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THE BIG NEWS
VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012
Just vote on the RH bill, women tell lawmakers
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women’s group urged the House leadership to put the long-delayed Reproductive Health Bill to a vote now. The group is composed of women advocates in the grassroots communities was reacting to Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales’ statement that the House of Representatives may do a ‘test vote on the RH bill’. Elizabeth Angsioco, National Chairperson of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), said that if the House leadership wants to already terminate the debates on the RH bill, it can very well do so under its rules without going to a vote. The “test vote” as explained, is unnecessary. “After all, the bill has been under deliberation for more than 12 years and everything that can be discussed has already been exhausted,” Angsioco said. “Insisting on more debates is really about further delaying the vote on the RH bill,” she added. According to Angsioco DSWP members face the sad realities experienced by women in poor communities’ and are disheartened by the Department of Health report that in January alone, 50 maternal deaths have been recorded in Metro Manila. “We deeply sympathize with the families left by these women but at same time frustrated knowing that
those deaths could have been prevented if the RH law is already in place,” she said. Moreover, Angsioco cited a news account that said 10 girls were found pregnant in only one high school in Ilocos Norte. “This could have been averted if our young people have an age-appropriate RH education which is an important provision of the RH bill,” she explained. Angsioco asserted that the public has seen how powerful the House leadership is. “We know how fast the House can work on matters it deems important, just like on the ongoing impeachment cases. We have also seen how a single text message from the office of the Speaker can magically make absent Representatives appear in Plenary when they want to have a quorum,” she said. Unfortunately, the Filipino masses have yet to see the same political will on bills that will benefit ordinary people, most especially poor women, Angsioco said. “A test vote on the RH bill is unnecessary. What women need is the REAL vote that the HOR leadership can actually immediately do,” she continued. “March 8 is International Women’s Day and March is women’s month here. Let the lawmakers be reminded that they owe women this - the vote on the RH bill,” Angsioco ended. (PR)
DAY OF RAGE. Thousands of women staged a cultural protest in Davao on Thursday during the commemoration of the 101st International Women’s
PHL invites OIC to visit ARMM
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HE Philippine government has reiterated its invitation to Ambassador Rezlan Jenie, chairman of the Organization of Islamic Conference-Peace Committee for Southern Philippines (OIC-PCSP), to visit the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) later this year to see the reforms implemented by the government in the region. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles made the invitation on behalf of the Philippine government at the justconcluded second Ad Hoc High Level Group (AHLG) of the OIC-Government of the Philippines-Moro National Liberation Front (OIC-GPHMNLF) Tripartite Implementation Review Process in Bandung, Indonesia. [PNA]
EDGEDAVAO
Day to criticize skyrocketing of prices of basic commodities. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]
Samal Tourism office eyes more inland tourism sites T HE inland beauty of the Island Garden City of Samal now becomes the focus of tourism development of the city government while it also sustains its beaches as major tourist attractions. City Tourism Officer Jennifer Cariaga revealed plans of sprucing up the barangays, creating pathways to the city’s caves and mountain peaks, and developing a botanical garden to provide tourists with options to go during their visit to Island Garden City of Samal. Aside from the Guinness Book of World Record-known Monfort Bat Cave, part of the city’s tourism development plan is to establish pathways leading to entrances of caves. She said the island city has about 70 caves, and that four of
which already have trails. The city can also be a good place to spend mountain climbing especially at its White Peak where the city government is spending efforts on environmental protection activity such as tree planting at the peak’s area. Cariaga also revealed the city’s ongoing development of its botanical garden located in Bandera, Kaputian District where the city government is giving each department of the city government a 1,000-square-meter lot to cultivate a particular type of plant or tree. Meanwhile, the plan to spruce up barangays is integrated in the “Barangays in Bloom” project which is part of the “Islang Maanyag” (A Beautiful City) program aimed
at projecting the city as a garden city, indeed. “We are encouraging every barangay to make their respective place beautiful,” Cariaga said as she revealed that every barangay will be massively planting a particular type of flower through which it will be identified. On the other hand, Cariaga was looking forward for people to participate in realizing plans of providing tourists more places to see in the island city other than beaches, and for them to also benefit from the growth of the city’s tourism industry. Along this line, there are plans of training community folks to enter into souvenir-making as an enterprising activity of community folks, she said. [PIA 11/JeANevIve dURON-
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pants, both men and women gender equality advocates from various sectors, gathered to unify their stand on issues concerning women’s welfare and rights. The Women Summit is annually held in the city, as mandated by the Wom-
en Development Code to discuss issues concerning their welfare and interest. For her part, Librado lauds the city’s existing laws and legislations but says “ the local government, at all costs, has to make sure such are implemented and followed to the letter.”
Librado urges women to continue their fight
SMALL ENTERPRISES. Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino shares a light moment with members of Rotary International during the 2012 District Conference (DISCON) on
Friday. Casino, a known progressive leader, talked about the role of the small and medium scale enterprises in the country’s national development. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]
RESH from gracing the 13th Women’s Summit last March 1, Davao City Councilor Leah Librado-Yap feels the urgent need to address women’s concerns as the city grapples with unemployment, financial crisis and natural calamities hitting women and their children the most. “The social milieu has been calling for drastic and immediate steps to fully address the impact of development and environmental policies particularly on the women sector and how the recent natural calamities both locally and all over the country has displaced thousands of women and their families”, says Librado in her message. Close to 200 partici-
Quips
ABANGAN]
‘I’M suggesting that they go through psychological assessment so that they can be aware of the values they carry and they can be awareof the mental age that they have.’ --Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman advising members of Azkals, the national football team, to consult a shrink.