft and corruption".

I also agree with you that breaking out from the vicious cycle of weak public governance is a "long and painful process". But I believe we can make a good start by undertaking a slow and gradual increase of public salaries. I propose we start increasing the salaries of policemen and public school teachers first. They are the ones in the forefront of providing the much needed public goods of literacy, peace and order. By so doing, we can gradually improve the quality of our police force and public schools.

Increasing the salaries of policemen and public school teachers would compel them to improve their work. It is a fact of human nature that when one is compensated adequately, one is compelled to reciprocate it with better productivity. How will you explain the high productivity of Filipinos working overseas?

Besides increasing productivity, increasing their salaries is a good means of redistributing wealth to the lower classes and to the rural areas. Since policemen and public school teachers are spread throughout the archipelago, material wealth will be distributed throughout the countryside.

It is alright to allow the inevitable of "rewarding the misfits and the corrupt along with the truly deserving" in the short term. Some of these misfits and corrupt will be forced, out of delicadeza, to improve in their job. When their improved salaries will be known publicly, taxpayers can reprimand them for their sloppy work by pointing out to them the taxes spent for their pay.

Once the salaries of policemen and teachers are raised, there will be a gradual exodus of the best and the brightest among our youth to police work and teaching. The vicious cycle will be converted to a self-reinforcing virtuous cycle, as you mentioned in the article.

Yes, Mr. Habito, there is a way out of the poverty trap or vicious cycle. I suggest we start from the link that directly affect human beings: income. The human component of the poverty issue should be tackled first. I believe we start adopting a mind set that human resources are our best asset. By increasing income, savings will increase. Increased savings will make investments rise. Rising investments will result to rising productivity. Higher productivity will engender higher income!

How will we fund the higher salaries? I suggest we proceed gradually by increasing first policemen's and teachers' salaries of cities other than Metro Manila. Let's start from the countryside.

Your article confirmed my long-held theory: higher salaries of government workers result in better public service.

Thank you for your time reading my comment. I look forward to reading your column in PDI. God bless.

With kind regards,

Manuel Felix G. Abejo Jr.