A Blogger's Take: More on the Spread of HIV/AIDS (June 24, 2011)

In line with my recent blog entry about the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS and HIV in the Philippines, I stumbled upon yet again another blog entry of another blogger regarding this issue. This blog entry I came across, does not really have anything to do with the Reproductive Health Bill, but the information stated within this blog entry can be considered more reasons on why the RH Bill should finally be passed into a law here in the Philippines. As I have previously mentioned in my other blog entry, one of the reason why the RH Bill was penned is to prevent, and eventually stop, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS and HIV here in the Philippines.

In this blog entry I stumbled upon, he wrote about the Department of Health’s (DOH) public announcement that HIV, among other sexually transmitted diseases, is the worts kind of epidemic the country will be facing in the future. The entry goes:

“The Department of Health (DOH) said the rise in the number of Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases among Filipino adolescents could become “tomorrow’s epidemic.”

On Wednesday, during the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) presentation of the “State of the World’s Children,” DOH National Epidemiology Center director Dr. Eric Tayag said that in 2010, one out of three HIV patients is from the 15-24 year old bracket.

The number of Filipino adolescents who are HIV-positive increased drastically in the last four years, from 44 cases in 2006 to 484 in 2010.

According to the UNICEF report, the Philippines is one of only seven countries where HIV cases increased by more than 25 percent from 2001 to 2009.

The highest number of new HIV cases was recorded in 2010, where 1,591 new cases were reported.”

The moment I read this report, I was taken aback by the staggering number of reported cases of Filipinos affected by the sexually transmitted disease called HIV. I was also surprised because the more modernize our country gets, the more unfortunate things like this happen. The way I see this, it just goes to show how a lot of Filipinos are uninformed of things such as this. A lot of Filipinos are unaware of HIV and the problems it cause people that is why a lot are infected with this disease. 

This is quite similar to what I have previously posted, but I wanted to do another entry like this because the number of Filipinos infected with HIV is surprisingly high. This just goes to show that a lot of Filipinos are engaging in sexual activities without using proper protection that is why they are infected with this disease. If the RH Bill is passed and becomes a law, a lot of Filipinos will have access to protection such as condoms and the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and AIDS will be prevented. Since there is no cure discovered yet for this kind of disease, as of the moment, the provisions written within the RH Bill such as promoting the use of condoms is the best possible solution we currently have for this problem.

A Blogger's Take: Priest Asks RH Bill Supporters to Leave (June 23, 2011)

Among all the issues surrounding the RH Bill, this particular one probably annoys me and irritates me the most. A couple of months ago, I heard in the news that in a Catholic Church in Baguio, a priest who was celebrating the mass asked his parishioners to leave the Church immediately if they are supporters of the RH Bill. This angered me in so many levels because even though you are a priest, a vicar of the Lord God, I don not think you have the right to tell people, Catholics most especially, to leave the house of God just because they do not have the same beliefs as you do and the Catholic Church.

While searching for blog entries regarding the RH Bill, I stumbled upon one blogger who wrote about this untimely incident. He wrote:

“A priest at the Baguio Cathedral drew flak from some Catholics after he ordered people supporting the reproductive health bill to leave the church and stop hearing Mass.

His remarks drew outrage from some parishioners, who walked out in consternation.

The priest, whose identity was withheld, used his sermon to mock supporters of the bill such as former Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel.

“Kung meron nakikimisa dito pero pro-RH bill… Please, go out. It’s useless,” the priest said.

“What is this mass for if you are pro-RH bill? What is going to Church for if you’re pro-RH bill?” he asked.

The prelate also criticized Hontiveros-Baraquel. “Ang ganda-gandang babae niya…pero ang pangit-pangit ng stand niya.”

ABS-CBN News tried to get the side of the priest, but he left for a“vacation” in Laoag.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines also declined to give a statement, saying the body prefers to air its stand in dialogues.”

I find this stint of this particular priest ridiculous for he has no right in any way to do such thing. Yes he is a leader of the Catholic Church, but no leader, whatever your religion is, should not act this way towards those people who look up to him. He is the leader of the Catholic Church, no matter how the Church’s stand is against his parishioners; he should make sense of everything and not do a sermon like this inside the Church. I hate to say this, but as a priest, he is an embarrassment to the Catholic Church. He is God’s representative here on earth to speak His word, he has no right to chastise Catholics this way because God himself is the only one who can do this. Also, how do you expect Catholics to follow the word of God and attend mass every Sunday when if you do so, you will be disciplined in a way you do not deserve to be. We are living in a free country, we have the right and freedom to think for ourselves and have our own beliefs. No leader of any kind, may he be a priest in a Catholic Church, can tell us to think otherwise just because we do not have the same beliefs as he does.

Source: http://www.pinoytumblr.com/post/4748709181/priest-tells-rh-bill-supporters-to-leave-mass

A Blogger's Take: A Test of Christianity (June 22, 2011)

While looking for other blog entries by bloggers regarding the issue of the Reproductive Health Bill, I came across this one entry that among all the ones I read probably struck me the most. I cannot add anymore to this for it speaks for itself. I wanted to put this in here so that it will affect other Filipinos the way it affected me. It is quite lengthy but I hope you find the time to read it all:

“I was born in a Catholic family and studied all my life at catholic schools and college. But by catholic standards, I am one of the worst Christians. I believe in God but I don’t subscribe to the idiocy and universal uptightness, short-sightedness of the narrow minded Roman catholic church. Neither do I support the delusion of grandeur of other christian sects like the Iglesia ni Cristo, El Shaddai and Ang Dating Daan or the schizophrenic christianity of Apollo Quiboloy. They fool their followers into believing that God has entrusted them to save human race or in the case of Quiboloy, he claims that he is the APPOINTED son of God. Now that is revolting. I’m never a fan of commercialized churches. Even here in England, whenever I hear the holy mass, collection of donations in form of cash is done three times in a span of an hour. I know somebody who never missed the Sunday holy mass but shows so little holiness the rest of the week.

How christian are we? If we never miss a Sunday mass, or if we give monthly tithes to our church, or if we pray the rosary everyday and do not eat dinuguan or meat during holy week, does that make you or me a good Christian?

There is no true religion. Christianity can not be more true than Hinduism or Shintoism. It’s laughable to see how Ang Dating Daan and Iglesia ni Cristo fight each other and how they try to destroy each other is beyond description. It’s revolting to see El Shaddai and JIL evolve into political force when now, sons of the leaders of these flock are both members of the Philippine Congress.

The Philippines always prided itself in being the biggest Christian nation is Asia. So what? The problem is that many of us are Christian in form but not in substance. Many are Christian in rituals but unchristian in practice. For example, the CBCP has denounced the current Philippine president for supporting the Reproductive Health bill that aims to support unborn children and protect the women and mothers. The powerful clerics even issued a threat that they might force to excommunicate the current president. But during the last decade, never did the church issue a threat of excommunication against Gloria Arroyo whose evil deeds can rival only that of Marcos’. Why is the church so enraged by the support of the president in Reproductive Health but did not exhibit the same passion and anger when Gloria Arroyo, the evil incarnate, stole the election of 2004?

Yes, we are Christians. We do not eat meat during holy week but gossip about other person’s lives and at times, we say nasty things about them. Yes, you do not eat dinuguan but you do not give the best possible care for your patients. Yes, you always attend your “samba” and “simba” but all you care for is what gadget will you buy next.

Ah yes. We are christians.

You’re a priest for God’s sake, but you ask people to leave the church and stop attending the holy mass if they support the RH bill. You’re an archbishop but you say that it’s fine to cheat during elections because everyone does it anyway. You claim to be the true Church of God, but how you try to single out and destroy the other christian group to the point that you have a TV programme on Net25 whose aim is just that is beyond comprehension. You watch Willie Revillame and sees nothing wrong in how he manipulates and exploit some contestants in order for them to win money.

Simba ka ng simba pero diring-diri ka naman sa mga batang pulubi na humihingi ng piso. Ayaw na ayaw mo naman na may kakatok sa kotse mo na mga bata para manlimos. Kristiyano ka nga, minumura mo naman ang biyenan mo. Saulo mo ang rosaryo pero galit na galit ka naman sa kapit bahay mo na malakas magpatugtog. This is not an attack to Christianity but this is indeed an attack to the hypocrisy of our actions against our beliefs. You cannot preach one thing and then do the opposite.

Ah, christians.”

Source: http://www.pinoytumblr.com/post/4951296489/ah-those-some-christians-by-jr-castillo

A Blogger's Take: UST Prof Gives Plus Points to Anti-RH Bill (June 21, 2011)

One of the target audiences of the Reproductive Health Bill is the Filipino youth of today. Most of the provisions stated within the RH Bill are aimed on the Filipino youth for the future of the country rests upon their shoulders. Unfortunately, these Filipino youth who are destined to be our country’s future are uninformed of the many things happening in our country and society right now. There are not enough means in the country to inform all these Filipino youth and that is a sad thing to think about. How can these Filipino youth be our country’s future if they are uninformed of the things they should know about?

With the passing of the RH Bill into a law, the Filipino youth will be given a chance to have sex education as part of their curriculum in school. One of the growing problems in the country right now is unwanted teenage pregnancies. When teenagers become parents at such a young age, they have lost all their lives ahead of them. The things they want to do and want to become may not be possible anymore because they practically became instant adults when they became young parents. I am not saying that getting pregnant at a young age is a bad thing, it is just that it is better to have a baby at the right age and time so that you will be prepared and capable of raising a child and your child will have a better future. Most teenagers engage in sexual acts because they do not know the repercussions this might cause. If they are taught about it in school, there is a better chance that they will wait for the right time to do such act.

But one professor in UST thinks otherwise. He is against the RH Bill and wants his students to have the same belief. But his method of doing so is absurd. He is so desperate for the RH Bill to not be passed into a law that he told his students he will plus points to those who will post anti-RH Bill comments on a certain Facebook page. As one blogger reports:

“He used to lead his students in street rallies on social issues. Now University of Santo Tomas (UST) theology professor Aguedo Florence Jalin Jr. is mobilizing his wards online, giving them bonus points for posting anti-RH comments on the Facebook page of the pro-RH Akbayan party-list group, which denounced the practice as urging the youth to “mimic the positions of authority figures.”

Jalin said the extra credit offered to students were prompted by reports that the Reproductive Health (RH) bill was close to being passed in the House of Representatives.

According to the Professor Jalin, there is nothing wrong with his instructions to his students, saying Akbayan’s Facebook page was an open space. “They have a line there that says comments and opinions are welcome. So that’s what we did,” he said.

“I call it an online parliamentary,” Jalin added.”

I find this particular act of this professor absurd for he should not manipulate his students this way. We are living in a democratic country, its citizens should have the freewill to make decisions for him or herself.

Source: http://www.pinoytumblr.com/post/3433840929/ust-prof-gives-students-points-for-anti-rh-stand

A Blogger's Take: The Spread of AIDS/HIV in the Philippines (June 20, 2011)

When the Reproductive Health Bill was penned, one of the reasons its authors had in mind why they wanted it to be passed into a law is to prevent the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS and HIV here in the Philippines. In other places around the world, these kinds of diseases have already spread massively and as of now they do not have any methods on how to stop it completely or just stop it in the meantime before someone can find a cure for it. In the country right now, sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS and HIV are starting to become a major problem of out society. Many people have already been affected by these diseases and the government is fearing that it might also spread massively around the country. That is why in the RH Bill, the use of contraceptives such as condoms in highly recommended for it not only prevent unwanted pregnancies but it can also prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases here in the Philippines. Because there is still no cure discovered for these kinds of diseases, a prevention of it is the best solution at the meantime.

In a blog entry posted by Mark Ghosn of blah.ph, he presented how sexually transmitted diseases are becoming widespread in the Philippines. He posted the following:

“In celebration of World Aids Day, we present to you the latest news and facts about HIV/AIDS in the Philippines and around the world, that we believe should be brought up to everyone’s attention.

15,000 - The estimated number of  people that’s going to have AIDS in the Philippines if not prevented before the current administration ends.

83% of infections in Russia and China were caused by sharing of drug taking equipment. This is the leading cause of HIV infection in the said countries.

89% of infections in the Philippines were transmitted through sexual intercourse. This is the leading cause of HIV infection in the country.

20-29 Years Old  -  Age of people with most number of HIV infection in the Philippines. In 2009, report showed that most of these people work in the Call Center Industry. 

28% of young Filipinos believes that AIDS is curable. 

The antiretroviral viral drugs do not cure people of HIV infection or AIDS.They stop viral replication and delay the development of AIDS.

73% of young Filipinos believed that they had no chance of contracting HIV.

If you want to know how you can help in the stop of HIV/AIDS. Visit any of the websites below or do your part by sharing this post to your friends.

http://www.pnac.org/www.pnac.org
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/www.worldaidscampaign.org
http://www.worldaidsday.org/www.worldaidsday.org”

When I read this post, all I wished was for a lot of Filipinos, men and women alike, could read this and understand it. A lot of Filipinos unfortunately were not properly educated so when it comes to matters like this, there are a lot of misconceptions. These misconceptions, as we all know, can probably lead into something bad. The information posted above should be made known to many so that it will open everyone’s eyes that a problem this big is slowly taking over our society. It should also be an eye-opener for everyone to realize that the RH Bill is what we need to prevent something like this from happening.

Source: http://www.pinoytumblr.com/post/2053504160/6-figures-about-hiv-aids-in-the-philippines-that-you

The Purple Ribbon Campaign (June 17, 2011)

In every part of the world, our country in particular, usually launches massive campaigns regarding whatever advocacy people are fighting for. These campaigns may be for big or small causes, nevertheless, it is a way for people who are fighting for the same advocacy to come together and fights for their beliefs in that particular advocacy. These campaigns usually produce symbols and/or colors that will represent that particular advocacy and for people to better recognize that that campaign is for a certain advocacy.

Last May, the supporters of the Reproductive Health Bill, led by former President Fidel V. Ramos and Broadway star Lea Salonga, launched the Day of the Purple Ribbon for Reproductive Health. The campaign, better known as simply the Purple Ribbon, became the biggest gathering of politicians, celebrities, and other prominent personalities who support the passing of the RH Bill into a law. For it was lead by former President Fidel V. Ramos, he spoke in behalf of his fellow supporters. Part of his speech was to advocate for current President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to prioritize the RH Bill. He said, "Mr. President, with due respect, for you to do the right thing, you should now certify the RH bill as urgent." (GMA News). Another avid and prominent supporter, Lea Salonga also made a speech saying, "I want people [to be] armed with as much information as possible... to decide for themselves what is best for them as couples. That's what I'm hoping for." (GMA News). Lea Salonga actually referred to herself as an ambassadress of reproductive health by claiming that the RH Bill is essential for the welfare of all women around the country. Other celebrities who were also present during the said event were Arnel Ignacio, Tuesday Vargas, Leah Navarro, Noel Cabangon, Jim Paredes, and Jett Pangan. Other prominent figures who came to the event were Representatives Edcel Lagman and Janet Garin, co-authors of the RH Bill, Esperanza Cabral, Enrique Ona, and Risa Hontiveros. Noel Cabangon even performed his song “Ako’y Mabuting Pilipino”, changing some of its lines with some RH Bill-related ones. Carlos Celdran, probably considered to be one of the most infamous supporters of the RH Bill also came and supported the event but chose to stay quiet this time. If you can remember, Carlos Celdran was that man who attended a mass in Manila Cathedral dressed up as Jose Rizal then started shouting “Damaso! Damaso!” to the priests for the Catholic Church is against the RH Bill.

This advocates of this campaign produced stickers that literally has the design of a purple ribbon. These stickers were to be distributed to Filipinos all over and can be placed in their homes, cars, or wherever they want it placed. Organizations such as Zone One Tond Organization (ZOTO) and Catholics for RH (C4RH) went around Manila distributing stickers in each of the houses they pass by while also explaining the benefits of the RH Bill. According to these supporters, they go house-to-house to explain to people what the RH Bill is really about and clarify any misconceptions these people have regarding the bill.

Prominent Supporters of the RH Bill: Jim Paredes (June 16, 2011)

To continue my streak of writing about prominent supporters of the Reproductive Health Bill, my next blog entry would be about another supporter that I was surprised to hear who is pro RH Bill. This person is also not very vocal about his support, but his support will definitely make an impact. Like what I said in my previous blog entry, I am happy that there are supporters of the RH Bill coming from different backgrounds. In my previous blog entries, I have discussed a supporter coming from the entertainment industry, Broadway to be exact, and another coming from the news and public affairs industry. The next supporter I’ll be discussing is someone coming again from the entertainment industry, but this time in music. His name is Jim Paredes.

Born on August 31, 1951, Jaime Ramon “Jim” Paredes is one of the extraordinary artists in the Philippines. He’s a musician, producer, and writer, among others. You name it, he is it. He is probably most famous for being part of one of the greatest musical group in the country, the Apo Hiking Society. A trio composed of Jim Paredes, Danny Javier, and Boboy Garovillo. As a writer, Jim Paredes’ most famous solo work was the 1986 song Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo. The song was recorded by a total of 15 Filipino artists and became the anthem of the 1986 People Power Revolution.

Jim Paredes may not be very vocal about his support of the RH Bill, but he always take about the issue on his Twitter page. In one of his tweets, the one that struck me the most, he said, “Bishops called pro-RH names such as ‘terrorists’. But it is bishops who are giving wrong misleading info on RH. Are they ‘errorists’?” This particular tweet of his struck me the most for it was very similar to what I think the Catholic Church is doing to the RH Bill. They call the supporters of the RH Bill “terrorists” because we attack the morals and principles the Catholic Church have taught us all these years. But can’t they also be called “terrorists” for attacking what we believe in? Also, I agree with what Jim Paredes said about how the bishops are being “errorists”. They try to manipulate what the RH Bill really is all about by omitting some important facts that will make the RH Bill look bad to people.

This is my main concern with the Catholic Church’s involvement of the RH Bill. They try so hard for the RH Bill to not be passed into a law that they interpret the contents of the RH Bill in a really wrong way so that it will look like it is a bill that is anti-life when in fact it is not. The see the RH Bill in a negative way already without actually reading it first intently and understanding it the way it should really be understood. This is what I think provoked Jim Paredes to call them “errorists”.