
PASS THE RH BILL NOW!!!

Ten Reasons to pass the RH Bill now
Majority have supported RH in endless surveys while congressional and presidential debates have erupted on the issue. Why is there majority support for RH? Many strategic and practical reasons. Here are 10 easy ones:
In 1998, RH was a bland program that 2 DOH secretaries wished to mainstream into the health system. Now, RH or reproductive health is a byword that has gripped the public consciousness.RH DOES …
1. Protect the health & lives of mothers
The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that complications arise in 15% of pregnancies, serious enough to hospitalize or kill women. From the 2 million plus live birthsalone, some 300,000 maternal complications occur yearly. This is 7 times the DOH’s annual count for TB, 19 times for heart diseases, and 20 times for malaria in women. As a result, more than 11 women die needlessly each day.
Adequate number of skilled birth attendants and prompt referral to hospitals with emergency obstetric care are proven life-saving solutions to maternal complications. For women who wish to stop childbearing, family planning (FP) is the best preventive measure. All 3 interventions are part of RH.
2. Save babies
Proper birth spacing reduces infant deaths. The WHO says at least 2 years should pass between a birth and the next pregnancy. In our country, the infant mortality rate of those with less than 2 years birth interval is twice those with 3. The more effective and user-friendly the FP method used, the greater the chances of the next child to survive.
3. Respond to the majority who want smaller families
Couples and women nowadays want smaller families. When surveyed about their ideal number of children, women in their 40s want slightly more than 3, but those in their teens and early 20s want just slightly more than 2.
Moreover, couples end up with families larger than what they desire. On average, Filipino women want close to 2 children but end up with 3. This gap between desired and actual family size is present in all social classes and regions, but is biggest among those who are poor.
4. Promote equity for poor families
RH indicators show severe inequities between the rich and poor. For example, 94% of women in the richest quintile have a skilled attendant at birth compared to only 26% in the poorest. The richest have 3 times higher tubal ligation rates compared to the poorest. This equity gap in tubal ligation partly explains why the wealthy hardly exceed their planned number of children, while the poorest get an extra 2. Infant deaths among the poorest are almost 3 times compared to the richest, which partly explains why the poor plan for more children. An RH law will promote equity in health through stronger public health services accessible to poor families.
5. Prevent induced abortions
Unintended pregnancies precede almost all induced abortions. Of all unintended pregnancies, 68% occur in women without any FP method, and 24% happen to those using traditional FP like withdrawal or calendar-abstinence.
If all those who want to space or stop childbearing would use modern FP, abortions would fall by some 500,000—close to 90% of the estimated total. In our country where abortion isstrictly criminalized, and where 90,000 women are hospitalized yearly for complications, it would be reckless and heartless not to ensure prevention through FP.
6. Support and deploy more public midwives, nurses and doctors
RH health services are needed wherever people are establishing their families. For example,a report by the MDG Task Force points out the need for 1 fulltime midwife to attend to every 100 to 200 annual live births. Other health staff are needed for the millions who need prenatal and postpartum care, infant care and family planning. Investing in these core public health staff will serve the basic needs of many communities.
7. Guarantee funding for & equal access to health facilities
RH will need and therefore support many levels of health facilities. These range from barangay health stations, for basic prenatal, infant and FP care; health centers, for safe birthing, more difficult RH services like IUD insertions, and management of sexually transmitted infections; and hospitals, for emergency obstetric and newborn care and surgical contraception. Strong RH facilities will be the backbone of a strong and fairly distributed public health facility system.
8. Give accurate & positive sexuality education to young people
Currently, most young people enter relationships and even married life without the benefit of systematic inputs by any of our social institutions. As a result of just one faulty sexual decision, many young women and men can lose their future, their health and sometimes their lives. We insist on young voters’ education for an activity that occurs once every 3 years, but leave our young people with little preparation to cope with major life events like puberty and sexual maturation.
9. Reduce cancer deaths
Delaying sex, avoiding multiple partners or using condoms prevent genital warts or HPV infections that cause cervical cancers. Self breast exams and Pap smears can detect early signs of cancers which can be cured if treated early. All these are part of RH education and care. Contraceptives do not heighten cancer risks; combined pills actually reduce the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers.
10. Save money that can be used for even more social spending
Ensuring modern FP for all who need it would increase spending from P1.9 B to P4.0 B, but the medical costs for unintended pregnancies would fall from P3.5 B to P0.6 B, resulting in a net savings of P0.8 B. There is evidence that families with fewer children do spend more for health and education.

T H E R H B I L L A D V O C A T E S …

Lea Salonga’s Solidarity Message for International Women’s Day – March 8, 2011
Hello, Everyone! I’m so sorry that I can’t be here with you in person, but I am with you in spirit, sending good vibes for a successful event from thousands of miles away.
On March 25, 1911, 146 garment workers, many of them women died because their safety and well-being were not provided for by the people that should have been looking out for them, perishing in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. It is now 2011, nearly 100 years to the day, and 11 of our own women die everyday due to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications, because they aren’t being provided for by the people that should be looking out for them.
But the tides are changing. Our voices are getting louder. The so-called weaker sex is going from strength to strength, as we call out for change. We are calling out for recognition of our fundamental right to emergency health care as we carry and give birth to new life. We are calling out for the right to choose our family size, as well as the means to determine that. We are calling out to keep ourselves safe from AIDS, HIV, and STDs, as well as other diseases that would and could compromise our health and our families. We are women calling out for the passing of a bill that would guarantee that all these are finally given to us.
I join you today in solidarity and support today, International Women’s Day, as you march, shout, scream, and beat the drum for women all over the country. Reproductive health is our fundamental right. Our country needs the RH Bill now.
Thank you, and may God bless you.

I am for a Well-Informed and Empowered Filipino Youth
“Forty-four percent (44.3%) of all pregnancies in the Philippines are unplanned, because of the lack of information on family planning services,”
states a 2003 NDHS study by the NSO. Meanwhile, the Allan Guttmacher Institute puts the “incidence of induced abortion in the country at around 500,000 annually.”
“Reproductive health education in schools becomes all the more imperative, especially when young people, in a 2002 Young Adult Fertlity and Sexuality Study 3 conducted by the UP Population Institute & Demographic Institute Research Dev’t. Foundation, showed that only one in every five youth (or 15.7%) freely discuss in their homes issues about sex,” asserted by a group of faculty members at the Ateneo De Manila University.
“Proper birth spacing reduces the risk of death for newborns and infants by fifty percent (50%),” the World Health Organization (WHO) concludes.
Thus with great clarity in my mind, I support the intent and spirit of RH bill 4244, which is now on its second reading in Congress.
While I believe there are other larger issues that carry greater weight for the bill’s immediate passage, I cannot, by conscience, allow the continued rise of induced abortions, only because almost half of these pregnancies are unplanned, due to lack of information.
Importantly, there is no better way to protect our young people from the risk of being alien to their sexuality and the threat of being careless with their sexual behavior, than by making them understand how to nurture their reproductive health. Because I firmly believe on the need to continuously empower the youth, through the power of education.
And I feel it is more immoral and irresponsible not to do something, when we could, to properly prepare the future of our country.
I admire the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) and all the groups supporting the RH cause, for being steadfast in its advocacy in the face of so much institutional pressure.
Finally, I salute all the women who are taking their stand today, not just for themselves, but for the welfare and well-being of all the women in the Philippines, as the world celebrates the International Women’s Day.

The RH bill is not just about choice. It’s about a chance. Chance para sa ipinanganak na mahirap. Chance na makapag-aral nang tuloy-tuloy. Mapakain nang tama ang mga bata. Magkaroon ng pangarap, at di lang mga panaginip. Chance na makaahon. At yun lang naman ang hinihingi natin. Chance sa buhay.

- “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.”Hebrews 13:8

ayun nakapag blog ulet… hohohoh
last wednesday May.11,2011 ang isa sa nakakapagod na araw na naranasan ko.. hehehe kasi ang aga ko gumising para ayusin ang ilang mga bagay-bagay.. mga 8am umalis na ako ng bahay! una pumunta ako ng valenzuela municipal hall para kumuha ng police clearance, guess what!? ang haba ng pila. amf.. pila dito pila doon. natapos na ata ako dun mga 10am na. todo lakad ako ng mabilis kasi me ibang lakad pa ako. after nun diretso ako monumento LRT station kasi magsisimba kame baclaran by 11am. at kung sinuswerte ka nga naman super sikip ng lrt at nakatayo pa ako hanggang baclaran tapos pagdating mo dun wala pa ang mga kasama mo at mahigit 1hr late. baet no. grrrr… xempre di na namen naabutan ang mass, pray nlng kame nun..

tska first time ko pla magtirik ng candle dun sa baclaran. lagi akong nagsisimba dun pero first time lang talga ako nakapag tirik dun. then after nun, dahil late cla bilang parusa sasamahan nila ako papuntang PNA sa pedro gil, ahhha no choice na din sila eh. XD bago un naglunch muna kame sa mang inasal. 
ewan ko ba at tinitignan kame nung nagpiktyur piktyur kame. ahahha. ingay kasi namen, tapos nun bumili kame ng float dun sa gilid, parang stoll lang. grabe ang tabang ng float alam nyo un ung parang coke na puro yelo na sa tabang at ang cream super konti. badtrip ung tindera na un. haist. super init nung time na un, naglalakad kame ng tanghaling tapat. grabe sunog na sunog na ung balat namen. then after nun. wew pabalik na xempre nakatayo pa din kame sa loob ng lrt, pag baba non naghiwalay na kame kc kukuha pa ako ng nbi sa victory mall sa monumento. amf dito ako talagang nabadtrip. sa first step pumila ako ng pagkahaba haba. tapos nun sabi dahil renewal nlng ako dirtso na ako step 2. putek pagkaalis ko pila papasok na ako, hinarang ako wala daw pirma fr step1 ung xpired nbi then pumila aulet ako ng pagkahaba haba. grrr. sa step2 paymenst. awalang panukli ang cashier hinol kame mga tatlo akme . arte sobra nung babae, di naman kagandahan sabi ni manong sa harap ko. dun ako ntagalan gusto kasi sakto ibayad.. mukha nya. pagkakuha ko sukli ko i sed, arte mo!! ewan ko kung narinig nya… tapos nagpapiktyur na ulet ako at lumabas nun. after nun dpa tapos…. pumunta ulet ako ng municipal hall para kunin ung police clearance ko, haba ng nilakad ko, mga 4:45 pm na un. grabe ang araw. wew.. pulang pula na ako„, tapos nun balik ako ng fatima para punta sa dorm ng barkada ako kina romeo. grabe hinang hina na ako.. tapos nun nag mall pa kame pumunta pa kame sm val
. pero nnakakamis un videoke namen sobra. parang last yr pa kc kme nakapag videoke ulet ng magkakasama.. nakauwi na ako nun mga 10pm cguro. sobrang pagod ako nun.. haist.. hahah ang haba ng kwento ko. ginanahan ako mag blog eh..lol

at katatapos ko lang panoorin via live streaming ang labanang PACQUIAO-MOSLEY at ito ay masasabi kong nakakaboring panoorin!!! wala masyadong basagan ng mukha (bayolente?) ahaha.. walang dugong dumanak (buti naman) ahaha.. sinimulan ito ni Charice Pempengco
na umawit ng ating Lupang Hinirang ng tama sa beat! (thankgod wala ng kakasuhan this time) sa una talaga nakakainip kasi hindi man lang sumusugod si mosley. at pagdating ng Round 3, at nakatikim si mosley ng kamao ni Pacman. ayun at bagsak!! wohhoooo, pero xempre di pa tapos pagdating dun, hanggang sa nagdaan pa ang ilang rounds. (lintek na yan) at pagdating ng Round10 awww knockdown si PACMAN, not bec nasuntok xa ni mosley, kundi tinulak po xa mga kaibigan, kitang kita sa video„ at xempre, nag-init si manny dahil nabilangan xa, at aun todo sugod sa round 11 and round 12, at sa kasamaang palad di nya napatulog si mosley!! kasi si mosley ay yakap ng yakap.. ano ang ibig sabihin ng yakap na un!1 (wag nyong sabihin na???) LOL at xempre kahit ganon ang idineklrang panalo via unanimous decision!! 
MANNY “PACMAN” PACQUIAO . muli binigyan mong ng karangalan ang ating bansang PILIPINAS! 
mabuhay ka… MANNY„ ang dami mo nanamang MONEY! :)

- HAPPY MAMA’s DAY
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY para sa aking pinakamamahal na ina na si Mrs. Teresita L. Caaya. thank you so much for everything, as in sa lahat lahat… sa love, suporta at kung saan saan pa! :) naku di ko man masabi personally but suguro naman ramdam mo how much i care and i love you :) lagi man tau nag-aaway, yun ay lambingan lang naman! ahahah. HAPPY MAMA’s DAY again sa aking pianakmamahal na ina, xoxo mahal na mahal ko kayo nila papa at ng mga kapatid ko.. ♥ ♥ ♥

- meet my beautiful bespwen: Aileen Mirabueno!

at nakagala na naman kame ni bespwen kanina.. bali ang usapan namen kita kame ng gma 9:30am sa 7/11 sa Fatima, and guess what kung what time sya dumating! 10:30am po.. napaka on time talaga nya„ anu ba naman yung napakainit sa labas diba.. tagaktak lang naman yung pawis ko to death.. XD haist.. pero ganun pa man, super late talaga xa (haha di makamoveon) hahah. ayun, naglakbay kame kung san san ng tanghaling tapat. at mas lab nya pa ung cp nya at todo soundtrip x kesa makipagwentuhan saken. badtrip!!! ahahaha… but super thakful kasi sinamahan nya ako at muntik na kame ma hit and run kanina.. todo tawid basta basta.. ahahhaha. katakot.. at di pa namen alam mga sinasakyan namen, kamusta naman un… thank you let my dear bespwen!! ms. aileen mirabueno! xoxo :)


