Two of Davao’s City’s pillars in the RH movement, Lyda Canson (left) and Dr. Darleen Estuart (middle), discuss women’s issues during the International Day of Action for Women’s Health at the SM Annex, March 28. (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)
Ancheta-Templa, one of the awardees, said the recognition only made it clear that the RH Law is a product of women’s movement and should be directed to the grassroots women “who are in need of comprehensive health services as they are more vulnerable than any other social class.”
By ACE R. MORANDANTE
Davao Today
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Reproductive Health (RH) Network-Davao has honored 10 ladies and two gentlemen as Pillars of the RH Movement for their “valuable contributions” in advancing the said cause.
Professors Lourdesita Sobrevega-Chan, Luzviminda Ilagan, Rosena Sanchez and Mae Fe Ancheta-Templa; Doctors Darleen Estuart, Regina dela Paz Yngente, Geraldine dela Victoria and Camilo Naraval; Lyda Canson, Marlyn Roque, Virgie Capote and Rolando Borja were awarded Tuesday during the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, a global commemoration that started in 1987.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “Women’s Health Journey: From Claims to Rights.”
The awardees are “great leaders in the RH campaign,” the RH Network-Davao said, adding that their “contribution to the promotion of women’s reproductive health and rights is unequivocally unparalleled.”
“Angay lang pasidunggan ug ibalik kanila tungod kay sila ang naningkamot nga mamugna ang maong balaod alang sa mga kababaihan,” Lorna Mandin, officer in charge of the Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD) of the City Mayor’s Office, said.
Mandin referred to Republic Act 10354 or The Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive and Population and Development Act of 2012 signed by President Benigno Aquino III last December.
Ancheta-Templa, one of the awardees, said the recognition only made it clear that the RH Law is a product of women’s movement and should be directed to the grassroots women “who are in need of comprehensive health services as they are more vulnerable than any other social class.”
However, she lamented that “women have been shortchanged” with the final provisions contained in the approved law pointing out that it “is more on population control.”
The same reason has been presented by Ilagan, representative of Gabriela Women’s Party and one of the awardees, as one of her reservations on the law, saying the population control framework only “defeats its publicized intent to provide health services.”
Last December, during the voting on the bill, Ilagan said that “reproductive health must not be a tool for population control and population management.”
She cited the bill’s Declaration of Policies as something that “commands parents to bring forth only those children that they can raise in a humane way.” She added the bill’s Section 12 integrates family planning in anti-poverty programs “without specifying its proper function in anti-poverty,” while its Section 13 tasks the local government units “to promote family planning” and even puts the implementation of the program at the disposal of local population officers.
However, in March, the implementation of the RH Law was put on hold after the Supreme Court issued a 120-day status quo ante amid the Catholic clergy’s clamor to oppose the law.
More women will suffer
Jeff Fuentes, Program Officer of the City Population Division, said the longer the implementations of the RH Law is delayed, “more women will suffer and die,” citing data that 15 Filipino women die every day to maternal health complications.
Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed that the country’s Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) remains high at 162 deaths for every 100,000 live births. The NSO feared that the slow decline in MMR may cause the Philippines to miss it’s target of bringing down the MMR to 53 by year 2015.
Meanwhile, a 2008 study by the Guttmacher Institute and UP Population Institute’s Study on “Meeting Women’s Contraceptive Needs in the Philippines” noted that 54 percent of the pregnancies or 1.9 million cases are not intended.
Of the total number, 560,000 underwent abortion, where 90,000 women died in the process, and 1,000 died of complications. Another 1,600 died of miscarriage, and 33 percent have short gaps in between each birth resulting to additional deaths and harm to newborns.
Despite the statistics, the Aquino government only allotted PHP 46.8 billion for health this year or PHP 1.30 per day for every Filipino.
Ancheta-Templa also warned Filipinos, especially women, not to be complacent “as privatization of social services becomes a practice locally and globally,” referring to the government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP).
The RH Network-Davao — led by the IGDD, the Brokenshire Woman Center, Development of People’s Foundation and the Ateneo de Davao University’s Public Interest and Legal Advocacy Center — said that RH, gender and access to affordable, appropriate contraception especially to marginalized sectors remain a contentious issue.
But Ancheta-Templa said “women need to move further and advance genuine response from the state,” adding that it’s still the government’s “accountability and responsibility to address women’s health and reproductive issues.” (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
