ILOILO CITY, Mar 8 (PIA). Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago recently lauded public officials who have enacted reproductive health ordinances in their respective areas.
She particularly cited public officials in the Visayas area such as the municipalities of Talibon, Ubay, and Carmen of Bohol province and the municipalities of Llorente and Maydolong of Eastern Samar which have enacted their own reproductive health ordinances.
“The public officials in these Visayan areas should be emulated in their efforts to uphold access to reproductive health information and health care services; and to make a clear stand on the right of individuals and couples to informed choices”, said Santiago.
The call was made by Santiago during her speech at a forum held at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas in line with the Women’s Month celebration attended by students, health workers, women advocates and other stakeholders on March 4.
Santiago said middle class and upper class women can afford to pay for their own contraceptives and other reproductive health care but not in the case of poor women in the communities, rural areas and in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
Santiago is the only senator to have filed the Reproductive Health Act or Senate Bill No. 2378 in the Senate.
She said it has been almost a decade since the first RH bill was filed in Congress in December 2001 and the delay in the passage of the bill is detrimental to the health and lives of Filipinos especially women and children.
According to Santiago, based on the 2010 UNFPA State of the World report on the Philippines, at least 230 Filipino women die for every 100,000 live births. Daily, there are 11 women dying, due to conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth.
“Not a single death should happen, due to pregnancy and childbirth. These preventable deaths could have been avoided, if more Filipino women had access to reproductive health information and health care”, said Santiago.
She urged participants of the forum that “it is time to stand up for the right to reproductive health care and the right to informed choice”. (JCM/LAF/PIA-Iloilo) –Lilibeth A. French
Nov 16 – International Day for Tolerance
“No more toleration of corruption!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
November
Nov 2 – Intl Day to End Impunity for
Crimes Against Journalists
Nov 9 – World Science Day for Peace
and Development
Nov 16 – International Day for Tolerance
Nov 19 – World Toilet Day
Nov 20 – World Children’s Day
Nov 25 – Intl Day for the Elimination of
Violence Against Women
Monthly Observances:
Homes Safety Month
Filipino Values Month
National Rice Awareness Month
National Consciousness Month
for Punctuality and Civility
Environmental Awareness Month
National Children’s Month
Organic Agriculture Month
Weekly Observances:
Nov 19-25: Global Warming and
Climate Change Consciousness Week
Nov 23-29: National Girls’ Week
Population and Development Week
Nov 25 – Dec 12: Social Welfare Week
18-Day Campaign to End
Violence against Women
Week 2: Week 3: Drug Abuse Prevention
and Control Week
Last Week: Safety and Accident
Prevention Week
Daily Observances:
Last Saturday: Career Executive Service
Day
Nov 19: National Child Health Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
