Emergency Response Bulletin No. 2 DOST ADVISES THE PUBLIC NOT TO BELIEVE IN HOAX MESSAGES 14 March 2011
14 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: dost
· Department of Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo advises the public not to believe in rumor mongers and gossips regarding the alleged nuclear meltdown at “Fukuyama”, or some other place in Japan, and on radiation threatening to affect other places.
· The rumors alleging that nuclear meltdown occurred in Japan and that radiation has reached the country are not true.
· The advice that people should stay indoors and to wear raincoats if they go outdoors did not come from DOST or any agency member of the NDCC.
· DOST advises the public not to believe these rumors currently spreading through text messages, emails, the Internet, and other means of communication. DOST also advises the public not to entertain these rumors and to stop forwarding said messages in order not to sow unfounded fears among our people.
DOST EMPHASIZES THAT THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE DANGER OF NUCLEAR RADIATION IN THE PHILIPPINES.
· DOST maintains a 24/7 link-up with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the highest authority on nuclear matters, for advice on the current situation of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
· DOST is committed to bringing accurate, reliable, and timely information regarding the Fukushima event and its possible effects to the Philippines via all our media and interpersonal channels.
· For more queries, pls. call DOST-PNRI Director Alumanda dela Rosa at (632) 929- 4719 or 920-8738 or DOST-Science and Technology Information Institute at (632) 837 2071 local 2148 or 2130.
Emergency Response Bulletin No. 1 March 1, 2011
14 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: daiichi, dost, explosio, fukushima, japan, nuckear, philippines, pnri, power plant, re4teraker, the communciator
Japanese authorities reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the explosion of two nuclear power plants in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on March 11, 2011 following the earthquake, affecting three nuclear reactors (Units 1, 2, and 4).
The IAEA reported that Unit 1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant occurred outside the primary containment vessel (PCV), not inside. The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), has confirmed that the integrity of the primary containment vessel remains intact.
To limit damage to the reactor core, sea water mixed with boric acid was injected into the primary containment vessel. Boric acid absorbs neutrons to prevent reactor criticality. This measure was approved by Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) and the injection procedure began at 20:20 local Japan time.
Japan has reported that four workers at Fukushima Daiichi were injured by the explosion.
NISA have confirmed the presence of radioactive elements cesium-137 and iodine-131 in the vicinity of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1. NISA reported an initial increase in levels of radioactivity around the plant earlier today, but these levels have been observed to lessen in recent hours.
Containment remains intact at Fukushima Daiichi Units 1, 2 and 3. It is recalled that the design of the Fukushima reactor is different from that of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In the event of a meltdown at Fukushima, the melted fuel is expected to stay within the stainless steel containment, preventing its release to the environment. The Chernobyl power plant did not have a reactor building concrete shield and steel containment.
A plume trajectory study from the Fukushima site by the World Meteorological Organization based in Melbourne, Australia showed that the plume from the site of the incident will not pass the Philippine territory as of March 14, 2011.
MONITORING BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY – PHILIPPINE NUCLEAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE (DOST-PNR)
The DOST-PNRI routinely undertakes daily radioactivity monitoring in the environment. Based on DOST-PNRI monitoring, there has been no increase in the levels of radioactivity since the time of the Fukushima event.
The DOST-PNRI’s National Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan puts in place an organized emergency response facility for a timely, coordinated action of the Philippine authorities in the event of a radiological emergency.
The DOST-PNRI is closely monitoring developments at Fukushima every six hours and maintains a 24-hour link-up with the IAEA. For more detailed information on the Fukushima event, pls. call DOST-PNRI Director Alumanda dela Rosa at 929 4719 and 920 8738.
No increase in radiation level, DOST-PNRI assures public
14 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: dost, japan, leak, nuclear, pnri, re4teraker
Department of Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo assured the public that, based on DOST’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute’s routine daily radioactivity monitoring in the environment, the level of radiation in the environment in the country has remained stable since the Fukushima incident in Japan.“DOST-PNRI is closely monitoring developments through its 24-hour link up with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” Sec. Montejo said.
No increase in radiation level means that, as of the moment, there are no immediate effects of the March 11 Fukushima nuclear power plant explosion to the Philippines. DOST-PNRI Director Alumanda dela Rosa also cited a plume trajectory study provided by DOST-PAGASA showing that the plume from the site of the incident at Fukushima will not pass the Philippine territory as of March 14, 2011. “The direction of the smoke appears to go away from the direction of the country,” Dr. dela Rosa explained. “The smoke is carried away by the northeast monsoon (amihan).”
Containment remains intact at Fukushima Daiichi Units 1, 2 and 3, according to Sec. Montejo, quoting reports from the IAEA. “The design of the Fukushima reactor is different from that of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant,” explained Montejo. “In the event of a meltdown at Fukushima, the melted fuel is expected to stay within the stainless steel containment, preventing its release to the environment.”
The Chernobyl power plant did not have a reactor building concrete shield and steel containment, he added.In a report from the IAEA, Unit 1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant occurred outside the primary containment vessel (PCV), not inside. The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), has confirmed that the integrity of the primary containment vessel remains intact. To limit damage to the reactor core, Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) approved the injection of sea water mixed with boric acid into the primary containment vessel. Boric acid absorbs neutrons to prevent reactor criticality.
NISA has likewise confirmed the presence of radioactive elements cesium-137 and iodine-131 in the vicinity of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1. NISA reported an initial increase in levels of radioactivity around the plant earlier today, but these levels have been observed to lessen in recent hours. The DOST-PNRI’s National Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan puts in place an organized emergency response facility for a timely, coordinated action of the Philippine authorities in the event of a radiological emergency, Dir. Dela Rosa also said.The DOST-PNRI is closely monitoring developments at Fukushima every six hours and maintains a 24-hour link-up with the IAEA.
For more detailed information on the Fukushima event, pls. call DOST-PNRI Director Alumanda dela Rosa at 929 4719 and 920 8738. (Framelia V. Anonas, S&T Media Service)
MODUS OPERANDI NG MGA DAYUHAN SA PAGPAPATALSIK NG MGA EMPLEYADONG PINOY, BUKING!
11 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: buking, dayuhan, global news network, gnn, modus operandi, pinoy, talsik
Ilang porsyento na nga ba ng mga kumpanya sa Pilipinas ang pag-mamay-ari ng mga dayuhan? At dahil si Juan ay hikahos, wala itong magawa kundi kumapit sa patalim at manilbihan sa mga dayuhan kahit pa ito ay mismong nasa bansa natin. Pagpapahirap sa mga Pilipino sa lupang sinilangan? Naku, kailangang maisiwalat at matigil na yan.
Katulad na lamang ng ginagawa ng kumpanyang Global News Network (GNN) sa kanilang mga empleyado na kapag gusto ng tanggalin ay ginagawan ng komosyon o isang senaryo na kung hindi i-teterminate ay mapipilitang mag-resign kahit na ito ay regular pa. Isang maruming taktika mga kapatid! http://diaryongtagalog.com/palagay/balitang-pinoy/
Appeal to Six United Nations Special Rapporteurs Regarding Reproductive Rights Violations in Manila
23 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
On March 27, 2009, the Philippine-based Task Force CEDAW Inquiry led by EnGendeRights and WomenLead,1 the Center for Reproductive Rights2 and International Women’s Rights Action Watch, Asia-Pacific (IWRAW-AP),3 submitted a request to six United Nations Special Rapporteurs (UNSRs) requesting for an Urgent Appeal to be transmitted to the Philippine government and seeking a fact-finding country visit to investigate reproductive rights violations related to Manila City Executive Order 003 (“EO 003”).4 The goal in submitting the request was to draw the UNSRs attention to the grave violations perpetrated in Manila City by the Philippine government against women and their families.
The request for an Urgent Appeal was submitted to six UN Special Rapporteurs, namely, health, violence against women, education, human rights defenders, freedom of religion or belief, and the Independent Expert on extreme poverty.
The submission to the UNSRs raised reproductive rights violations in Manila City arising out of then-Mayor Atienza’s issuance of EO 003 and the continued implementation of said EO under Mayor Lim. As alleged in the submission to the UNSRs, this EO has “in practice resulted in a ban on modern contraceptives from all the Manila-run public health facilities and a denial of information or referral on family planning services,” Because women of low socioeconomic status cannot afford family planning services from private clinics, the EO has impermissibly prohibited access to modern family planning methods for such women. The request to the UNSRs elaborated, “Testimonies provided by doctors indicate that they frequently witness pregnancy complications and maternal mortality and morbidity as a result of women’s limited access to reproductive health care.”
The EO has had dire consequences for poor women in Manila, in part because nearly half of all Filipino women have an unmet need for contraception.5 The submission alleged violations to women’s human rights, including the rights to life, health, self determination and bodily integrity, education, adequate standard of living, freedom from violence, freedom of religion and belief, and the right to promote and protect human rights. The request to the UNSRs highlighted the pervasive effects of the EO such as “unwanted pregnancies, complications arising from lack of access to safe and legal abortion, maternal mortality and morbidity, lack of education and employment opportunities, hunger and poverty for women and their families.”
The UNSRs, which fall within the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, operate under special procedures that allow them to review human rights violations.6 Typically, the UNSRs receive complaints of human rights violations and issue urgent appeals to the governments to address the violations; in addition, UNSRs perform country visits to examine the national human rights situation.
The submission to the UNSRs requested an Urgent Appeal to be transmitted to the Philippine government to repeal the EO, enact the Reproductive Health bill, and provide full access to reproductive health information and services, as well as a country visit to the Philippines, to look into the effects of the EO on women’s human rights. Atty. Clara Rita Padilla, Executive Director of EnGendeRights and co-convenor of the Task Force CEDAW Inquiry, said, “Allowing a visit by the Special Rapporteurs is a step towards the Philippines compliance with the international human rights standards.”
For country visits by UNSRs, the host country agrees to a visit or better yet issues a standing invitation to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). This standing invitation is an open invitation that allows the UNSRs to conduct investigations and visits to the country. The host country is expected to allow the UNSRs freedom of movement within the country; freedom of inquiry; contacts with government authorities; contacts with NGOs and the media; confidential contact with witnesses of human rights abuses; full access to all relevant documentary material; and, assurances that individuals who have been in contact with the UNSRs will not be harassed or punished.7
The UNSRs will review the submission, and will decide whether to issue an Urgent Appeal and conduct a country visit. Should the UNSRs request to visit the Philippines, the government must allow them, to ensure Philippine compliance with international human rights standards.8 Thus far, UNSRs have issued reports on human rights in the Philippines regarding the human rights of migrants, internally displaced persons, rights of indigenous people, and extrajudicial killings.9
The UNHRC urged the Philippine government to issue a standing invitation during the 2008 UNHRC First Universal Periodic Review on the Philippines. At present, the Philippine government has not complied.
According to Atty. Padilla, “A visit by the UNSRs is extremely important in ensuring reproductive rights for all Filipino women, and would be a major step in holding the Philippine government accountable for their reproductive rights violations.”
Reproductive Rights Activists Demand Government Response to the CEDAW Committee and Consent to the Visit of CEDAW Experts
23 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
October 13, 2009, Manila — When Sylvia Pabustan went to a Manila City health clinic seeking family planning services, she was told that the clinic could not give her family planning supplies because “if someone from Manila City Hall found out, [the clinic] would be reprimanded.” When Ms. Pabustan, whose name has been changed for confidentiality, went to a private clinic, she was told the same thing. Another woman, Alia Banyana, whose name has also been changed, reported that when she went to Ospital ng Maynila, she was told that they would not provide tubal ligation because they are “Pro-Life.” Ms. Pabustan and Ms. Banyanas’ stories were only a few of the many collected by EnGendeRights, WomenLEAD, and KAKAMMPI and SAMAKANA-Gabriela during community visits in Manila in 2008 and 2009. Why are women such as Ms. Pabustan and Ms. Banyana being denied access to basic reproductive health services? According to Attorney Clara Rita Padilla, Executive Director of EnGendeRights, Inc., the blame falls on Mayor Atienza’s EO 003 Series of 2000 (“EO”). The EO promotes the use of natural family planning (NFP) and “discourag[es] the use of artificial methods of contraception, like condoms, pills, intrauterine devices, surgical sterilization.” The EO has resulted in a ban on modern contraceptives from all the Manila-run public health facilities and a denial of information or referral on the full range of contraceptive methods. According to Atty. Padilla, this policy of promoting NFP alone has cost many poor women in Manila significantly, “As a consequence, some of them ended up having as many as eight more children than they actually desired. While the national average would only show that women usually have one child more than they desired, the disparity between desired and actual number of children is greater for poor women.” In addition, according to Atty. Padilla, poor women are further impacted by EO 003 because they “do not have the money to pay for their own contraceptive supplies and counseling from private doctors,” unlike wealthier women in Manila. The practice of denying women access to modern family planning in Manila, in addition to harming women such as Ms. Pabustan and Ms. Banyana, is against international law and the Philippines’ international treaty obligations, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which was ratified by the Philippines in (August 1981?). The Philippine-based Task Force CEDAW Inquiry is composed of 20 members from various civil society organizations and led by the following NGOs: EnGendeRights, WomenLead, the Center for Reproductive Rights and International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia-Pacific (IWRAW-AP). The Task Force has submitted a total of three official requests for inquiry for consideration of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW Committee) to investigate discrimination and other treaty violations resulting from the EO. Atty. Padilla, co-convenor of the Task Force CEDAW Inquiry, said, “The goal of the Task Force is to draw attention to the grave and systematic violations of reproductive rights of Manila residents. The inquiry is a very important procedure that allows the CEDAW experts the opportunity to visit the Philippines to investigate violations committed against women’s reproductive rights. This request for inquiry is only the second that has been submitted to the CEDAW Committee. This is historical! The impact of such a visit will not only be in the Philippines but in other countries as well where there are similar violations of women’s rights.” Mr. Benjamin de Leon, President of The Forum for Family Planning and Development, stated that “While women’s rights violations are very blatant in Manila, current government policies under GMA manifest reproductive rights and women’s rights violations. Under this administration, the Population Commission only promotes NFP. The EO and GMA’s support for NFP to the exclusion of other methods of contraception are examples of bad policy. We all know that NFP has a high failure rate. That is why we need a Reproductive Health Care Law so that government hospitals and clinics are required to provide the full range of contraceptive methods, require reproductive health education in schools, among others.” Attorney Claire AP Luczon, Executive Director of WomenLEAD and also a co-convenor of the Task Force CEDAW Inquiry, also stated: “By being a state party to the CEDAW, the Philippine government has committed to respect, protect and promote the human rights of women to reproductive health, including their human right to family planning information and services. Through the inquiry procedure, our government will be called to account for the violations of the commitments it has made under CEDAW and other international human rights instruments. Hopefully, this international pressure will put a stop to the ongoing violations to women’s reproductive rights all over the country.” Over a year has passed since the request for inquiry was submitted to the CEDAW Committee and the EO has not been overturned. As an update, the Philippine government was asked to submit a response to the CEDAW Committee before the end of February 2000 but almost eight months has passed and the Philippine government through DFA sill has not issued its official response. The request of the CEDAW Committee to the government already means that they considered the information submitted to them as reliable and indicative of grave and/or systematic violations as provided under Rule 83 of the CEDAW Committee Rules. The government also has not expressed its consent to the visit of the CEDAW Committee. Atty. Padilla stressed, “Since the law has been prevailing for almost a decade now and it has not been overturned by the Mayor, the President, Congress and the judiciary, we decided to go to the United Nations CEDAW Committee as a last resort. We simply cannot let the women continue to suffer violations.”
Right to Health of the Filipino Family will be Upheld through the RH Bill
19 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
“The people have spoken. Being Catholic has no effect when it comes to people’s or couple’s decision in matters related to their health and their families. It has always been used by the Catholic hierarchy as leverage to scare politicians into making the right policy decisions when it comes to reproductive health.”
This was the statement given by Mr. Benjamin de Leon, president of the Forum for Family Planning and Development, Inc. (The FORUM) with regards to the statement of Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), who cited some points why the Catholic authorities are against the passage of the RH Bill.
In the Philippines, women, children and urban poor across all basic sectors still account for the largest number of poor population. According to the latest data from the National Statistical Coordinating Board (NSCB), Poverty incidence in the Philippines has increased from 30 to 33 percent. This means that there are about 4.7 million families or some 27.6 million Filipinos living in poverty. Living in poverty is defined as those who can not afford to provide their minimum basic needs for food, health, education, housing and other social amenities. Likewise, millions of Filipinos are food poor. The latest study by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) on RH and FP puts the number of Filipinos experiencing hunger between 10.7 to 12.2 million. This is really very disheartening for all Filipinos.
With the global financial crisis affecting many economies of both developed and developing countries, measures must be put into action to minimize its effects on the already suffering majority of Filipinos. Investments in human development especially women’s health and education of girls ensures a better future for the country. This is a reality that leaders and the church have been ignoring all these years. The fact is half of all pregnancies in the Philippines are unintended and this affects the quality of life of families.
Economists such as Dr. Ernesto Pernia, of the UP School of Economics and Trustee of The Forum said that the link between population growth and economic development was the subject of intense research from the 1960s to the 1980s. A common view was that the “rapid population was more likely to hinder than foster economic development.”
A simple measure of investing on the provision of the whole range of family planning services will help reduce poverty and reduce maternal and infant mortality. The 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey still shows that an estimated 62,000 babies die each year before reaching their first birthday while 11 mothers die every day due to complications in childbirth and pregnancy. When women or couples are better able to plan and space the birth of their children, the mother can focus on her and her baby’s health and future. If the Philippine government wants a better future for this country, one solution is to recognize Filipinos right to reproductive health services. If they want to begin seeing the change and improvement of lives, it starts with the passage of the RH Bill! It starts with the lifting of the ban on contraceptives in the City of Manila. It starts with the provision of budget for FP services. It starts with the recognition that 9 out of 10 Filipinos want RH services and the majority of them will vote for a candidate that has a good family planning program. These are facts that backed by scientific data.
“We are hanging on the word of Speaker Nograles that the RH Bill will be put to a vote in this Congress and strongly urge the Senate leadership to do the same. If they do, this will be a great legacy for the Arroyo Administration, the House of Representatives and the Senate. All will earn the respect of the Filipino people and the world.” De Leon concluded.
Dear Stand Up for MDGs partners,
The United Nations System in the Philippines is once again inviting you and your organization to participate in this year’s Stand Up, Take Action campaign to help achieve the eight (8) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). With the theme “Stand United, Fight Poverty”, the global campaign will run from 16 to 18 October 2009 and coincide with the annual observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and the Philippines’ National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 717-2004.
The focus of this year’s campaign are the Goals that are least likely to be achieved by 2015, namely, MDG 1: eradicate poverty and hunger by reducing the proportion of families living below the poverty threshold; MDG 2: achieve universal primary education by ensuring that children of school age will complete elementary education; MDG 5: improve maternal health by reducing maternal deaths/neonatal mortality and increasing access to reproductive health services and information. As we are nearing the final stretch to the 2015 deadline, all efforts are geared towards increasing the clamor for policy and programmes change and ensuring that more Filipinos become aware of the significance of these Goals in their everyday life.
Last year, the campaign successfully mobilized 35.2 million Filipinos through various events and activities – the largest number ever recorded by a country worldwide. This year, we are inviting you again to join this global effort by doing any of the following: 1) Stand Up and Vote for the MDGs by getting your organization members to accomplish the attached “I Vote for the MDGs” survey form and submit to the Stand Up Secretariat on or before 18 October; 2) organize your own Stand United, Fight Poverty event; 3) join our planned events which will be posted in the website. The more people that participate, the louder our message will be.
For more details, visit http://www.un.org.ph/standup or you may respond to this email. Attached is the Stand Up brochure, which you can print, fill up and send to us by fax (901-0404) or through this email. It would be a great privilege to have you join us and the rest of humanity in this global fight against poverty. Join us and be counted!
Government Should Make Real its Commitment to International Treatises
19 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
In 1994, the Philippines along with 179 member nations of the United Nations committed to the ideals and priniples of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Fifteen years after the Programme of Action (PoA) was signed, no strong Philippine policy related to reproductive health has been created. The ICPD PoA defines reproductive health (RH) as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes. Reproductive health therefore implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Implicit in this last condition is the right of men and women to be informed and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of family planning of their choice, as well as other methods of their choice for regulation of fertility which are not against the law, and the right of access to appropriate health-care services that will enable women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth and provide couples with the best chance of having a healthy infant. In connection with this, the FORUM for Family Planning and Development (The FORUM) join hands with other NGOs in expressing the strong support for the urgent passage of the RH bill. The measure goes beyond its purpose of improving reproductive health and implementing a nationwide program on family planning as it creates a path towards a sound economic policy that will improve the lives of millions of Filipino households. “We strongly believe that couples, especially women, should be given the freedom to choose the path they will take in raising their family. This is a commitment our country made several times,” said Benjamin De Leon, president of The FORUM. Filipinos have been waiting for decades to this country to honor its commitments to the world – to make real its promise to uphold people’s right to RH and family planning. While waited and debated for decades on the matter, women and young girls have been suffering and thousands have lost their lives – 10 women are dying every 24 hours due to pregnancy related complications, while young girls as young as 13 years old are getting pregnant. This is because they lack the information and family planning supplies that would have provided them with an option. Beyond the glaring indicators related to the current state of RH in the Philippines: the high maternal mortality rate, the rising number of abortion, the increasing child mortality, the growing number of people without access to basic health and social services, there lies one solution that the country has been trying to ignore – and that is the passage of RH bill that will enable each Filipino to be accorded the right to information, the right to choose how many children to have and when to have them. “RH as a right of every Filipinos is an urgent call we all must heed and we need to join hands for this national legislation that will bring tremendous improvements in our lives. This is not about politics or religion, this is about believing that each one of us should have the chance to live a healthy and dignified life, a human right that must be upheld regardless of one’s faith and belief,” De Leon added. The ICPD@15 National Conference is a gathering of various media practioners, NGOs, government, universities, and other group from different parts of the country to discuss a variety of population issues, including immigration, infant mortality, birth control, family planning, the education of women, and protection for women from unsafe abortion services. [The FORUM Media Service]
Cebuano Voters Favor Reproductive Health and Family Planning
19 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: rh, rh bill
Almost all Cebuanos favor a law in the Philippines on reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP). This is according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) Survey in all the six congressional districts of the Province of Cebu. 87 percent of Cebuanos according to the survey favor an RH and FP law in the country while 9 out of 10 or 90% of Cebuanos favor a provincial policy in RH.
According to the SWS survey 93% of those who took part in the survey are Catholics. “Sen. Noynoy Aquino has nothing to fear. This survey proves yet again that being Catholic has no effect when it comes to people’s or couple’s decision in matters related to their health and their families.” Mr. Benjamin de Leon, President of the Forum for Family Planning said. “It has always been used by the Catholic hierarchy as leverage to scare politicians into making the right policy decisions when it comes to reproductive health.” De Leon added.
A few months ago, a similar survey was conducted in Districts 1 and 2 of Cebu province and yielded almost the same results that 9 out 10 Cebuanos from District 1 and 2 agree that the province should have a policy on reproductive health while 88% also agree that the Philippines should have a policy on family planning and reproductive health.
The Reproductive Health Bill is currently pending in Congress and NGOs and local organizations like The Forum are urging Congress to put the bill to vote. “Anti-RH Bill legislators are deliberately delaying the proceedings and we are saddened and disturbed by the lack of respect for the legislative process.” De Leon said.
But while government and legislators are still entangled in the discussions, majority of Filipinos have made their decision. Two other local surveys conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) in the cities of Manila and Paranaque reveal an overwhelming support for a national policy on reproductive health.
Despite the huge amount of money used by government to promote natural family planning (NFP) method, the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) show that NFP was not the method preferred by Filipinos with a merely 0.1% of Filipinos using Mucus/Billings Method, 0.0% for Standard Days Method and 0.4 for Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM).
“The government insists on wasting money and resources on services that Filipinos don’t want to use instead of pouring resources on a family planning program that promotes all the methods.” De Leon said. “We support and promote NFP as well as all the modern methods of family planning because that is the essence of reproductive rights. To promote just one method is to deny people their right to information and full range of services.”
Supporting the results of the NDHS which reflects the poor health status of the country is another study conducted by the Guttmacher Institute and the UP Population Institute. The study shows that half of all pregnancies in 2008 were unintended. Even more alarming, the study also reveals that about 4,500 mothers have died due to childbirth and pregnancy complications and an estimated 52,000 babies in the Philippines died before reaching their first birthday and 30,000 of them died within a month of being born.
“We are hanging on the word of Speaker Nograles that the RH Bill will be put to a vote in this Congress and strongly urge the Senate leadership to do the same. If they do, this will be a great legacy for the Arroyo Administration, the House of Representatives and the Senate. All will earn the respect of the Filipino people and the world.” De Leon concluded.
Cebuano Catholics Favor Reproductive Health and Family Planning
28 Jul 2009 Leave a Comment
Almost all Cebuanos favor a law in the Philippines on reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP). This is according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) Survey in all the six congressional districts of the Province of Cebu. 87 percent of Cebuanos according to the survey favor an RH and FP law in the country while 9 out of 10 or 90% of Cebuanos favor a provincial policy in RH.
According to the SWS survey 93% of those who took part in the survey are Catholics. “This survey proves yet again that being Catholic has no effect when it comes to people’s or couple’s decision in matters related to their health and their families.” Mr. Benjamin de Leon, President of the Forum for Family Planning said. “It has always been used by the Catholic hierarchy as leverage to scare politicians into making the right policy decisions when it comes to reproductive health.” De Leon added.
A few months ago, a similar survey was conducted in Districts 1 and 2 of Cebu province and yielded almost the same results that 9 out 10 Cebuanos from District 1 and 2 agree that the province should have a policy on reproductive health while 88% also agree that the Philippines should have a policy on family planning and reproductive health.
The Reproductive Health Bill is currently pending in Congress and NGOs and local organizations like The Forum are urging Congress to put the bill to vote. “Anti-RH Bill legislators are deliberately delaying the proceedings and we are saddened and disturbed by the lack of respect for the legislative process.” De Leon said.
But while government and legislators are still entangled in the discussions, majority of Filipinos have made their decision. Two other local surveys conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) in the cities of Manila and Paranaque reveal an overwhelming support for a national policy on reproductive health.
Despite the huge amount of money used by government to promote natural family planning (NFP) method, the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) show that NFP was not the method preferred by Filipinos with a merely 0.1% of Filipinos using Mucus/Billings Method, 0.0% for Standard Days Method and 0.4 for Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM).
“The government insists on wasting money and resources on services that Filipinos don’t want to use instead of pouring resources on a family planning program that promotes all the methods.” De Leon said. “We support and promote NFP as well as all the modern methods of family planning because that is the essence of reproductive rights. To promote just one method is to deny people their right to information and full range of services.”
Supporting the results of the NDHS which reflects the poor health status of the country is another study conducted by the Guttmacher Institute and the UP Population Institute. The study shows that half of all pregnancies in 2008 were unintended. Even more alarming, the study also reveals that about 4,500 mothers have died due to childbirth and pregnancy complications and an estimated 52,000 babies in the Philippines died before reaching their first birthday and 30,000 of them died within a month of being born.
“We are hanging on the word of Speaker Nograles that the RH Bill will be put to a vote in this Congress. If it does, this will be a great legacy for the Arroyo Administration and the House Representatives and will earn the respect of the Filipino people and the world.” De Leon concluded.#
The Forum for FP and Development is an NGO based in Manila. For further information, please contact The Forum at 02-426-5484 or email us at forum4fp@yahoo.com.
