I just feel down. Right now. I want to cry. I want to just pour away all the hurt and pain inside of me. I long to speak out my fears, my uncertainties, my worries. I wish I could just wash away the woes.
Life is really a cycle. One day, you are the happiest person ever. The next, you ask yourself how such sadness could exist. The only thing that makes you go on, while you are in this grayish dark tunnel, is the thought that maybe you will see the light again.
I have my family. I have my friends. I have a career. I will one day own a house. I plan to buy a car in the future. I get to travel a lot and get paid for it. I meet new and interesting people. I have the ability to write and I was able to publish a few articles and letters in national magazines and dailies. I have been through so much pain that have made me stronger and wiser.
And yet, right now, I feel so unhappy. So empty. So wanting to voice out the aches trapped inside of me.
Why do I feel this way? It is because of the non-existence of a special person in my life whom I can share what I am now going through. Happy Birthday to me. =(
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
KAMBILANGATAW- What Maranaos Must Be
I have always wanted to write this article because the concept of Kambilangataw intrigues me. When Maranao elders learn that I reside in a Christian-infested area, they never fail to remind me, “Bibilangataw ka san owm.” I would respond in the positive but I always wondered, what does kambilangataw really mean? The concept seemed vague although deep inside, I know what it signifies. I just couldn’t find the exact words to describe its true meaning.
I sought help from my aunts, namely Auntie Normallah Lucman Pacasum, Auntie Viol Tamano Marohombsar, and lately, Auntie Norhata Alonto. I was able to interview Auntie Viol briefly, Auntie Normallah promised to give her answers in the future, and Auntie Norhata answered the questionnaire I gave her through email. These were the ladies I asked for information because they know their historic culture and they are bilangataw women themselves.
According to Auntie Norhata, kambilangataw is the art of living the Maranao culture, imbibed with the Maranao values and traditions. These were handed down from the oldest generations of Maranaos whose roots can be traced from the Orang Padang of Menangkabaw, Indonesia, and a highly matriarchal society, whereby women earn their living and most men stay home to rear their children. “Other cultures have come to play in the devolution of the Maranao Society, and kambilangataw is the perfection of all the mores that help describe a Maranao, particularly a Maranao woman,” claimed Auntie Norhata.
From what I have gathered from these honorable women, a bilangataw is a person who is decent, righteous, moral, respectful, and sensitive. He or she takes into consideration always the family’s well-being and that of the community, exemplifying decency in his or her daily life. Even though one is well-traveled and globally competitive, he or she can never be a bilangataw if one does not show and exude deference to him/herself and to those around him or her.
A bilangataw woman is modest, forthright if so needed, and at the same time, competent and proficient especially in times of difficulties. Being morally upright, she must make sure she does not commit any act or deed that is against the Maranao society.
Ideally, the bilangataw must be socially oriented and knowledgeable in the Maranao arts, songs, instruments, dances, and food. Auntie Viol said, “She knows the taritib and igma (tradition and culture).” She must exercise genuine hospitality to her family, friends, acquaintances, and visitors. She must learn how to be patient but must be enraged in defense of her maratabat (pride). She must not talk badly of others, must show concern for the welfare of the people who mean to her in times of hardships, and at the same time be there for her family constantly.
Auntie Norhata said, “Even in the highly globalized world we live in now, a bilangataw woman must know her limitations and must not bring disgrace to her family and community. What makes a Maranao woman luckier nowadays is the Islamization of the Maranaos. The Shahria Court is a big relief to the Maranao women who in the past were too constrained to even fight for their own rights and live in silence and die in pain. Some Maranao values have been remolded and corrected by the strengthening of Islam among the Maranaos. One big example is the Maranao practice of arranging marriages for their children of which I admit my husband and I are guilty of. It was only lately that we realized that it is wrong to compel your son or daughter to marry someone he or she does not approve of. But Muslim parents may guide their children in their choices and pave the way for their decisions but they cannot and must not dictate.”
I asked Auntie Norhata what if a bilangataw woman commited a grave mistake, would that mean she can never be a bilangataw for the rest of her life? She said, “I personally believe that as a Muslim she must not be totally condemned lest she becomes embolden and goes farther astray and away from Islam. She must be given a fair chance and must be protected by her family. She may not be treated well by the majority but honesty and sincerity can help heal wounds through time.”
What makes us different from the other non-Maranao women is our lifestyle of being a bilangataw. It helps define who we are and adds to our identity. Being a bilangataw is something we can be totally proud of.
I try very hard to be a bilangataw every day, and most especially in my travels around the country where my principles are always challenged. So far I have succeeded I presume mainly because I bear in mind that I bring with me the entire Maranao community. Oh yes, I have fumbled once in my past but then, I am also just a human being, created to be imperfect and vulnerable. What is important is my present as well as my future. I will make sure that as I travail the roads of my destiny, I will hold my head up high, cautious this time, and proud to be a Maranao, a bilangataw at that. For me it is not too late to be a bilangataw because a woman has her lifetime to be one.
To sum it up, a bilangataw is not just a woman, but a LADY.
I sought help from my aunts, namely Auntie Normallah Lucman Pacasum, Auntie Viol Tamano Marohombsar, and lately, Auntie Norhata Alonto. I was able to interview Auntie Viol briefly, Auntie Normallah promised to give her answers in the future, and Auntie Norhata answered the questionnaire I gave her through email. These were the ladies I asked for information because they know their historic culture and they are bilangataw women themselves.
According to Auntie Norhata, kambilangataw is the art of living the Maranao culture, imbibed with the Maranao values and traditions. These were handed down from the oldest generations of Maranaos whose roots can be traced from the Orang Padang of Menangkabaw, Indonesia, and a highly matriarchal society, whereby women earn their living and most men stay home to rear their children. “Other cultures have come to play in the devolution of the Maranao Society, and kambilangataw is the perfection of all the mores that help describe a Maranao, particularly a Maranao woman,” claimed Auntie Norhata.
From what I have gathered from these honorable women, a bilangataw is a person who is decent, righteous, moral, respectful, and sensitive. He or she takes into consideration always the family’s well-being and that of the community, exemplifying decency in his or her daily life. Even though one is well-traveled and globally competitive, he or she can never be a bilangataw if one does not show and exude deference to him/herself and to those around him or her.
A bilangataw woman is modest, forthright if so needed, and at the same time, competent and proficient especially in times of difficulties. Being morally upright, she must make sure she does not commit any act or deed that is against the Maranao society.
Ideally, the bilangataw must be socially oriented and knowledgeable in the Maranao arts, songs, instruments, dances, and food. Auntie Viol said, “She knows the taritib and igma (tradition and culture).” She must exercise genuine hospitality to her family, friends, acquaintances, and visitors. She must learn how to be patient but must be enraged in defense of her maratabat (pride). She must not talk badly of others, must show concern for the welfare of the people who mean to her in times of hardships, and at the same time be there for her family constantly.
Auntie Norhata said, “Even in the highly globalized world we live in now, a bilangataw woman must know her limitations and must not bring disgrace to her family and community. What makes a Maranao woman luckier nowadays is the Islamization of the Maranaos. The Shahria Court is a big relief to the Maranao women who in the past were too constrained to even fight for their own rights and live in silence and die in pain. Some Maranao values have been remolded and corrected by the strengthening of Islam among the Maranaos. One big example is the Maranao practice of arranging marriages for their children of which I admit my husband and I are guilty of. It was only lately that we realized that it is wrong to compel your son or daughter to marry someone he or she does not approve of. But Muslim parents may guide their children in their choices and pave the way for their decisions but they cannot and must not dictate.”
I asked Auntie Norhata what if a bilangataw woman commited a grave mistake, would that mean she can never be a bilangataw for the rest of her life? She said, “I personally believe that as a Muslim she must not be totally condemned lest she becomes embolden and goes farther astray and away from Islam. She must be given a fair chance and must be protected by her family. She may not be treated well by the majority but honesty and sincerity can help heal wounds through time.”
What makes us different from the other non-Maranao women is our lifestyle of being a bilangataw. It helps define who we are and adds to our identity. Being a bilangataw is something we can be totally proud of.
I try very hard to be a bilangataw every day, and most especially in my travels around the country where my principles are always challenged. So far I have succeeded I presume mainly because I bear in mind that I bring with me the entire Maranao community. Oh yes, I have fumbled once in my past but then, I am also just a human being, created to be imperfect and vulnerable. What is important is my present as well as my future. I will make sure that as I travail the roads of my destiny, I will hold my head up high, cautious this time, and proud to be a Maranao, a bilangataw at that. For me it is not too late to be a bilangataw because a woman has her lifetime to be one.
To sum it up, a bilangataw is not just a woman, but a LADY.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
SPEAK AS YOURSELF!
I never knew a person could change your outlook in life after a meeting of just one hour. In my recent travel to Butuan City, Eddie Cuaresma, my supervisor at the National Youth Commission, and I met his cousin-in-law, a young brain surgeon, for dinner. When Eddie introduced us, I greeted him with, “Hello po.” He asked, “Are you Tagalog?” I proudly said, “Hindi po, Maranao po ako!” He retorted, “If you did not say you were a Maranao and if you did not know how to speak Maranao, you are technically a Tagalog!” I swear my face turned beet red.
It was painful hearing that I am a Tagalog and not a Maranao! I have nothing against the Tagalogs at all. In fact, I have many Tagalog friends. My best friend himself is a pure Tagalog. Still, I cannot bear being identified as someone or something that I most definitely am not.
It turns out that the brain surgeon has an organization named SOLFED (Save Our Language through Federalism) of which my supervisor is an active member. Their advocacy is to preserve the culture they were born into by preserving their dialect. If you are a Bisaya, speak Bisaya to a fellow Bisaya and not Tagalog, they said. You only speak Tagalog to a Tagalog. “Speak Maranao to a fellow Maranao, Jennie, so that your identity will never be phased out from this world,” the good doctor said.
The only way to preserve our dying culture is through preserving first the language or dialect. According to the doctor, the Indians or Cherokees are now in the process of preserving their language by recording the voices of their elders while they converse. In class, these are then translated to English so that the Indian students would be able to comprehend what is being said.
One day, the Maranao tribe might become extinct with the way things are going. Some of our young Maranaos today proudly speak Bisaya or Tagalong to one another, thinking speaking in another dialect would be a status symbol. On the contrary, our local counterparts and some foreigners may be scorning and laughing at us for wanting to be like them and disregarding our own unique identity! Many non-Maranaos and foreigners are fascinated with our culture and lifestyle, so why change.
For me it is permissible to speak in English because according to the good doctor, it is a universal language of commerce and science. However, it is more important to preserve our own dialects because it is our moral obligation and duty to preserve and protect the identity God entrusted to us.
Right now, it is my advocacy to speak Maranao to Maranao, Bisaya to a Bisaya and Tagalog to a Tagalog. God help me with this task! Happy Independence Day to everybody!
It was painful hearing that I am a Tagalog and not a Maranao! I have nothing against the Tagalogs at all. In fact, I have many Tagalog friends. My best friend himself is a pure Tagalog. Still, I cannot bear being identified as someone or something that I most definitely am not.
It turns out that the brain surgeon has an organization named SOLFED (Save Our Language through Federalism) of which my supervisor is an active member. Their advocacy is to preserve the culture they were born into by preserving their dialect. If you are a Bisaya, speak Bisaya to a fellow Bisaya and not Tagalog, they said. You only speak Tagalog to a Tagalog. “Speak Maranao to a fellow Maranao, Jennie, so that your identity will never be phased out from this world,” the good doctor said.
The only way to preserve our dying culture is through preserving first the language or dialect. According to the doctor, the Indians or Cherokees are now in the process of preserving their language by recording the voices of their elders while they converse. In class, these are then translated to English so that the Indian students would be able to comprehend what is being said.
One day, the Maranao tribe might become extinct with the way things are going. Some of our young Maranaos today proudly speak Bisaya or Tagalong to one another, thinking speaking in another dialect would be a status symbol. On the contrary, our local counterparts and some foreigners may be scorning and laughing at us for wanting to be like them and disregarding our own unique identity! Many non-Maranaos and foreigners are fascinated with our culture and lifestyle, so why change.
For me it is permissible to speak in English because according to the good doctor, it is a universal language of commerce and science. However, it is more important to preserve our own dialects because it is our moral obligation and duty to preserve and protect the identity God entrusted to us.
Right now, it is my advocacy to speak Maranao to Maranao, Bisaya to a Bisaya and Tagalog to a Tagalog. God help me with this task! Happy Independence Day to everybody!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Black and White Pictures
When I think about events in my past, I see them in a grayish color. Maybe this is so because they are dimming away to forgetfulness, especially if they happen to someone like me who has undergone painless pregnancies (crazy doctors, they weren’t really painless!).
Yesterday’s happenings most of the times are forgotten and will only be recalled if they are being talked about or a similar incident happens again. I view them as black and white pictures.
But some of these events, even if time tries to rob them from us, leave a significant mark in our lives. They teach us noteworthy lessons and mold us into the persons we are in the present. Usually these events are those that have caused us anguish, worry, fear, and sleepless and tearful nights. Some of them are the ones that question our morality, our upbringing, our principles, and our integrity.
I have been through highs and lows and I once came up with a situation that made me want to give up my life, a few years ago. To the point that I wanted to cross a busy car-filled street and be done with it. But of course, I still have a great fear and trust in God and I calmed myself by saying, things happen for a purpose. This made me give up my plan of cutting my life short and face the responsibilities and consequences born out of the decisions I have made.
Now, I am just happy that I picked myself up and faced the challenge of survival. So far so good. The colorful trials that made me almost quit have turned into black and white pictures. They may have dimmed but they are still beautiful because they are reminders that I made it through the trials of life.
I remember a few lines from Christopher Cross’ song, Is There Something. It goes, “We had something that I’ll never forget, even if I wanted to; Cause part of me will always be with you.” Nice ending to this article.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
From a Mother to a Mother on Mother's Day
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The beginning of Mother’s Day 2009 was spent playing nurse to my Mom who is now recuperating at a hospital here in Makati City. I was listening to music and refused to watch TV. I was my usual moody self and when I’m in this state, I would rather sing along with my favorite songs and pretend to be both the singer and the drummer.
At around 5:30 p.m., I suddenly decided I wanted to buy some facial creams and soaps and just feel beautiful. So, I made Lilian, my co-“bantay”, accompany me to Glorietta while my brother Timo watched over our Mom.
At this beauty shop, I purchased some facial mositurizers and got some for Lilian as well. The store manager said we were entitled to a diamond peel facial and a regular facial. I suddenly pushed Lilian to the makeover area of the beauty shop and told the therapist to give her the regular facial. I swear, Lilian got so scared out of her wits! She never had a facial in her life! I told her to calm down and that it was going to be great.
Once on the chair, Lilian sighed to the gentle facial massage given. I bet she was thinking, “is this heaven or what?” I was actually having a blast seeing her experience that. I kept taking pictures and the therapist was giggling like crazy. When the latter started pricking whiteheads and blackheads from all over Lilian’s face, she started complaining that it was painful. I thought to myself, was I doing her a favor or not?
At the end of the facial, we all complimented Lilian of her glowing skin. The tiredness and dullness visibly seen on her face before and which was brought about by the hardship of raising kids on her own, was somehow lessened. It was the first time I saw a genuine and confident smile on her lips at that moment.
This experience with Lilian made me realize one thing. When we are down in the dumps, we should not feel sorry for ourselves and let the sadness ruin our day. We should instead do a good thing for a person at that specific moment because it brings about a nice feeling inside that washes away our sorrows. I swear, I felt real good and it made me realize how blessed I truly am.
This is the most memorable Mother’s Day for me because I believe God was trying to give me a message. He wants me to know that He hears my prayers and questions, and His answer is, this world is just temporary therefore we should not waste our time asking why we cannot have what we want but rather be content with what He gives and to just try to be a blessing to the less fortunate.
I am no longer sad for again, I have trodden another road that has enlightened me about the secrets of a beautiful and meaningful life.
Friday, May 8, 2009
The Mother In Me
I have played many roles in my life. The first role I played was that of a daughter on July 21, 1971. I also became the first granddaughter of my father’s parents who eventually took me in as their 2nd child since my father was an only offspring.
I was in my early teens when my real parents took me in. There in Marawi City, I became the eldest sister to my siblings. Discovering high school and college friendships, I learned how to become a loyal and true ally. Reaching the age of twenty-seven, I became a wife and a year later, a mother.
Of all the roles I was able to enact and am currently enacting, it is that of being a mother that is life-changing and educational. First, it educated me on the meaning of Unconditional Love… a love that is so strong and powerful that you can generously offer all of it without expecting anything in return.
Second, being a mother trained me on how to be patient. Patience is slowly mastered when small babies beside me are both crying out for attention after a hard day’s work.
Third, it taught me how to be afraid. My child’s small cry or moan would scare the wits out of me. When my sons would be hospitalized, I swear I would literally go crazy and ask God if He could transmit the pain to me instead.
Ironically, while being afraid, being a mother teaches you to be brave. Although the sight of needles pricking through skin can make me faint, I had to calm down my son and hold on to his hand when the nurses at the Emergency Room had to place an IV on his wrist. The cowardly mother mutates into a firm and fearless woman.
The experiences I have of being a mother helped break down the barrier I secretly built between my Mom and me. I did not grow up with her and so our relationship was a bit strained and just cordial. I remember the first time I was about to give birth and was experiencing true labor pains. While I was cursing my husband for putting me on that state, swearing off child-making, and screaming at the doctors to take away the pain, my mother went into the labor room and tried to calm me down. She whispered in my ear, “ Jennie, two centimeters only and it will all end. Ten centimeters and it will be over. Just two centimeters more! You can do it!”
I was crying with pain at the same time looking at her in awe. She bore six children and here I was, wanting to die instead at my first. It was at that moment that I saw her as my mother, a very courageous woman. Her voice calmed me down and reassured me that I can do it because she was there to give me the strength I so needed at that time.
In every role we engage in, we have to face them with responsibility and try to perform them with sincerity, hardship, patience, labor and love. We must always have the betterment and welfare of our relationships with the people we love in mind. We are obliged to bear this in mind as we play our roles as parents.
To all the mothers in this world and the fathers who double as mothers (especially My Mommy Bai and my late Daddy Cody whom I miss so much!), Happy Mother’s Day. Job well done!
I was in my early teens when my real parents took me in. There in Marawi City, I became the eldest sister to my siblings. Discovering high school and college friendships, I learned how to become a loyal and true ally. Reaching the age of twenty-seven, I became a wife and a year later, a mother.
Of all the roles I was able to enact and am currently enacting, it is that of being a mother that is life-changing and educational. First, it educated me on the meaning of Unconditional Love… a love that is so strong and powerful that you can generously offer all of it without expecting anything in return.
Second, being a mother trained me on how to be patient. Patience is slowly mastered when small babies beside me are both crying out for attention after a hard day’s work.
Third, it taught me how to be afraid. My child’s small cry or moan would scare the wits out of me. When my sons would be hospitalized, I swear I would literally go crazy and ask God if He could transmit the pain to me instead.
Ironically, while being afraid, being a mother teaches you to be brave. Although the sight of needles pricking through skin can make me faint, I had to calm down my son and hold on to his hand when the nurses at the Emergency Room had to place an IV on his wrist. The cowardly mother mutates into a firm and fearless woman.
The experiences I have of being a mother helped break down the barrier I secretly built between my Mom and me. I did not grow up with her and so our relationship was a bit strained and just cordial. I remember the first time I was about to give birth and was experiencing true labor pains. While I was cursing my husband for putting me on that state, swearing off child-making, and screaming at the doctors to take away the pain, my mother went into the labor room and tried to calm me down. She whispered in my ear, “ Jennie, two centimeters only and it will all end. Ten centimeters and it will be over. Just two centimeters more! You can do it!”
I was crying with pain at the same time looking at her in awe. She bore six children and here I was, wanting to die instead at my first. It was at that moment that I saw her as my mother, a very courageous woman. Her voice calmed me down and reassured me that I can do it because she was there to give me the strength I so needed at that time.
In every role we engage in, we have to face them with responsibility and try to perform them with sincerity, hardship, patience, labor and love. We must always have the betterment and welfare of our relationships with the people we love in mind. We are obliged to bear this in mind as we play our roles as parents.
To all the mothers in this world and the fathers who double as mothers (especially My Mommy Bai and my late Daddy Cody whom I miss so much!), Happy Mother’s Day. Job well done!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Sleeping with a Foe
First published in ME Magazine
“O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female and have made you into nations and tribes for you to know one another. Truly, the noblest of you with God is the most pious. Truly, God is All-Knowing, All-Aware” (Qur’an, 49:13)
The above verse is taken from the Holy Qur’an, the Holy Book of Muslims like me. This verse shows that human beings are equal and God judges us based not on wealth, power, or race, but on our faith, good deeds, and piety. This shows that racism is not allowed in Islam.
Nowadays, however, the word “terrorism” has a second self and that is the word “Muslim.” We Muslims are regarded as destroyers of peace because of the constant horrible and alarming attacks caused by Islamic radicals and fanatics who have their own interpretation of the word of Allah the Almighty. Sad to say, these fundamentalists’ hatred for non-Muslims has created the latter’s mistrust and abhorrence towards the Islamic community as a whole.
So what if a Muslim marries a person not of the Islamic faith? Will their marriage be happy and peaceful? How will their union affect their families and friends? Will they raise their children as Muslims or not?
Come and let us take a peak into the married lives of Ahmad Aquil Tamano (a Muslim Filipino) and Maria Antonette “Toni” Ong (a Catholic Chinese), and Vernie Damolo (formerly a Roman Catholic) and Shahanee Kadon (a Muslim Filipina).
Toni met Aquil at the Philhealth regional office in Cagayan de Oro City where they both work since the year 2000. They were close friends and called themselves “Picasso buddies” because they frequented the nearby Picasso bar. A best friend of Aquil who was also an office mate courted Toni. However, destiny had another plan and it was for Toni and Aquil to end up with each other.
Because of their difference in religion, the couple tried to hide their relationship from their respective families. Their love for each other however pushed them to secretly get married. They rented a room at a four-star hotel, hired an Imam (a religious leader in Islam), got two witnesses, and there got wed under Islamic rites.
At first the union angered their families. “My family was upset with the marriage because I was the eldest child and I got hitched at the young age of 23,” Toni related. “Then there was the issue on religion. No offense meant but with the current situation, the image of Muslims worldwide was not good. I just explained to my family that not all Muslims are bad. When they finally got to know my husband, their biases were erased.”
The birth of Ahmad Rasheed paved a way to fully earn their families’ blessings. “Everything is now going on smoothly,” Toni said. “I believe our families have accepted us. Belonging to different religions does not mean that we cannot be happy.”
The contrast in faith sometimes brings out intelligent discussions between the two but they have never fought or argued because of this. “We made a deal that we will not force each other to convert to the other’s religion,” Toni said. “Should I embrace Islam, it should be with willingness and with an open heart and mind. But it never reached the point that we wanted to give up because of different religions. We will however inject Islam to our children.” Alhamdulillah, Toni has embraced Islam.
If given the chance to live her life again, would she still marry a Muslim? Toni answered, “I would marry a man who has the qualities of a good husband and a good father just like Aquil. Religion is not a question. What is important is we understand our differences and that we love each other.”
Shahanee on the other hand was born and will forever be a Muslim while Vernie was a Roman Catholic before. He converted to Islam two years before he and Shahanee tied the knot. The two have been friends for a very long time and so Vernie was aware that Shahanee could never marry a non-Muslim.
“He actually wondered what difference it makes marrying a Muslim rather than a Christian man,’” Shahanee stated. “I did not know then that he was starting to like me. He asked me how he could get to know more about my religion. I then gave him books and pamphlets on Islam for him to read. I also told him to meet the people in the mosque so he can learn more about Islam.”
The road to marrying Shahanee was however a very bumpy one for Vernie. “It was like the song, ‘You and me against the world’,” Shahanee said. “Most of my relatives wanted me to marry a man with the same tribe as ours (the Maguindanao tribe from Magundanao province) and a born Muslim.”
Vernie’s family was skeptical about his earnest desire to marry a Muslim girl. They wanted him to marry someone with the same culture and values as theirs. They were also worried about how much dowry (bridal money) would be demanded by Shahanee’s family. In Islam, dowry is the gift of the groom to the bride and is a prerequisite to marriage.
Because Vernie converted to Islam two years before they got married, things were easier for him and Shahanee. “Prior to our union, he was given two years to think, reflect and try to get rid of the things that Islam prohibit its believers such as drinking liquor, gambling, etc.’” Shahanee narrated.
The two now have a beautiful son named Zaid. Because they are Muslims, they will teach Zaid the Islamic way of life which is a life based on the Holy Qur’an and the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Messenger of Allah the Almighty.
I asked Shahanee if she was given the chance to live her life again, would she still marry a man not of the same faith as hers. She replied, “I had studied in Catholic schools from elementary until college. I realized that Christianity and Islam have lots of similarities. To love Allah above all, to be kind and dutiful to one’s parents, to respect and deal with others with justice. The line of difference between Christianity and Islam is the belief in Christ (may peace be upon him). The Christians believe that Christ is one of the three persons in one God-the trinity, while in Islam, we consider him as one of the prophets sent by God. The teachings of Christ were continued by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).”
When I asked these two strong-willed women what the key to a successful and happy marriage is, Toni replied, “There should be love, respect, open-mindedness, understanding, trust, support, and most importantly, friendship. Aquil and I treat each other as best friends. We share with each other our fears, plans, funny childhood memories, and even the latest gossip.”
Shahanee said to achieve a successful marriage requires you and your partner to have the same faith and fear in God. “For if one is conscious in his relationship with his Creator, he will be careful in his words and actions with others,” she voiced. “Very important also is that everything a man does should seek only God’s pleasure.”
Two loving couples. Their different family backgrounds and roots have not stopped them to keep their marriage alive. In fact, I gather that it is these differences that have molded them into better people. They have become broad-minded, accepting, deferential, considerate, and objective human beings.
I am a Maranao-Muslim and was wedded to a fellow Maranao-Muslim. And yet, the union lasted for only six years. So having the same faith or culture is not really a guarantee that your marriage will last. (Sigh!)
Despite this failure I had undergone, I constantly say marriage is still a wonderful gift from God. However, a lasting one is a miracle. I constantly wish the Aquil-Toni and Vernie-Shahanee tandems (and all the other couples) in the world the miracle they deserve.
“O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female and have made you into nations and tribes for you to know one another. Truly, the noblest of you with God is the most pious. Truly, God is All-Knowing, All-Aware” (Qur’an, 49:13)
The above verse is taken from the Holy Qur’an, the Holy Book of Muslims like me. This verse shows that human beings are equal and God judges us based not on wealth, power, or race, but on our faith, good deeds, and piety. This shows that racism is not allowed in Islam.
Nowadays, however, the word “terrorism” has a second self and that is the word “Muslim.” We Muslims are regarded as destroyers of peace because of the constant horrible and alarming attacks caused by Islamic radicals and fanatics who have their own interpretation of the word of Allah the Almighty. Sad to say, these fundamentalists’ hatred for non-Muslims has created the latter’s mistrust and abhorrence towards the Islamic community as a whole.
So what if a Muslim marries a person not of the Islamic faith? Will their marriage be happy and peaceful? How will their union affect their families and friends? Will they raise their children as Muslims or not?
Come and let us take a peak into the married lives of Ahmad Aquil Tamano (a Muslim Filipino) and Maria Antonette “Toni” Ong (a Catholic Chinese), and Vernie Damolo (formerly a Roman Catholic) and Shahanee Kadon (a Muslim Filipina).
Toni met Aquil at the Philhealth regional office in Cagayan de Oro City where they both work since the year 2000. They were close friends and called themselves “Picasso buddies” because they frequented the nearby Picasso bar. A best friend of Aquil who was also an office mate courted Toni. However, destiny had another plan and it was for Toni and Aquil to end up with each other.
Because of their difference in religion, the couple tried to hide their relationship from their respective families. Their love for each other however pushed them to secretly get married. They rented a room at a four-star hotel, hired an Imam (a religious leader in Islam), got two witnesses, and there got wed under Islamic rites.
At first the union angered their families. “My family was upset with the marriage because I was the eldest child and I got hitched at the young age of 23,” Toni related. “Then there was the issue on religion. No offense meant but with the current situation, the image of Muslims worldwide was not good. I just explained to my family that not all Muslims are bad. When they finally got to know my husband, their biases were erased.”
The birth of Ahmad Rasheed paved a way to fully earn their families’ blessings. “Everything is now going on smoothly,” Toni said. “I believe our families have accepted us. Belonging to different religions does not mean that we cannot be happy.”
The contrast in faith sometimes brings out intelligent discussions between the two but they have never fought or argued because of this. “We made a deal that we will not force each other to convert to the other’s religion,” Toni said. “Should I embrace Islam, it should be with willingness and with an open heart and mind. But it never reached the point that we wanted to give up because of different religions. We will however inject Islam to our children.” Alhamdulillah, Toni has embraced Islam.
If given the chance to live her life again, would she still marry a Muslim? Toni answered, “I would marry a man who has the qualities of a good husband and a good father just like Aquil. Religion is not a question. What is important is we understand our differences and that we love each other.”
Shahanee on the other hand was born and will forever be a Muslim while Vernie was a Roman Catholic before. He converted to Islam two years before he and Shahanee tied the knot. The two have been friends for a very long time and so Vernie was aware that Shahanee could never marry a non-Muslim.
“He actually wondered what difference it makes marrying a Muslim rather than a Christian man,’” Shahanee stated. “I did not know then that he was starting to like me. He asked me how he could get to know more about my religion. I then gave him books and pamphlets on Islam for him to read. I also told him to meet the people in the mosque so he can learn more about Islam.”
The road to marrying Shahanee was however a very bumpy one for Vernie. “It was like the song, ‘You and me against the world’,” Shahanee said. “Most of my relatives wanted me to marry a man with the same tribe as ours (the Maguindanao tribe from Magundanao province) and a born Muslim.”
Vernie’s family was skeptical about his earnest desire to marry a Muslim girl. They wanted him to marry someone with the same culture and values as theirs. They were also worried about how much dowry (bridal money) would be demanded by Shahanee’s family. In Islam, dowry is the gift of the groom to the bride and is a prerequisite to marriage.
Because Vernie converted to Islam two years before they got married, things were easier for him and Shahanee. “Prior to our union, he was given two years to think, reflect and try to get rid of the things that Islam prohibit its believers such as drinking liquor, gambling, etc.’” Shahanee narrated.
The two now have a beautiful son named Zaid. Because they are Muslims, they will teach Zaid the Islamic way of life which is a life based on the Holy Qur’an and the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Messenger of Allah the Almighty.
I asked Shahanee if she was given the chance to live her life again, would she still marry a man not of the same faith as hers. She replied, “I had studied in Catholic schools from elementary until college. I realized that Christianity and Islam have lots of similarities. To love Allah above all, to be kind and dutiful to one’s parents, to respect and deal with others with justice. The line of difference between Christianity and Islam is the belief in Christ (may peace be upon him). The Christians believe that Christ is one of the three persons in one God-the trinity, while in Islam, we consider him as one of the prophets sent by God. The teachings of Christ were continued by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).”
When I asked these two strong-willed women what the key to a successful and happy marriage is, Toni replied, “There should be love, respect, open-mindedness, understanding, trust, support, and most importantly, friendship. Aquil and I treat each other as best friends. We share with each other our fears, plans, funny childhood memories, and even the latest gossip.”
Shahanee said to achieve a successful marriage requires you and your partner to have the same faith and fear in God. “For if one is conscious in his relationship with his Creator, he will be careful in his words and actions with others,” she voiced. “Very important also is that everything a man does should seek only God’s pleasure.”
Two loving couples. Their different family backgrounds and roots have not stopped them to keep their marriage alive. In fact, I gather that it is these differences that have molded them into better people. They have become broad-minded, accepting, deferential, considerate, and objective human beings.
I am a Maranao-Muslim and was wedded to a fellow Maranao-Muslim. And yet, the union lasted for only six years. So having the same faith or culture is not really a guarantee that your marriage will last. (Sigh!)
Despite this failure I had undergone, I constantly say marriage is still a wonderful gift from God. However, a lasting one is a miracle. I constantly wish the Aquil-Toni and Vernie-Shahanee tandems (and all the other couples) in the world the miracle they deserve.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Promised Hands
written by Salma Jayne A. Tamano
first published in ME Magazine
Married to a stranger? This may give a woman goose bumps but in the Maranao society, marriages are usually arranged, meaning a person’s family decides whom he or she marries. They are paired off for reasons that involve politics, social status, or friendship. Sometimes, it is to bring distant relatives closer so as not to taint the family blood with a foreign one. This has been a tradition that goes years back and practiced by many families up to now. Non-Maranaos often wonder if such marriages do last.
I spoke to two daughters of prominent families from Lanao del Sur who married men they have not met before the matchmaking. They are Samee, a practicing social worker and daughter of former mayor Wahid Daksla, and Alexa (not her real name) whose family is also engaged in politics and is an employee of a giant cellular phone company in Metro Manila.
Their parents and relatives planned Samee and Amer’s marriage. A common relative first went to Amer’s family and told them that Mayor Daksla had a daughter who was single and already of the marrying age. She would be perfect for the youngest son of the late Sultan Serad Aguam. The Dakslas and the Aguams are royal families that are distantly related, therefore the match was considered perfect.
After the matchmaking, Amer visited Samee in her house but barely got a glimpse of her for she did not come out to entertain him. They finally got to see and talk to each other in a restaurant in Iligan City three days after the groom’s family proposed to hers. “The purpose of the meeting was for us to get acquainted,“ Samee explained. “My sister accompanied me. I didn’t like him when I saw him. He didn’t seem to like me either. He just wanted to settle down because he wasn’t getting any younger. He’s eleven years older than I am. I even suggested to him that he marry my older sister instead.”
Supposedly, the couple would be wed on August 7, 1997. “But then there was a conflict about the dowry,” Samee said. “An argument arose between our families that led to the canceling of the wedding. The pride or maratabat of both sides were touched. I found that weird because I thought arranged marriages always pushed through. I was happy because I had other plans for myself, career-wise. The last I heard his family was eyeing another girl for him while someone also wanted to propose to me.” (Dowries, or gifts for the bride, oftentimes compose of cash to be spent for the wedding, jewelry, parcels of land, a house complete with furniture and appliances, a car, and whatever the girl’s family will demand from the groom.
Nowadays, the dowry can go up to one million pesos in cash, depending on the social status of the bride and groom.)
However, fate was persistent. One day in Iligan City, Samee and Amer saw each other in a Kodak store. “I said hi to him and asked him how he was,” she narrated. “He stared at me and couldn’t speak for a while. Then he said he wanted to marry me. I told him it would be difficult because my family’s pride was hurt. He said he would beg his family to ask my family to reconsider. He did just that and after a lot of negotiations, we’re now together.”
In the morning of their wedding day on January 17, 1998, Samee got cold feet. “I cried,” she said. “I felt nervous, confused, and afraid. I asked myself if I was doing the right thing. I was marrying a complete stranger whom I didn’t love. I consoled myself by accepting my fate. And I trust my parents.”
When I asked her how their first night together was as Mr. and Mrs. Aguam, Samee shyly admitted she felt tense. Sensing her nervousness, Amer talked to her, asking what her likes and dislikes were. “We just conversed,” she professed. Was the marriage consummated the first night? “NO!” she quickly replied. “I was scared!”
Their marriage is solid as a rock now. “The more I got to know him, the more I realize I made the right decision,” Samee happily relates. “He’s a nice person. Although there are a lot of adjustments, we work and pray hard to make this work.”
Alexa was not as fortunate. Seeing that she was old enough to get married at the age of twenty-eight, her aunt and sister arranged her marriage to Hasheem (not his real name), a lawyer, and a distant relative of theirs. When she was younger, Alexa accepted that she would not marry a man of her choice because in her family, having a boyfriend was considered taboo. But when she learned that someone was being paired to her, she feared she might not like the guy and vice versa. She first saw him at a party. That same night, she cried herself to sleep.
Although Hasheem was not bad looking, Alexa was not attracted to him. During their wedding day, she felt numb. She went on with the ceremony just to please her family. “In our first night together, we talked about ourselves,” she narrated. “The following morning was when it all sank in. I was forever tied to someone I had no feelings for.”
Their first year together was a disaster. Hasheem was based in Marawi City for he taught in a university there. Alexa had a career in Manila that she would not give up. They only saw each other during holidays, which she secretly wanted. Whenever Hasheem arrived in Manila, she became nervous and irritable. They constantly fought especially whenever Alexa denies him her womanhood. “I couldn’t bear to give myself to someone I did not love,” she said, sighing. “I never had a peace of mind. I even planned to commit suicide because I felt life was not worth living anymore.”
Their families tried their very best to make their marriage work. According to Alexa, Hasheem courted her but his efforts were minimal and were not enough to get through her.
Divorce was inevitable due to their irreconcilable differences. In their second year of marriage, Hasheem gave up hope and never went back to Manila. Alexa meanwhile prepared the divorce papers and sent it to Hasheem for his signature.
“I’m glad divorce is permissible in Islam,” she uttered. “I’m at peace now. I don’t want to be single forever. I want to have my own family, a husband who has something in common with me. That way we have something to talk about. The important thing is, I should like him. The problem was in the beginning, my family didn’t ask me if I liked him. They didn’t give us the chance to check each other out, if we got along well or not, before plunging into something serious. They wouldn’t listen to me when I tried to talk to them.”
The stories of Samee and Alexa show that marriages can either succeed or fail just like those that are not parentally set up. This will largely depend on the couple. Once they agree to enter this sacred union, it is up to them to make it a happy and a healthy one instead of the opposite. The “for better or for worse, till death do us part” thing becomes a lifetime mission.
We Maranaos may find it hard to forget this tradition for it is a part of our culture but lately, some parents seek their children’s approval first before they are paired off. They also make sure their sons-in-law can financially and emotionally support their daughters fully well.
The romantic in me prays for the day when forced unions are gone forever and people marry primarily for love. After all, Islam acknowledges that love should be one of the major reasons for settling down.
As I write this article, I recall my late father telling me, “For a couple to grow old together, they have to make their marriage not people-centered nor world-centered but God-centered. Without God, their union will be doomed.”
Oftentimes, we either complicate things or we consciously or subconsciously ignore the simple ingredients to a happy and lasting marriage, which are love, respect, trust and prayers. Equipped with these, I am pretty sure couples can easily brave whatever storm comes their way.
first published in ME Magazine
Married to a stranger? This may give a woman goose bumps but in the Maranao society, marriages are usually arranged, meaning a person’s family decides whom he or she marries. They are paired off for reasons that involve politics, social status, or friendship. Sometimes, it is to bring distant relatives closer so as not to taint the family blood with a foreign one. This has been a tradition that goes years back and practiced by many families up to now. Non-Maranaos often wonder if such marriages do last.
I spoke to two daughters of prominent families from Lanao del Sur who married men they have not met before the matchmaking. They are Samee, a practicing social worker and daughter of former mayor Wahid Daksla, and Alexa (not her real name) whose family is also engaged in politics and is an employee of a giant cellular phone company in Metro Manila.
Their parents and relatives planned Samee and Amer’s marriage. A common relative first went to Amer’s family and told them that Mayor Daksla had a daughter who was single and already of the marrying age. She would be perfect for the youngest son of the late Sultan Serad Aguam. The Dakslas and the Aguams are royal families that are distantly related, therefore the match was considered perfect.
After the matchmaking, Amer visited Samee in her house but barely got a glimpse of her for she did not come out to entertain him. They finally got to see and talk to each other in a restaurant in Iligan City three days after the groom’s family proposed to hers. “The purpose of the meeting was for us to get acquainted,“ Samee explained. “My sister accompanied me. I didn’t like him when I saw him. He didn’t seem to like me either. He just wanted to settle down because he wasn’t getting any younger. He’s eleven years older than I am. I even suggested to him that he marry my older sister instead.”
Supposedly, the couple would be wed on August 7, 1997. “But then there was a conflict about the dowry,” Samee said. “An argument arose between our families that led to the canceling of the wedding. The pride or maratabat of both sides were touched. I found that weird because I thought arranged marriages always pushed through. I was happy because I had other plans for myself, career-wise. The last I heard his family was eyeing another girl for him while someone also wanted to propose to me.” (Dowries, or gifts for the bride, oftentimes compose of cash to be spent for the wedding, jewelry, parcels of land, a house complete with furniture and appliances, a car, and whatever the girl’s family will demand from the groom.
Nowadays, the dowry can go up to one million pesos in cash, depending on the social status of the bride and groom.)
However, fate was persistent. One day in Iligan City, Samee and Amer saw each other in a Kodak store. “I said hi to him and asked him how he was,” she narrated. “He stared at me and couldn’t speak for a while. Then he said he wanted to marry me. I told him it would be difficult because my family’s pride was hurt. He said he would beg his family to ask my family to reconsider. He did just that and after a lot of negotiations, we’re now together.”
In the morning of their wedding day on January 17, 1998, Samee got cold feet. “I cried,” she said. “I felt nervous, confused, and afraid. I asked myself if I was doing the right thing. I was marrying a complete stranger whom I didn’t love. I consoled myself by accepting my fate. And I trust my parents.”
When I asked her how their first night together was as Mr. and Mrs. Aguam, Samee shyly admitted she felt tense. Sensing her nervousness, Amer talked to her, asking what her likes and dislikes were. “We just conversed,” she professed. Was the marriage consummated the first night? “NO!” she quickly replied. “I was scared!”
Their marriage is solid as a rock now. “The more I got to know him, the more I realize I made the right decision,” Samee happily relates. “He’s a nice person. Although there are a lot of adjustments, we work and pray hard to make this work.”
Alexa was not as fortunate. Seeing that she was old enough to get married at the age of twenty-eight, her aunt and sister arranged her marriage to Hasheem (not his real name), a lawyer, and a distant relative of theirs. When she was younger, Alexa accepted that she would not marry a man of her choice because in her family, having a boyfriend was considered taboo. But when she learned that someone was being paired to her, she feared she might not like the guy and vice versa. She first saw him at a party. That same night, she cried herself to sleep.
Although Hasheem was not bad looking, Alexa was not attracted to him. During their wedding day, she felt numb. She went on with the ceremony just to please her family. “In our first night together, we talked about ourselves,” she narrated. “The following morning was when it all sank in. I was forever tied to someone I had no feelings for.”
Their first year together was a disaster. Hasheem was based in Marawi City for he taught in a university there. Alexa had a career in Manila that she would not give up. They only saw each other during holidays, which she secretly wanted. Whenever Hasheem arrived in Manila, she became nervous and irritable. They constantly fought especially whenever Alexa denies him her womanhood. “I couldn’t bear to give myself to someone I did not love,” she said, sighing. “I never had a peace of mind. I even planned to commit suicide because I felt life was not worth living anymore.”
Their families tried their very best to make their marriage work. According to Alexa, Hasheem courted her but his efforts were minimal and were not enough to get through her.
Divorce was inevitable due to their irreconcilable differences. In their second year of marriage, Hasheem gave up hope and never went back to Manila. Alexa meanwhile prepared the divorce papers and sent it to Hasheem for his signature.
“I’m glad divorce is permissible in Islam,” she uttered. “I’m at peace now. I don’t want to be single forever. I want to have my own family, a husband who has something in common with me. That way we have something to talk about. The important thing is, I should like him. The problem was in the beginning, my family didn’t ask me if I liked him. They didn’t give us the chance to check each other out, if we got along well or not, before plunging into something serious. They wouldn’t listen to me when I tried to talk to them.”
The stories of Samee and Alexa show that marriages can either succeed or fail just like those that are not parentally set up. This will largely depend on the couple. Once they agree to enter this sacred union, it is up to them to make it a happy and a healthy one instead of the opposite. The “for better or for worse, till death do us part” thing becomes a lifetime mission.
We Maranaos may find it hard to forget this tradition for it is a part of our culture but lately, some parents seek their children’s approval first before they are paired off. They also make sure their sons-in-law can financially and emotionally support their daughters fully well.
The romantic in me prays for the day when forced unions are gone forever and people marry primarily for love. After all, Islam acknowledges that love should be one of the major reasons for settling down.
As I write this article, I recall my late father telling me, “For a couple to grow old together, they have to make their marriage not people-centered nor world-centered but God-centered. Without God, their union will be doomed.”
Oftentimes, we either complicate things or we consciously or subconsciously ignore the simple ingredients to a happy and lasting marriage, which are love, respect, trust and prayers. Equipped with these, I am pretty sure couples can easily brave whatever storm comes their way.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Bill
Legislative Advocacy:
Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood & Population Development Bill
(taken from www.ncrfw.gov.ph)
National Situation
A quick glance at the national health situation of Filipino women reveals the following information:
* Philippine maternal mortality rate (MMR) remains high at 162 deaths for every 100,000 live births. The National Statistics Office fears that the slow decline in MMR may cause the Philippines to miss its MDG target of bringing down the MMR to 53 by the year 2015. (Family Planning Survey 2006).
* Maternal deaths account for 14% of deaths among women. According to the Commission on Population, ten (10) women die every 24 hours from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications (Popcorn 2000).
* 29 infants of every 1,000 live births die before reaching one year of age; 40 young children die before reaching five years of age. (NSO, NDHS 2003)29 infants of every 1,000 live births die before reaching one year of age; 40 young children die before reaching five years of age. (NSO, NDHS 2003)
* Close birth spacing and high-risk pregnancies have been shown to be closely related to childhood mortality. (NSO, NDHS 2003)
* The Filipino woman's desired number of children is 2.5. However, the actual fertility rate is 3.5 children or a difference of one child. This difference is due mainly to the lack of information on and access to family planning services. (NSO, NDHS 2003)
* Only 49.3% of women use any method of contraception, with the use of the pill as the leading contraceptive method, followed by female sterilization, and the calendar rhythm. Condoms, even though widely distributed, accounted for only 1.9% of the total usage. (NSO-FPS 2005)
* The unmet need for family planning averages 17.3%. Those belonging to the poorest class have the highest unmet need for family planning at 26.7%, consisting of those who want to space their pregnancies (10.9%), and those who want to limit the number of their children (15.8%). The current unmet need for contraceptives is 23.15% for poor women and 13.6% for women who are not poor. (NSO, NDHS 2003)
* The use of modern family planning methods increases with the increase in the level of education of women. (NSO, 2003 NDHS)
* 97% of all Filipinos believe it is important to have the ability to control one's fertility or to plan one's family. It is significant to note that 87% of the total respondents are Roman Catholics. (Pulse Asia Survey, Feb 2004)
Legislative Herstory
* Past government administrations have attempted to address these population and reproductive health concerns. However, their approaches differed and changed, depending on the views of whoever holds the leadership.
* From the 9th to the 11th Congress, Population Development bills have been filed, focusing mainly on controlling population growth. It was only in the 12th Congress that the reproductive health of women figured into the discussions on population development, so that population-related bills filed in the 12th and 13th Congress already considered reproductive health issues.
* At the close of the 13th Congress, the substitute bill HB 3773 or the "Responsible Parenthood and Population Management" bill reached the 2nd Reading.
* As of this writing, four bills pertaining to reproductive health and/or population management have been filed for the 14th Congress in both houses: HB No. 17 authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman, HB No. 812 authored by Rep. Janette Garin, SB No. 40 authored by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon and SB No. 43 authored by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
Salient Features
The Philippines is duty-bound to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), specifically the UN CEDAW Committee's Concluding Comments, which among others, urges the government to enhance women's access to health care, including reproductive health services, to address high maternal mortality rates, high fertility rates, and inadequate family planning services.
The NCRFW is advocating for a national legislation that addresses the reproductive health needs of women and other population development issues which, among others;
* Upholds and promotes the four pillars of the present government's population policy as enunciated in President Arroyo's statement of support to the International.
Conference on Population and Development in January 2005, namely (1) responsible parenthood, (2) informed choice, (3) birth spacing, and (4) respect for life;
* Recognizes that human resource is a principal asset, hence the needs for effective reproductive health care services to be given primacy and ensure the birth of healthy children and promote responsible parenting;
* Promotes gender equality and women's rights as essential to the fulfillment of reproductive health rights;
* Defines reproductive health as the 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;
* Provides the framework for implementing the ten elements of a comprehensive reproductive health program as follows: (1) maternal, infant and child health and nutrition, including the promotion of breastfeeding; (2) family planning and information services; (3) adolescent and youth health; (4) prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications; (5) prevention and management of reproductive tract infections, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmittable infections; (6) elimination of violence against women; (7) education and counseling on sexuality and sexual health; (8) treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers and other gynecological conditions; (9) male involvement and participation in reproductive health; and (10) prevention and treatment of infertility and sexual dysfunction;
* Leaves the number and spacing of children to the sound and informed judgment of couples based on their personal conviction and religious beliefs, while assuring that they are afforded free and full access to relevant, adequate and enlightening information on reproductive health;
* Provides for a mandatory reproductive health and sexuality education, that is medically correct and developmentally appropriate, to be taught by adequately trained teachers;
* Appropriates funds for the initial implementation of the proposed law and mandates Congress to include subsequent appropriations in the General Appropriations Act.
Written by: Honey Castro
Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood & Population Development Bill
(taken from www.ncrfw.gov.ph)
National Situation
A quick glance at the national health situation of Filipino women reveals the following information:
* Philippine maternal mortality rate (MMR) remains high at 162 deaths for every 100,000 live births. The National Statistics Office fears that the slow decline in MMR may cause the Philippines to miss its MDG target of bringing down the MMR to 53 by the year 2015. (Family Planning Survey 2006).
* Maternal deaths account for 14% of deaths among women. According to the Commission on Population, ten (10) women die every 24 hours from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications (Popcorn 2000).
* 29 infants of every 1,000 live births die before reaching one year of age; 40 young children die before reaching five years of age. (NSO, NDHS 2003)29 infants of every 1,000 live births die before reaching one year of age; 40 young children die before reaching five years of age. (NSO, NDHS 2003)
* Close birth spacing and high-risk pregnancies have been shown to be closely related to childhood mortality. (NSO, NDHS 2003)
* The Filipino woman's desired number of children is 2.5. However, the actual fertility rate is 3.5 children or a difference of one child. This difference is due mainly to the lack of information on and access to family planning services. (NSO, NDHS 2003)
* Only 49.3% of women use any method of contraception, with the use of the pill as the leading contraceptive method, followed by female sterilization, and the calendar rhythm. Condoms, even though widely distributed, accounted for only 1.9% of the total usage. (NSO-FPS 2005)
* The unmet need for family planning averages 17.3%. Those belonging to the poorest class have the highest unmet need for family planning at 26.7%, consisting of those who want to space their pregnancies (10.9%), and those who want to limit the number of their children (15.8%). The current unmet need for contraceptives is 23.15% for poor women and 13.6% for women who are not poor. (NSO, NDHS 2003)
* The use of modern family planning methods increases with the increase in the level of education of women. (NSO, 2003 NDHS)
* 97% of all Filipinos believe it is important to have the ability to control one's fertility or to plan one's family. It is significant to note that 87% of the total respondents are Roman Catholics. (Pulse Asia Survey, Feb 2004)
Legislative Herstory
* Past government administrations have attempted to address these population and reproductive health concerns. However, their approaches differed and changed, depending on the views of whoever holds the leadership.
* From the 9th to the 11th Congress, Population Development bills have been filed, focusing mainly on controlling population growth. It was only in the 12th Congress that the reproductive health of women figured into the discussions on population development, so that population-related bills filed in the 12th and 13th Congress already considered reproductive health issues.
* At the close of the 13th Congress, the substitute bill HB 3773 or the "Responsible Parenthood and Population Management" bill reached the 2nd Reading.
* As of this writing, four bills pertaining to reproductive health and/or population management have been filed for the 14th Congress in both houses: HB No. 17 authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman, HB No. 812 authored by Rep. Janette Garin, SB No. 40 authored by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon and SB No. 43 authored by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
Salient Features
The Philippines is duty-bound to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), specifically the UN CEDAW Committee's Concluding Comments, which among others, urges the government to enhance women's access to health care, including reproductive health services, to address high maternal mortality rates, high fertility rates, and inadequate family planning services.
The NCRFW is advocating for a national legislation that addresses the reproductive health needs of women and other population development issues which, among others;
* Upholds and promotes the four pillars of the present government's population policy as enunciated in President Arroyo's statement of support to the International.
Conference on Population and Development in January 2005, namely (1) responsible parenthood, (2) informed choice, (3) birth spacing, and (4) respect for life;
* Recognizes that human resource is a principal asset, hence the needs for effective reproductive health care services to be given primacy and ensure the birth of healthy children and promote responsible parenting;
* Promotes gender equality and women's rights as essential to the fulfillment of reproductive health rights;
* Defines reproductive health as the 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;
* Provides the framework for implementing the ten elements of a comprehensive reproductive health program as follows: (1) maternal, infant and child health and nutrition, including the promotion of breastfeeding; (2) family planning and information services; (3) adolescent and youth health; (4) prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications; (5) prevention and management of reproductive tract infections, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmittable infections; (6) elimination of violence against women; (7) education and counseling on sexuality and sexual health; (8) treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers and other gynecological conditions; (9) male involvement and participation in reproductive health; and (10) prevention and treatment of infertility and sexual dysfunction;
* Leaves the number and spacing of children to the sound and informed judgment of couples based on their personal conviction and religious beliefs, while assuring that they are afforded free and full access to relevant, adequate and enlightening information on reproductive health;
* Provides for a mandatory reproductive health and sexuality education, that is medically correct and developmentally appropriate, to be taught by adequately trained teachers;
* Appropriates funds for the initial implementation of the proposed law and mandates Congress to include subsequent appropriations in the General Appropriations Act.
Written by: Honey Castro
Friday, February 20, 2009
A Woman of Substance
All of us, especially during our growing up years, would always have an aunt or an uncle that we look up to. If I were to be asked who among my aunts I admired most, it would be my Tita Normallah, my mom’s first cousin, because of her beauty and the kindness she has always shown me.
When I was about ten years old, she would ask to see the poems that I wrote. That really meant so much to me because making poems was a childhood passion and Tita Normallah really seemed interested in them. I was growing up in Saudi Arabia during those times while she was also with her parents, the late Congressman Sultan Haron al Rashid Lucman and the former Governor Princess Tarhata Alonto, and her other siblings. They moved to the said country to escape the Marcos dictatorial regime. Congressman Lucman and Governor Tarhata were good friends with the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr.
Although we see each other from time to time these days, I actually got to have a heart to heart talk with Tita Normallah a couple of years ago in the Centennial Terminal Two airport when we were both on our way to Cagayan de Oro City from Manila. Unknowingly to us, we were booked on the same flight. I was curious about her this time as an adult and not as a child admiring a grown-up person. I asked her about her childhood years as a politicians’ daughter, her divorce, her political career, and her being a mother to seven children whom she refers to as her “jewels”.
Coming from two of the prominent clans of Lanao del Sur, the Lucmans and the Alontos, I asked her how her childhood years were.
“I’d say mine was more complicated yet grand if you know what I mean,” she said. “Both of my parents were considered royalties and they were both politicians. I was betrothed at a very young age. I went through tough times in living up to the traditions. Of course, times have changed, the culture is still preserved but somehow it is beginning to relate with modernity nowadays. I instill the culture in my kids, but with regards to arranged marriages, I don’t think I will let them go through with that.”
During her childhood years, I asked her what incident stayed in her memory. She said, “It was the time of Jabidah Massacre, I think. There was anger and hatred of the Muslims towards the Marcoses. My parents were Liberal leaders, so you can just imagine how tough these years were for me. So many events took place in our family.”
Tita Normallah was able to attend the Philippine Women University in Manila but her marriage did not allow her to finish her studies. I asked her how a teenager’s life was during the 60s especially that of a Maranao girl like her. She said, “Well, despite the fact that my parents were politicians and were from royal families, I don’t recall having bodyguards and guns to protect us. We knew that the people wouldn’t harm us. My family has always been strict. My brothers and cousins were always around to look after me. Guys of that time couldn’t easily talk to me. Suitors would have to go to my house to court. But of course, I was known for being suplada to men. So I only entertained some of them.”
A royal princess in the Maranao tribe can never escape being engaged to a prince of the same tribe, even if they did not know each other. She got married during her teenage years to a man she did not know at all. How was she as a wife?
“I’d like to believe that I was a good wife. I treated my husband like a king. I was loyal, honest, obedient and sincere to him.”
As the years passed by, fate ended their marriage recently. However, she does believe that there can be successful marital unions if there is true love, compromise, trust and putting GOD at the center of the relationship. But of course, she believes there is no such thing as a perfect marriage.
As a mother, her kids say she has always been a loving one. She tries to be as close to them as she can and attends to their needs. They share secrets with her and she in return gives advices. She confesses she is strict but not hard on them. “My love for my jewels continuously grows and molds me to being a better mother to them,” she said. I asked her if she would be the one to choose her children’s lifetime partners and she replied, “I want them to marry for love. Their spouses should be their choice, but upon my approval. Of course, I want them to marry a Muslim.”
As of the moment, Tita Normallah is a businesswoman, owning a plantation in Lanao del Sur. She became a Provincial Vice Governor of the said province and then a Regional Secretary of the Department of Tourism in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao.
When did her political career start? “When I was a child,” she narrated, “I promised myself that I would never be a politician like my parents. I felt that they gave more time to other people than to us. But my outlook on politics changed after my dying father asked me to continue the struggle. His death was the birth of my political career. I realized that there was fulfillment in helping and serving our people. I was happy doing exactly what my parents did in the past. Except that this time, my children were still my priority. Being a mother is still my most loved career.”
As a Provincial Vice Governor, Peace and Order was her forte. She was able to settle numerous conflicts within families. Her most unforgettable was when she tried to stop a “rido” (feud/clash) at her father’s hometown, Bayang. There were tanks around and many tried to stop the conflict but she was the one who was able to ask for ceasefire. She had to spend her first New Year away from her kids.
Another achievement she has made was when she succeeded in inviting Dr. Magee of Operation Smile for a medical mission in Lanao del Sur. It was a great success for a lot of children with harelip were operated on.
With everything that she has experienced, from being born to a political family, to having an arranged marriage, to escaping to another country from the Marcos dictatorship, to being a mother, to being a politician and a government official herself, to a businesswoman, she believes that her children’s success would be her greatest achievement in life. “If you are a success in everything except for your children, everything else is meaningless,” she said.
She is a devout Muslim and believes she has attained a close connection with the Supreme Being. She narrates, “He has given me so much but the most precious gift He gave is life. Therefore life should be lived meaningfully and deeply valued because if you truly do, life would indeed be great.”
As I said before, I admired Tita Normallah for her elegant beauty and her genuine concern for people. But now, it is not only for those things that I look up to her. It is her strength, her courage, her resolve, and especially her being a good mother.
A lot of people nowadays are too smitten about worldly and material things such as money, cars, big houses, jewelry, plastic surgery, liposuction, etc. But for Tita Normallah, though she has the family background, the connections, the brains, the looks and the wealth to live a worldly life, she chooses to be a real and a simple person. She is a helpful relative, an obedient daughter, a supportive wife, an excellent mother, and a truly amazing and genuine person.
For me she would always be this special aunt of mine who is an outstanding example of a woman of substance.
When I was about ten years old, she would ask to see the poems that I wrote. That really meant so much to me because making poems was a childhood passion and Tita Normallah really seemed interested in them. I was growing up in Saudi Arabia during those times while she was also with her parents, the late Congressman Sultan Haron al Rashid Lucman and the former Governor Princess Tarhata Alonto, and her other siblings. They moved to the said country to escape the Marcos dictatorial regime. Congressman Lucman and Governor Tarhata were good friends with the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr.
Although we see each other from time to time these days, I actually got to have a heart to heart talk with Tita Normallah a couple of years ago in the Centennial Terminal Two airport when we were both on our way to Cagayan de Oro City from Manila. Unknowingly to us, we were booked on the same flight. I was curious about her this time as an adult and not as a child admiring a grown-up person. I asked her about her childhood years as a politicians’ daughter, her divorce, her political career, and her being a mother to seven children whom she refers to as her “jewels”.
Coming from two of the prominent clans of Lanao del Sur, the Lucmans and the Alontos, I asked her how her childhood years were.
“I’d say mine was more complicated yet grand if you know what I mean,” she said. “Both of my parents were considered royalties and they were both politicians. I was betrothed at a very young age. I went through tough times in living up to the traditions. Of course, times have changed, the culture is still preserved but somehow it is beginning to relate with modernity nowadays. I instill the culture in my kids, but with regards to arranged marriages, I don’t think I will let them go through with that.”
During her childhood years, I asked her what incident stayed in her memory. She said, “It was the time of Jabidah Massacre, I think. There was anger and hatred of the Muslims towards the Marcoses. My parents were Liberal leaders, so you can just imagine how tough these years were for me. So many events took place in our family.”
Tita Normallah was able to attend the Philippine Women University in Manila but her marriage did not allow her to finish her studies. I asked her how a teenager’s life was during the 60s especially that of a Maranao girl like her. She said, “Well, despite the fact that my parents were politicians and were from royal families, I don’t recall having bodyguards and guns to protect us. We knew that the people wouldn’t harm us. My family has always been strict. My brothers and cousins were always around to look after me. Guys of that time couldn’t easily talk to me. Suitors would have to go to my house to court. But of course, I was known for being suplada to men. So I only entertained some of them.”
A royal princess in the Maranao tribe can never escape being engaged to a prince of the same tribe, even if they did not know each other. She got married during her teenage years to a man she did not know at all. How was she as a wife?
“I’d like to believe that I was a good wife. I treated my husband like a king. I was loyal, honest, obedient and sincere to him.”
As the years passed by, fate ended their marriage recently. However, she does believe that there can be successful marital unions if there is true love, compromise, trust and putting GOD at the center of the relationship. But of course, she believes there is no such thing as a perfect marriage.
As a mother, her kids say she has always been a loving one. She tries to be as close to them as she can and attends to their needs. They share secrets with her and she in return gives advices. She confesses she is strict but not hard on them. “My love for my jewels continuously grows and molds me to being a better mother to them,” she said. I asked her if she would be the one to choose her children’s lifetime partners and she replied, “I want them to marry for love. Their spouses should be their choice, but upon my approval. Of course, I want them to marry a Muslim.”
As of the moment, Tita Normallah is a businesswoman, owning a plantation in Lanao del Sur. She became a Provincial Vice Governor of the said province and then a Regional Secretary of the Department of Tourism in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao.
When did her political career start? “When I was a child,” she narrated, “I promised myself that I would never be a politician like my parents. I felt that they gave more time to other people than to us. But my outlook on politics changed after my dying father asked me to continue the struggle. His death was the birth of my political career. I realized that there was fulfillment in helping and serving our people. I was happy doing exactly what my parents did in the past. Except that this time, my children were still my priority. Being a mother is still my most loved career.”
As a Provincial Vice Governor, Peace and Order was her forte. She was able to settle numerous conflicts within families. Her most unforgettable was when she tried to stop a “rido” (feud/clash) at her father’s hometown, Bayang. There were tanks around and many tried to stop the conflict but she was the one who was able to ask for ceasefire. She had to spend her first New Year away from her kids.
Another achievement she has made was when she succeeded in inviting Dr. Magee of Operation Smile for a medical mission in Lanao del Sur. It was a great success for a lot of children with harelip were operated on.
With everything that she has experienced, from being born to a political family, to having an arranged marriage, to escaping to another country from the Marcos dictatorship, to being a mother, to being a politician and a government official herself, to a businesswoman, she believes that her children’s success would be her greatest achievement in life. “If you are a success in everything except for your children, everything else is meaningless,” she said.
She is a devout Muslim and believes she has attained a close connection with the Supreme Being. She narrates, “He has given me so much but the most precious gift He gave is life. Therefore life should be lived meaningfully and deeply valued because if you truly do, life would indeed be great.”
As I said before, I admired Tita Normallah for her elegant beauty and her genuine concern for people. But now, it is not only for those things that I look up to her. It is her strength, her courage, her resolve, and especially her being a good mother.
A lot of people nowadays are too smitten about worldly and material things such as money, cars, big houses, jewelry, plastic surgery, liposuction, etc. But for Tita Normallah, though she has the family background, the connections, the brains, the looks and the wealth to live a worldly life, she chooses to be a real and a simple person. She is a helpful relative, an obedient daughter, a supportive wife, an excellent mother, and a truly amazing and genuine person.
For me she would always be this special aunt of mine who is an outstanding example of a woman of substance.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Magna Carta of Women Bill
Legislative Advocacy of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women:
(taken from www.ncrfw.gov.ph)
National Situation
* The Magna Carta of Women aims to respond to the situation and needs of half of the Philippine population. A quick glance at the situation of Filipino women reveals the following information:
* Population Size. There were 76.5 million Filipinos in May 2000, and estimated to reach 88 million in 2007. 37.9 million or 49.6% of the 2000 total population are females, with 21.6 million women (57% of total females) in their productive and child-bearing age. (NSO 2007)
* Health and Nutrition. The 2003 NDHS revealed that there has only been a 2% increase in the number of women who sought prenatal care from doctors/nurses/midwives, from 85.7% in 1998 to 87.6% in 2003, resulting in high number of at-risk pregnancies and births. Thus, maternal mortality rate remains high at 162 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births. (DOH 2005) The National Statistics Office revealed in March 2007 that unless health program implementers redouble their efforts, the MDG target of reducing maternal rate to only 53 deaths per 100,000 live births (or a 75% decrease) by 2015 cannot be achieved.
*Infant mortality or the number of infants who die before reaching the age of one registered at 24 per 1,000 live births in 2006, while the number of young children who die before reaching the age of 5 registered at 32 per 1,000 live births, still at a considerable distance from the Millenium Development Goal of 21 deaths per 1,000 live births. (NSO 2006)
* The Filipino woman's desired number of children is 2.5. However, the actual fertility rate is 3.5 children or a difference of one child. This difference is due mainly to the lack of information on and access to family planning services. (NSO, NDHS 2003)
* Only 49.3% of women use any method of contraception, with the use of the pill as the leading contraceptive method, followed by female sterilization, and the calendar rhythm. Condoms, even though widely distributed, accounted for only 1.9% of the total usage. (NSO-FPS 2005)
* The current unmet need for contraceptives is 23.15% for poor women and 13.6% for women who are not poor. The use of modern family planning methods increases with the increase in the level of education of women. (NDHS 2003)
* Education and Training. 55% of the total enrollees 2003-2004 were females. (DepEd,2004)
* The literacy rate of females 10 years old and older is 86.3% compared to 81.9% for males in the same age. (Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey, 2003)
* More women have been able to finish elementary and secondary schooling in accordance with the required number of years for each level. The elementary completion rate of females was 66.9% while the comparative figure for males was only 57.8%. The secondary education completion rate of females was 63.7% compared to 48.8% for males. (FLEMMS 2003)
* There are considerably more women licensed professionals. From 2000-2003, women accounted for 65% of the total passers in professional board examinations.
* Labor and Employment. Despite women's higher educational attainment, their labor force participation rate is low at 48.8% compared to 79,.1% of males. (NSO 2007)
* Gender tracking in employment continues; women still dominate occupation groups that may be considered as extension of their reproductive roles in the home such as home management and professional services, while men are still largely located in mechanized and heavy industries.
* In October 2004, men account for 60.9% of the officials in government, corporate executives, managers, and managing proprietors and supervisors, compared to 39.1 % for females in the same occupation group. Meanwhile, females dominate the clerks occupation group with 63.1% compared to 36.9% for males. (NSO 2006)
* 56% unpaid family worker are women, while 64% of wage and salary workers and 67% of own account workers are men.
* Overseas Employment. The number of overseas Filipino workers is generally increasing for both sexes.
* There is almost an equal level of participation between women and men. But the context of their participation is very much different. In 2004, women accounted for 51% of the total number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) yet their average monthly cash remittance represents only 57% of the Php 74,267 million average cash remittance of Filipino men. This is because Filipino women are likely to end up in jobs that are low-paying and often unprotected.
* Politics and Governance. Women make up the majority of the government bureaucracy, accounting for 57.6%, but they are mostly in the technical or second level positions and seem unable to break through the glass ceiling. Meanwhile, men are likely to be clerks or managers/executives. Only about 30% of those in third level positions are women. (CSC 2004)
* In 2004, the average proportion of women in key elected posts was no more than 17%.
* There is still a need to broaden the base of women's participation in local governance and political decision-making. Specifically at the sanggunians, women comprise only 15% of councilors compared to men who comprise 85%. (COMELEC: 1992-2001)
* Violence Against Women (VAW). Reported cases to the police increased six-fold, 1,100 in 1996 to 6, 505 in 2005. The highest recorded number of cases peaked in 2001 at 10,345. Atotal of 5,758 VAW cases have been reported to the police in 2006. (PNP 2006)
* The police report shows that physical injury is the most common type of reported VAW case, accounting for 38.86% of the cases, while cases of violence against women in domestic and intimate relationships rank second, accounting for 26.07% of VAW cases. Rape accounts for 16.65% of VAW cases.
Legislative "Herstory"
* The first version of the Magna Carta of Women was filed during the 13th Congress, principally by Rep. Josefina Joson and initially titled 'Magna Carta for Women'. A TWG composed of a number of government agencies and NGOs was formed to enhance the bill.
* In a bid to make the Magna Carta of Women a priority bill of the administration, the NCRFW consulted with Fr. Romeo Intengan regarding the acceptability of the provisions relating to women's health. Revisions were made according to the suggestions of Fr. Intengan which were incorporated in the revisions introduced by the House Committee on Women.
* The substitute bill, HB 5285 reached 2'6 Reading in the House of Representatives, pending debate or interpellation.
* The Study and Action Core Group (SACG) composed of PILIPINA as convenor and other women's NGOs and POs, NCRFW and a number of government representatives from the NCRFW, the Supreme Court, and staffs of legislators, were established initially to study how the CEDAW can be translated into a national legislation. It was on the first meeting of the SACG that the decision to incorporate in the Magna Carta of Women the essential provisions of CEDAW that eliminate discrimination against women and promote women's rights.
* Senator Jamby Madrigal, chair of the Committee on Women called a TWG meeting in the last months of the 13th Congress to discuss the Magna Carta.
* Senator Sergio Osmena filed the Magna Carta for Women Bill near the close of the 13th Congress.
* As of this writing, two Magna Carta of Women bills have been filed in the House of Representatives for the 14th Congress, namely HB 164 authored by Reps. Juan Edgardo Angara and Mary Ann Susano, and HB 797 authored by Rep. Ma. Isabelle Climaco.
Salient Features
The Philippines is duty-bound to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), specifically the UN CEDAW Committee's Concluding Comments, which among others, urges the government to (1) enact a comprehensive legal framework for the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment, specifically to ensure the Convention's applicability and/or translation into the national legal system, and (2) strengthen the national machinery for the advancement of women and provide it with the authority, decision-making power and human and financial resources necessary to work effectively to promote gender equality. To holistically and effectively address the concerns of women, the NCRFW advocates for a Magna Carta of Women that has the following essential features:
* It recognizes the role of women in nation building and ensures the substantive equality of women and men. It condemns discrimination against women in all its forms and pursues all appropriate means to eliminate discrimination against women, in accordance with the provisions of CEDAW.
* It ensures the fulfillment of the human rights of women provided for in other international treaties and national laws such as (a) protection from violence, (b) participation and representation in all spheres of society, especially policy- and decision-making in private and government entities, (c) equal treatment before the law, (d) equal access to and elimination of discrimination in education, scholarships and training, (e) access to information and services related to women's health, and (f) equal rights in all matters relating to marriage and family relations.
* It recognizes that women from the following groups are marginalized and therefore entitled to special measures to guarantee their social and cultural well�being and accelerate the efforts to attain gender equality: (a) small farmers and rural workers; (b) fishers; (c) urban poor; (d) workers in the formal economy; (e) workers in the informal economy; (f) migrant workers; (g) indigenous peoples; (h) Moro; (i) girl-children; (j) senior citizens; (k) persons with disabilities; (l) lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders; and (m) solo parents.
* It recognizes women's, especially marginalized women's rights to (a) food and resources to food production, (b) housing, (c) livelihood, credit, capital and technology, (d) education and training, (e) participation and representation, (f) information, (g) social protection, (h) recognition and preservation of cultural identity/integrity, (i) peace and development, (j) protection of girl-children, and (k) protection of senior citizens.
* It mandates agencies and other relevant institutions and organizations to adopt gender and development mainstreaming as a strategy to eliminate discrimination in their structures,' systems, policies, programs, processes and procedures and to ensure the effective implementation of this Act.
* It provides for the creation of a gender and development otiibud, which shall among others, investigate or hear administrative complaints involving the possible violations of this proposed Act.
* It provides incentives and awards to deserving entities which exemplify outstanding performance in promoting, fulfilling and upholding the rights of women.
Written by: Grace Bernabe
(taken from www.ncrfw.gov.ph)
National Situation
* The Magna Carta of Women aims to respond to the situation and needs of half of the Philippine population. A quick glance at the situation of Filipino women reveals the following information:
* Population Size. There were 76.5 million Filipinos in May 2000, and estimated to reach 88 million in 2007. 37.9 million or 49.6% of the 2000 total population are females, with 21.6 million women (57% of total females) in their productive and child-bearing age. (NSO 2007)
* Health and Nutrition. The 2003 NDHS revealed that there has only been a 2% increase in the number of women who sought prenatal care from doctors/nurses/midwives, from 85.7% in 1998 to 87.6% in 2003, resulting in high number of at-risk pregnancies and births. Thus, maternal mortality rate remains high at 162 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births. (DOH 2005) The National Statistics Office revealed in March 2007 that unless health program implementers redouble their efforts, the MDG target of reducing maternal rate to only 53 deaths per 100,000 live births (or a 75% decrease) by 2015 cannot be achieved.
*Infant mortality or the number of infants who die before reaching the age of one registered at 24 per 1,000 live births in 2006, while the number of young children who die before reaching the age of 5 registered at 32 per 1,000 live births, still at a considerable distance from the Millenium Development Goal of 21 deaths per 1,000 live births. (NSO 2006)
* The Filipino woman's desired number of children is 2.5. However, the actual fertility rate is 3.5 children or a difference of one child. This difference is due mainly to the lack of information on and access to family planning services. (NSO, NDHS 2003)
* Only 49.3% of women use any method of contraception, with the use of the pill as the leading contraceptive method, followed by female sterilization, and the calendar rhythm. Condoms, even though widely distributed, accounted for only 1.9% of the total usage. (NSO-FPS 2005)
* The current unmet need for contraceptives is 23.15% for poor women and 13.6% for women who are not poor. The use of modern family planning methods increases with the increase in the level of education of women. (NDHS 2003)
* Education and Training. 55% of the total enrollees 2003-2004 were females. (DepEd,2004)
* The literacy rate of females 10 years old and older is 86.3% compared to 81.9% for males in the same age. (Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey, 2003)
* More women have been able to finish elementary and secondary schooling in accordance with the required number of years for each level. The elementary completion rate of females was 66.9% while the comparative figure for males was only 57.8%. The secondary education completion rate of females was 63.7% compared to 48.8% for males. (FLEMMS 2003)
* There are considerably more women licensed professionals. From 2000-2003, women accounted for 65% of the total passers in professional board examinations.
* Labor and Employment. Despite women's higher educational attainment, their labor force participation rate is low at 48.8% compared to 79,.1% of males. (NSO 2007)
* Gender tracking in employment continues; women still dominate occupation groups that may be considered as extension of their reproductive roles in the home such as home management and professional services, while men are still largely located in mechanized and heavy industries.
* In October 2004, men account for 60.9% of the officials in government, corporate executives, managers, and managing proprietors and supervisors, compared to 39.1 % for females in the same occupation group. Meanwhile, females dominate the clerks occupation group with 63.1% compared to 36.9% for males. (NSO 2006)
* 56% unpaid family worker are women, while 64% of wage and salary workers and 67% of own account workers are men.
* Overseas Employment. The number of overseas Filipino workers is generally increasing for both sexes.
* There is almost an equal level of participation between women and men. But the context of their participation is very much different. In 2004, women accounted for 51% of the total number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) yet their average monthly cash remittance represents only 57% of the Php 74,267 million average cash remittance of Filipino men. This is because Filipino women are likely to end up in jobs that are low-paying and often unprotected.
* Politics and Governance. Women make up the majority of the government bureaucracy, accounting for 57.6%, but they are mostly in the technical or second level positions and seem unable to break through the glass ceiling. Meanwhile, men are likely to be clerks or managers/executives. Only about 30% of those in third level positions are women. (CSC 2004)
* In 2004, the average proportion of women in key elected posts was no more than 17%.
* There is still a need to broaden the base of women's participation in local governance and political decision-making. Specifically at the sanggunians, women comprise only 15% of councilors compared to men who comprise 85%. (COMELEC: 1992-2001)
* Violence Against Women (VAW). Reported cases to the police increased six-fold, 1,100 in 1996 to 6, 505 in 2005. The highest recorded number of cases peaked in 2001 at 10,345. Atotal of 5,758 VAW cases have been reported to the police in 2006. (PNP 2006)
* The police report shows that physical injury is the most common type of reported VAW case, accounting for 38.86% of the cases, while cases of violence against women in domestic and intimate relationships rank second, accounting for 26.07% of VAW cases. Rape accounts for 16.65% of VAW cases.
Legislative "Herstory"
* The first version of the Magna Carta of Women was filed during the 13th Congress, principally by Rep. Josefina Joson and initially titled 'Magna Carta for Women'. A TWG composed of a number of government agencies and NGOs was formed to enhance the bill.
* In a bid to make the Magna Carta of Women a priority bill of the administration, the NCRFW consulted with Fr. Romeo Intengan regarding the acceptability of the provisions relating to women's health. Revisions were made according to the suggestions of Fr. Intengan which were incorporated in the revisions introduced by the House Committee on Women.
* The substitute bill, HB 5285 reached 2'6 Reading in the House of Representatives, pending debate or interpellation.
* The Study and Action Core Group (SACG) composed of PILIPINA as convenor and other women's NGOs and POs, NCRFW and a number of government representatives from the NCRFW, the Supreme Court, and staffs of legislators, were established initially to study how the CEDAW can be translated into a national legislation. It was on the first meeting of the SACG that the decision to incorporate in the Magna Carta of Women the essential provisions of CEDAW that eliminate discrimination against women and promote women's rights.
* Senator Jamby Madrigal, chair of the Committee on Women called a TWG meeting in the last months of the 13th Congress to discuss the Magna Carta.
* Senator Sergio Osmena filed the Magna Carta for Women Bill near the close of the 13th Congress.
* As of this writing, two Magna Carta of Women bills have been filed in the House of Representatives for the 14th Congress, namely HB 164 authored by Reps. Juan Edgardo Angara and Mary Ann Susano, and HB 797 authored by Rep. Ma. Isabelle Climaco.
Salient Features
The Philippines is duty-bound to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), specifically the UN CEDAW Committee's Concluding Comments, which among others, urges the government to (1) enact a comprehensive legal framework for the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment, specifically to ensure the Convention's applicability and/or translation into the national legal system, and (2) strengthen the national machinery for the advancement of women and provide it with the authority, decision-making power and human and financial resources necessary to work effectively to promote gender equality. To holistically and effectively address the concerns of women, the NCRFW advocates for a Magna Carta of Women that has the following essential features:
* It recognizes the role of women in nation building and ensures the substantive equality of women and men. It condemns discrimination against women in all its forms and pursues all appropriate means to eliminate discrimination against women, in accordance with the provisions of CEDAW.
* It ensures the fulfillment of the human rights of women provided for in other international treaties and national laws such as (a) protection from violence, (b) participation and representation in all spheres of society, especially policy- and decision-making in private and government entities, (c) equal treatment before the law, (d) equal access to and elimination of discrimination in education, scholarships and training, (e) access to information and services related to women's health, and (f) equal rights in all matters relating to marriage and family relations.
* It recognizes that women from the following groups are marginalized and therefore entitled to special measures to guarantee their social and cultural well�being and accelerate the efforts to attain gender equality: (a) small farmers and rural workers; (b) fishers; (c) urban poor; (d) workers in the formal economy; (e) workers in the informal economy; (f) migrant workers; (g) indigenous peoples; (h) Moro; (i) girl-children; (j) senior citizens; (k) persons with disabilities; (l) lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders; and (m) solo parents.
* It recognizes women's, especially marginalized women's rights to (a) food and resources to food production, (b) housing, (c) livelihood, credit, capital and technology, (d) education and training, (e) participation and representation, (f) information, (g) social protection, (h) recognition and preservation of cultural identity/integrity, (i) peace and development, (j) protection of girl-children, and (k) protection of senior citizens.
* It mandates agencies and other relevant institutions and organizations to adopt gender and development mainstreaming as a strategy to eliminate discrimination in their structures,' systems, policies, programs, processes and procedures and to ensure the effective implementation of this Act.
* It provides for the creation of a gender and development otiibud, which shall among others, investigate or hear administrative complaints involving the possible violations of this proposed Act.
* It provides incentives and awards to deserving entities which exemplify outstanding performance in promoting, fulfilling and upholding the rights of women.
Written by: Grace Bernabe
Monday, February 16, 2009
Phlippine Laws that Affect Women
Taken from www.ncrfw.gov.ph, the website of the National Commission on the Role of the Filipino Women
EMPLOYMENT/ECONOMIC
Commonwealth Act No. 647
"AN ACT TO GRANT MATERNITY LEAVE TO MARRIED WOMEN WHO ARE IN THE SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OR OF ANY OF ITS INSTRUMENTALITIES"
Signed: June 14, 1941
Labor Code of the Philippines - 1997 ed.
(Selected Articles)
Presidential Decree No. 148
"AMENDING FURTHER CERTAIN SECTIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINE AS AMENDED, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE WOMAN AND CHILD LABOR LAW"
Signed: March 13, 1973
"AN ACT GRANTING MATERNITY LEAVE TO WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE UNDER TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS WHO HAVE RENDERED LESS THAN TWO YEARS OF SERVICE, BY AMENDING COMMONWEALTH ACT NUMBERED SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN AS AMENDED
Signed: June 16, 1956
Republic Act No. 2714
"AN ACT TO ESTABLISH IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR A BUREAU TO BE KNOWN AS WOMEN AND MINORS BUREAU
Signed: June 18, 1960
Republic Act No. 6237
"AN ACT FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINE, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED ELEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE (re Woman and Child Labor Law)
Signed: June 19, 1971
Republic Act No. 6657
"AN ACT INSTITUTING A COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM TO PROMOTE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INDUSTRIALIZATION PROVIDING THE MECHANISM FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: June 10, 1988
It guarantees and assures equal rights to land ownership, equal share on farm produce and representation in advisory or appropriate decision-making bodies to qualified women.
Republic Act No. 6725
"AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE PROHIBITION ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN WITH RESPECT TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE OF THE LABOR CODE, AS AMENDED"
Signed: May 12, 1989
It strengthens the prohibition of discrimination against women in employment, promotion and training opportunities
Republic Act No. 7322
"AN ACT INCREASING MATERNITY BENEFITS IN FAVOR OF WOMEN WORKERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 14-A OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1161, AS AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: March 30, 1992
This Act increased maternity benefits of women workers in the private sector from the 45-day to 60-day benefit equivalent.
Guidelines: Social Security System Circular No. 15-V
Republic Act No. 7655
"AN ACT INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE OF HOUSEHELPERS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLE 143 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 442, AS AMENDED"
Signed: August 19, 1993
It increases the minimum wage of domestic house helpers to P800 and makes social security available to them.
Republic Act No. 7882
"AN ACT PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO WOMEN ENGAGING IN MICRO AND COTTAGE BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES" Signed: February 20, 1995
This provides assistance to women, particularly those who own small businesses and those who have proven themselves to have good track records in their respective businesses in order to fully harness the talents and skills of our female labor force.
Republic Act No. 8042
"AN ACT TO INSTITUTE THE POLICIES OF OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT AND ESTABLISH A HIGHER STANDARD OF PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF THE WELFARE OF MIGRANT WORKERS, THEIR FAMILIES AND OVERSEAS FILIPINOS IN DISTRESS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995
Signed: June 7, 1995
This Act authorizes the granting of small loans to women for the purchase of necessary tools or equipment for the businesses of their choice and provides free technical training under the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC), now TESDA.
Republic Act No. 8187
"AN ACT GRANTING PATERNITY LEAVE OF SEVEN (7) DAYS WITH FULLPAY TO ALL MARRIED EMPLOYEES IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS FOR THE FIRST FOUR (4) DELIVERIES OF THE LEGITIMATE SPOUSE WITH WHOM HE IS COHABITING AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Paternity Leave Act of 1996
Signed: June 11, 1996
This Act allows every married male employee in the private and public sectors not to work for seven days but continues to earn his compensation on the condition that his legitimate spouse has delivered a child or suffered a miscarriage for purposes of enabling him to effectively lend support to his wife in her period of recovery and/or in the nursing of the newly-born child.
Republic Act No. 8289
"AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF, AND ASSISTANCE TO SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES, AMENDING FOR THAT PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6977, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "MAGNA CARTA FOR SMALL ENTERPRISES" AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: May 6, 1997
Republic Act No. 8425
"AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE SOCIAL REFORM AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAM, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE NATIONAL ANTI-POVERTY COMMISSION, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act
Signed: December 11, 1997
MARRIAGE/FAMILY
Act No. 3753
"LAW ON REGISTRY OF CIVIL STATUS"
Signed: June 22, 1963
Commonwealth Act No. 473
"AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ACQUISITION OF PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION, AND TO REPEAL ACTS NUMBERED TWENTY-NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN AND THIRTY-FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY-EIGHT
Executive Order No. 209
"THE FAMILY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES"
Signed: July 6, 1987
Presidential Decree No. 1083
A DECREE TO ORDAIN AND PROMULGATE A CODE RECOGNIZING THE SYSTEM OF FILIPINO MUSLIM LAWS, CODIFYING MUSLIM PERSONAL LAWS, AND PROVIDING FOR ITS ADMINISTRATION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Signed: February 4, 1977
Republic Act No. 6809
"AN ACT LOWERING THE AGE OF MAJORITY FROM TWENTY-ONE TO EIGHTEEN YEARS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBERED TWO HUNDRED NINE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: December 13, 1989
This act provides that emancipation shall take place at the age of 18; emancipation shall terminate parental authority over the person and property of the child who shall then be qualified and responsible for all acts of civil life.
Republic Act No. 8171
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE REPATRIATION OF FILIPINO WOMEN WHO HAVE LOST THEIR PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE TO ALIENS AND OF NATURAL-BORN FILIPINOS"
Signed: October 23, 1995
POLITICAL
Act No. 4112
"AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY-ONE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, AS AMENDED, BY GRANTING THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE TO THE WOMEN AND MAKING THEM ELIGIBLE TO ALL PUBLIC OFFICES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: December 7, 1933
Commonwealth Act No. 625
"AN ACT PROVIDING THE MANNER IN WHICH THE OPTION TO ELECT PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP SHALL BE DECLARED BY A PERSON WHOSE MOTHER IS A FILIPINO CITIZEN"
Signed: June 7, 1941
Republic Act No. 180
"THE REVISED ELECTION CODE"
Signed: June 21, 1947
Republic Act No. 7160
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991"
Also known as: Local Government Code (LGC)
Amended: 1991
The Local Government Code has been amended to provide seats for women in all of the 1,600 local legislative assemblies nationwide.
Republic Act No. 7941
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ELECTION OF PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATIVES THROUGH THE PARTY-LIST SYSTEM, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR"
Also known as: "Party-List System Act"
Signed: March 3, 1995
Provides for the election of party-list representatives through the party-list system and the inclusion of women in the sectoral party list.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE
Republic Act No. 6972
"AN ACT ESTABLISHING A DAY CARE CENTER IN EVERY BARANGAY, INSTITUTING THEREIN A TOTAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Barangay-Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act
Signed: November 23, 1990
R.A. 6972 establishes day care centers in every barangay to free women for other activities such as taking a job or going back to school.
Guidelines:
*
Department Circular No. 06, Series of 1991
"Implementing Guidelines for Republic Act 6972"
*
Administrative Order No. 241, Series of 1993
"Guidelines in the Establishment Day Care Centers in Government and Private/Industrial Offices"
Republic Act No. 7305
"THE MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS"
Signed: March 26, 1992
Grants additional benefits to public health workers, majority of who are women. It also allows public health worker couples to be employed or assigned in the same municipality, thereby ensuring that married female public health workers would not have to choose between family and career.
Republic Act No. 7600
"AN ACT PROVIDING INCENTIVES TO ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HEALTH INSTITUTIONS WITH ROOMING-IN AND BREASTFEEDING PRACTICES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: The Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act of 1992 Signed: 1992
This provides an environment where basic physical, emotional, and psychological needs of mothers and infants immediately after birth are fulfilled through the practice of rooming-in and breastfeeding.
Republic Act No. 7688
"AN ACT GIVING REPRESENTATION TO WOMEN IN THE SOCIAL SECURITY COMMISSION, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 3(A) OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1161, AS AMENDED"
Signed: March 03, 1994
This gives representation to women in the Social Security Commission.
Republic Act No. 7875
"AN ACT INSTITUTING A NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR ALL FILIPINOS AND ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH INSURANCE CORPORATION FOR THE PURPOSE"
Signed: February 14, 1995
The NHI Law establishes the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and also aims to improve the implementation and coverage of the old Medicare program by including the self-employed and the poor who cannot otherwise avail of health insurance. This law sets priority for the needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children.
Republic Act No. 7883
"AN ACT GRANTING BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES TO ACCREDITED BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: "Barangay Health Workers’ Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995"
Signed: February 20, 1995
Republic Act No. 7884
"AN ACT CREATING THE NATIONAL DAIRY AUTHORITY TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES, PROVIDING FOR A DAIRY DEVELOPMENT FUND, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: "National Dairy Development Act of 1995"
Signed: February 20, 1995
Encourages the participation of women’s groups in dairy and dairy-related projects including dairy animal health care, village nutrition schemes, community-based processing and marketing of milk and dairy products.
Republic Act No. 8044
"AN ACT CREATING THE NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION, ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE AND COORDINATED PROGRAM ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Youth in Nation-Building Act"
Signed: June 07, 1995
An Act creating the National Youth Commission, a body tasked to plan, oversee and implement a national integrated youth plan, a component of which is the development of the Medium-Term Philippine Youth Development Plan, a companion to the national development plan.
Republic Act No. 8505
"AN ACT PROVIDING ASSISTANCE AND PROTECTION FOR RAPE VICTIMS, ESTABLISHING FOR THE PURPOSE A RAPE CRISIS CENTER IN EVERY PROVINCE AND CITY, AUTHORIZING THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Rape Victim Assistance and Protection Act of 1998-03-24
Signed: February 13, 1998
EDUCATION
Republic Act No. 6655
"AN ACT ESTABLISHING AND PROVIDING FOR A FREE PUBLIC SECONDARY EDUCATION"
Also known as: Free Public Secondary Education Act of 1988
Signed: May 26, 1988
Republic Act No. 7077
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, ADMINISTRATION, ORGANIZATION, TRAINING, MAINTENANCE AND UTILIZATION OF THE CITIZEN ARMED FORCE OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: "Citizen Armed Force or Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act"
Signed: June 27, 1991
Republic Act No. 7323
"AN ACT TO HELP POOR BUT DESERVING STUDENTS PURSUE THEIR EDUCATION BY ENCOURAGING THEIR EMPLOYMENT DURING SUMMER AND/OR CHRISTMAS VACATIONS, THROUGH INCENTIVES GRANTED TO EMPLOYEES, ALLOWING THEM TO PAY ONLY SIXTY PER CENTUM OF THEIR SALARIES OR WAGES AND THE FORTY PER CENTUM THROUGH EDUCATION VOUCHERS TO BE PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT, PROHIBITING AND PENALIZING THE FILING OF FRAUDULENT OR FICTITIOUS CLAIMS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: March 30, 1992
Republic Act No. 7796
"AN ACT CREATING THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, PROVIDING FOR ITS POWERS, STRUCTURE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994 or the "TESDA Act of 1994"
Signed: August 23, 1994
This Act provides technical education and skills development opportunities to the development of high-quality Filipino middle-level manpower with the active participation of the private enterprises (e.g. those in the production, manufacturing, processing, repacking or assembly of goods).
Guidelines:
*
Rules and Regulations Implementing the TESDA Act of 1994
Republic Act No. 7836
"AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE REGULATION AND SUPERVISION OF THE PRACTICE OF TEACHING IN THE PHILIPPINES AND PRESCRIBING A LICENSURE EXAMINATION FOR TEACHERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994
Signed: December 16, 1994
CRIMINAL
Republic Act No. 1224
"AN ACT AMENDING SECTION ONE OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED NINE HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHT, AS AMENDED"
Republic Act No. 6955
"AN ACT TO DECLARE UNLAWFUL THE PRACTICE OF MATCHING FILIPINO WOMEN FOR MARRIAGE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS ON A MAIL-ORDER BASIS AND OTHER SIMILAR PRACTICES, INCLUDING THE ADVERTISEMENT, PUBLICATION, PRINTING OR DISTRIBUTION OF BROCHURES, FLIERS AND OTHER PROPAGANDA MATERIALS IN FURTHERANCE THEREOF AND PROVIDING PENALTY THEREFOR"
Signed: June 13, 1990
Bans marriage matching for a fee as well as exportation of domestic workers to certain countries which cannot ensure the protection of their rights. Fiances of foreign nationals are required to attend guidance and counseling sessions through a Department of Foreign Affairs order so as to minimize inter-racial marital problems.
Republic Act No. 7309
"AN ACT CREATING A BOARD OF CLAIMS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF UNJUST IMPRISONMENT OR DETENTION AND VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIMES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: March 30, 1992
Guidelines:
*
Implementing Rules and Regulations
Republic Act No. 7659
"AN ACT TO IMPOSE THE DEATH PENALTY ON CERTAIN HEINOUS CRIMES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AS AMENDED, OTHER SPECIAL LAWS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: December 13, 1993.
Republic Act No. 7877
"AN ACT DECLARING SEXUAL HARASSMENT UNLAWFUL IN THE EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION OR TRAINING ENVIRONMENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995
Signed: February 14, 1995
The "Anti-Sexual Harassment Act" upholds the State policy to value the dignity of every human individual, to guarantee full respect for human rights and to uphold the dignity of workers, employees and those seeking employment. It declares that all forms of work-related sexual harassment in the employment environment are unlawful.
Guidelines:
*
Civil Service Commission MC No. 19, S. of 1994
"POLICY ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE"
*
Civil Service Commission Resolution No. 956161
"RULES AND REGULATIONS PRESCRIBING PROCEDURES FOR THE RESOLUTION, SETTLEMENT OR PROSECUTION AND ADJUDICATION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASES"
*
Department of Labor and Employment Administrative Order No. 68
"AMENDING ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 80 "POLICY AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT"
Republic Act No. 8353
"AN ACT EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF THE CRIME OF RAPE, RECLASSIFYING THE SAME AS A CRIME AGAINST PERSONS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ACT NO. 3815, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: The Anti-Rape Law of 1997
Signed: September 30, 1997
Republic Act No. 8369
"AN ACT ESTABLISHING FAMILY COURTS, GRANTING THEM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL JURISDICTION OVER CHILD AND FAMILY CASES, AMENDING BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG 129, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Family Courts Act of 1997
Signed: October 28, 1997
GIRL CHILD
Presidential Decree No. 603
"THE CHILD AND YOUTH WELFARE CODE"
Signed: August 15, 1977
Republic Act No. 7610
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR STRONGER DETERRENCE AND SPECIAL PROTECTION AGAINST CHILD ABUSE, EXPLOITATION AND DISCRIMINATION, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR ITS VIOLATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act
Signed: June 17, 1992
It declares to be the policy of the State to provide special protection to children from all forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation and discrimination, and other conditions prejudicial to their development; provide sanctions for their commission and carry out a program for prevention and deterrence of and crisis intervention in situations of child abuse, exploitation and discrimination
Republic Act No. 7658
"AN ACT PROHIBITING THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN BELOW 15 YEARS OF AGE IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNDERTAKINGS, AMENDING FOR ITS PURPOSE SECTION 12, ARTICLE VIII OF R.A. 7610"
Signed: November 9, 1993
Guideline:
*
Department of Labor and Employment Department Order No. 18
"Rules and Regulations Implementing RA 7658"
Republic Act No. 8296
"AN ACT DECLARING EVERY SECOND SUNDAY OF DECEMBER AS THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S BROADCASTING DAY"
Signed: June 6, 1997
Republic Act No. 8370
"CHILDREN’S TELEVISION ACT OF 1997"
Also known as: Children’s Television Act of 1997
Signed: October 28, 1997
GENERAL PURPOSES
THE CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES (1996 Rev. Ed.)
1987 CONSTITUTION
Presidential Decree No. 633
"CREATING A NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE ROLE OF FILIPINO WOMEN"
Republic Act No. 6949
"AN ACT TO DECLARE MARCH EIGHT OF EVERY YEAR AS A WORKING SPECIAL HOLIDAY TO BE KNOWN AS NATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY"
Signed: April 10, 1990
It directs all heads of government agencies and employers in the private sector to encourage and afford sufficient time and opportunities for their employees to engage and participate in any activity to celebrate National Women’s Day.
Republic Act No. 7192
"AN ACT PROMOTING THE INTEGRATION OF WOMEN AS FULL AND EQUAL PARTNERS OF MEN IN DEVELOPMENT AND NATION BUILDING AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known also: Women in Development and Nation Building Act
Signed: December 11, 1991
This provides equal opportunities for women in all military schools of the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police. It also provides equal rights in entering into contracts and loan agreements and in joining social and cultural clubs. Household managers can avail of social security services through their working spouses. Moreover, it ensures that a substantial portion of foreign assistance funds be allocated to support programs for women.
Guideline:
*
"Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for Sections 2, 3, and 4 of RA 7192
Republic Act No. 7277
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE REHABILITATION, SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-RELIANCE OF DISABLED PERSONS AND THEIR INTEGRATION INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF SOCIETY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Republic Act No. 7432
"AN ACT TO MAXIMIZE THE CONTRIBUTION OF SENIOR CITIZENS TO NATION BUILDING, GRANT BENEFITS AND SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: April 23, 1992
Republic Act No. 8250
"AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES FROM JANUARY ONE TO DECEMBER THIRTY ONE, NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: "General Appropriations Act of 1997"
Signed: February 12, 1997
Republic Act No. 8371
"AN ACT TO RECOGNIZE, PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS CULTURAL COMMUNITIES/ INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, CREATING A NATIONAL COMMISSION ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, ESTABLISHING IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997
Signed: October 29, 1997
Republic Act No. 8522
"AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES FROM JANUARY ONE TO DECEMBER THIRTY ONE, NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: "General Appropriations Act of 1998"
Signed: February 14, 1998
Guideline:
*
Department of Budget and Management, National Economic and Development Authority, National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women - Joint Circular No. 01-98 (6 March 1998) - "Guidelines to Implement Policies on Budgeting for Gender and Development (GAD)"
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
GENERAL
Executive Order No. 51
"ADOPTING A NATIONAL CODE OF MARKETING OF BREASTMILK SUBSTITUTES, BREASTMILK SUPPLEMENTS AND RELATED PRODUCTS, PENALIZING VIOLATIONS THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Executive Order No. 231
"CREATING THE PRESIDENTIAL FACT-FINDING AND POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSION ON THE PROTECTION OF OVERSEAS FILIPINOS"
Signed: March 20, 1995
Executive Order No. 329
"DESIGNATING THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN OF THE PHILIPPINES (NCWP) AS ONE OF THE LEAD MONITORING ARM OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS) FOR THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR ACTION AND THE PHILIPPINE PLAN FOR GENDER-RESPONSIVE DEVELOPMENT IN THE NGO AND PRIVATE SECTOR"
Signed: May 7, 1996
Executive Order No. 368
"AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER 356 DATED 12 AUGUST 1996 WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES ON THE INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS TO FAST-TRACK SRA LOCALIZATION, TO INCLUDE THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE ROLE OF FILIPINO WOMEN IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIAL REFORM COUNCIL"
Signed: September 5, 1996
Executive Order No. 443
"PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED DELIVERY OF SOCIAL SERVICES AS THE NATIONAL DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR THE MINIMUM BASIC NEEDS (MBN)
Signed: September 24, 1997
NCRFW
Executive Order No. 208
"FURTHER DEFINING THE COMPOSITION, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE ROLE OF FILIPINO WOMEN"
Signed: October 10, 1994
Executive Order No. 268
"AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 208 (S. 1995) ENTITLED "FURTHER DEFINING THE COMPOSITION, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE ROLE OF FILIPINO WOMEN"
Signed: August 4, 1995
PDPW/PPGD
Executive Order No. 273
"APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE PHILIPPINE PLAN FOR GENDER-RESPONSIVE DEVELOPMENT, 1995 TO 2025"
Signed: September 8, 1995
Executive Order No. 348
"APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR WOMEN FOR 1992"
Signed: February 17, 1989
Guideline:
*
NCRFW Memorandum Order No. 89-1
"Implementing Guidelines for the Philippine Development Plan for Women (PDPW)"
PROCLAMATIONS
Proclamation No. 731
"DECLARING THE SECOND WEEK OF FEBRUARY OF EVERY YEAR AS "NATIONAL AWARENESS WEEK FOR THE PREVENTION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION"
Signed: February 5, 1996
Proclamation No. 759
"DECLARING THE FOURTH WEEK OF MARCH 1996 AS "PROTECTION AND GENDER-FAIR TREATMENT OF THE GIRL CHILD WEEK"
Signed: March 6, 1996
Proclamation No. 847
"DECLARING EVERY 4TH SUNDAY OF SEPTEMBER AS FAMILY THANKSGIVING DAY"
Signed: August 12, 1996
Proclamation No. 976
"DECLARING THE PERIOD JANUARY TO DECEMBER 1997 AS THE ANTI-MIGRANT TRAFFICKING YEAR"
Signed: February 25, 1997
Proclamation No. 1105
"DECLARING OCTOBER 15, 1997, AND OF EVERY YEAR THEREAFTER, AS "NATIONAL RURAL WOMEN’S DAY"
Signed: October 10, 1997
EMPLOYMENT/ECONOMIC
Commonwealth Act No. 647
"AN ACT TO GRANT MATERNITY LEAVE TO MARRIED WOMEN WHO ARE IN THE SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OR OF ANY OF ITS INSTRUMENTALITIES"
Signed: June 14, 1941
Labor Code of the Philippines - 1997 ed.
(Selected Articles)
Presidential Decree No. 148
"AMENDING FURTHER CERTAIN SECTIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINE AS AMENDED, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE WOMAN AND CHILD LABOR LAW"
Signed: March 13, 1973
"AN ACT GRANTING MATERNITY LEAVE TO WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE UNDER TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS WHO HAVE RENDERED LESS THAN TWO YEARS OF SERVICE, BY AMENDING COMMONWEALTH ACT NUMBERED SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN AS AMENDED
Signed: June 16, 1956
Republic Act No. 2714
"AN ACT TO ESTABLISH IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR A BUREAU TO BE KNOWN AS WOMEN AND MINORS BUREAU
Signed: June 18, 1960
Republic Act No. 6237
"AN ACT FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINE, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED ELEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE (re Woman and Child Labor Law)
Signed: June 19, 1971
Republic Act No. 6657
"AN ACT INSTITUTING A COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM TO PROMOTE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INDUSTRIALIZATION PROVIDING THE MECHANISM FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: June 10, 1988
It guarantees and assures equal rights to land ownership, equal share on farm produce and representation in advisory or appropriate decision-making bodies to qualified women.
Republic Act No. 6725
"AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE PROHIBITION ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN WITH RESPECT TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE OF THE LABOR CODE, AS AMENDED"
Signed: May 12, 1989
It strengthens the prohibition of discrimination against women in employment, promotion and training opportunities
Republic Act No. 7322
"AN ACT INCREASING MATERNITY BENEFITS IN FAVOR OF WOMEN WORKERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 14-A OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1161, AS AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: March 30, 1992
This Act increased maternity benefits of women workers in the private sector from the 45-day to 60-day benefit equivalent.
Guidelines: Social Security System Circular No. 15-V
Republic Act No. 7655
"AN ACT INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE OF HOUSEHELPERS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLE 143 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 442, AS AMENDED"
Signed: August 19, 1993
It increases the minimum wage of domestic house helpers to P800 and makes social security available to them.
Republic Act No. 7882
"AN ACT PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO WOMEN ENGAGING IN MICRO AND COTTAGE BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES" Signed: February 20, 1995
This provides assistance to women, particularly those who own small businesses and those who have proven themselves to have good track records in their respective businesses in order to fully harness the talents and skills of our female labor force.
Republic Act No. 8042
"AN ACT TO INSTITUTE THE POLICIES OF OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT AND ESTABLISH A HIGHER STANDARD OF PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF THE WELFARE OF MIGRANT WORKERS, THEIR FAMILIES AND OVERSEAS FILIPINOS IN DISTRESS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995
Signed: June 7, 1995
This Act authorizes the granting of small loans to women for the purchase of necessary tools or equipment for the businesses of their choice and provides free technical training under the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC), now TESDA.
Republic Act No. 8187
"AN ACT GRANTING PATERNITY LEAVE OF SEVEN (7) DAYS WITH FULLPAY TO ALL MARRIED EMPLOYEES IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS FOR THE FIRST FOUR (4) DELIVERIES OF THE LEGITIMATE SPOUSE WITH WHOM HE IS COHABITING AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Paternity Leave Act of 1996
Signed: June 11, 1996
This Act allows every married male employee in the private and public sectors not to work for seven days but continues to earn his compensation on the condition that his legitimate spouse has delivered a child or suffered a miscarriage for purposes of enabling him to effectively lend support to his wife in her period of recovery and/or in the nursing of the newly-born child.
Republic Act No. 8289
"AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF, AND ASSISTANCE TO SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES, AMENDING FOR THAT PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6977, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "MAGNA CARTA FOR SMALL ENTERPRISES" AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: May 6, 1997
Republic Act No. 8425
"AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE SOCIAL REFORM AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAM, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE NATIONAL ANTI-POVERTY COMMISSION, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act
Signed: December 11, 1997
MARRIAGE/FAMILY
Act No. 3753
"LAW ON REGISTRY OF CIVIL STATUS"
Signed: June 22, 1963
Commonwealth Act No. 473
"AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ACQUISITION OF PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION, AND TO REPEAL ACTS NUMBERED TWENTY-NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN AND THIRTY-FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY-EIGHT
Executive Order No. 209
"THE FAMILY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES"
Signed: July 6, 1987
Presidential Decree No. 1083
A DECREE TO ORDAIN AND PROMULGATE A CODE RECOGNIZING THE SYSTEM OF FILIPINO MUSLIM LAWS, CODIFYING MUSLIM PERSONAL LAWS, AND PROVIDING FOR ITS ADMINISTRATION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Signed: February 4, 1977
Republic Act No. 6809
"AN ACT LOWERING THE AGE OF MAJORITY FROM TWENTY-ONE TO EIGHTEEN YEARS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBERED TWO HUNDRED NINE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: December 13, 1989
This act provides that emancipation shall take place at the age of 18; emancipation shall terminate parental authority over the person and property of the child who shall then be qualified and responsible for all acts of civil life.
Republic Act No. 8171
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE REPATRIATION OF FILIPINO WOMEN WHO HAVE LOST THEIR PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE TO ALIENS AND OF NATURAL-BORN FILIPINOS"
Signed: October 23, 1995
POLITICAL
Act No. 4112
"AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY-ONE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, AS AMENDED, BY GRANTING THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE TO THE WOMEN AND MAKING THEM ELIGIBLE TO ALL PUBLIC OFFICES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: December 7, 1933
Commonwealth Act No. 625
"AN ACT PROVIDING THE MANNER IN WHICH THE OPTION TO ELECT PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP SHALL BE DECLARED BY A PERSON WHOSE MOTHER IS A FILIPINO CITIZEN"
Signed: June 7, 1941
Republic Act No. 180
"THE REVISED ELECTION CODE"
Signed: June 21, 1947
Republic Act No. 7160
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991"
Also known as: Local Government Code (LGC)
Amended: 1991
The Local Government Code has been amended to provide seats for women in all of the 1,600 local legislative assemblies nationwide.
Republic Act No. 7941
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ELECTION OF PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATIVES THROUGH THE PARTY-LIST SYSTEM, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR"
Also known as: "Party-List System Act"
Signed: March 3, 1995
Provides for the election of party-list representatives through the party-list system and the inclusion of women in the sectoral party list.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE
Republic Act No. 6972
"AN ACT ESTABLISHING A DAY CARE CENTER IN EVERY BARANGAY, INSTITUTING THEREIN A TOTAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Barangay-Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act
Signed: November 23, 1990
R.A. 6972 establishes day care centers in every barangay to free women for other activities such as taking a job or going back to school.
Guidelines:
*
Department Circular No. 06, Series of 1991
"Implementing Guidelines for Republic Act 6972"
*
Administrative Order No. 241, Series of 1993
"Guidelines in the Establishment Day Care Centers in Government and Private/Industrial Offices"
Republic Act No. 7305
"THE MAGNA CARTA OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS"
Signed: March 26, 1992
Grants additional benefits to public health workers, majority of who are women. It also allows public health worker couples to be employed or assigned in the same municipality, thereby ensuring that married female public health workers would not have to choose between family and career.
Republic Act No. 7600
"AN ACT PROVIDING INCENTIVES TO ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HEALTH INSTITUTIONS WITH ROOMING-IN AND BREASTFEEDING PRACTICES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: The Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act of 1992 Signed: 1992
This provides an environment where basic physical, emotional, and psychological needs of mothers and infants immediately after birth are fulfilled through the practice of rooming-in and breastfeeding.
Republic Act No. 7688
"AN ACT GIVING REPRESENTATION TO WOMEN IN THE SOCIAL SECURITY COMMISSION, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 3(A) OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1161, AS AMENDED"
Signed: March 03, 1994
This gives representation to women in the Social Security Commission.
Republic Act No. 7875
"AN ACT INSTITUTING A NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR ALL FILIPINOS AND ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH INSURANCE CORPORATION FOR THE PURPOSE"
Signed: February 14, 1995
The NHI Law establishes the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and also aims to improve the implementation and coverage of the old Medicare program by including the self-employed and the poor who cannot otherwise avail of health insurance. This law sets priority for the needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children.
Republic Act No. 7883
"AN ACT GRANTING BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES TO ACCREDITED BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: "Barangay Health Workers’ Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995"
Signed: February 20, 1995
Republic Act No. 7884
"AN ACT CREATING THE NATIONAL DAIRY AUTHORITY TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES, PROVIDING FOR A DAIRY DEVELOPMENT FUND, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: "National Dairy Development Act of 1995"
Signed: February 20, 1995
Encourages the participation of women’s groups in dairy and dairy-related projects including dairy animal health care, village nutrition schemes, community-based processing and marketing of milk and dairy products.
Republic Act No. 8044
"AN ACT CREATING THE NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION, ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE AND COORDINATED PROGRAM ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Youth in Nation-Building Act"
Signed: June 07, 1995
An Act creating the National Youth Commission, a body tasked to plan, oversee and implement a national integrated youth plan, a component of which is the development of the Medium-Term Philippine Youth Development Plan, a companion to the national development plan.
Republic Act No. 8505
"AN ACT PROVIDING ASSISTANCE AND PROTECTION FOR RAPE VICTIMS, ESTABLISHING FOR THE PURPOSE A RAPE CRISIS CENTER IN EVERY PROVINCE AND CITY, AUTHORIZING THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Rape Victim Assistance and Protection Act of 1998-03-24
Signed: February 13, 1998
EDUCATION
Republic Act No. 6655
"AN ACT ESTABLISHING AND PROVIDING FOR A FREE PUBLIC SECONDARY EDUCATION"
Also known as: Free Public Secondary Education Act of 1988
Signed: May 26, 1988
Republic Act No. 7077
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, ADMINISTRATION, ORGANIZATION, TRAINING, MAINTENANCE AND UTILIZATION OF THE CITIZEN ARMED FORCE OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: "Citizen Armed Force or Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act"
Signed: June 27, 1991
Republic Act No. 7323
"AN ACT TO HELP POOR BUT DESERVING STUDENTS PURSUE THEIR EDUCATION BY ENCOURAGING THEIR EMPLOYMENT DURING SUMMER AND/OR CHRISTMAS VACATIONS, THROUGH INCENTIVES GRANTED TO EMPLOYEES, ALLOWING THEM TO PAY ONLY SIXTY PER CENTUM OF THEIR SALARIES OR WAGES AND THE FORTY PER CENTUM THROUGH EDUCATION VOUCHERS TO BE PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT, PROHIBITING AND PENALIZING THE FILING OF FRAUDULENT OR FICTITIOUS CLAIMS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: March 30, 1992
Republic Act No. 7796
"AN ACT CREATING THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, PROVIDING FOR ITS POWERS, STRUCTURE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994 or the "TESDA Act of 1994"
Signed: August 23, 1994
This Act provides technical education and skills development opportunities to the development of high-quality Filipino middle-level manpower with the active participation of the private enterprises (e.g. those in the production, manufacturing, processing, repacking or assembly of goods).
Guidelines:
*
Rules and Regulations Implementing the TESDA Act of 1994
Republic Act No. 7836
"AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE REGULATION AND SUPERVISION OF THE PRACTICE OF TEACHING IN THE PHILIPPINES AND PRESCRIBING A LICENSURE EXAMINATION FOR TEACHERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994
Signed: December 16, 1994
CRIMINAL
Republic Act No. 1224
"AN ACT AMENDING SECTION ONE OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED NINE HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHT, AS AMENDED"
Republic Act No. 6955
"AN ACT TO DECLARE UNLAWFUL THE PRACTICE OF MATCHING FILIPINO WOMEN FOR MARRIAGE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS ON A MAIL-ORDER BASIS AND OTHER SIMILAR PRACTICES, INCLUDING THE ADVERTISEMENT, PUBLICATION, PRINTING OR DISTRIBUTION OF BROCHURES, FLIERS AND OTHER PROPAGANDA MATERIALS IN FURTHERANCE THEREOF AND PROVIDING PENALTY THEREFOR"
Signed: June 13, 1990
Bans marriage matching for a fee as well as exportation of domestic workers to certain countries which cannot ensure the protection of their rights. Fiances of foreign nationals are required to attend guidance and counseling sessions through a Department of Foreign Affairs order so as to minimize inter-racial marital problems.
Republic Act No. 7309
"AN ACT CREATING A BOARD OF CLAIMS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF UNJUST IMPRISONMENT OR DETENTION AND VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIMES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: March 30, 1992
Guidelines:
*
Implementing Rules and Regulations
Republic Act No. 7659
"AN ACT TO IMPOSE THE DEATH PENALTY ON CERTAIN HEINOUS CRIMES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AS AMENDED, OTHER SPECIAL LAWS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: December 13, 1993.
Republic Act No. 7877
"AN ACT DECLARING SEXUAL HARASSMENT UNLAWFUL IN THE EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION OR TRAINING ENVIRONMENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995
Signed: February 14, 1995
The "Anti-Sexual Harassment Act" upholds the State policy to value the dignity of every human individual, to guarantee full respect for human rights and to uphold the dignity of workers, employees and those seeking employment. It declares that all forms of work-related sexual harassment in the employment environment are unlawful.
Guidelines:
*
Civil Service Commission MC No. 19, S. of 1994
"POLICY ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE"
*
Civil Service Commission Resolution No. 956161
"RULES AND REGULATIONS PRESCRIBING PROCEDURES FOR THE RESOLUTION, SETTLEMENT OR PROSECUTION AND ADJUDICATION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASES"
*
Department of Labor and Employment Administrative Order No. 68
"AMENDING ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 80 "POLICY AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT"
Republic Act No. 8353
"AN ACT EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF THE CRIME OF RAPE, RECLASSIFYING THE SAME AS A CRIME AGAINST PERSONS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ACT NO. 3815, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: The Anti-Rape Law of 1997
Signed: September 30, 1997
Republic Act No. 8369
"AN ACT ESTABLISHING FAMILY COURTS, GRANTING THEM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL JURISDICTION OVER CHILD AND FAMILY CASES, AMENDING BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG 129, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Family Courts Act of 1997
Signed: October 28, 1997
GIRL CHILD
Presidential Decree No. 603
"THE CHILD AND YOUTH WELFARE CODE"
Signed: August 15, 1977
Republic Act No. 7610
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR STRONGER DETERRENCE AND SPECIAL PROTECTION AGAINST CHILD ABUSE, EXPLOITATION AND DISCRIMINATION, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR ITS VIOLATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act
Signed: June 17, 1992
It declares to be the policy of the State to provide special protection to children from all forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation and discrimination, and other conditions prejudicial to their development; provide sanctions for their commission and carry out a program for prevention and deterrence of and crisis intervention in situations of child abuse, exploitation and discrimination
Republic Act No. 7658
"AN ACT PROHIBITING THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN BELOW 15 YEARS OF AGE IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNDERTAKINGS, AMENDING FOR ITS PURPOSE SECTION 12, ARTICLE VIII OF R.A. 7610"
Signed: November 9, 1993
Guideline:
*
Department of Labor and Employment Department Order No. 18
"Rules and Regulations Implementing RA 7658"
Republic Act No. 8296
"AN ACT DECLARING EVERY SECOND SUNDAY OF DECEMBER AS THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S BROADCASTING DAY"
Signed: June 6, 1997
Republic Act No. 8370
"CHILDREN’S TELEVISION ACT OF 1997"
Also known as: Children’s Television Act of 1997
Signed: October 28, 1997
GENERAL PURPOSES
THE CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES (1996 Rev. Ed.)
1987 CONSTITUTION
Presidential Decree No. 633
"CREATING A NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE ROLE OF FILIPINO WOMEN"
Republic Act No. 6949
"AN ACT TO DECLARE MARCH EIGHT OF EVERY YEAR AS A WORKING SPECIAL HOLIDAY TO BE KNOWN AS NATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY"
Signed: April 10, 1990
It directs all heads of government agencies and employers in the private sector to encourage and afford sufficient time and opportunities for their employees to engage and participate in any activity to celebrate National Women’s Day.
Republic Act No. 7192
"AN ACT PROMOTING THE INTEGRATION OF WOMEN AS FULL AND EQUAL PARTNERS OF MEN IN DEVELOPMENT AND NATION BUILDING AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known also: Women in Development and Nation Building Act
Signed: December 11, 1991
This provides equal opportunities for women in all military schools of the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police. It also provides equal rights in entering into contracts and loan agreements and in joining social and cultural clubs. Household managers can avail of social security services through their working spouses. Moreover, it ensures that a substantial portion of foreign assistance funds be allocated to support programs for women.
Guideline:
*
"Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for Sections 2, 3, and 4 of RA 7192
Republic Act No. 7277
"AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE REHABILITATION, SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-RELIANCE OF DISABLED PERSONS AND THEIR INTEGRATION INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF SOCIETY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Republic Act No. 7432
"AN ACT TO MAXIMIZE THE CONTRIBUTION OF SENIOR CITIZENS TO NATION BUILDING, GRANT BENEFITS AND SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Signed: April 23, 1992
Republic Act No. 8250
"AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES FROM JANUARY ONE TO DECEMBER THIRTY ONE, NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: "General Appropriations Act of 1997"
Signed: February 12, 1997
Republic Act No. 8371
"AN ACT TO RECOGNIZE, PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS CULTURAL COMMUNITIES/ INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, CREATING A NATIONAL COMMISSION ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, ESTABLISHING IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997
Signed: October 29, 1997
Republic Act No. 8522
"AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES FROM JANUARY ONE TO DECEMBER THIRTY ONE, NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Also known as: "General Appropriations Act of 1998"
Signed: February 14, 1998
Guideline:
*
Department of Budget and Management, National Economic and Development Authority, National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women - Joint Circular No. 01-98 (6 March 1998) - "Guidelines to Implement Policies on Budgeting for Gender and Development (GAD)"
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
GENERAL
Executive Order No. 51
"ADOPTING A NATIONAL CODE OF MARKETING OF BREASTMILK SUBSTITUTES, BREASTMILK SUPPLEMENTS AND RELATED PRODUCTS, PENALIZING VIOLATIONS THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
Executive Order No. 231
"CREATING THE PRESIDENTIAL FACT-FINDING AND POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSION ON THE PROTECTION OF OVERSEAS FILIPINOS"
Signed: March 20, 1995
Executive Order No. 329
"DESIGNATING THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN OF THE PHILIPPINES (NCWP) AS ONE OF THE LEAD MONITORING ARM OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS) FOR THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR ACTION AND THE PHILIPPINE PLAN FOR GENDER-RESPONSIVE DEVELOPMENT IN THE NGO AND PRIVATE SECTOR"
Signed: May 7, 1996
Executive Order No. 368
"AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER 356 DATED 12 AUGUST 1996 WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES ON THE INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS TO FAST-TRACK SRA LOCALIZATION, TO INCLUDE THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE ROLE OF FILIPINO WOMEN IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIAL REFORM COUNCIL"
Signed: September 5, 1996
Executive Order No. 443
"PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED DELIVERY OF SOCIAL SERVICES AS THE NATIONAL DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR THE MINIMUM BASIC NEEDS (MBN)
Signed: September 24, 1997
NCRFW
Executive Order No. 208
"FURTHER DEFINING THE COMPOSITION, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE ROLE OF FILIPINO WOMEN"
Signed: October 10, 1994
Executive Order No. 268
"AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 208 (S. 1995) ENTITLED "FURTHER DEFINING THE COMPOSITION, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE ROLE OF FILIPINO WOMEN"
Signed: August 4, 1995
PDPW/PPGD
Executive Order No. 273
"APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE PHILIPPINE PLAN FOR GENDER-RESPONSIVE DEVELOPMENT, 1995 TO 2025"
Signed: September 8, 1995
Executive Order No. 348
"APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR WOMEN FOR 1992"
Signed: February 17, 1989
Guideline:
*
NCRFW Memorandum Order No. 89-1
"Implementing Guidelines for the Philippine Development Plan for Women (PDPW)"
PROCLAMATIONS
Proclamation No. 731
"DECLARING THE SECOND WEEK OF FEBRUARY OF EVERY YEAR AS "NATIONAL AWARENESS WEEK FOR THE PREVENTION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION"
Signed: February 5, 1996
Proclamation No. 759
"DECLARING THE FOURTH WEEK OF MARCH 1996 AS "PROTECTION AND GENDER-FAIR TREATMENT OF THE GIRL CHILD WEEK"
Signed: March 6, 1996
Proclamation No. 847
"DECLARING EVERY 4TH SUNDAY OF SEPTEMBER AS FAMILY THANKSGIVING DAY"
Signed: August 12, 1996
Proclamation No. 976
"DECLARING THE PERIOD JANUARY TO DECEMBER 1997 AS THE ANTI-MIGRANT TRAFFICKING YEAR"
Signed: February 25, 1997
Proclamation No. 1105
"DECLARING OCTOBER 15, 1997, AND OF EVERY YEAR THEREAFTER, AS "NATIONAL RURAL WOMEN’S DAY"
Signed: October 10, 1997
Friday, February 13, 2009
Islam on Reproductive Health
When I learned that I was pregnant with my 2nd baby, Hussein, my 1st son, CJ, was at that time only nine months old. I was actually worried about plenty of things such as a baby who still needed all the attention I could give, morning sickness, pregnancy cramps, labor pains ( this really makes you want to literally kill the doctors and nurses who are having a typically normal conversation while they are watching over you in the delivery room), and the expenses another kid would bring at these financially difficult times. The thought of abortion somehow crept into my mind but knowing infanticide is an unforgivable grave sin in Islam and in other religions, that it would torture a woman in this life and in the next, and is completely against the laws of the country, I erased the thought completely. I knew also that the Holy Qur’an states Allah the Almighty has already provided for a baby the minute he or she is conceived. We just have to have faith in Him.
When the baby was born into the world, I was so glad that I did put my trust in God. Hussein turned out to be such a blessing to our family. And we did not have that much difficulty in raising the two kids. Somehow, we were able to provide the best to the both of them.
One of our countless projects of our office, the National Youth Commission, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Commission on Population, is on Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH). Although I’ve attended a few Reproductive Health (RH) seminars, it was only through this new project of our office that I understood RH in its truest sense. I was sent to a Trainers’ Training along with selected office mates of mine and our job was to go to identified municipalities nationwide and give information on ARH to youth leaders and Sangunniang Kabataan (SK) officers and members of those areas.
Because I was from Lanao del Sur, I was targeted to team-lead the training leg for the said province which made me worriedly exclaim, “Uh oh!” Knowing that RH was such a controversial topic and scorned by conservative religions, I did not know how I would explain this to my fellow Muslims, especially those who were so religious. If the Catholic Church was so much against RH, how much more the Muslims?
I voiced my fears to my office mate, Eddie Cuaresma, and he advised me to first know the sentiments of Muslim leaders and medical practitioners about RH before I tread on unsure territory. So, I prepared myself to interview key personnel who would help me with my dilemma.
I asked first employees from the Commission on Population how they inform Muslims about Family Planning. Ate Odette, a Christian from the PopCom central office said, “The Muslims approve of Reproductive Health. Actually, they came out with the Fatwah.” “The fat whom?” I asked, terribly ignorant of the Arabic word, Fatwah. “Fatwah means Official Ruling,” she said. “Muslims already have an official ruling on Reproductive Health.” (Imagine how red my face became, beet-red actually, after being informed by a Christian of an Arabic word!) Wanting to make sure if what Ate Odette said were true,I decided to scout and ask Muslims this time.
One day, at the SM City Shopping Mall in Cagayan de Oro, I saw my uncle, Councilor Abdani Alonto and his colleague, Councilor Railani Raki-in, having a cup of coffee. I intruded on their conversation and told them of my problem, that I was to discuss with some Muslim youth of Lanao del Sur about RH and yet, I am not at all sure if RH was Islamic or not. I envisioned with fear the participants either throwing tomatoes at me or walking out from the seminar room if they ask me to provide verses from the Qur’an about the acceptance of RH in Islam and I would have none to quote. Councilor Raki-in said his wife, Dr. Pinky Raki-in, is an employee of the Department of Health and was involved in such projects before. “Well, at least another Muslim was supporting the idea,” I thought to myself. Luckily, Dr. Raki-in arrived and told me that there is already the Fatwah. “There goes that word again,” I thought. My mission was then clear to me: I had to get hold of this Fatwah. Unfortunately, Dr. Raki—in did not bring with her a copy since she went to SM for other reasons and obviously, Reproductive Health was NOT one of them.
Arthur Ramas, a youth volunteer of our office, and formerly the National Youth Representative of the Family Planning of the Philippines (FPOP), heard of my problem. “I have a copy of the Fatwah, would you need it?” he asked. I was astonished because another non-Muslim knew about Fatwah and even had a copy of it! This is getting more embarrassing by the minute, I thought. The following day, he gave me a thin pamphlet entitled, Fatwah (Official Ruling) on Reproductive Health
and Family Planning by the Assembly of Darul-Iftah.
Reading the pamphlet, I found out that the Assembly of Darul-Iftah was a group of known Muslim leaders and scholars in the Philippines who made a series of dialogues regarding reproductive health. They were very much worried because according to statistics, in the Philippines, “ten women die everyday from cases related to pregnancy and childbirth.” According to the 1998 National Demographic and Health Survey, “maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is found highest in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Northern Mindanao at 200-300 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Infant mortality rate in ARMM is also very high at 55 deaths per 1,000 live births compared to the national rate of 35 deaths per 1,000 live births.”
Based on these findings, the Assembly agreed they had to help solve this problem affecting Muslim women and one way of doing this is to study the definition of Reproductive Health and then make a stand. They found out that RH recognizes that people have the capability to reproduce, the right to decide fully and responsibly the number and spacing of their children, the right to understand and enjoy their own sexuality within the legal frame of marriage, are entitled to have a satisfying and safe sex life (with the legitimate spouse surely!), and have the right to remain free of disease or death associated with their sexuality and reproduction. In this definition, they did not find anything objectionable and that nothing about this was un-Islamic. In fact, during the time of the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Azl ( withdrawal or coitus interruptus) was practiced by his followers and when news of this reached him, he did not forbid them and encouraged them to continue doing this if they still do not want to have babies. He even advised lactating mothers to breastfeed their babies for two years since this is good for the baby and according to him was an effective natural family planning method. Prophet Muhammad started the "Breastfeeding is still best for babies up to two years" campaign,and definitely not the infant formula makers.
I also learned that the Fatwah does not define Family Planning as abortion or birth control but it actually refers to birth or child spacing and that it should be a couple’s decision. According to the assembly, all methods of contraception are allowed as long as they are safe, legal, in accordance with the Shariah (Islamic law), and approved by a credible physician preferably a Muslim for the benefit of both the mother and the child. “The permissibility of family planning is for the welfare of the mother and the child and for the couple to raise saleh (goodly) children who are pious, healthy, educated, useful and well-behaved citizens,” they stated.
Abortion, is a big NO as in other religions. The Qur’an sates: And kill not your children for fear of want, We provide sustenance for them and for you, the killing of them is a great sin. (17:31)
The Assembly upholds Islam as a religion of quality and has encouraged its people to increase and populate the earth with the provision that their quality should not be compromised as implied by the Qur’an. Islam is a religion of ease as declared by the Almighty Allah when He said, “And He has not laid upon you in religion any hardship.” (22:78). Equipped with this verse, on the 22nd of November 2003 at Davao City, the Assembly then ruled unanimously “that reproductive health and family planning, as practiced under valid reasons and recognized necessities, are in accordance with the teachings of Islam.”
So RH can be practiced by Muslims but are all of them aware of this and do they practice family planning? Well, not all of them are knowledgeable of the Fatwah on RH but there are those who plan the number of children they have based on practicality brought about by the financial crisis we are currently facing.
Rosslaini Sinarimbo and Sandee Balindong are both working Muslim mothers. Ross works with the Department of Trade and Industry ARMM region in Cotabato City and Sandee at the Commission on Audit for Region 10 in Cagayan de Oro City. Both are practicing family planning methods. Ross has been using the injectable type for a year now while Sandee has been taking pills since 1998.
I asked them both why is it necessary to family plan these days. Ross said, “I would like to break the culture of dependency that exists in our society. For a poor country like ours, to have an average household member of six, you cannot imagine how they make both ends meet. But of course, some basic needs are sacrificed or at least, the quality. It is also very common that the responsibility of the parents in providing for the family is extended usually to the eldest child. In many cases that responsibility is also coupled with taking care and providing for the needs of the parents when they get old. So the eldest child is caught between his responsibility to his parents and siblings, and to his own wife and children. The cycle of dependency continues. In Islam, it is the responsibility of the parents to provide for their children and not the other way around. That is why we need to plan our family and also plan for our retirement age.”
Sandee said, “I take the pill primarily for health reasons. My three pregnancies have been performed through caesarian section therefore it is necessary to practice child spacing. Life is also very financially constraining these days. We have to plan for our kids’ future also. It is so difficult having babies yearly.”
As for me, yes, I do believe we need to have birth spacing for three purposes. First for practicality especially in this time of world economic crisis.
Second, for health reasons. Science says it would take two to three years for a woman’s reproductive organs to completely heal after a pregnancy. And for the women who give birth every year, I am not saying what you are doing is a mistake. In fact, I salute you for it is physically and mentally draining conceiving and raising kids and yet, you are able to do so. (Well, our children do have this power to erase all our worries and tiredness at the end of a long and difficult day.) It is actually a choice for one to plan the number of children but what is important is that we are informed of its consequences.
The third reason is, the lesser number of children, we have, the more we would be able to give them the good quality of life they deserve.
It is still up to a couple to plan the number of kids they would like to have. The important thing is in the end,they are contented with their decisions and these decisions would able to produce happy, healthy and harmonious children.
This piece is for the most beautiful creatures ever created, to the children of the world, especially my beautiful sons. With God as my witness, you occupy my mind every minute of the day and you guys will forever have my unconditional love and care.
When the baby was born into the world, I was so glad that I did put my trust in God. Hussein turned out to be such a blessing to our family. And we did not have that much difficulty in raising the two kids. Somehow, we were able to provide the best to the both of them.
One of our countless projects of our office, the National Youth Commission, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Commission on Population, is on Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH). Although I’ve attended a few Reproductive Health (RH) seminars, it was only through this new project of our office that I understood RH in its truest sense. I was sent to a Trainers’ Training along with selected office mates of mine and our job was to go to identified municipalities nationwide and give information on ARH to youth leaders and Sangunniang Kabataan (SK) officers and members of those areas.
Because I was from Lanao del Sur, I was targeted to team-lead the training leg for the said province which made me worriedly exclaim, “Uh oh!” Knowing that RH was such a controversial topic and scorned by conservative religions, I did not know how I would explain this to my fellow Muslims, especially those who were so religious. If the Catholic Church was so much against RH, how much more the Muslims?
I voiced my fears to my office mate, Eddie Cuaresma, and he advised me to first know the sentiments of Muslim leaders and medical practitioners about RH before I tread on unsure territory. So, I prepared myself to interview key personnel who would help me with my dilemma.
I asked first employees from the Commission on Population how they inform Muslims about Family Planning. Ate Odette, a Christian from the PopCom central office said, “The Muslims approve of Reproductive Health. Actually, they came out with the Fatwah.” “The fat whom?” I asked, terribly ignorant of the Arabic word, Fatwah. “Fatwah means Official Ruling,” she said. “Muslims already have an official ruling on Reproductive Health.” (Imagine how red my face became, beet-red actually, after being informed by a Christian of an Arabic word!) Wanting to make sure if what Ate Odette said were true,I decided to scout and ask Muslims this time.
One day, at the SM City Shopping Mall in Cagayan de Oro, I saw my uncle, Councilor Abdani Alonto and his colleague, Councilor Railani Raki-in, having a cup of coffee. I intruded on their conversation and told them of my problem, that I was to discuss with some Muslim youth of Lanao del Sur about RH and yet, I am not at all sure if RH was Islamic or not. I envisioned with fear the participants either throwing tomatoes at me or walking out from the seminar room if they ask me to provide verses from the Qur’an about the acceptance of RH in Islam and I would have none to quote. Councilor Raki-in said his wife, Dr. Pinky Raki-in, is an employee of the Department of Health and was involved in such projects before. “Well, at least another Muslim was supporting the idea,” I thought to myself. Luckily, Dr. Raki-in arrived and told me that there is already the Fatwah. “There goes that word again,” I thought. My mission was then clear to me: I had to get hold of this Fatwah. Unfortunately, Dr. Raki—in did not bring with her a copy since she went to SM for other reasons and obviously, Reproductive Health was NOT one of them.
Arthur Ramas, a youth volunteer of our office, and formerly the National Youth Representative of the Family Planning of the Philippines (FPOP), heard of my problem. “I have a copy of the Fatwah, would you need it?” he asked. I was astonished because another non-Muslim knew about Fatwah and even had a copy of it! This is getting more embarrassing by the minute, I thought. The following day, he gave me a thin pamphlet entitled, Fatwah (Official Ruling) on Reproductive Health
and Family Planning by the Assembly of Darul-Iftah.
Reading the pamphlet, I found out that the Assembly of Darul-Iftah was a group of known Muslim leaders and scholars in the Philippines who made a series of dialogues regarding reproductive health. They were very much worried because according to statistics, in the Philippines, “ten women die everyday from cases related to pregnancy and childbirth.” According to the 1998 National Demographic and Health Survey, “maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is found highest in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Northern Mindanao at 200-300 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Infant mortality rate in ARMM is also very high at 55 deaths per 1,000 live births compared to the national rate of 35 deaths per 1,000 live births.”
Based on these findings, the Assembly agreed they had to help solve this problem affecting Muslim women and one way of doing this is to study the definition of Reproductive Health and then make a stand. They found out that RH recognizes that people have the capability to reproduce, the right to decide fully and responsibly the number and spacing of their children, the right to understand and enjoy their own sexuality within the legal frame of marriage, are entitled to have a satisfying and safe sex life (with the legitimate spouse surely!), and have the right to remain free of disease or death associated with their sexuality and reproduction. In this definition, they did not find anything objectionable and that nothing about this was un-Islamic. In fact, during the time of the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Azl ( withdrawal or coitus interruptus) was practiced by his followers and when news of this reached him, he did not forbid them and encouraged them to continue doing this if they still do not want to have babies. He even advised lactating mothers to breastfeed their babies for two years since this is good for the baby and according to him was an effective natural family planning method. Prophet Muhammad started the "Breastfeeding is still best for babies up to two years" campaign,and definitely not the infant formula makers.
I also learned that the Fatwah does not define Family Planning as abortion or birth control but it actually refers to birth or child spacing and that it should be a couple’s decision. According to the assembly, all methods of contraception are allowed as long as they are safe, legal, in accordance with the Shariah (Islamic law), and approved by a credible physician preferably a Muslim for the benefit of both the mother and the child. “The permissibility of family planning is for the welfare of the mother and the child and for the couple to raise saleh (goodly) children who are pious, healthy, educated, useful and well-behaved citizens,” they stated.
Abortion, is a big NO as in other religions. The Qur’an sates: And kill not your children for fear of want, We provide sustenance for them and for you, the killing of them is a great sin. (17:31)
The Assembly upholds Islam as a religion of quality and has encouraged its people to increase and populate the earth with the provision that their quality should not be compromised as implied by the Qur’an. Islam is a religion of ease as declared by the Almighty Allah when He said, “And He has not laid upon you in religion any hardship.” (22:78). Equipped with this verse, on the 22nd of November 2003 at Davao City, the Assembly then ruled unanimously “that reproductive health and family planning, as practiced under valid reasons and recognized necessities, are in accordance with the teachings of Islam.”
So RH can be practiced by Muslims but are all of them aware of this and do they practice family planning? Well, not all of them are knowledgeable of the Fatwah on RH but there are those who plan the number of children they have based on practicality brought about by the financial crisis we are currently facing.
Rosslaini Sinarimbo and Sandee Balindong are both working Muslim mothers. Ross works with the Department of Trade and Industry ARMM region in Cotabato City and Sandee at the Commission on Audit for Region 10 in Cagayan de Oro City. Both are practicing family planning methods. Ross has been using the injectable type for a year now while Sandee has been taking pills since 1998.
I asked them both why is it necessary to family plan these days. Ross said, “I would like to break the culture of dependency that exists in our society. For a poor country like ours, to have an average household member of six, you cannot imagine how they make both ends meet. But of course, some basic needs are sacrificed or at least, the quality. It is also very common that the responsibility of the parents in providing for the family is extended usually to the eldest child. In many cases that responsibility is also coupled with taking care and providing for the needs of the parents when they get old. So the eldest child is caught between his responsibility to his parents and siblings, and to his own wife and children. The cycle of dependency continues. In Islam, it is the responsibility of the parents to provide for their children and not the other way around. That is why we need to plan our family and also plan for our retirement age.”
Sandee said, “I take the pill primarily for health reasons. My three pregnancies have been performed through caesarian section therefore it is necessary to practice child spacing. Life is also very financially constraining these days. We have to plan for our kids’ future also. It is so difficult having babies yearly.”
As for me, yes, I do believe we need to have birth spacing for three purposes. First for practicality especially in this time of world economic crisis.
Second, for health reasons. Science says it would take two to three years for a woman’s reproductive organs to completely heal after a pregnancy. And for the women who give birth every year, I am not saying what you are doing is a mistake. In fact, I salute you for it is physically and mentally draining conceiving and raising kids and yet, you are able to do so. (Well, our children do have this power to erase all our worries and tiredness at the end of a long and difficult day.) It is actually a choice for one to plan the number of children but what is important is that we are informed of its consequences.
The third reason is, the lesser number of children, we have, the more we would be able to give them the good quality of life they deserve.
It is still up to a couple to plan the number of kids they would like to have. The important thing is in the end,they are contented with their decisions and these decisions would able to produce happy, healthy and harmonious children.
This piece is for the most beautiful creatures ever created, to the children of the world, especially my beautiful sons. With God as my witness, you occupy my mind every minute of the day and you guys will forever have my unconditional love and care.
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