sexandsensibilities.com

Re-posted from the Association of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates website.

        

Elizabeth Fox, Sex and Sensibilities.com summer intern writes about the on-going debate on Reproductive Health (RH) in the Philippines. Prompted by a notice she chances upon in a Church bulletin board, Fox dissects the argument made against the RH Bill and points out the fallacies that are perpetuated in the battle to control women’s wombs and women’s lives.

Opponents of the Reproductive Health bills are saying a lot of things. As discussed in Part One, an anti-RH bills article I recently found in a Makati church contains such skewed statements as: “Artificial contraceptives kill children”; “the contraceptive lifestyle destroys the family”, and “artificial contraceptives injure women’s health.” The fact that this article can be hung up in a public place—a church, moreover, meant to represent truth and trustworthiness to the highest degree—without the slightest acknowledgment of the complexity of these issues, is a huge source of sadness. The most unsettling thing about these statements, though, is that they all seek, via manipulation, scare tactics, and misinformation, to control women, make them feel guilty, and ensure that, as has been the case for all of time, women will continue to be in a position of weakness, unable to make their own decisions about their own bodies.

These statements, like so many put forth by the opposition, are just not true. Artificial contraceptives do not kill children. The contraceptive lifestyle does not destroy the family. And contraceptives do not kill women.

What does kill women, however? Pregnancy and childbirth.

As stated by the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS), though there are small risks associated with artificial contraceptive devices, none are as great as the risks associated with pregnancy and delivery. [i] According to USAID, each day around 12 Filipino women die and another 314 women develop disabilities from causes relating to pregnancy or childbirth.[ii] For every woman dying in her most productive years, especially in rural areas, imagine the blow to her community. And for every dead woman who is already a mother, imagine the number of children who are now left motherless, thus putting them at an increased risk for death and other problems like malnutrition,[iii] and, of course, forever without her matchless love and care. 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries; this risk is one of the biggest gaps between developed and undeveloped places.[iv] And the worst part is that most of these deaths are entirely preventable.[v]

The provisions of the RH bills relating to improved maternal health will save many lives. Fortunately, they are not highly contested, but what opponents of the other articles of the bills, those concerning expanded education and access to contraceptives, fail to realize is the extent to which maternal mortality is bound up in these issues as well. Opponents of the RH bills call for the lives of all potential children to be saved. But what about all the women who lose their lives while giving life? Putting a body through the strain of multiple pregnancies, especially in close succession, significantly raises a woman’s chances of maternal death.[vi] Having children while still an adolescent, while the mother’s body is still growing (relatively common in the Philippines as 21% of females are giving birth by the age of twenty[vii]), seriously endangers both mother and child.[viii] If these women had access to both family planning education and resources, how many lives could be saved? Botched abortion accounts for 13% of maternal deaths.[ix] In 2005, when Filipino women who had abortions were asked their reasons for doing so, 72% said they could not afford to raise another child, 57% said their current pregnancy was coming too soon after another, and 54% said they had already reached their desired family size.[x] It is obvious from this data that without alternate means of family planning, abortion has become a woman’s only resource in times of desperation. And not only children are dying from the procedure—but women are dying also, and many of them.

How important is a woman’s life? How long will people be willing to continue risking women for the sake of producing more and more offspring, especially if those children may end up unwanted and uncared for? According to the 2008 National Health and Demographic Survey in the Philippines, 54% of married women said they did not want more children, and 19% said they wanted to wait at least two years before their next birth.[xi] Family planning enables women to choose when to have their next child, thus allowing them to space out births, avoid unwanted pregnancies, and limit their exposure to the dangers of pregnancy, abortion, and childbirth. What could happen if every woman had the right—not the command, just the option—to decide when her next pregnancy was going to be, and to have the education and resources by which to realize that decision?

A Baguio priest recently made headlines by asking pro-RH parishioners to leave his service. “What is this mass for you if you are pro-RH? What is going to church?” he reportedly asked.

Statements like this are only born from fatal misunderstanding. The public must know the crucial situation the world is in. The importance of the RH bills must be recognized.

The supplies are available; the policies are waiting in the wings; all that lacks is acceptance of the truth: health is a human right. A woman’s body belongs to that woman alone and it is her right to be educated about it, provided with the resources to care for it, and freed to make her own decisions about what she puts it through—especially when that decision concerns bringing another person into this world. One of the most important things that we can encourage today—for the sake of development, for the sake of the impoverished, the diseased, and those struggling everywhere, for the sake of the countless lives wrapped up in this business of reproduction—is to give our women the right to choose. If every child were wanted, every pregnancy healthy, and every woman empowered, what amazing changes could we see in the Philippines? Support the passage of the RH Bill.

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[i] “Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society Position Statement on the Proposed 2010 Reproductive Health Bills.” Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS). 2010.
[ii] “Philippines: Maternal and Neonatal Program Effort Index”. United States Agency International Development (USAID). 2009.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] “State of World Population 2005: Reproductive Health Fact Sheet”. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 2005.
[v] “Making Pregnancy Safer: Maternal Mortality”. World Health Organization (WHO). 2005.
[vi] Calub, Jyasmin. “An MDG Challenge: Reducing Maternal and Infant Mortality”. DevPulse: National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Development Advocacy Factsheet. 2010; 14(1).
[vii] “Philippines: Maternal and Neonatal Program Effort Index”. United States Agency International Development (USAID). 2009.
[viii] Ibid.
[ix] “Making Pregnancy Safer: Maternal Mortality”. World Health Organization (WHO). 2005.
[x] Cabigon, Hussain, Juarez, and Singh. “The Incidence of Induced Abortion in the Philippines: Current Level and Recent Trends”. International Family Planning Perspective. 2005 Sept; 31(3):140-9.
[xi] “Philippines: 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey Key Findings”. National Statistics Office. 2008.

        

Elizabeth Fox, Sex and Sensibilities.com summer intern writes about the on-going debate on Reproductive Health (RH) in the Philippines. Prompted by a notice she chanced upon in a Church bulletin board, Fox dissects the argument made against the RH Bill and points out the fallacies that are perpetuated in the battle to control women’s wombs and women’s lives.

A couple of weeks ago, as I was exploring a Makati church, I happened upon the biggest surprise I have had in a while. Posted on a bulletin board in front of the church was an article entitled “Science Facts on the RH Bills”. The article is composed of five statements rejecting the safety, morality, and reasoning of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, and all five statements contain information that is, for the most part, utterly misrepresented, skewed, and exaggerated. Having spent the past two years at a liberal university in a liberal part of the United States, where most of my girlfriends use the birth control pill, where sex and its consequences are openly discussed, and where most people fervently support a woman’s right to choose when or if she will have a child, the article was shocking. While I eventually backed down from my initial bewilderment (after all, things like this happen regularly in America too), the fact that this article can be hung up in a public place—a church, moreover, meant to represent truth and trustworthiness to the highest degree—without the slightest attempt at compromise or acknowledgment of the complexity of these issues, remains a huge source of sadness.

The most unsettling thing about these statements, though, is that they all seek, via manipulation, scare tactics, and misinformation, to control women, make them feel guilty, and ensure that, as has been the case for all of time, women will continue to be in a position of weakness, unable to make their own decisions about their own bodies. “Science Facts” includes such bold statements as “artificial contraceptives [birth control pills and intrauterine devices] kill children”, “artificial contraceptives [birth control pills] injure women’s health”, and “the contraceptive lifestyle destroys the family”. To an uneducated woman who would never desire to do harm to herself, her children, or her family, those declarations, so confidently stated by the Church, must be enough to end a debate on the RH Bill immediately. These statements, however, are gravely, dangerously deceptive.

To begin, artificial contraceptives do not kill children in the violent, blunt way the “fact” would suggest. Birth control pills can prevent pregnancy in three main ways: first, by inhibiting the ovary from releasing eggs; second, by altering the cervical mucus so that sperm have difficulty finding the egg; and third, by changing the lining of the womb to prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.[i] Some intrauterine devices (IUDs) provide the latter two possibilities, while others, made of copper, release copper into the uterine cavity, thus blocking the sperms’ path. [ii] Only in the third method mentioned, in which a fertilized egg is unable to implant in the uterus, is the further growth of an actual union of sperm and egg halted. This process, however, does not take place with all artificial contraceptives. If a woman believes that life begins at fertilization, she can easily decide to rule out a contraceptive which employs this method.

Turning to the second statement, while the relative carcinogenicity of birth control pills is still uncertain, most studies have found that using oral contraceptives does not increase a woman’s chances of developing cancer, but that rather, at least in the case of younger women, the benefits of birth control pills outweigh the risks.[iii] In times that a small trend of increased risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer has been observed, the results can be explained by the fact that the women using birth control pills in the studies generally had more breast examinations and mammograms than nonusers, allowing for greater detection and thus greater incidence of cancer,[iv] and that these women often may have practiced unprotected sex, thus increasing their risk for the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) which can cause cervical cancer. Furthermore, according to the National Cancer Institute, taking the pill actually significantly reduces a woman’s risk of ovarian and endometrial cancers.[v]

“Science Facts” also states that birth control causes stroke and significantly increases the risk of heart attack. According to the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS), however, for most women this is not true.[vi] While using oral contraceptives, the risk of heart attack and stroke is increased if a woman smokes and is over the age of 35, is more prone to cardiovascular diseases, or has certain medical conditions. For these women, however, the risk is only increased while using combination hormone birth control pills (estrogen and progestin), and is not a concern while using the equally effective single hormone (progestin) pill.[vii]

In summary, while there are some risks associated with oral birth control, the “Science Facts” statement that “artificial contraceptives injure women’s health” is just not true.

The list of fallacies goes on and on. Opponents to the RH bills continue to produce outlandish and embellished statements to trick the very people the bills attempt to protect.

Think the opposition is founded on truth and logic? Think again.

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by Elizabeth Fox, Sex and Sensibilities.com student intern

Real men know how to start a fire. Real men know how to make a meal. Real men do their own laundry. Real men are distrustful of robots.

You get the idea. But now, thanks to the DNA foundation, there’s a new phrase in this series: Real men don’t buy girls.

The DNA (Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher) Foundation, which was created by the famous duo in order to raise awareness about global human trafficking, challenge the mindsets that perpetuate the industry, and aid trafficking victims, launched a new interactive video campaign this week entitled “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls.” The videos, which focus their condemnation on female sex trafficking, feature some prominent celebrities as they demonstrate their “real man” abilities. In “Real Men Prefer a Close Shave,” for example, Justin Timberlake shaves with a chainsaw. In “Real Men Know How to Use an Iron,” Sean Penn irons himself…a grilled cheese sandwich. In “Real Men are Distrustful of Robots”—well, you’ll have to see for yourself. At the close of each movie, a picture of the real man in question joins a veritable hall of fame of real men—Tom Selleck, Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis, and so on. To top it off, add the “Real Men” app on Facebook and you can even put a photo of yourself into one of the movies.

The campaign is, admittedly, little goofy—after all, it is Ashton Kutcher; what else could we expect?—but below the surface silliness is a serious issue. According to the DNA Foundation website, over 12 million people worldwide—men, women, and children—have been trafficked and currently live in modern-day slavery. These innocent people are enslaved for many purposes, including but not limited to prostitution, pornography, forced labor, and indentured servitude.

The Philippines, according to a 2008 study by the National Bureau of Investigation, is one of the top five countries in the world where human trafficking victims come from, as well as a common destination country for trafficked individuals from other countries. Numbers indicate that 80% of Filipino human trafficking victims are girls under eighteen, most of whom will be sent to other countries in Southeast Asia to work as household help, entertainers, or sex workers.

Humantrafficking.org, a web resource for combating human trafficking, estimates that around 350,000 Filipino women and around 80,000 Filipino children are currently being trafficked, many suffering from sexual exploitation. And while Filipinos who travel overseas to work generally do so voluntarily, during their time abroad many will be manipulated in some way. The government supports a variety of prevention programs but the problems persist, and reports exist of immigration officials and police officers who have become involved in the industry.

Last year, the Philippines was listed by the US State Department on the Tier 2 Watchlist for failure to initiate efforts to put a stop to human trafficking. The government has been scrambling to get off that list and progress has been made in the last year. But there is still much to be done by the government to avoid a further downgrading and the potential loss of USD 250million of economic and humanitarian aid.

“Freedom is a basic human right and slavery is one of the greatest threats to that freedom,” says the DNA Foundation website. “No one has the right to enslave another person.” Yet, as Demi and Ashton suggest, the crisis of human trafficking, and especially sex trafficking, will not disappear unless there is a fundamental change in the mindsets of those perpetrating these crimes–men.  The real men need to stand up.

Because they know that “Real men don’t buy girls”.

And as any girl worth her SASs would know, a real man is always better than a knock-off posing as one.

About Elizabeth Fox

Elizabeth is a junior at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where she studies comparative literature, participates in a lot of extracurricular theatre and music, and sleeps very little.

Elizabeth came to Manila hopeful for a new experience and an internship in writing and women’s health. During a lengthy, late-night search through much more tame and lackluster options, Sex and Sensibilities jolted Elizabeth awake by merely having the word “sex” in its title, and appeared as an oasis of SASsy-ness. She shot Ana an email immediately and the rest, as they say, is herstory.

        

ANGELES CITY, Philippines—It is a scene that has become a part of life in this “entertainment capital of the Philippines.”

The Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC) issues health cards to the bar girls, which allows them to work in a licensed establishment like a bar, massage parlor or a karaoke bar as a regular or contractual employee.

The IDs are color-coded according to one’s work description.

The RHWC program is part of the 100% Condom Use Programme (CUP) that the Department of Health (DOH) launched in 2003, targeting the cities of Urdaneta, Dagupan, Laoag San Fernando, La Union and Angeles.

Registered Sex Workers wear two IDS one issued by LACEM and another issued by the bar that they work for. (Photo: Ana Santos)

The CUP was patterned after a similar initiative in Thailand, which saw a drastic drop in HIV infection among commercial sex workers, their clients, and to the general population, after the program’s implementation.

In line with the policy and a local city ordinance on HIV and AIDS prevention, bars here were mandated to distribute condoms for free and to display HIV awareness messages.

The League of Angeles City Entertainers and Managers (LACEM), a group of more than 102 bar owners and managers, together with the RHWC, combine efforts to implement this policy.

A bar in Angeles City. (Photo: Ana Santos)

To be allowed to work, girls are required to register with the RHWC and are given an ID. Guest Relations Officers (GROs) and dancers sport IDs with a pink stripe; while IDs for cashiers and other personnel have a green stripe on it.

Proud to be safe

The dancers and the GROs have to prominently display their IDs while they are on duty. LACEM estimated that there are around 7,000 registered sex workers in their records.

The results of the smear tests are recorded by LACEM in a monthly smear report which also contains 1 x1 pictures of the girls.  The RHWC also keeps track of the results in a booklet called a health card. The health card looks like a library card stamped with test dates of her weekly smears.
If infected, they are given antibiotics for treatment, and their health cards are kept by the RHWC staff to monitor their condition.

It's busy every day at the Angeles City Reproductive Health and Wellness Center. Working on a rotating schedule, bars are designated one day per week for their RSWs to come in for their smear test. (Photo: Ana Santos)

Registered Sex Workers must get a weekly smear to her for common STIs. The results of these smear tests are logged in her Health Card. (Photo: Ana Santos)

While undergoing treatment, a registered sex worker will still be allowed to work at the bar but not to take home clients. The floor manager of the bar, who is notified of her condition, will not accept the client’s payment for a bar fine or taking a sex worker out.

Lyn Velasco, chief nurse at RHWC, says LACEM has been vigilant in “keeping track of their girls.”

According to Velasco, apart from the weekly smear tests, condom distribution and awareness programs as well as mass HIV counseling and testing are conducted twice a year.

Trixie, 20 a GRO at La Bamba Bar, says she welcomes the idea of condom use. In a clipped English accent, she said, “I’m not tryin’ to be cute with you or nothing, but I can make as much as P80,000 here.”

According to the External Assessment Report done in 2007 to evaluate the 100% CUP program, “there is no information on condom use rate in four of the five cities visited, except for Angeles which reported 67%.”

Below the goal

The report adds that, despite efforts from the DOH and other stakeholders, “no concrete results were documented” and that “with no assessment results and evidence of success if there were, it was extremely difficult to move it [100% CUP] forward.”

There was little evidence to support if program implementation was successful or not.

Angeles City was the only one to report 67% condom use, but this was still below the goal of 90%.

But it has paid off. From being identified in the 2003 IHBSS as the number one site for HIV infection, Angeles City is no longer in the top three.

According to the IHBSS of 2009, Angeles City has less than 1% HIV or syphilis prevalence. The top three cities with more than 1% HIV prevalence were identified as Metro Cebu, Metro Davao and Metro Manila.

Apparently, it pays to use condoms even in the company of angels.

        

In November 2010, Sex and Sensibilities.com Founder and Editorial Director Ana Santos was awarded a media grant by Newsbreak to conduct an investigative report on the rising incidence of HIV in the Philippines.

In this second of a five part series, Santos explores the failure of the HIV prevention law.

Enacted by the Philippine Congress in 1998, theAIDS Prevention and Control Act (Republic Act 8504) is over a decade old. One of the mandates of this law is to disseminate information on HIV and AIDS and methods of prevention.

However, because sex education is not in many school curricula, and due to the absence of national legislation like the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill to standardize its implementation, there are limited ways and opportunities for people to learn about HIV.

Individual groups and NGOs have taken it upon themselves to create education campaigns.

Malou Marin, executive director of Action for Health Initiatives (ACHIEVE), an NGO that specializes in HIV/AIDS blames a “devolved health system” and the lack of prioritization by the health department as for the lackluster response to addressing low levels of awareness on HIV/AIDS prevention.

“Except for that very brief period of [Esperanza] Cabral, there has been no DOH secretary who has prioritized the issue. The rising number of cases we see now is a backlash from the complacency of the earlier years,” says Marin.

An assessment of the AIDS Medium Term Plan done in 2008 showed that many HIV/AIDS programs were not implemented because of lack of funding.

There is an annual Php10-M budget for the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), but this is mostly for secretariat work. There is no separate budget for other HIV/AIDS programs, leaving them to compete for state allocation with other budget priorities such as dengue and tuberculosis.

Last October, during congressional preparations for the 2011 budget, Akbayan Rep. Kaka Bag-ao proposed an increase of the existing Ph65-M HIV/AIDS budget to Php200 million.

To justify the Php 200 M, the PNAC was tasked to submit a detailed budget appropriation plan to show where the money was going to be spent.

But the budget plan was not submitted on time, apparently due to protocol. The result:  the budget for HIV/AIDS programmes for 2011 remained at P65 million.

Dr. Susan Gregorio, medical specialist for Education of PNAC justified the failure to submit the budget plan. “We were called in the morning and needed to submit a plan in the afternoon. That was not enough time; we are a plenary, we need to consult the other members.”

A dismayed Bag-ao refutes this. “PNAC is the national coordinating body on HIV/AIDS prevention. They should know how much is needed to fund programs even without this request,” she points out.

Jonas Bagas, chairperson of the TLF Sexuality, Health and Rights Educators Collective Inc. (TLF SHARE Collective), one of the NGO- members of the PNAC, says the P65-M budget for HIV information and prevention is peanuts.

“If pegged against the total estimated number of most-at-risk populations and groups vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, the Php 65 million comes out to P13-P17 spending per person only,” he says.

He complains that while HIV infections are on the rise, the budget for programs and interventions is dismally low.

Bagas say lawmakers should be aware that technology has introduced risky sex to the previously thought sheltered youth.

“Technology has made sexual networking easy. With risky sexual behavior, it increases exposure to sexually transmitted infections like HIV. That is the reality of sexual networking [online hook-ups] and programmes can’t catch up. What we have online [is] information, which is very passive – it won’t translate to behavior change,” said Bagas.

“Globally, other countries are able to lower the rate of infections or control it. In the Philippines, our numbers are increasing rapidly,” Bagas points out. A clearer government response has to begin now, he says.

        

[ends]

        

Why we need a Reproductive Health (RH) Bill.

1. The Philippines’ population will balloon to 160 million, and may rise to 240 million,[1] even with lowered growth and fertility rates. This is an economic and national security risk for current and future generations.

• Asian Development Bank:  “Population growth is not a problem if resources are available to cope with the additional people requiring public services, employment, housing, and so on. But in a country where the budget is already stretched and where poverty is high to begin with, population growth becomes a major issue.”[2]
• With a 65% youth dependency rate, the Philippines’ ‘youth bulge’ is a socio-economic and national security risk. Regions with the highest ‘youth bulges’ are prone to poverty-related conflicts. Between 1970- 1999, 80% of civil conflicts occurred in countries where 60% of the population or more were under age 30.[3]

A slower population growth rate through an effective family planning policy will enable the economy to develop and accommodate the doubling of the population at higher standards of living.

        

by Elizabeth Angsioco

Re-posted from Manila Standard Today.

Damaso lives. He mingles with us exacting obedience even on personal matters, women’s ovaries included.

Damaso epitomizes the Spanish friars’ powers and abuses in Jose Rizal’s famous novel, “Noli Me Tangere.” Father Damaso’s powers went beyond the spiritual realm. He also dominated politics. Thus, Damaso controlled heaven and earth, the body and soul of Filipinos.

Centuries later, Damaso’s significance was made current by Carlos Celdran’s protest. His call for the Catholic Church to stop meddling in politics reverberated in the halls of the Manila Cathedral. If Rizal were alive today, he would have surely written about this as well.

Controversies surrounding the reproductive health bill are significantly because of present-day Damasos who vigorously oppose its passage. This despite the clamor of those who are primarily affected—the women whose ovaries they want to control.

Recent developments like the anti-RH ordinances approved by Barangay Ayala Alabang and the seven barangays in Balanga, Bataan, the ongoing black propaganda against the RH bill particularly using the pulpit, all these show us how modern-day Damasos and their allies work.

I received copies of minutes of meetings of the BAA Council and we gathered information from women’s groups in Bataan about the ordinances. I was also sent a flyer distributed in Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Tandang Sora, Quezon City. These places are far from each other BUT events there are clearly related. I highly suspect that Damasos are behind these.

The BAA documents are explosive. Thanks to the meticulous documentation of the Barangay Council, we see a clear picture of what could have transpired in its approval of the “no prescription, no condom” ordinance.

For instance, item 9.3 of the 13 December Notice of Meeting was “Ordinance on RH bill.” Moreover, item 8.6 of the minutes of the same meeting says, “In connection with the RH bill, Chairman AX Burgos instructed the Kagawads to start conferring with the BEC District Coordinators and get their approval/comments. This will serve as our basis in passing the ordinance prepared by Sen. Pimentel.” (itals and emphasis mine)

Note that the Council used “RH bill” and not the ordinance title in reference to it. Moreover, was former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel the author of the ordinance? Note that the former Senator defended it during the subsequent public hearing called after the ordinance became controversial.

The minutes of the 23 December Public Hearing on the ordinance are equally revealing. The document tells us how the minds of some of our rich citizens work. For instance, lawyer Luis Sison (who defended the ordinance in media) is quoted as saying, “…I am honored to be here today because it has been said… that, ‘Where Ayala Alabang goes, so does the country.’ So, today, I hope this Committee… will also uphold that tradition. We are embarking on a very historic bill or ordinance that will hopefully transpire across the country and be a strong warning against the RH Bill.” Remember that lawyer Luis Sison was the same man who said that the BAA ordinance was inspired by their parish priest.

The minutes also indicate that when the need for the City Council’s approval of the ordinance was discussed, the Chair of Committee on Women’s Rights Ma. Soledad Tugade (who was chairing the hearing) reportedly said, “…with all the people around here, members of the church will pray for it, and I am sure Mr. Chairman, it will be approved. Malalakas sila.”

Clearly, the BAA Council passed the ordinance as a reaction to the RH bill. Also, it appears like some of them thought themselves to be so powerful that they can make the city council, and the whole country, follow their dictates!

The minutes also show that council knew the ordinance would be questioned. Worth noting too is the fact that many of those present in said public hearing were either Catholic-allied groups or anti-RH personalities, including former Representative Edmund Reyes, Atty. Luis Sison’s son-in-law.

Very recently, we heard reports that seven barangays in Balanga, Bataan (Puerto Rivas-Itaas; Puerto Rivas-Ibaba; Lote; Tortugas; Cupang Proper; Cupang West; and Tanato) likewise approved ordinances similar to BAA. My organization’s chapters in the province were instructed to gather as much information as they can on the matter. Our discussions indicated that:

On March 25, the City Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia III (known anti-RH personality) asked barangay officials to attend a seminar on the RH bill. Seven barangays were present. The speaker was former Representative Edmund Reyes who was also active in the passage of the BAA ordinance. Note that Reyes was in the HOR with the mayor’s father (also known anti-RH) now governor. According to the participants to the seminar, the speaker told them repeatedly that the RH bill is abortion.

Except for said seminar, no public hearing was called to discuss the ordinance. All of the kagawads our leaders spoke with said that they were just asked to sign the ordinance.

The most alarming information however, is the plan to have all the 25 barangays in Balanga pass the same ordinance. This allegedly, is what the Mayor wants.

Lote Bgy. Chair Richard Sioson told our leaders that on 29 March, officials of barangays that passed the ordinance were sent to Manila. They went to the office of former Sen. Pimentel to consult him about the ordinance. After meeting with the former senator, they also allegedly visited BAA and spoke with Chairman Alfred Xerez-Burgos who informed them that the BAA ordinance is on hold.

Our women leaders, in the course of their talks with barangay officials, requested for copies of the ordinance. However, despite repeated promises that these would be released and their daily visits to the different barangays, no copy was given them. Instead, they were told that the copies were collected by the city government.

Is this not most interesting? We see the same people moving in different places so anti-RH barangay ordinances are passed. The plot thickens. There will be more next week.

eangsioco@yahoo.com

        

This video documentary was produced by Jay Ignacio, a resident of Ayala Alabang. Ignacio shows the affluent, once peaceful village now divided into two warring factions: those who are opposed to the ordinance and those who support it.

The original post may be viewed on the Filipino Freethinkers website.

My name is Jay Ignacio, an atheist who used to be a recording artist with Sony Music back in 1996. I am a founding member of the Silly People’s Improv Theatre (SPIT). I worked for Cheche Lazaro’s Probe Productions, Inc. back in 1997; taught Recording Technology and Sound Design at College of Saint Benilde; worked as Executive Chef for Chef Cuisine Catering Company, in charge of their Italian menus. Now I am venturing in to documentary film making, and my first project is called “The Bladed Hand: A Documentary On The Global Impact Of The Filipino Martial Arts”.

I am in the final editing stage of this docu which I plan to premiere in Manila by July this year, but I was sidetracked by recent events in my neighborhood. I spent 8 years in Southridge, from Grade 4 to 4th Year High School and am no big fan of Opus Dei and the Catholic Church.

I’d like to share with you two videos I made pertaining to the now infamous Ordinance #1-2011 that our Baranggay Most Holy have decided to come up with, and I hope the rest of the country does not follow in the footsteps of these oh-so-saintly Council Members who have violated the law in the name of Religion.

Enjoy!