Manuel Dayrit is useless as Health secretary

Ultra-conservates like GMA and Dayrit are not getting the job done in providing free artificial contraceptives to the poor. Natural method raw is the way to go. RIGHHHT?!?!? I'm sure the CBCP and Couples of Christ are very happy with GMA and Dayrit.

Maybe he is weak. He should just go home and take care of his grandchildren."

Except for the fact that Dayrit is not yet a grandfather, that was the reaction yesterday of visiting Thai Sen. Mechai Viravaidya to the stand of Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit that he has to get President Arroyo's permission to purchase contraceptives.

Viravaidya, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee for public service, is also called "condom king" for using creative ways to promote condom use for family planning and prevention of HIV/AIDS in Thailand.

He said: "He (Dayrit) is not doing his job. He is the secretary of health. His mandate is to provide health to every Filipino regardless of the opinion of the President. The personal opinion of the President is different from government policy. I think he is doing you a great disservice for putting the President's personal opinion over what is best for everyone," he said.

The President has said her stand on population policy is of "responsible parenthood, birth spacing and free choice," but she has made it known that personally, she favors only natural methods of family planning.

Last year, she gave P50 million to the Couples for Christ to promote natural methods for birth control.

To cover her personal views, she has said local governments should have the say on population management.

Dayrit's position was bared last week by Rep. Edcel Lagman (Aksyon Demokratiko, Albay) after a hearing on the proposed DOH budget. Lagman has said he asked Dayrit whether the secretary would use the P100 million in the proposed DOH budget intended to buy contraceptives. He said Dayrit "flatly refused to utilize any funding for the purchase of contraceptives without the go-ahead signal from President Arroyo."