RH Bill

“The Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2011,” also known as RH Bill, is now one of the much-debated topics in our country today. This Bill has become one of the major issues that the House of Representatives and the Senate talk about. The first time I heard about this bill, I just ignored it.  I ignored it even more when I heard from other people that the RH bill is pro-abortion -- not knowing how important it is to our lives especially to less fortunate Filipinos, particularly to women and children.

         

I was not interested about the topic until we were obligated to study and have our own position of this Bill. The first person I asked about it was Ptr. Manric Tan-Pascual. I asked his opinion and knowledge on the said Bill. That was the first time that I was really informed clearly about the Bill. However, by that time I wasn’t really sure what would be my stand.

         

Further, I was given a chance to attend three meetings regarding RH Bill. One was at the Senate where Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago delivered her second sponsorship of the RH Bill. There, I learned a lot of things which I will share later. Another opportunity was when we had a chance to attend a symposium entitled “RH Bill as HR.” There, I heard different views and became aware of what is happening now to our country. The last opportunity was when we had a chance to meet Ms. Lynn from DSWD who taught us about women’s rights, including the RH Bill. Through those meetings, I became more knowledgeable about it and can now decide whether I agree with it or not.

I have noticed that the Filipinos’ opinion regarding this issue is just like mine before. When RH Bill becomes a topic, there will be two reactions: one negative reaction because they say it is pro-abortion; the second reaction will be to ignore it because they have little information about the Bill. These Filipinos, just like me before, are still uninformed with regards to what the RH Bill is all about. One of the things that I still remember now is what Sen. Pia Cayetano lectured to us -- “What the Bill is not.”

First, it does not promote or support abortion. Most people disagree with the bill because, as I have said, they thought it is pro-abortion. It is a misconception of the Bill. On the contrary, the RH Bill will ideally help lessen the rate of abortion in our country.[1]

Secondly, Sen. Pia says that “it is not a Bill that imposes one mode of family planning method on all.”[2] In fact one of the things that the Bill is anchored to is the freedom of choice which is stated in Sec. 3 paragraph (a) of RH Bill 4244. Filipinos will be allowed to choose which method to use based on their religious beliefs and also suitable to their needs.

Third, “It is not a bill that imposes a certain family size.”[3] For instance, RH Bill Section (20) talks about the ideal size of the family. The State will assist the couples and encourage them to have an ideal family size. The ideal family size here is composed of two children. However, if the family wishes to have more than two kids then “no punitive action shall be imposed to the parents if they want to have bigger family size.”

Fourth, “the Bill will not solve all the problems of our country.”[4] However, it will solve some of it. This Bill is anti-poverty. This was created to inform poor families about their choice in family planning. As we can see, the biggest family size where among the poor.

Fifth, “this is not a Bill that will teach 9 year olds how to use a condom. Neither does it promote sexual activity among the youth.”[5] The reality shows that teenagers were now engaged in pre-marital sex. Sadly, this happens to young people in our generation. Many girls in their adolescent age are already pregnant with their second baby. The Bill does not promote pre-marital sex but it helps prevent abortion and the rate of unwanted/ abandoned babies.

Since many women become pregnant because of their involvement in pre-marital sex, the RH Bill seeks to give parents and children a better sex education. Through this, they are not promoting either pre-marital sex or abortion, but are providing better knowledge so both could be prevented.

Moreover, Sen. Pia Cayetano on her sponsorship speech added what the Bill aims to:

1. Save the lives of the mother and the unborn.

2. Provide Filipinos with information on their reproductive health so they can make informed and intelligent decisions.

3. Provide Filipinos with access to health care facilities and skilled health professionals. [6]

Basically, the RH Bill promotes the rights of the women and at the same time help poverty decrease. It protects the health of every mother from any complications brought by her pregnancy that could cause death. It also protects the health and saves babies that could be affected of the complications of their mother.

The information that I have mentioned here is really different from what other people say or heresy. It takes an informed person to make his or her position, based on facts on the bill itself, and not on what other people are saying.  Right now, the RH Bill is still on debate in the Senate. Sen. Enrile and Sen. Sotto are the ones who strongly oppose the Bill. In addition, the Catholic Bishops are also in opposition of the Bill because it is against their doctrine.

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[1]“The Reproductive Health Act.” Sen. Cayetano, Pia S. SB NO. 2865, Committee Report No. 49. June 7, 2011.

[2]“Ibid

[3]“Ibid

[4]“Ibid.

[5]“Ibid

[6]“Ibid

Not so ordinary day

August 18, 2011

Journal Entry

          I arrived at DFA at 1: 54 in the afternoon, earlier than the usual. And because it is still early my friends – Dive, Joy, and I took our lunch at the Department’s canteen. One of the things that I like at DFA (I don’t know if I have mentioned this before) is the food that they served at the canteen. It is so cheap, yet it will really satisfy you. Okay, enough for the food.

          After eating, we proceed to OAA and started our practicum. By the way, our Director and Assistant Secretary of OAA already left for their meeting at Brazil. For that, my boss was not around. Though, I still have to help other staff of the office. I was asked to shred confidential papers and that’s what I did.

          There is no work for this day except for shredding, so I was just there sitting at my desk -- waiting for any help that I could give them. It is an ordinary day, though. Nothing really special happened. If there is maybe the time of our travel going to the office.

          Joy, Dive, and I had a good conversation at the bus. Usually when we were travelling, we always sleep. The travel time was so long that made us so bored, and so we sleep the whole time. This day was different because we were interested to have conversation with each other. We shared a lot of things. We evaluate about our performance and we challenge ourselves of to excel and to stop being mediocrity.

          Though, I didn’t do that much at the office. I enjoyed this day! I logged out at 5:00 pm.

At the conference room

August 16, 2011

Journal Entry

          Today, I was given a chance to be at the meeting of some dignified government officials such as chief or head of DOJ, PDEA, PNP, etc. I forgot the others. The agenda of the meeting is about the preparation of our office meeting the Mexican Embassy regarding drug trafficking.

          The meeting took two to three hours. It is not so long compared to other meetings that they had. Everyone speaks English but later on they started to speak Filipino. Actually, not everyone was talking; most of them were quiet and didn’t even talk. I think there were 13 of them at the meeting but only two or three people were the ones who were talking. On that scenario, we can notice who was the outstanding among them – who is the leader among them. Looking at them, it is obvious who were the ones being listened to.

          I myself didn’t do much at the meeting. I was just assigned to stay in and let the attendance sheet to be assigned by the attendees. They let us to be in the meeting so that we could have an exposure, our bosses said. Well, that is nice about our office and being a trainee of DFA.

          While the meeting was ongoing, the miryenda such as sandwich and Delmonte Pomelo juice was being served (One of the reasons why we like attending meetings at DFA). After the meeting, I logged out at 12: 29 pm.

Laziness visits me and this is what happened..

August 15, 2011

Journal Entry 

          I am not so happy to share this. I was super late this day. I think it was not a productive day. I woke up late. I don’t have any nice top to wear. I think I don’t have energy to go to the office. I am super lazy. I write this not because I am proud to share my laziness but it is my way of evaluating myself. Hence, I also want others who read this to see how bad it is to be lazy at work.  

          I arrived at the office at 10:14 am. I was late for one hour and fourteen minutes. When I finally arrived, the assistant of my boss gave me task to research for the profiles of the people that would be at the meeting at Brazil. Of course, I took the task and started to research the profiles of people. I don’t know if I am just lazy to search on their files or it is just me who is not god on researching. Well, no excuses! That day, I know I didn’t please the Lord for not doing my best. I didn’t find all the files. And my time was finished just researching.

          I remember the message that I heard one of our chapels in school that “it is not always that I will be at my best, but it is not an excuse not to do my best.” I forgot to carry excellence on that day. I didn’t do what is good and pleasing to the eyes of God. Though I have done the task, but the Lord knows that I just do it without my heart on it.

          I want to do things that would please the Lord. Sooner I will be working on the workplace not just an intern but a real employee. Laziness is one of deadliest thing that a person could have. If we tolerate it, we won’t succeed. Just what happened to me this day, I went home unsatisfied because I entertained laziness in my mood. Next time, I shouldn’t tolerate it. Giving your best in whatever you do it still a noble thing to do.   

Over Time

August 11, 2011

Journal Entry 

          After our class in DIR 102 and my GReG meeting with Dr. Sharon, I traveled again for two hours for taking a bus ride going to the office. I logged in at 2:39 in the afternoon. This day was different from the other days because I went home really late – over time at the office.

          When I was young, I often hear the word overtime from the people whose work is in the office. Now, I had experience doing it. It is not really that different, it just like you’ re doing your assignments at night. I overtime because I need to help our division. There were a lot of things to be done during that time. That is why I didn’t hesitate to volunteer to extend my time.

          Another good example that I saw was the unity of the people at OAA. Most of them were visiting our division and asking what they could do to help us. Even Ms. Joc, who’s a supervisor, helped me doing my clerk work. I went home late at about quarter to ten, but Ms Nadia, Sir Gines, Asec. Paez, Direc. Monica is still at the office when I leave. I don’t know what time they go home but I think its really late. They are really dedicated to their work.

          What’s good about extending my time is that I had a chance to talk again with Ms. Nadia, to Ms. Joc, and to another woman at the office who is retiring soon. They were all nice and kind. I don’t know what is up with the DFA but most of their employees were all humble.

          I thank God for taking me home safe and for all the experiences that I had during my practicum. All the praises is to Him alone.

Lunch with the Professionals

August 9, 2011

Journal Entry 

          The highlight of this day was not on the work that I have done. It is on the free lunch that we had courtesy of Asec. Paez. Not the lunch itself but the good times that Dive and I had during lunch with the people of the Office of American Affairs.

          Before that, I was asked to edit the briefing notes that I did yesterday. I made it up to revision two. I was also asked to research a document and do some clerk work. I also helped Dive in faxing some files to the chief of staff and to human rights office.

          Thereafter, we were asked to stay up to lunch and to bond with the people of the office. It was a very simple but heartwarming experience because we were able to talk to Directors, Assistant Secretary, and other staff of the office. Some of them were Consuls and has a high rank at the office. Our conversation was informal – talking of random stuffs about culture, personal life, different states, our experiences, etc. I was actually asked to share my personal experiences and the culture of Abu Dhabi.

          We also talked stuffs like braces, weight, hair, diet, sizes of the shirt –it was really random but I enjoyed talking to them. They are nice to us and they are humble. They always cracked a joke and the laughs are never ending.

          We ate at the conference room of the office. The food was as nice as our conversation. We had two or three types of ice cream as our dessert. And we had pineapple juice and soft drinks.

I thought they were all serious type of people because when it is working time, you’ll not see anyone chatting or talking. I actually seldom see them eat. As I observed, when it is working time, they will work, when it’s not then, they will find time to relax. It just shows how professional they are.

At the workplace it is good to be always at your best whether working or not. The best way is that we reflect God’s image and characteristics at the workplace. I logged out at 2:09 pm. 

Doing briefing notes

August 8, 2011

Journal Entry 

          Our division was busy this whole week. They have been preparing for their meeting to Brazil next week. I was early this time. I logged in at 8:33 in the morning. However, I still missed the flag ceremony.

This time I took a different route going to the office, I used different transportation. I found out that taking bus going to DFA will took me more than two hours rather than taking the MRT and a Jeepney will just take me for less than one hour. From that time on, I decided to ride on the MRT. I think this will be a good tip to those students at Messiah College who will also have their internship at DFA.

What’s up this week? Well, a lot of paper work for Ms. Nadia and Sir Gines but not for me, I was just there to help them out. I think what I was doing is not even half of what they were doing. I admire their dedication on their work.

It is a privilege for me to work with them and to help or assist them with some of their work. I was asked this day to somehow edit, format, input data on the briefing note that they’ll be using for the meeting at Brazil. I was instructed by our director how to do it. Ms. Nadia though she was so busy, helped me out on the task. I finished doing it, but I am not sure if what I did is right. I think that is the first time that I have done that.

After doing a briefing note, I was asked by Ms. Nadia to make Curriculum Vitae for General Consuls which I think would be at the meeting. Their CVs were different from ordinary worker’s resume. It looks like comprehensive resume, I don’t know how it is called, but I like it. I imagined my CV would also be like that someday. Okay, enough for dreaming. I logged out this day at 12:02 lunch time.