THE decision of the Department of Education (DepEd) to cut school hours in overcrowded schools becomes imperative for Congress to pass the controversial reproductive health bill so that the country’s population can be managed for the betterment of education sector.

Citizens Battle Against Corruption party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva lamented that the country’s education sector will always be hounded by lack of classrooms despite government’s continued funding for the construction of new school buildings if the population remains unchecked.

"We will be facing similar problems in the future and it will always be there if we would not take a decisive action in managing our population. We are growing so fast and the government can’t match up this in terms of public service," said Villanueva, referring to House Bill (HB) No. 5043 or the "Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Act of 2008."

Villanueva stressed "Congress must seriously pass the reproductive health bill so that we can genuinely give solution to the problem of widespread poverty."

In a related development, House senior Deputy Majority Leader and Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara explained that even government’s economic managers, headed by Finance Sec. Gary Teves, admitted that the government is having difficulties to provide services due to the ballooning population at the height of rice crisis in the country.

"Iyan naman talaga ang sinasabi ng mga ekonomista kahit mga economic manager like Sec. Teves at the height of rice crisis some time back that government was hard-pressed to meet a lot of public needs," said Angara who also backed the reproductive health bill.

"Example ang classrooms. Every year ’di naman nagbabago budget for classrooms so ang classrooms deficit getting bigger. As it is we are underspending in important areas like defense, like research and technology, health, agriculture and education," said Angara, adding that Congress should also pass the emergency classroom program which he authored.

But DepEd Assistant Secretary Teresita Inciong said DepEd Order 90, Series of 2009 about reduced school hours was issued after worried parents expressed concern about their children who either stayed late or left early for school.

Last Friday, Social Welfare Sec. Esperanza Cabral told the House committee on appropriations hearing that her department, the Departments of Health (DOH), National Defense (DND), Agriculture (DA) and Education (DepEd), National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), Population Commission (PopCom) and Techical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) are supporting the reproductive health bill.

The bill seeks to raise public awareness of reproductive health, advance responsible parenthood, and improve access to safe and modern family planning methods in order to reduce unwanted pregnancies and lessen the risk of both maternal and infant mortality.