Pulse Asia's October 2008 Nationwide Survey on Reproductive Health and the Reproductive Health Bill

Pulse Asia is pleased to share with you some findings from the October 2008 Ulat ng Bayan national survey on Reproductive Health and the Reproductive Health Bill.  We request you to assist us in informing the public by disseminating this information on Filipino perceptions, opinions, sentiments, and attitudes relating to current developments here and abroad.  

Based on a multistage probability sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above, Pulse Asia’s nationwide survey has a +/- 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level.  Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (i.e., Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a  +/- 6% error margin, also at 95% confidence level. Face-to-face field interviews for this project were conducted from October 14 to 27, 2008.  (Those interested in further technical details concerning the surveys’ questionnaires and sampling design may request Pulse Asia in writing for fuller details, including copies of the pre-tested questions actually used.)

While the field interviews for this survey were being done, several developments dominated the news headlines.  The major developments during this period included the financial crisis in the United States that soon spilled over into other parts of the world including the Philippines, the American presidential elections, the filing of a new impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Supreme Court decision on the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), and the controversial trip to Russia of several police officials that involved a “contingency fund” of P6.9M.  Other issues included the deportation from the US of former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante who is widely believed to be the brains behind the fertilizer fund scam, the decline in the price of oil at the world market, the impending increase in the electricity charges of the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), and the food scare in China and other parts of the world over the discovery of melamine, an industrial chemical, in milk and other food products.

The survey’s sampling design and questionnaire are the full responsibility of Pulse Asia’s pool of academic experts and no religious, political, economic or any other form of partisanship has been allowed to influence the survey design, the findings generated by the actual surveys or the subsequent analyses of survey findings.

Pulse Asia undertakes Ulat ng Bayan surveys on its own without any party singularly commissioning the research effort.

A big majority of Filipinos (82%) thinks government should not only educate couples regarding modern methods of family planning but also provide them with services and materials on these methods

Most Filipinos (82%) think government should teach couples about modern methods of family planning (i.e., both natural and artificial methods) – a view articulated by big to overwhelming majorities (76% to 91%) in all geographic areas and socio-economic classes.  In addition, exactly the same percentage says that it is the government’s duty to provide the people with knowledge, services, and materials on modern methods of family planning (Table 1).  This sentiment is expressed by 78% to 87% across all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings.  Less than one in ten Filipinos (6% to 8%) disagrees with either view while indecision on these matters is expressed by 10% to 13% of Filipinos (Tables 1 and 2).

About four in ten Filipinos (44%) say the government should pass a law specifying the number of children couples may have

On the matter of whether or not government should pass a law dictating the number of children a couple may have, 44% of Filipinos support such government action while 36% are not inclined to do the same.  Almost two in ten (19%) are undecided on the matter.  Across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, big pluralities to small majorities (45% to 58%) in Metro Manila, the Visayas, Mindanao, and Classes D and E favor the idea of government passing a law on the number of children couples may have.  In contrast, a near majority (47%) of those in the rest of Luzon do not think government should pass such a law while in the poorest Class E, almost the same percentages express either agreement or disagreement (42% versus 40%) with this proposal (Table 3).

While 49% of Filipinos say couples should follow what their religion tells them about family planning, 44% are ambivalent as regards the possibility of their church or religion influencing their vote for a candidate advocating modern family planning methods

Big pluralities to sizeable majorities (41% to 68%) across all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings are of the view that couples should follow the dictates of their religion when it comes to the issue of family planning.  This sentiment is most manifest in the Visayas and least pronounced in the rest of Luzon.  On the other hand, around the same percentages of Filipinos are either ambivalent on the matter or do not agree that couples are obliged to abide by the teachings of their religion on family planning (27% versus 23%) (Table 4).

When it comes to the impact of their church or religion on their decision as to whether or not to vote for a candidate supporting modern family planning methods, indecision is the predominant public sentiment at the national level (44%) and particularly in the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, and Classes D and E (42% to 52%).  In contrast, 34% of Filipinos say there is a big possibility their vote would be influenced by their church or religion while 21% express a contrary opinion.  In Metro Manila, a big plurality (41%) says there is a big possibility of their church or religion influencing their vote while in Mindanao and Class ABC, nearly the same percentages either share the same sentiment or are undecided on the matter (36% to 39% versus 38% to 41%) (See Table 5).

Almost all Filipinos consider it important for one to have the ability to plan the family for the welfare of both the family (93%) and the country (90%)

Overwhelming majorities across all geographic areas and socio-economic classes (84% to 99%) say it is important for couples to have the ability to plan their families for the sake of the family and the country as a whole.  Less than one in ten Filipinos (6% to 9%) are ambivalent on the matter and practically none consider this to be unimportant (Table 6).

Most Filipinos are aware of the reproductive health bill pending at the House of Representatives (68%) and are in favor of the bill (63%)

Awareness of the reproductive health bill being discussed at the Lower House is reported by 68% of Filipinos while 32% do not know about the bill.  Across all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings, majorities (60% to 89%) know about the proposed legislation with the highest level of public awareness being recorded in the best-off socio-economic Class ABC.  In contrast, lack of awareness is most pronounced in Mindanao and Class E (38% and 40%, respectively) (Table 7A).

A considerable majority of Filipinos (63%), whether aware or unaware of the reproductive health bill, expresses support for the proposed legislation while only 8% are not in favor and 29% are ambivalent on the matter.  Majorities ranging from 56% in the Visayas to 79% in Class ABC are in favor of the bill.  In contrast, 8% are not in favor of the bill while 29% are unable to say whether or not they support the bill.  Public ambivalence on the matter is more notable in the Visayas, Mindanao, and Class E (32% to 35%) than in Class ABC and Metro Manila (13% to 21%) (Table 7A).

Among the 8% of Filipinos who do not favor the proposed legislation, additional survey findings show that:  (1)  47% agree with the need to promote information and access to natural and modern family planning methods; (2) 69% agree with the provision of the bill recognizing the rights of women and couples to choose the family method they want; (3) about the same percentages either agree or disagree (36% versus 35%) with the inclusion of sex education in the school curricula; and (4) 44% believe government funds should be used to support modern family planning methods.  Indecision on these issues is expressed by 20% to 33% of Filipinos while disagreement is articulated by 10% to 35%.  Public disagreement is most manifest in relation to the proposal to include sex education in the school curricula (35%) (Table 7B).