"The Philippine President has signed into law a family-planning bill that was blocked by the Catholic Church for more than a decade," Al Jazeera reports (12/28). "President Benigno Aquino III signed into a law a bill that promotes contraception and sex education in schools," the Wall Street Journal writes, adding, "On Saturday, a deputy presidential spokeswoman confirmed in a statement that Mr. Aquino had quietly signed the act into law on Dec. 21, and it will take effect in January, guaranteeing contraceptives will be available to the poorest Filipinos" (Sandique-Carlos, 12/29).