The Manila Times: Motherhood, The Great Divide

This article was originally published in The Manila Times, June 2010

They say that mother is one of the world’s greatest equalizers that bind women together regardless of race, culture or social status. In a lot of ways, that is true, what mother doesn’t love her child? The urge to nurture, care for and protect one’s offspring is so ingrained in us that it is quite simply put—instinctive.

Unfortunately, motherhood is also one of the greatest divides of society, which separates the affluent from the marginalized. Maternal health, or more appropriately, its counter-part: maternal mortality is used as a global standard by which the social and economic development of a country is measured.

In many parts of the developing world, the Philippines included, motherhood is met by anxiety and fear that pregnancy might cost them their life. The concept in itself so archaic and medieval—that in this day and age women should continue to die from childbirth complications. Many women from the industrialized countries, or even those from affluent backgrounds in developing countries, will not have to know of this fear and will face impending motherhood with the requisite and expected anticipation rather than anxiety, joy rather than resignation.

The great divide that motherhood poses does not stop there. Over 200 million women who would like to have control over the timing of their pregnancies do not have access to modern contraceptives. Satisfying this unmet need for contraception alone is estimated to reduce the number of maternal deaths because of unsafe abortions by 82 percent. Hundreds of thousands of women die every year from pregnancy and childbirth complications making reproductive health the leading cause of death worldwide among women ages 15 to 44, but experts say that 90 percent of these deaths are preventable.

In the Philippines, four babies are born every minute. By the time you finish reading this article; anywhere between 8 to 20 babies would have been born. There are an estimated 3.4 million pregnancies each year; more than half of which were unwanted or unplanned. Expanding access to contraception could result in 800,000 fewer unplanned births, 200,000 fewer miscarriages and 500,000 fewer induced abortions. It could also prevent as many as 2,100 maternal deaths each year. And that’s only in the Philippines.

Much of this is also due to our own failure to recognize this problem, our own apathy or our own self-righteousness. An indifference that starts from the government’s unwillingness to fund reproductive health programs and services that would allow women even from the most marginalized backgrounds to plan and limit their pregnancies. (Since USAID stopped providing contraceptive devices [condoms, pills, intrauterine device] to the Philippines in 2008, the government has not moved to fill in the gap left by foreign funding).

It is the blind eye that the Catholic Church uses to look at our massive annual population growth that continues to fuel this dynasty of poverty for more than two thirds of all Filipinos. Science and the statistics representing the number of lives lost and more importantly, the number of lives that could have been saved are blind-sided in the name of an ideology called morality. An ideology that unfortunately, does nothing to put food on the table or comfort orphaned children. It is the self-righteousness of other people who blame women for accidental, unplanned or frequent pregnancies—as if women get pregnant by themselves.

More often than not, it is even the women who are more judgmental, riding on their own sanctimonious high. The consequence of this is far-reaching. It is the same women with upturned noses who will raise little boys into men who perpetuate this coddling macho culture that absolves them of blame and of responsibility of sowing their seeds.

Before changing government policies, lobbying for additional funding, perhaps what we should change first is our mindset. The same mindset that dictates the moral turpitude and self-righteousness with which we look at unwanted pregnancies and self-induced abortions. Changing this mindset will also shatter this feeling of fatalism that maternal death is a cause of nature; something that can not be helped—the feeling of acceptance that nothing can be done about maternal deaths when all evidence of science indicates the contrary.

The second thing that needs to be done is to educate girls. Simply educating girls will open their doors to opportunities, their minds to possibilities and lift their spirits to fight for their right to have control over their bodies and their future. Studies show that women who have completed their secondary education decide to have a skilled health worker present at their delivery 84 percent of the time—which translates to a higher chance of survival for mother and baby.

All the discussion about skilled birth attendants, about legalizing life-saving drugs that midwives can administer as part of performing emergency care are also all viable ways to curb and avoid maternal death. But with the simple act of educating more girls, which is also their human right is taking the problem on from a preventive stand point rather than a reactive one.

We have to make a conscious decision as a society, as individuals and as human beings to end the senseless death of women and bring motherhood to its rightful place as an occasion of happiness and a celebration of life.

Only then can motherhood be truly regarded as a universal equalizer.

The writer recently attended the Women Deliver Conference in Washington, D.C. on a media scholarship sponsored by Women Deliver. This piece is a reflection of the learning from that conference. For more information on the global advocacy of Women Deliver, log on to http://www.womendeliver.org/.

IRIN News: Philippines: Empowering Mid-Wives

This article was originally published on the IRIN News website.
PHILIPPINES: Empowering midwives to curb maternal deaths

Photo: Courtesy of UNFPA Philippines

Midwives play a crucial role in rural parts of the country

MANILA,, 26 May 2010 (IRIN) – Giving midwives access to further training in life-saving skills could prevent up to 80 percent of maternal deaths in the Philippines, says Rosalie Paje, division chief of the Family Health Office under the Department of Health (DOH).

“Midwives play a crucial role in providing maternal healthcare, especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas and those affected by armed conflict where doctors and nurses are scarce,” Paje said.

According to the 2007 UN Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines Mid-Term Progress Report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births has declined from 209 in 1993 to 162 deaths in 2006, but it is unlikely the MDG 2015 target of a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 52 will be met.

“The MMR here in the Philippines is atrociously high,” says Alberto Romualdez, former DOH secretary and now vice-president of The Family Planning Forum, an NGO that supports programmes in effective reproductive health.

Midwives crucial to maternal care

According to Patricia Gomez, president of the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines (IMAP), there are an estimated 17,500 midwives registered under the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) working in the public health sector. Midwives usually earn between US$100 and $300 a month.

But that is barely enough to service the 41,841 barangays (the smallest government unit) throughout the archipelago nation.

According to the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) of 2008, only 44 percent of births in the Philippines occur in health facilities; 56 percent of children are still delivered at home.

Under Philippine law, licensed midwives are authorized to carry out the supervision and care of women during pregnancy, labour and management of normal deliveries, including the administration of an oxytocin drug to prevent and treat haemorrhage after the delivery of the placenta.

According to Yolanda Oliveros, coordinator of the joint programme on maternal and newborn heath at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), “Midwives are not allowed to handle emergency cases alone such as high-risk pregnancies or administer life-saving drugs such as magnesium sulphate and steroids.”

Empowering midwives

However, health experts are lobbying for amendments to the midwifery law to allow midwives to administer such medicines.

The leading causes of maternal deaths include pregnancy-induced hypertension, post-partum bleeding and post-abortion complications.

Photo: David Swanson/IRIN

56 percent of all births take place in the home

According to the DOH Maternal Mortality by Cause Report, updated in June 2009, hypertension complicated by pregnancy comprises 29 percent of the causes of maternal deaths, and partum haemorrhage 15 percent – the second and third leading causes of maternal death.

Others are sepsis, obstructed labour and complications around unsafe abortion – most of which are preventable with proper diagnosis and intervention.

“To address these direct causes of deaths, giving oxytocin during active management of the third stage of labour [after delivery] is very important to prevent and treat post-partum bleeding. Magnesium sulphate is very important to prevent and manage occurrence of eclampsia or convulsion brought about by severe hypertension. Giving of antibiotics is also essential to control existing infection,” says Oliveros.

However, this suggestion has met resistance from the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society (POGS).

“Magnesium sulphate, if not properly administered, can cause respiratory failure and kidney shutdown,” Regta Pichay, POGS president, says.

However, given the urgent need to curb the MMR, Pichay says the POGS is ready to train mid-wives to administer magnesium sulphate and oxytocin after the third stage of labour.

“Midwives are already administering oxytocin during the fourth stage of labour or after the expulsion of the placenta, as prescribed by law. But many times, this is too late. We would like to be able to accredit them to issue it after the third stage of labour or after the delivery of the foetus,” says IMAP president Gomez.

Countdown to 2015

POGS, with the UNFPA, has started the MDG Countdown Programme where midwives will be trained and supervised in tertiary hospitals for the administration of oxytocin and magnesium sulphate. An estimated 600 midwives will undergo the pilot programme.

“After six months of training, they will be issued a certificate of proficiency based on performance.  Only then will they be deployed to the marginalised communities such as the mountain provinces of Ifugao, Leyte, Samar, Bicol and the ARMM [Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao],” Pichay said.

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Female Network: How to pick the right OB-GYN for you

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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.

Why not the condom?

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The Department of Health (DOH) under the stewardship of the ballsy Esperanza Cabral again made modern day history on April 12 by hosting the first ever HIV Summit. (The DOH initially made waves when they gave out condoms to the general public last Valentine’s Day. This day of infamy made the headlines and made the Catholic bishops raise their eyebrows to the high heavens.)

The HIV Summit 2010 for the first time brought together the various sectors of society involved in HIV/AIDS awareness to up the ante on awareness and prevention efforts.

Entitled, “The Call to Action for Broad-based Responses to AIDS by Leaders”, the HIV Summit came on the heels of the increasing number of HIV cases consistently observed in the last three years.

The first case of HIV was diagnosed in the Philippines in 1984. Since 1984, there have been a total of 4,817 registered cases of HIV in the Philippines. A total of 838 of these cases have progressed to AIDS. The Philippines is considered a low prevalence country in terms of incidence of HIV/AIDS, which by itself is still a good thing.

In 2000, one HIV case was reported every three days. In 2010, this number changed to three days per day. In February alone, there were 130 new HIV cases recorded in the Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry report, a 177-percent increase compared to the same period last year (47 in 2009). Dr. Ferchito Avelino, Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) Secretariat predicted that if this pattern continues, we are going to have as many as 1,500 new cases of HIV by the end of this year.

Secretary Cabral opened the summit by posing the question, “Why not the condom?,” as a solution to curbing HIV infection along with abstinence and monogamy.

Everyone looked forward to a lively and productive discussion that would tackle HIV prevention seriously and realistically without the prescribed squeamishness.

Dr. Eric Tayag, the Director of the National Epidemiology Center insisted on the need to talk about sexual health openly; that we need to have a discussion on condoms without young girls giggling daintily. (As a sex columnist and sexual health advocate, I can tell you that when it comes to discussing condoms, it’s not just the school girls who start giggling. Well, the boys squirm which is a much more amusing reaction.)

Personally, I truly enjoy attending HIV Conferences. It is only during such an event where you get both sides of the story and bring together the primordial need of sexual urges, dissect the many complexities of sexual behaviors and discuss them within the scientific realm of prevention and medical care.

To cite a specific example, during a one on one interview, a journalist was clarifying some terms regarding MSM (men having sex with men) with Dr. Tayag. Without batting an eyelash, Dr. Tayag explained the intricacies of Internet hook ups and how it promotes casual sex.

The question by the inquiring journalist may have been based on the observation that for the past three years, MSM has been the primary contributor in the rising cases of HIV/AIDS in the country. In the past, commercial sex workers and seafarers accounted for most of the HIV/AIDS cases.

Dr. Tayag described the MSM as a hidden population. “Means of negotiating sexual encounters is mostly through the Internet, which makes it hard to target these populations. Also, not all MSM identify themselves as gay or bisexual, which makes it even harder to indentify these groups,” said Dr. Tayag, calling for the need to understand the whole gamut of sexual behaviors, “from kissing to receptive anal sex to fellatio to get an idea of what context we have to work in.”

Condom debate

The white elephant in the room of course, was the condom issue, which somehow became more pronounced by the presence of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). It was hoped that the CBCP and the Health department could reach common ground on the use of condoms as an effective way of combating the spread of HIV.

Ryan Tani of Filipino Freethinkers posed a question to the audience, asking how we—the Department of Health, developmental agencies and the CBCP—could agree on one single-minded message when it comes to HIV prevention and the crucial role the small but potent piece of latex plays in it.

“Until we have a unified message about condom education, we will just confuse the public with the DOH and the WHO [World Health Organization] saying that condoms are effective in preventing HIV, but with the CBCP saying that condoms are defective,” said Tani referring to statements made by the CBCP questioning the effectivity of condoms.

Unfortunately, his question went unanswered.

During the summit, I had a chat with Brother Dan Cancino Jr. of the National Catholic Network on HIV/AIDS under the CBCP who said, “At the end of the day, we [the DOH and the CBCP] share the same goal—the prevention of HIV and AIDS. We just have different ways of doing it.”

In short, the CBCP remained immovable on their anti-condom position and continued to challenge their efficacy despite overwhelming scientific data.

I got hold of the CBCP’s Training Manual on HIV and AIDS for Catholic Church Pastoral Workers. Signed by Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, the President of the CBCP, the preface of the document says, “The CBCP is committed to its campaign against spread of AIDS and endorsing this guide for various apostolates related to caring for the people against the ailment.” There is one section that is particularly interesting. It states: “In the case of HIV discordant couples [meaning only one partner is HIV+], both partners should be helped to decide for themselves the appropriate means to defend themselves against the infection. One option is to discontinue sex. However, should they decide to continue their sexual relationship, consistent and correct condom use can help in minimize the risk of transmission. But this is only for disease control, rather than contraceptive methods.”

The document is consistent with the CBCP’s support for natural contraceptive methods only, but doesn’t’ it also means that the CBCP does recognize the irrefutable scientific evidence presented by organizations like the World Health Organization—whose credibility is unquestionable—about the effectivity of condoms in fighting off HIV infection?

In light of what is written in their training manual, the question, “Wht not the condom?” now seems like a rhetorical one.

The Manila Times: Rebel with a cause, Robin Padilla

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The Manila Times, 14 March 2010 — “There is no parent who does not have dreams for their children. That’s why we have to plan well. We shouldn’t depend on other people to rise from poverty and make a future for our children; we should only depend on ourselves.”

These words that may be expected from a politician rallying others to support his cause—except it’s author is no politician. This was Robin Padilla, speaking as the Trust Family Planning ambassador to a crowd gathered at the Sonny Belmonte Plaza along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

Even before getting up on stage, Padilla literally stopped traffic when he and supporters walked several meters along Commonwealth Avenue carrying placards calling for family planning and proper birth spacing.

A follow up to his Trust Condoms “Tunay na Lalaki [Real Man]” campaign, Padilla spoke to the crowd gathered about the importance of family planning and launched his new commercial which is tag-lined “Mag-usap. Mag-desisyon. Umaksyon. [Talk. Decide. Act.]”

This couldn’t have been a more apt time to talk about these issues in light of today’s current issues—namely, the rapidly growing population which is now at 92 million and the unprecedented rise in HIV cases.

The Department of Health (DOH) recently declared an HIV epidemic in the country. In response to this, newly appointed Department of Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral and her department officials gave out free condoms to people buying flowers on Valentine’s Day—a bold move to raise awareness and education about HIV and AIDS and a first for the government who has otherwise remained silent on the issue of modern contraception.

On the recent controversy about the Health department handing out condoms to the public, Robin was careful to say that he and DKT, Philippines were not siding with any group who were both carrying out their own mandates. “We are not siding with either one of them. They both have a point and are both simply carrying out their duties.”

The Bad Boy does good

Robin Padilla, whose showbiz career has spanned more than two decades, is still a newsmaker.

But unlike his hoodlum-gangster past which involved fist fights with other actors that earned him the moniker “Bad Boy” and possession of an arsenal of guns that landed him behind bars for four years, he is making headlines for his personal advocacies such as peace in Mindanao and family planning.

Padilla has even established and funded the Liwanag ng Kapayapaan Foundation—a preparatory school in a 1,100-square-meter lot in Fairview, Quezon City—that gives free education to Moro children in Quezon City.

Since opening in 2007, the school has afforded hundreds of scholars free education, books, uniforms and school bus rides. Its madrasah curriculum, approved by the Department of Education, offers Arab language lessons Islamic value formation as well as regular subjects such as science, mathematics, Filipino and English.

“I see the parents of the students in my school, they have so many children. It is so hard for them. I tell them to limit the number of children that they have and to properly space their births so that they don’t have such a hard time taking care of them,” he says.

Now, Padilla is working on getting sponsors and corporate partners who can provide livelihood skills training for the parents of the students.

All this after the man christened Robinhood Fernando Cariño Padilla 43 years ago converted to Islam behind bars and was reborn as Abdul Aziz.

It seems it was destined that it would take a macho action star and a real life anti-hero like Padilla/Aziz to bravely espouse responsible parenthood and rational reproductive health when the Catholic Church still meddles in public policy and the private affairs of all consenting adults regardless of religion. In a land where, despite the hollowed place the Church has enjoyed for the last 500 years, dysfunctional families, corruption in government and runaway population growth among the poor are the norm, it may take a rebel like Padilla to set things right.

On women

No conversation with Padilla, a well-known charmer, would be complete without mentioning the subject of women.

On the observation that at many family planning outreach programs, it is mostly women who are present and the men are nowhere to be found, he says, “Our call is for a real man to take responsibility. A real man doesn’t bring problems or infections. He is only supposed to bring happiness and joy to his woman.”

On a more serious note, he continues, “According to the NSO [National Statistics Office] surveys, there is a very small percentage of women who are given a right to speak up in their own homes. This to me is very sad. A woman should be given a right to speak up about what she wants and what her plans are for herself. And the men should give their wives this right. It’s not macho for a man to insist that he always be followed just because he is the padre de familia [head of the family].”

Asked if he takes his own advice about family planning and birth control, the newly singled Padilla (he and long-time partner Liezel have split up, ostensibly making Padilla one of the hottest bachelors in showbiz) says, “The condoms and product samples that DKT gave me are in a cabinet as of the moment. Right now, I am more focused on studying the many books and researches that they gave me to read on family planning and population.”

“We only need to think of our future. When we do that, then a lot of things will follow after: proper planning and protecting ourselves and others. The power to do that rests entirely in our hands, we just have to seize it,” he says like a true modern day Robinhood.

The Manila Times: The Love Glove

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The Manila Times, 06 March 2010 – My work as a sex and relationship columnist/sexual health advocate, naturally requires me to get acquainted with condoms. Over the years, there have been many encounters with the love glove, and before you start drawing your own conclusions, I should tell you that my intimate moments with the love glove have included: educational close to scientific encounters and trial and error moments to see what they’re made of, in a literal fashion.
I’ve seen condoms inflated and in different colors as if in a candy store. I’ve seen them used to clothe mannequins and as decoration. I even have a collection from other countries and studied how they use their packaging as a means to advertise safe sex. A condom expert sent me an interesting document on the raw materials of condoms and how they originate from tree sap. All this I do because I need to be knowledgeable and credible when I talk about sexual health. So I guess you can say that I do a lot of oral. And in my work, there are days when there are just too many condoms and so little time to hand them all out.

This was one of those ‘days’ that extended to one whole week.

On Saturday, there was Transitio 1945 hosted by historian and tour guide extraordinaire Carlos Celdran to mark the fall of Manila and the end of World War II. The whole Fort Santiago was illuminated with lights and contemporary art installations. Visitors came in droves, with banigs, picnic baskets and bottles of wine to watch flamenco dancers and take part in the highlight of the evening—lighting and setting off 120 spirit lanterns to commemorate the 120,000 people who died during that fateful day in 1945.

And in the middle of this revelry, girls demurely dressed in Maria Clara costume daintily and discretely handed out LICK condoms. LICK condoms are the latest product of DKT, Philippines who also makes Trust, Frenzy and Premiere condoms apart from a wide range of contraceptive devices and lubricants. As the name suggests, these condoms are flavored with real fruit flavors: wild tutti fruitti and juicy strawberry.

Dressed in a fabulous Maria Clara Filipinana gown made of what must be the finest piña and most delicate embroidery (graciously lent to me by Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines National Chairman Beth Angsioco), I joined the Maria Claras in their condom giving. It was a gown that forced me to sit up straighter and walk taller as I proudly handed out condoms to guests and gaily posed for pictures.

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 quintessential figure in Philippine literature who embodied the virtues of purity and chastity.

It made an impact. Rather than passive acknowledgement with a curt nod, people took notice. “Wow, modern day Maria Claras” some of them said presumably alluding to the need for women to change along with the times.

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 about the need for safe sex in this day of rising HIV numbers.

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 smart and sexy and most importantly, safe.

Then, I finally had the chance to meet Robin Padilla at the Trust Family Planning media event in Quezon City. As the new face and ambassador of Trust Condoms, Robin talked about the importance of family planning in the context of our 92-million and growing population, the need to get out of poverty and the desire of every parent to make a future for their children.

It’s no secret that I’ve been nursing a one-sided love affair with Robin since his Bad Boy days when movies like Barumbado and the classic Maging Sino Ka Man were making a killing at the box office. If fellow The Manila Times columnist Karen Kunawicz has a thing for Johnny Depp, then I have this thing for the Bad Boy—a “thing” which I have been harboring for more than a decade.

Back then, many questioned my “feelings,” relegating them to a schoolgirl crush, but I remained steadfast and true. I defended Robin saying he alone laid claim to the dream boy mix of bad boy-boyish charm. He was the embodiment of maginoo pero medjo bastos (gentlemanly yet roughish) or well, medjo bad boy.

And now, more than a decade later, he still has the power to make women of all ages, from all walks of life squeal with delight, tripping over one another for a chance to have their picture taken with him. He still has that oozing charm that can reduce even the most dignified heads of reproductive health groups to giddy, giggling girls.

After having her picture taken with him, one lady, head of a reproductive health group said, “I thought his star had waned”, referring to Robin’s hiatus from showbiz. She addressed her own doubt by saying, “I’m only beginning to understand his magic,” she sighed.

As for me, I wasn’t frozen into a stupor or rendered speechless at finally arriving at this moment that I had waited so long for. Who would have known that, years later, I would meet Robin because of a common cause—our passion for reproductive health?

I was at the sidelines observing this magic that enraptured and charged the whole room along with everyone in it. This charm was that was made more palpable by in his presence as compared to his image on the big screen.

And I too began to understand another part of the Robin magic—his humility. Others have star presence, an oomph that silences a crowd. Robin has all that, plus a sincere humility that is quite endearing. He obliged every picture, addressed every question and intelligently answered them with statistics and facts that he quoted from the National Statistics Office. He didn’t turn down any request, not even mine to wear the Sex and Sensibilities.com button. He pinned it on his chest and proudly posed for pictures wearing it.It is this sincerity that gives depth and credence to his call for family planning summarized as “Mag-usap, Mag-desisyon. Umaksyon. [Discuss. Decide. Act.]”

And lastly, there was Ignite Manila where I was given the chance to ignite, excite and arouse a crowd’s interest and passion for the website that I founded called Sex and Sensibilities or SAS. I talked about my dream and that of the other women on the SAS Editorial Board to empower women with information about their sexual health rights by making the subject sexy and sassy.

It was no small feat as each of the Ignite Speakers had to do the same for their respective passions in exactly five minutes, using 20 slides that auto-advanced every 15 seconds.

Several people approached me after the presentation telling me how much they believed in the same objectives. Norman Wilwayco, whose presentation I admired and cheered for, came up to me and congratulated me—an ultimate compliment.

It was a week of all things close to my heart: the realization of schoolgirl crushes, talking about personal passions among fellow enthusiasts of other causes and of course, condoms. (LICK condoms were also given out during Ignite Manila, in case you’re wondering.)

People often ask me why I do what I do. I tell them that it’s days and weeks like this that I live for and, ultimately, make me fall in love with my job all over again.

View original article on: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/lifestyle/12744-the-love-glove

Women’s Health Dec 2009: Action Figure Joy Lynn Alegarbes

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Spreading the Word

This feisty Filipina is at the forefront of educating people about condom use in the fight against AIDS.

Name: Joy Lynn Alegarbes

Age: 30

Homebase: New York City, New York

Why she’s an action figure:

Joy Lynn is a sexual health advocate and the director of global operations for The Condom Project (TCP).

In this role, Joy Lynn fights the battle against HIV/AIDS by developing culture-sensitive programs to de-stigmatize condom use and educate communities about their efficacy in HIV prevention. These programs are done in the 10 countries where TCP is present.

She also founded the sexual health education program for Camp TLC (Teens Living a Challenge) of the Joey DiPaolo AIDS Foundation, a summer camp for teenagers who are living with HIV or AIDS.

The makings of a sexual health advocate

Joy Lynn speaks: My work with condoms and sexual health education began in high school while volunteering with the HIV/AIDS theater group of the American Red Cross. In college, at New York University(NYU), I trained as a Sexual health Advocate at NYU’s Health Promotion Office. 

Setting up Camp

When I first joined the workforce in 2001, it was as the sexual health director for Condomania, New York. I served spokesperson for all of Condomania’s film, television and media appearances.

Condomania was the first condom store in the US to offer a full range of condoms and safer sex products along with educational materials advocating their proper use. The aim was to help people make educated choices about safer sex through access to accurate information and non-judgmental consultation with our trained staff.

It was working as the Sexual Health Director for Condomania that I found a lack of resources about the use of condoms beyond prevention. There was not a lot of information about maintenance or living with HIV. I supplemented much of my training with self-conducted research and observation.

This also led me to create the sexual health education program for the Camp TLC (Teens Living a Challenge) in 2002.  Camp “TLC” is a free summer camp for HIV-positive teenagers, ages 13 – 19. Many of the camp participants are born with HIV and almost all are orphans living with adoptive or foster parents.

The art of condom education

In 2004, I joined The Condom Project where my responsibilities were directed toward sexual health education through performance art. 

The primary focus of The Condom Project (TCP) is to destigmatize condoms. It is impossible to even begin dialogue about the efficacy of condoms if people are not willing to say or even hear the word “condom”.

 TCP works in 10 different countries — a culturally diverse audience. As global director for operations, my aim is to unite the global community through art-based educational programs about condoms that are culturally specific and appropriate. These creative strategies help open the door to the discussion of condoms.

One of these activities is called the Condom Art Pin – Making Program which involves physically putting a condom into someone’s hand and creating wearable usable art that just happens to be on a condom. It may seem like a simple activity but through a facilitated discussion by TCP, it is effective in engaging people to talk about myths or misperceptions about condoms.

Another is a forum for interactive condom education called the “TCP Condom Zone” where I have a display of condoms that are unrolled and inflated so that visitors can see different sizes, shapes, colors and textures available. I also educate them about a variety  of lubricants that are available.

Risks & Rewards

One of the difficulties is how people treat me because of how they perceive the work I do.  I do not encourage children to be sexually active or men to be unfaithful to their wives.  I love my work, and the more time that I spend within a given community the less likely these things are to happen; but it is still one of the most difficult aspects of my job.

But the rewards of my job are worth it. One of the most fulfilling aspects of my work is watching the people I train become educators.  In Ethiopia, a young man in one of my workshops told me he had never touched a condom. He did not understand its purpose since the condom wouldn’t fit over his testicles.  I explained how a condom should be used, and we continued to have a discussion about the benefits of safer sex.  When I returned to Ethiopia, the young man had become a peer health educator and was conducting condom trainings within his own community, providing people with clear and accurate information about condoms and HIV transmission.

About The Condom Project

Mission Statement:

The CONDOM PROJECT seeks to explore new ways of distributing lifesaving information and protection to those communities at risk of contracting and transmitting the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

What they do:

TCP communicates the preventive power of condoms in the transmission of HIV using non-traditional approaches through art, performance and educational programs. Through this venue, they create a safe place where people can feel comfortable talking about condoms and how through proper usage, they are effective in preventing HIV infection.

For more information, visit the TCP website at www.thecondomproject.org.

TCP’s mailing address in the US is:

The Condom Project

121 East 10^th St. Suite A

New York, NY 10003

 

The Manila Times: A Woman Named Marie

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Sometime ago in October, I wrote about a dinner that I had with three other personalities: Carlos Celdran, a charming and flamboyant historian/artist; Beth Angsioco, a passionate women’s rights activist, and Ryan Tani, a rational philosopher/free-thinker.

The individual trajectories of our lives intersected at one point: we all believe that the oppression that we have experienced at the hands of colonial friars like the infamous Padre Damaso, is alive and well today. Read more

The Manila Times: Good “Bad” Boy

I’ve always said that I love a man who isn’t afraid of wearing protection.

Really, it’s amazing how something as innocuous and small as a condom can make some men so anxious. Well, for that matter, the same applies to some women who feign being scandalized by condoms lest any other reaction would belie their good girl image. Read more

Herword.com: What you should know about the Reproductive Health Bill

What you should know about The Reproductive Health Bill

The Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008 also known as the RH Bill seeks to provide universal access to information and services to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible. The premise of the RH Bill is informed choice and the freedom to decide on a method of family planning based on information that is comprehensive, accurate, and respectful of one’s personal convictions and religious beliefs.

Honorary Janette L. Garin, M.D. is Deputy Majority Leader and Representative of the 1st District of Iloilo. A staunch advocate of women’s rights and reproductive health, Representative Garin talks to HerWord and highlights the important provisions of the bill and reasons why now, more than ever, we need to have the RH Bill passed.

Why is the RH Bill relevant to every Filipina and not just those who do not have ready access to health care?

The RH Bill is not just for the welfare of those women who have no access to affordable reproductive health services. A number of local surveys reveal that one of the major impediments to family planning is the lack of accurate information and education among women and couples. Though a considerable number of women have access to and can readily afford reproductive health and family planning services and commodities, they still have difficulty making informed decisions and successfully planning the number of children that they want because they either lack or are misinformed on reproductive health and family planning.

The RH Bill seeks to break such barriers by ensuring that women and couples are provided adequate information. Among others, the proposed policy mandates a nationwide information and education program to develop a sexuality-education curriculum for young Filipinos. It will also require couples applying for marriage licenses to undergo a family planning seminar.

How will the RH Bill empower women to take control over their reproductive health and sexuality?

Among the major reproductive health issues in the Philippines are the high maternal deaths and the unwanted pregnancies that continue to exist. The bulk of these cases are in the underprivileged sector of our society where accurate information and accessible services on reproductive health care are still elusive. More often than not, it is the poor women who die because of pregnancy-related complications and even child-birth because they cannot afford or do not have access at all to quality health care services. It is the poor women who have more children than they desire because they do not use any family planning method.

If passed, the Reproductive Health Care bill will ensure that women are empowered by providing them with relevant information on safe pregnancies and child delivery. In addition, the proposed policy also seeks to make women knowledgeable about the various family planning methods available in order for them to plan the spacing [between births], the number of children they want to have, and have a healthy and satisfying sex life.

How will the RH Bill impact national development in terms of population management and better allocation of government resource allocation?

One of the incessant problems of our country is that limited resources are being allocated to the delivery of social services. Besides the fact that a chunk of the national budget is devoted to debt servicing, our scarce resources simply cannot keep up with our rapid population growth. While the fast-growing population is not the cause of poverty in the country, it most definitely exacerbates it, as it impedes economic development in many ways. The rapid population growth in a country such as ours, where poverty is wide-spread and the budget of the government already stretched, would mean more dependents and lesser capacity of the government to absorb new entrants to the labor force every year. The latest data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) states that for every one productive person, there are two to three dependents that he or she must take care of. 

In the household levels, data from the National Demographic and Health Survey shows that the poverty incidence is higher in families with larger family size. This is evidence that the increase in family size would mean lower savings to the household, because they simply have more mouths to feed. What should be noted in this case is that the family size is actually bigger than what majority of Filipino couples would want. This is seen in the consistent gap between the desired number of children and the actual number of children a couple have.

In a macro-economic perspective, addressing our country’s rapid population growth is, therefore, one of the sustainable interventions that the government must undertake to ensure consistent economic development, decrease poverty and improve delivery of social services to the people.

The RH Bill has been languishing in legislative debate for the last 20 years, what it different now in terms of the RH Bill having a chance of being passed?

The RH Bill has truly undergone exhaustive debates for a number of Congresses already. It is only this Congress however, where the bill has reached plenary deliberations in the House of Representatives. What should be different now is that more legislators are now aware of the content and true intentions of the bill as compared before when they perceived providing modern methods of family planning as the only purpose of the proposed law. The heightened awareness is seen in the huge increase in the number of legislators who signed as co-authors of the RH Bill in the 14th Congress.

With the elections coming up, is there an even more urgent need now to pass the bill?

With the elections coming up, there is a serious threat that the RH bill might lose some of its supporters. However, I believe that now, more than ever, is the time to pass this policy. The debates on this issue have already been exhausted. We keep on arguing about the same set of issues every Congress. It is time for us legislators to show where we stand, and I sincerely hope that the Philippine Congress heeds the call of the majority of the Filipinos and pass the Reproductive Health Care Bill.

NOTE: The 14th Congress broke for recess last October 16, 2009 without the RH Bill being passed.

What can we, as ordinary citizens, do to aid the passage of the RH Bill?

As common citizens, it is important to participate in policy-making as much you can. You can do this by making sure that your voice is heard and your opinions are considered by your policymakers. One way is to write to your district representatives and to some leaders of Congress. Ask them to support the RH bill and work for its immediate enactment. Your letters will validate survey results that consistently show that 9 out of 10 Filipinos are clamoring for the passage of a reproductive health and population development policy as shown consistently by various survey results. You can also go to: www.petitiononline.com/rhan2008/petition.html and sign the online for the immediate passage of the Reproductive Health Bill into law.

Please address some of the allegations about the RH Bill, namely:

That it promotes abortion.

The reproductive health bill does not promote abortion. In fact, one of the primary intentions of the bill is to prevent abortions by providing information and services to women, couples and young people to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Majority of women who undergo abortion in the Filipinas are already married and have children. This reflects the failure of many women and couples to plan their families or space their pregnancies.

In addition, the provision on the MANAGEMENT OF POST-ABORTION COMPLICATIONS does not mean that the bill espouses abortion. There are cases wherein women experience complications from abortion, but are not admitted by hospitals when it uncovers that they attempted abortions. The provision merely guarantees that the right of women to health services is protected even if they commit illegal abortions. No woman should be denied their right to life.

That it advocates sex education in schools and thus, encourages promiscuity.

Providing sexuality education does not mean that the passage of the RH bill would lead to promiscuity among the youth. With the technology available to us today, the youth is constantly bombarded with inaccurate information about sex from mass media. As a result, more and more of the youth engage in early sexual initiations and other risky sexual behaviors. This leads to the rise of teenage pregnancies. There is a serious and urgent need to address this issue and we can only start doing so if we learn to accept that depriving the youth of correct information on reproductive health will not stop them from being promiscuous.

The RH bill advocates for responsible reproductive health and sexuality education that will inculcate values, but at the same time provide the youth with correct information on reproductive health. Doing so will empower the youth to make informed and responsible decisions in the future.

That it is anti-life and goes against Catholic beliefs.

The RH bill is not anti-life. We even say that it is pro-quality of life because it seeks to prevent deaths of mothers, abortion and unwanted pregnancies. In addition, the bill also aims to slow down population growth rate in the country to enable the government to allocate more resources for the delivery of services to the people.

I believe that it is not going against the beliefs of the Catholics, because no part of this RH Bill says that couples and women will be coerced to use contraceptives. Filipino couples will still be free to plan their families based on their religious convictions when the bill is passed. The RH Bill merely promotes responsible parenthood by widening choices and providing more information for them to come up with informed decisions.

We respect the stand of the Catholic Church on the issue of Reproductive Health. However, it is not fair to deny Filipino couples their right to decide freely and responsibly on the number of their children, and the right of women to be safe from deaths due to pregnancy-related complications and child birth.

There are some men who still tend to be indifferent about reproductive health, leaving all the child-bearing responsibilities to the women, how can we get more men to support the RH Bill?

 To effect change in the culture, we must aim for behavior change communication (BCC) interventions targeting the male population. The lack of male participation in family planning in the Philippines is rooted in the “macho” culture in the Philippines. Most men refuse to undergo vasectomy because they fear that they would not be able to perform in bed anymore if they do so. Some do not care about family planning at all which leaves the women assuming the responsibility of family planning. In some cases, men’s disregard for family planning results to women giving birth to more children than their actual desired number.

The men should be made to understand that family planning is a shared responsibility. More importantly, the men should learn more about pregnancy; know the danger signs that they should take note of during pregnancy and the effects of closely-spaced births on a woman’s body.

The Magna Carta of Women, which has been recently passed, has a provision that guarantees a woman’s right to health through proper information and access to services, how does this impact the RH Bill?

The passage of Magna Carta of Women is another validation that we are on the right track in pushing for the RH bill. The rights guaranteed in the Magna Carta of Women are the very rights that the RH bill is based upon.

Though the Magna Carta of Women has already been passed, there is still a need to enact the Reproductive Health bill and ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to fund reproductive health services and commodities and that a strong and comprehensive reproductive health and population development program is installed.

 

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