sexandsensibilities.com

By Ana Santos

Original article can be viewed on SPOT.ph.

Early Saturday morning on March 19, hundreds of rallyists holding up yellow placards, wearing purple bandanas chanting, “Ibasura! Ibasura!”  converged at the entrance of Ayala Alabang Village.

They were holding a demonstration to protest Alabang Barangay Ordinance #1 entitled, “Protection of the Unborn Child” which was set for public hearing that day. It certainly was not a scene that you see every day in the posh village of Ayala Alabang.

Alabang Barangay Ordinance #1 entitled, “Protection of the Unborn Child” prohibits the sale, promotion and the sale of condoms, birth control pills and other forms of modern contraception without a doctor’s prescription.  Even with a prescription, the drugstore must record the name of the buyer and the details of the purchase in a logbook.

Under the ordinance, condoms, contraceptive pills, and intra-uterine devices are labeled as “abortifacients,” and also prohibits the teaching of sex education within the barangay, unless there is parental consent.

The ordinance enraged many of the residents and various pro-RH sectors who condemned the attempt at legislating morality and referring to the posh village as “Alabangistan, the new stronghold of the Catholibans.”

The village itself has been divided into two warring camps; with their frontline being defined by banners on their front gate, declaring their stand on the issue.  Some declare their support for the ordinance crying the need to protect life, while others condemn religious bigotry.

Aurora Pijuan, Convenor of Gising Barangay Movement in Ayala Alabang said that the issue is divisive.  “Friendships are on the line and you really feel the tension. People ask if you are pro (ordinance) or anti. There’s no in-between. We don’t respect other people’s beliefs.”

The auditorium of De La Salle Zobel was the venue of the public hearing where the two sides presented their arguments for and against the ordinance to the Barangay Council. At the entrance, there were two different lines for registration and the entrances to the auditorium were labeled “pro” and “anti.” The seats were inside were divided by a rope in the middle.

24 Oras report

The Likhaan Center for Women’s Health brought in residents from the various communities that they serve to protest. “This is not an ordinance that affects only Alabang. If passed, this could be replicated in other parts of the country,” said Junice Melgar, executive director of Likhaan. The rallyists were initially denied entry by the village guards saying that only residents or their guests could enter. “One foreigner walking her baby, who we did not even know, saw us and told the guard that our community members were her guests. Otherwise, we would not have been let in,” said Melgar.

Evelyn, a Likhaan community worker who came all the way from Pasay to watch the proceedings said, “Apektado din kami dito. Apektado tayong lahat. Kung mapaisatupad ito at gayahin sa ibang barangay, papaano na lang kaming mga babae?”

Heated debates
“People have called us idiots, zealots, archaic Talibans. But the one thing that we have not been called is anti-life and for that, we are proud,” said Atty Luis Sison in his opening statement for the pro-side.

The “anti” side stressed the unconstitutionality of the ordinance, saying condoms, pills, and IUDs in the legal market are all approved by the Food and Drug Authority, and no barangay has the authority to usurp mandates set by the national government.

“I am not less of a Catholic just because I oppose this. The ordinance is a clear usurpation of authority, declaring illegal things that are not really illegal,” Frank Chavez, a resource person for the anti-side emphatically declared.

“We should not be discussing the RH Bill here. We should leave that to Congress to decide,” he added.

Representatives of various government agencies such as the Food and Drug Authority, the Commission on Human Rights and the National Commission on Women were also present to reiterate the unconstitutionality of the ordinance and its violation of their mandates the government agency appointed to regulate food and drugs and uphold human rights.

It was a heated debate, one that the Barangay Council tried repeatedly to control with reminders not to clap, boo, shout invectives or display any other kind of incendiary behavior.

But that was too much to ask in a barangay that has already been clearly divided as seen by the banners on their homes right down to the rope that segregated the seats of the auditorium.

A resident who said that she is a devout Catholic who teaches her children the value of chastity and abstinence not because of a law, but because of her beliefs, angrily asked the Barangay Council, “What makes you think that a law that regulate my morality?”

“Why would you parents want your children—boys and girls my age—to buy condoms and pills without you knowing?” a young boy countered.

And perhaps the question that was on everyone’s mind that afternoon was the one asked by a clearly exasperated resident who asked anyone and everyone in the audience, “Has the ordinance even been passed? Because if it has, then what are we even doing here? Why are we discussing this?”

Others started piling out one by one shortly before the hearing ended, shaking their heads saying, “Nothing was resolved.”

In an interview, Barangay Captain Chairman Alfred Xerez-Burgos, Jr.  explained, “No, it has not been approved. This second public hearing was meant to discuss the pros and the cons of the ordinance. From here, the Barangay Council will deliberate on whether or not to pass or amend the ordinance. Then it will be presented to the City Council. No one is supposed to implement it yet.”

When interviewed and asked for a statement on whether or not the ordinance had indeed been passed, Barangay Captain Chairman Alfred Xerez-Burgos, Jr , he said, “No, it hasn’t been passed. This second public hearing was meant to discuss the pros and the cons of the ordinance. From here, the Barangay Council will deliberate on whether or not to pass or amend the ordinance. Then it will be presented to the City Council. No one is supposed to implement it yet.”

Footage of young man refused purchase of condoms in what Anti-Ordinance advocates call “Alabangistan”

“But they already are,” interjected a 27 year old male resident. Declining to be named, the resident said that he videoed through a hidden camera his attempt to purchase condoms at Mercury Drug Alabang Town Center.

“They [pharmacists] told me that it was prohibited, but only here in Alabang.”

There were also earlier reports of residents harassing pharmacists and admonishing them for selling condoms and pills which are supposedly already banned under the ordinance.

Former Department of Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, who is also a resident or Ayala Alabang, corroborates this. “We received reports that residents were denied condoms. So we went to the drugstore and showed the pharmacists a letter from the Barangay Council saying that the ordinance had not yet been implemented. The pharmacists were relieved and said they would hang the notice in their store because there other residents—these Dona Victorina types—were harassing them.

“I have not heard of any such incidence. They should not be doing that,” said Burgos.

And so the fight continues, the divide becoming even deeper.

Photos by Igor Maminta and Arnold L. Vega

        

Message from Dr. Junice Melgar, Executive Director of Likhaan Center for Women’s Health and Secretary General of Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN)

Dear friends, mentors and colleagues,

You must feel the creeping attempts to infuse religious doctrines into
legislative and executive policies. The latest and most in-the news is
the surreptitious issuance of Barangay Ordinance 01 banning the
disposition of contraceptives and condoms in Barangay Ayala Alabang
(BAA).

This order was decried for its human rights violations by BAA
residents led by no less than former Health Secretary Esperanza
Cabral, Lea Salonga, and the Biazons (former Senator Pong and
Congressman Ruffy). BAA resident Senator Pia Cayetano also issued a
letter concurring with the opinions of Fr. Joaquin Bernas and the
Health Committee of the Muntinlupa City Council that the order is
patently illegal, usurped the powers of other agencies like the DOH,
the FDA and the DILG, and violated the right to religious freedom
espoused by the Constitution.

To clarify the issues at the barangay level, a hearing will be held
tomorrow starting 9 am at the de la Salle basketball court. Resource
persons including the DOH, FDA, the National Pharmacy Board, PopCom,
DILG, PCW, NAPC and the CHR will speak against the ordinance. Barangay
residents for and against the order will also speak.

Given that this ordinance aims to model at the barangay level House
Bill 13 (the Protection of the Unborn Child Act) which declares as
abortifacients contraceptive pills, injectables and condoms; and
increases penal sanction on these purported abortion acts, Human
Rights and RH advocates need to act to oppose it now.

In behalf of RHAN, may I invite you to express our solidarity with BAA
residents and reject this blatant imposition of religious bias on the
laws of our barangays.

For those who want to witness the hearing, there will a carpool
provided by BAA residents to transport you to the venue between 8 am
and 9 am. Pick up point is the parking area in front of Starbucks and
Pancake House in the El Molito Commercial Center across the Alabang
Town Center. These cars will have yellow stickers and will be standing
by at 8 am. Those attending the hearing are enjoined to be in yellow.

For those preferring street actions, there will be a mobilization in
front of BAA along its entrance gate on Madrigal Avenue from 8:00am-12
noon. At least 200 RH advocates will gather to call attention to the
plight of BAA. People who want to join can come in yellow or white and
use purple bandanas, and bring yellow balloons or ribbons. A tableu
for media will be held between 8:15-8:45, which will include talks by
Sec. Cabral and Cong Ruffy Biazon.

Let us protest religious bigotry and the imposition of moralist
teachings in Philippines policies. Please join or include
the event in your thoughts tomorrow.

Mabuhay ang kalayaan sa pananampalataya sa ating bayan!

Junice

—————————————————-
Likhaan
Center for Women’s Health Inc.
88 Times St., West Triangle Homes
Quezon City 1104 Philippines
Tel: (63 2) 926-6230
Fax: (63 2) 411-3151
E-mail: office@likhaan.org
likhaan.mail@gmail.com

        

The word in most newspapers and everyone’s mouth this week was abortion.

In a nation among the only remaining 6% of the world where abortion is illegal and where even “condom” is an emotionally-laced word, it wasn’t surprising that the topic of abortion drew first blood among many.

There was the usual name-calling of “baby killers” and “murderers with no moral conscience”, which was expected. Check the comments of a news article about abortion.

At a recent round-table discussion hosted by Likhaan Women’s Health Center, RH advocates discussed the issue.  Sharon Camp, President of Guttmacher Institute, presented the current global statistics on abortion, after which, we watched a video called “Agaw Buhay”  (“Fighting for Life”), a documentary about three women – one of whom was a doctor – who got an unsafe abortion and later died from it.

Even among this group of university professors, NGO leaders, and civil society groups, we needed to clarify certain ambiguities.

This article aims to share the highlights of that afternoon’s discussion with you so that you may have a better understanding of abortion. More importantly, it hopes to shed some light on the anguish and torment that comes with contemplating abortion – which is often overlooked in the discussion of this controversial issue.

There is a difference between abortion on demand and abortion for medically acceptable reasons or in the case of rape or incest or mental illness.

This abortion map shows the countries where abortion is legal on demand (like in the United States and Europe) and other countries where it is legal only for certain reasons.

In the Philippines, abortion is illegal and punishable by law. A woman who has an abortion is liable to be punished with imprisonment of up to 6 years and what’s more medical officials who assist her are liable to have their license revoked. It is a direct adaptation from the Spanish Penal Code.

So all abortions in the Philippines are, for the most part, done unsafely.  Those who-have-not resort to all sorts of herbal concoctions and clandestine backroom procedures. Those who-have fly off to any of the other countries where abortion is legal on demand to have the medical procedure done in a safe and hygienic environment.

RH Bill supporters who advocate for abortion on health grounds have drawn a fine line in the RH Bill: i.e. that while the bill did not try to legalize abortion for any ground, at least the law would help prevent abortion and treat post-abortion women without judgement.

There are valid medical reasons why a woman would need an abortion.

During the round–table discussion, one woman shared her own experience where she needed to have a pregnancy terminated. She was not a skimpily dressed teenager who had let a hot date turn into a due date.

She was a woman was in her late 30s to early 40s, married, and a professor at a leading Catholic university.

Several years ago, she was diagnosed as having an ectopic pregnancy. Her doctor told her that there was no way the ovum was going to survive, but because abortion is illegal, the pregnancy could not be terminated. The only option presented to her was to wait for her condition to get worse.

She suffered through excruciating pain over the next couple of days until finally, the pregnancy was terminated. She asked the doctors present in the room if there was really no other choice for her.

The doctors in the room, who included former Department of Health Secretary Alberto Romualdez and POGS President, Dr.  Reggie Pitchay were all mortified.

Dr. Pitchay categorically said, “That is a life-threatening condition and pregnancy should have been terminated immediately upon diagnosis.” Dr. Pitchay added, “Even if it is Black Saturday!” just to emphasize her point.

Another doctor explained that the international medical definition of when life starts is upon the implantation of the blastocyst in the uterus and not at conception. In this case, the ovum had implanted itself in the fallopian tube and not in the proper place of the uterus.

According to Atty. Beth Pangalangan of the UP College of Law, the legal definition of life according to the Constitution is only at birth or when life actually exists.

This is one example of a life-threatening condition that would classify as a valid medical reason to terminate a pregnancy. Waiting for the condition to worsen endangered that woman’s life.

Rape and incest are considered valid reasons for terminating a pregnancy.

A while back, one man, a former colleague, begged me to ask him about his opinion on allowing abortion in the case of rape or incest. He wanted to tell me that he was not in favor of it because  women might pretend they were raped just to get an abortion.

Saying that we shouldn’t let rape victims get an abortion because others might pretend to have been raped is like saying that we should outlaw alcohol because people are, for sure, going to get piss drunk and do some really crazy things, like drive under the influence and put their life and the lives of others at risk.

As Dr. Junice Melgar, Executive Director of Likhaan said, “Judgment and condemnation like this trivializes the decision and the anguish that comes with deciding to have an abortion. There is no woman out there who dreams of having one.”

And finally, the current classification of abortion as illegal has unimaginable ramifications on women who suffer from abortion-related complications.

They are publicly humiliated in hospitals, brutally reprimanded (some report being slapped by health care officials) and sometimes even refused treatment despite their critical condition.

One story in “Agaw Buhay” was about a doctor who had undergone an illegal abortion. She suffered from complications and was hospitalized. She stayed in the charity ward and actually refused to be transferred to the private room which was being offered to her by colleagues who learned she was a doctor. She preferred to stay anonymous in the charity ward where she literally just withered away until she became very pale, and later, her extremities turned a deep shade of purple.

After a few days, she died.

That woman was a doctor. She was educated and presumably someone with adequate means. Poorer women report of similar and at times, much worse treatment.

Gunshot patients are treated without the need to know if the patient is the perpetrator or the law enforcer. The goal is simply to save a human life.

Why should a woman’s life – endangered because of abortion complications – come to mean any less?

In the Philippines, there are:

        

This article also appeared in Female Network, May 2010

If educational background and length of experience in the medical field are important to you, then take advantage of verifying the doctor’s credentials on websites like RXPinoy.com.

Where is his or her clinic, and what are its facilities?

Most doctors hold clinics in more than one hospital and have different timeslots for each. Check if the locations are easily accessible to public transportation or if parking is readily available. It’s also a plus if your doctor holds a clinic near your home or workplace or on your route home.

You may also want to check out the facilities available. Doctors with clinics in a hospital will frequently have access to the hospital’s women’s health center and its complement of facilities. However, if your doctor’s clinic is not in a hospital, you may want to find out if it has the necessary equipment for a full checkup in-house or at a nearby location so you don’t have waste time traveling between your doctor’s clinic and the facility where you can have tests done. For example, you should check if the clinic has an ultrasound—contrary to popular opinion, these are commonly used to examine non-pregnant women as well as pregnant ones!

Do the clinic hours fit in with your schedule?

This is really important because, while it may be tempting to wait till the weekend before going to the doctor, this may also be the time when most patients come in for a consultation. You might end up spending most of your weekend queuing for your turn. So you should try to get a doctor whose clinic hours often coincide with your free time.

If the doctor’s clinic is near your place of work and is open during the lunch hour, it’ll make it easier to slip out for a consultation during your midday break.

Can the doctor explain things to you in a way that is easy to understand?

The medical field is filled with big long words that to a non-doctor are not only alienating but sometimes also intimidating. Make sure your doctor is someone who is patient enough to break down medical jargon so as not to cause premature alarm.

“My pap smear showed abnormal cells which I was told might be indicative of pre-cancerous cells. I was referred to another procedure called a colposcopy for a biopsy. These words freaked me out, and I was really, really scared,” says Isabelle, 32.

“Thank god, my OB explained to me the other possible results of a pap smear. She  mollified me by saying that the ‘abnormal cells’ found in my pap smear were known to be one of the more benevolent findings when compared to others and the additional examination was just to be very, very prudent,” concludes Isabelle who says that this explanation, though lengthy, went a long way in putting her premature fears to rest.

You’ll want an OB-GYN who cares about your feelings, like Isabelle’s does, so she or he will lay any unqualified fears to rest. This is a very important quality to have because, should you have any conditions or diseases that need treatment, this type of doctor would be able to explain what’s going on, your options for treatment, and any repercussions in a way you can understand as well.

Is the OB-GYN reachable even after clinic hours?

If you’ve forgotten to take your pill and want to be doubly sure about not getting pregnant, or if you’ve engaged in unprotected sex and are worried it could have unwanted consequences, can your OB be reached by phone? More importantly, will he or she allow consultations during non-clinic hours?

Be careful about going overboard with the questions though, because you just might be surprised when you get the bill for your next consultation. Gigi, a birth plan consultant says, “Some doctors will charge you for consultations made through SMS or phone call. They’re less than actual face-to-face clinic consultations, but these can add up.”

For non-urgent questions, it may be better to wait for your next appointment. You should also use your appointment time to clear up any “what ifs” and “just in cases.”

Is the OB-GYN non-judgmental?

Theresa, an OB-GYN who asked that she not be named, admitted that because of her religious beliefs, she doesn’t do tubal ligations and simply refers her patients who request for this procedure to another doctor.

If it is important to you that your doctor not let moral beliefs influence her practice, then this is something that you might want to consider.  Ann, a 28-year-old bank employee, steered clear of such doctors when she was looking for a prescription for birth control pills because she was not married.

“I did ask one doctor point blank if she had a problem with prescribing pills to me seeing that I wasn’t married [in my chart], and she said that she had no problem at all with that. It was a great relief to me,” shares Ann.

Can you see yourself consulting this OB-GYN for a long time?

You’re going to need the services and expertise of an OB-GYN for a long time—ideally, from the time that you start becoming sexually active, all the way to your menopausal years. In case we weren’t clear at the start, you’ll need to see an OB-GYN regularly, and not just when you are pregnant! Look at your OB-GYN as your partner in sexual and reproductive health. So when you think of choosing an OB-GYN, as you would with a partner, pick one you can see yourself with for a long time.

        

You may not realize it, but many decisions—especially family planning—that affect your life are affected by your religious and spiritual beliefs.

Take a look at the numbers from the Philippine Center for Population and Development (PCPD) study  ”Religiosity and Contraceptive Use among Filipino Youth” / 2000 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality (YAFS) Study:

Contraceptive use among married couples

53% of married Filipino youths (ages 15 to 27) surveyed have used family planning methods, with more of them using modern contraception over traditione ones.  (41.6% modern, 11.6% traditional). Almost half of the couples surveyed, or 41%, attend church at least once a week.

Impact of religion on contraception use

34% of married Filipino youths (ages 15 to 27) surveyed think that their religion approves of contraception use, while 28% think that their religion disapproves. The remaining 38% have no idea.

A whooping 61% of married Filipino youths (ages 15 to 27) surveyed said they will not let his/her religion affect their future use of family planning.

*  *  *

From The Annual Population and Development Media Awards:

Contraception Ban in the City of Manila

In 2005, the city of Manila allocated P 470,920 for the promotion of natural family planning. Then mayor Lito Atienza issued Executive Order 003 in February 2000, which pledges “commitment and support to the responsible parenthood movement” and vows to “uphold natural family planning…while discouraging use of artificial methods of contraception.” Atienza, who also headed Pro-Life Philippines, said “Sex must always be related to pro-creation.”

Population, Family Planning and Poverty

In Pangasinan, the country’s most populous province, 23% of the province’s women want to plan their family but are unable to do so. Of 2.4 million of the Pangasinan’s total population, 33% live below the poverty line.

27% of women in the poorest 20% of the population want to limit their number of children.

In 2006, only about 20% of Cebu City’s 80 barangays were actively promoting family planning.

Natural Family Planning Drop Outs

According to Corazon Raymundo of the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI), the natural family planning advocated by the Church is “97% effective but it has a lot of dropouts.” This is due to the couples’ lack of time and patience, the growing number of OFWs, and special cases like spousal abuse. Under these circumstances, the timed or scheduled periods of abstinence required by natural family planning methods may not be followed.

Misconceptions about modern contraceptives

Four in 10 youths in Cebu City erroneously think that natural family planning protects one from STI and HIV.  Majority of the youth believe that contraceptives are abortifacients.

        

In February of 1945, the City of Manila was completely destroyed in a battle between the United States Armed Forces and the Japanese Imperial Army. An estimated 120,000 people were lost and our beloved City of Manila was never the same again.

Last February 27th, to mark the 65th Anniversary of the Battle of Manila,Intramuros Administration and historian/tourguide extraordinaire Carlos Celdran, hosted the 2nd TRANSITIO MANILA 1945.

The whole Fort Santiago was illuminated with lights and contemporary art installations. Visitors came with banigs, picnic baskets and bottles of wine. Sitting comfortably on the grass, we watched flamenco dancers and listened to 1940s music. If you closed your eyes, you could imagine yourself going back in time to the glory days of Manila when it was very much seen as a posh cosmopolitan city.

You might be wondering why this post is even being written — how would Sex and Sensibilities fit in all of this nostalgia and history?

SAS fit like a glove and by that, we mean the love glove. LICK condoms were handed out to all of the guests of Transitio Manila by girls dressed as Maria Clara.

LICK condomns is the newest product of DKT, Philippines, makers of Trust, Frenzy and Premiere condoms. As the name suggests, LICK condoms are flavored with real fruit flavors: wild tutti frutti and juicy strawberry.

Dressed in a fabulous delicately embroidered modern Maria Clara pina gown (graciously lent by Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines National Chairperson, Beth Angsioco), I joined in the condom giving. It was a gown that forced me to sit up straighter and walk taller as I proudly handed out condoms to guests.

As you can imagine, it drew a lot of reactions from the guests. Most were amused at the sight of condoms being given out by ladies dressed as the character Jose Rizal made famous in Philippine literature as the embodiment of the virtues of purity and chastity.

It made an impact.  Rather than the usual passive giving out of condoms (or any other product for sampling for that matter) which is mostly just acknowledged with a curt nod, people took notice. “Wow, modern day Maria Claras” some of them said presumably alluding to the need for women to be change along with the times. Guests took a second look and asked questions about the condoms.

Others laughed at the delicious paradox. All too familiar with Maria Clara as the paragon of virtue; here was a ‘replica’ of her, handing out condoms and making a statement — albeit subtle — about the need for safe sex in this day of rising HIV numbers. (And in case you don’t remember, Maria Clara was actually a by-product of her mother’s dalliance with a Spanish friar — the irony is thick enough to cut with a knife!)

I’m sure if LICK condoms were made back then, Maria Clara would have “licked” it and Jose Rizal would have been mighty proud to adore a woman who was sexy and sensible.