Leaders and Prominent Personalities Hail President Noynoy Aquino for Pro-Choice Stance on Family Planning

In a letter to President Benigno Aquino III entitled “We Firmly Support PNOY,” former President Fidel Ramos and former Prime Minister Cesar Virata lead some of the most respected and admired men and women of the country in expressing their deep admiration and support for PNOY in taking a firm pro-choice position on family planning and responsible parenthood.

The group emphasized that the State obligation to provide reproductive health services and information must be fulfilled based on the government’s commitment to international human rights agreements. However, the group also said that, “While people are debating whether family planning is moral or immoral and whether government funding for contraceptives is right or wrong, the issue of maternal and infant deaths resulting from untimely and unwanted pregnancies is being left out.”

The letter also said “Each day that the debates continue, 11 mothers die, leaving behind some 30 children motherless, and putting the lives of their newborn infants at risk as well.”

Signatories of the letter also include Washington Z. Sycip, Mercedes B. Concepcion, Oscar M. Lopez, Loida Nicolas Lewis, Dante B. Canlas, Menardo R. Jimenez, Ma. Yolanda V. Ong, Leticia Ramos Shahani, Carmelita Villanueva, Perter L. Wallace, Benjamin D. De Leon, Alberto G. Romualdez, Jr., Corazon M. Raymundo, Eden R. Divinagracia, Cecilia Oreña Drilon, Felipe M. Medalla, Ernesto M. Pernia, Jaime Z. Galvez-Tan, Cyndy Tan-Jarabata, Tomas M. Osias, Jose Miguel R. De La Rosa, Margarito M. Teves and Elizabeth Eder Zobel.

The group also makes up the Forum for Family Planning and Development (The Forum), an NGO established in 2004 and driven by the membership’s advocacy for a population and development policy that puts reproductive health rights as a key element in development thereby ensuring improved health and quality of lives among Filipinos, a more stable economy and a sustainable natural environment for generations to come.

Here is the letter of the supporters of President Aquino:

WE FIRMLY SUPPORT P-NOY

October 11, 2010

H.E. Benigno Simeon Aquino III
President of the Philippines
Malacañang, Manila

Dear Mr. President,

In 1994, the Philippines joined 178 other nations in Cairo, Egypt for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The conference put the individual’s rights and needs at the center of its 20-year Programme of Action rather than achieving demographic targets. Nations also agreed that population and sustainable development are inextricably linked and committed to save the lives of women who die unnecessarily during pregnancy and childbirth. It advocated to make family planning universally available by 2015.

Again, at the Millennium Summit in 2000, the Philippines was one of the 189 countries that adopted the Millennium Development Goals, which calls for the reduction of maternal mortality and universal access to reproductive health by 2015.

With just five years to 2015 it is unfortunate that we continue to debate on the reproductive health issue. It is unfortunate that attempts to enact a law that could accelerate the country’s efforts to reduce maternal deaths and provide Filipino women and their families a better opportunity to improve their lives remains a dream.

While people are debating whether family planning is moral or immoral and whether government funding for contraceptives is right or wrong, the issue of maternal and infant deaths resulting from untimely and unwanted pregnancies is being left out.

Each day that the debates continues, 11 mothers die, leaving behind some 30 children motherless everyday, and putting the lives of their newborn infants at risk as well.

They have spoken in surveys borne out by the prestigious Social Weather Stations and the Pulse Asia. They want a law that would institute a family planning program providing couples information, services and commodities as well as a budget that would help them plan the size of their family and the spacing of their children.

They have spoken during the elections. Despite the Roman Catholic Church’s aggressive campaign against pro-RH candidates, the Filipino people – most of whom are Catholics – elected these candidates, including a President who has expressed his pro-choice stance on family planning.

It is about time that we heed the voice of the people. The reproductive health issue is not just about sex and contraceptives. More than anything, it is about saving the lives of mothers; mothers who make up the very fabric of society; the women who bore us. Saving lives should be a concern not only of lay people, but more so of the people who preach about the value of life.

We are for the quality of our population which heretofore our country will be most proud of.

Mr. President, we are one with you in your unequivocal support for families who want information and services on family planning and responsible parenthood. Likewise, we agree that neither the state nor religion should dictate the kind of family planning method once couples or individuals have decided to plan their families based on proper information.

Signed:

Eminent Persons
Fidel V. Ramos
Cesar EA Virata
Washington Z. Sycip
Mercedes B. Concepcion
Oscar M. Lopez
Loida Nicolas Lewis



Advisers


Dante B. Canlas
Menardo R. Jimenez
Ma. Yolanda V. Ong
Leticia Ramos Shahani
Carmelita Villanueva
Perter L. Wallace


Trustees


Benjamin D. De leon
Alberto G. Romualdez, jr.
Corazon M. Raymundo,
Eden R. Divinagracia
Cecilia Oreña Drilon
Felipe M. Medalla
Ernesto M. Pernia
Jaime Z. Galvez-Tan
Cyndy Tan-Jarabata
Tomas M. Osias,
Jose Miguel R. De La Rosa
Margarito M. Teves
Elizabeth Eder Zobel

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Consensus Bill on Population: Isang sesyon mula at para sa Pinoy!

Kung usaping programang pampopulasyon ang pag-uusapan, ilang dekada na ang nakalilipas mula nang huli itong marebyu at napagtuunan ng pansin. Sa ilalim ng iba’t-ibang administrasyon, malinaw ang pagpapahalagang itinutuon ng kung sino mang nasa posisyon sa sandaling makita ang mga programang pampopulasyon na nailatag sa naturang panahon.

Ang grupo ng Mulat Pinoy ay binuo upang iulat ang mga impormasyon ukol sa iba’t ibang isyung ating kinakaharap lalo na sa usaping populasyon at pagbabago. Nais din ng grupo na bigyan ng kapangyarihan sa pamamagitan ng edukasyon at makabuluhang talakayan ang mga Pinoy sa tulong na rin ng Internet. Naglalayon itong malaman at ipaalam ang sasabihin ng mga kandidato sa bawat isyung kinakaharap ng bansa, lalong higit sa usaping Population and Development (PopDev). Kabilang dito ang mga Kapihan Sessions kung saan ang mga eksperto sa usaping PopDev, maging mga personalidad sa larangan ng media, ay inaanyayahan upang ibahagi ang mga kaalaman, karanasan, at repleksyon sa pagkakabit ng usaping ito sa iba’t ibang perspektibo. Sa darating na Oktubre 9, 2010, isang sesyon ang itinalaga sa upang sagutin ang mga katanungan sa nakaambang paglatag ng Consensus Bill on Population na pangungunahan nila dating senador Vicente Paterno, na siyang pinuno ng Joint Steering Committee ng CBP, kasama si David Balangue ng Makati Business Club (MBC).

Sinasabi na ang populasyon ang siyang tinitingnang pangunahing elemento kung saan nakaugnay ang iba pang mga sistema tulad ng edukasyon, pangangalakal, ekonomiya, kalusugan at iba pang mga sektor.

Sa bansang tulad ng Pilipinas, ang populasyon ay isa sa mga maiinit na isyu, katulad ng mga panguhanahing pangangailangan, pagkain, pabahay, edukasyon na hindi pantay-pantay na natatamasa ng isang karaniwang pinoy. Ang iba pang panlipunang kalagayan tulad ng kahirapan, kagutuman, usaping gender, at pangangalaga ng kalikasan ay nakaangkla sa paglaki ng populasyon sa isang bansa.

Ang Kapihan Session sa pamumuno ng Mulat Pinoy at sa pakikipagtulungan ng Probe Media Foundation, Inc. (PMFI) at ng Philippine Center for Population and Development (PCPD) ay gaganapin sa ika-9 ng Oktubre, 2010 sa ganap na ika-3:30 hanggang ika-6 ng hapon sa Annabel’s Restaurant, Tomas Morato, Quezon City. Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, bisitahin lamang ang Mulat Pinoy website (www.mulatpinoy.ph) o ang Facebook, Multiply at iba pang social media network accounts nito.

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Catholic Group, NGOs Laud PNOY’s Pro-Family Planning Position

“We are pleased that PNOY has unwavered in his support for family planning. This is a clear pro-women stand of the President and we support him.” This is a statement of Ben de Leon, President of the Forum for FP and Development and member of the Catholics for RH Movement (C4RH) an alliance of Catholics from various parts of the country supportive of Reproductive Health and family planning.

During his US trip President Aquino addresses the Filipino community in San Francisco and reiterates his position on responsible parenthood which is to give the couples the power to decide on the methods of family planning that will work for them and that government will make sure that services are available. With this statement, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed their disappointment.

“The CBCP said that they are disappointed with PNOY. But as a Catholic, I express my admiration to the President. The poor health status of Filipinos especially of women has a lot to do with the lack of political will of leaders for many years.” Mr. Jeff Y. Fuentes, member of the C4RH in Davao City and the Population Program Officer of the City Population Division also expressed his support to the President.

Two cabinet members of the current administration are also very vocal about their support for reproductive health (RH) services that will help bring down the high maternal and newborn deaths in the country. During the Women Deliver national conference on maternal and newborn health care, DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman said that “RH is not hard to sell to President Aquino.” Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona also maintains the commitment of the DOH to address the high maternal mortality of the country and recognize that comprehensive RH service is important to help reduce maternal deaths. Currently, 11 mothers die everyday due to pregnancy and childbirth related complications. Reduction of maternal deaths is among the commitment of the country to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Participating in the MDG Summit is among the reasons for PNOY’s recent US trip.

“I believe that the President should not fear the Catholic church. Afterall, the CBCP is not the Catholic church. While more than 80% of Filipinos are Roman Catholic, majority of Filipinos support RH and FP according to numerous surveys conducted by Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia.” De Leon said.

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