The significance of the May 2010 elections to the future of the Filipino family cannot be ignored.  Since we can expect the Death Bills to be refiled in the coming

15th Congress we have to aim for a pro-life majority in Congress.  In the 14th congress pro-life congressmen were outnumbered (76 anti versus 165 pro-RH bill). Seventy- two out of the 76 pro-life Congressmen are on their third term.

An election, although it is a political exercise, also presents a moral choice for the voter as it becomes an opportunity to communicate, through the ballot, the values that one seeks to uphold.  Family and life issues will be decided in the precinct this May, and the Catechism on Family and Life for the 2010 Elections wants to ensure that the electorate is at least sufficiently aware of where the danger lies, and what the Church teaches about the dignity of the person, sexuality, and marriage.

The primary moral issue is the value of life: the beginning of life which is at conception and the cradle of life which is marriage.  Graft and corruption, the environment, poverty reduction, foreign debt – these issues become coherent only when the officials respect and protect human life because the human person is always at the center of development.

When a candidate declares that he or she vows never to steal, voters should ask if that candidate also promises not to kill.  Will that candidate respect and guarantee the safety of life from conception to natural death?  When a candidate declares a “green” platform to protect the natural environment, ask if that political agenda includes protecting the endangered human environment in the womb and guarding the marriage between a man and a woman which is the only kind of fertile environment where human life will grow.  When a candidate promises reforms in education, ask if these reforms will remove the poison of sex education in the classrooms that orient our youth against having children but not against having sex even outside of marriage.

The moral issue of family and life in 2010 comes down to support for the reproductive health bill.  As the Catechism on Family and Life explains, reproductive health promotes the pursuit of a “safe and satisfying sex life” without need for commitment or responsibility.  Without marriage, the natural and possible consequence of pregnancy becomes unwanted and the baby becomes not a blessing but a liability.  The entire idea attacks the foundation of society because it attacks marriage, family, and life.

The RH bill has been rehashed for the fourth time; it had not succeeded in the past three Congresses. In this Congress it reached the plenary sessions but was stalled by the lengthy interpellation.  Congress will come to a close in February, and in its last days the RH proponents are threatening to block the measures of other legislators unless the bill is taken up in the House.  We continue to uphold the value of the family and of life. We need to uphold that value when we go to the polls and elect our leaders. During this period of campaign, we need to tell our candidates that we value family and life, and that we want leaders who will protect and safeguard what we value.

Credits: Cited from an original article from the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life Media Bulletin Number 6 last 01/30/09

MANILA, February 4, 2010—THE DEBATE on the Reproductive Health Bill is by no means over. But at the end of the 14th Congress, the proposal remained stuck in the period of interpellation despite being given a priority status. With this, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal was optimistic that the current scenario implies the defeat of House Bill 5043.

During the last three working days before the House adjourned for the campaign period, House Speaker Prospero Nograles cited that lack of quorum was the reason that the bill got jammed.

In an earlier report, Nograles instructed Majority Leader Arthur Defensor to “simplify the plenary debates to avoid personal divisive emotional matters.” In this regard, two panels of five members from each side were supposed to speak and comment on the different aspects of the bill. This was done to allegedly hasten the process instead of having a long list of lawmakers interpellating the sponsors of the said bill. However, since series of plenary debates did not suffice to be able to put it to a vote, reports indicated that the Catholic church believes that the turn of events was symbolic of the way the RH Bill was buried.

The reproductive health bill, now with 132 co-authors and 20 others who pledged support, seeks to step up the use of both artificial and natural means of family planning as one of the measures to curb the ballooning population, the rising maternal deaths and empower couples in deciding the size of family they want.

By Fr. Shay Cullen

It is no easy task to rescue the child victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation in the Philippines. The authorities deny it even it exists. “The problem has been solved”, they say, “it does not exist now”. Journalists and human rights workers are not welcome in the office of Mayors that host sex industries in their communities in case they find the evidence of child trafficking that they try so hard to hide. My experience and the evidence gathered on video and sound proves beyond a doubt that children as young as 14 can be purchased by private arrangement. Sex clubs proudly advertise their Mayor’s permit and license to operate. The girls are guaranteed to be clean of sexually-transmitted diseases. The club operator, a woman proudly told me that the government-paid health workers come to the clubs to do the tests to be sure the girls do not infect the customers.

There seem to no concern that the youngsters are being exploited and abused and their young lives are being wasted and destroyed. It’s an outrage that the government could stop it with an executive order or a strong city ordinance but lacks the political will or moral courage to close them. The tolerance of the authorities has sent the wrong and immoral message to the would-be child abusers that it is not a serious crime and so the sexual abuse of children in the home has risen dramatically. More and more abused children are being brought to shelters for therapy and treatment but there are hardly any convictions. In one horrific case, a four year old was brought for help suffering from a sexually-transmitted disease but the suspect, the child’s father, must have picked up the infection in a sex bar.

The prosecutor has delayed many months and made no decision to prosecute or not despite the strong evidence and the shocking nature of the case and the urgency to bring the abuser to justice. He still walks free to abuse more little children.

This and many other cases have been sent to the Department of Justice and finally there has been a response and prosecutors are starting to file the cases in court, some after two years of inaction. The great difficulty we have is the slowness of the justice system. The abusers are their own fathers, live-in partners or grandfathers, relatives and family friends, all who have easy access to the child.

The increased number of Commercially Sexually Exploited Children being rescued show that the abuse goes on with impunity. The damage done to children by sexual abuse in the home drives them to be run-aways and they are easy to be picked up by vulture primps that abduct them and sell them to the bars and clubs or hold them in a secret house and sell them for sex through the phone. When rescued, they are extremely difficult to help return to a normal childhood.

As many people know, these children have been psychologically damaged in the sex business and in the night club life. They are brain-washed to believe that the club is their new home and their future where they will meet a foreigner and will marry him and she will have a happy life abroad. It is all an empty fantasy but the children believe it and look out for their “sugar daddy”. This is the difficult task for child workers to build up the children’s self esteem. They have a very low self esteem, and a lot of hostility to the outside world and no trust in adults since their life experience is abuse, rejection and hardship.

There is success despite all the difficulties and it is encouraging to see those that respond to affirmation and emotional release therapy and can start a new and better live. But why should it be allowed to happen at all to thousands of young teenagers. We are all challenged to express our opinion and speak out and take action whenever we can to bring it to an end.

Fr. Shay Cullen is affiliated with Preda, a Philippine human rights social development organization working for 34 years through fair trade practices to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in society and overcome injustice and poverty.

Credits: Cited from an original article by Fr. Shay Cullen for preda.org last 02/09/10

DAVAO CITY, Jan. 9, 2010—LIKE MOST religious people, Mati Bishop Patricio Alo hit on anti-life advocates and their arguments to be “baseless, misleading and erroneous.”

Further, Bishop Alo warned that those who support the anti-life agenda unknowingly are engaged into corruption because the program in itself is a kind of corruption.

“They are just making man slave to the passing glory and sensual pleasures of the world. They simply disregard the basic fact that life is sacred,” he said.

The prelate moved on saying that the arguments that matter are those based on truth, not just on transitory or volatile reasons.

“They (anti-lifers or Reproductive Health Bill supporters) give reasons such as poverty, overpopulation, hunger and many others which are erroneous,” said Bishop Alo.

Bishop Alo said those arguments have no sufficient basis for terminating life or potential life by means of abortion or contraception.

“You do not solve the problem of life by terminating life. Things were made for man and not vice versa,” he said, adding:

Credits:
Cited from an original article by Mark S. Ventura for cbcpnews.com last 01/09/10

MANILA, January 12, 2010—THE CATHOLIC Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) remains steadfast on their stand against the realization of a law setting expiration dates on marriage contracts.

CBCP President and respected Canon lawyer Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar quoted “Unity and indissolubility of marriage are values rooted in the bible and Christian tradition.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar V. Cruz, another expert in Canon Law and Chairman of the CBCP’s National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal said the proposal is “some kind of desperate approach to right a wrong by something wrong.”

“It is wrong for couples to separate and here comes a proposal for them to precisely separate,” he said.

The proposed legislation cites “a 10-year expiration on marriages would give couples the opportunity to review their relationship, and decide whether to continue or not with the union.”

Prelature of Isabela (de Basilan) Bishop Martin S. Jumoad said he’s definitely against putting an expiration date on marriages. He said commitment, fidelity and respect are vital for one to have a strong family.
If this happens, he foresees “Philippine society will become chaotic, more street children and more social problems.”

As far as Administrator Carmelita N. Ericta, who concurrently sits as Civil Registrar General, the proposal to put expiration on marriages in the Philippines is “contrary to the aspirations of the Filipino people as espoused in the 1987 Constitution, the family being the building block of society.”

She added there are about 500,000 marriages solemnized annually with less than 10% getting annulled and reported to the National Statistics Office.

Credits:
Cited from an original article by Melo M. Acuña for cbcpnews.com last 01/12/10

(This is the story of a former beauty queen and model who almost went in to decide to do abortion for the sake of her budding career. But then again, she came to her senses and withdrew herself from the idea and decided to keep her baby who is now celebrating her 20th birthday this year. Read her blog/narrative and find inspiration to patronize the pro-life cause.)

We recently celebrated my daughter Diandra’s 20th birthday in our family’s traditional quiet way of marking such personal milestones. I bought her a lovely black and white muumuu gown so she could wear it to please my eye. I love watching her because she is a reflection of me and a reminder of God’s grace in my life.

A little more than twenty and a half years ago, when I found myself pregnant for the 2nd time, I was shocked. It was a bad time to get pregnant – I was in my early 20s with a son who was 1 and a half years old. I was a beauty queen with a modeling and acting career that was starting to pick up again. It just wasn’t a great time to get pregnant.

So I struggled with the idea of abortion.

I thought it was the only way to “fix” the situation. To make sure my career didn’t stall again.  Because if it did, how could I ever support my little boy? I already had him and knew that there was no way I could handle another child. Although I was surrounded by family (and my partially-estranged husband) and knew that I could run to them with my troubles, I kept my state a secret and felt so ALONE in my predicament.

But I did have ONE person in my life that I could talk to. My best friend Maureen. I clearly recall the day I told her about my plan to get an abortion. I had found a doctor but was too afraid to go alone. She really blew her top that day and got so angry at me, I was utterly gobsmacked. I had never seen my flouncy Maureen, my party animal girlfriend so red in the face and dead seriously mad at me.

But I told her that no matter what she felt, I was going to get an abortion and THAT was the end of it.

Then she said the most astonishing thing. She said to me, “Joyce, I hate abortion but I love you. And I will be by your side all the way hating it but loving you. I will go with you to the doctor.”  I cried a river of tears because I realized that in my most broken moment, I was with a true friend.

So it was on a humid August afternoon twenty and a half years ago that my best friend and I entered the cold hallway of the clinic together with our hearts beating fast. My hands were even colder than the place and I was quaking ever so slightly. If you had looked into my eyes at that moment, you would have seen a scared, confused and lost girl, not knowing what was wrong or right. I was leading myself to the gallows and you would have felt so sorry for me.

After the long check up was done, another astonishing thing was said to me, this time by the doctor. He said, “Iha (Child), I won’t do it. You’re already 4 months and you might die. Tell your family about it, I’m sure in the long run they will be okay with it.”

To this day, I don’t know why I accepted those words so EASILY specially since at the time I was SO dead-set on doing the deed. Why did I not go to another doctor when I knew that there were many out there who would’ve been willing to take my case in spite of the danger?

And why did my heart leap with joy when the doctor said he wouldn’t do it?

I cannot explain it except for one thing…

God had his hand on my daughter and when He spoke, I somehow heard and followed.

Isn’t that funny? Hearing God’s voice through my party animal friend and even more shocking, through an abortion doctor? And me, a Christian only by name, being spoken to by the God of all time? Up to this day I shake my head in wonder over how these things could be true.

I guess that all things ARE possible with such a gracious God.

And so, Maureen and I left that cold and dreary clinic grinning like high school kids skipping all the way to her car. What was started out as a dreadful day had suddenly become bright and hopeful. And because Maureen is the consummate party animal, she had only one way to deal with this wonderful development: By driving off to a fancy restaurant, cracking open a bottle of champagne (I only took a few sips, promise!) and having a quiet little dinner party to celebrate the good news: I was keeping my BABY!

Ron, Diandra, Me and Migo (Diandra’s special someone)

When Diandra was about 16 years old, I was asked to share this story at my church but I couldn’t because she had NO idea of my near-brush with abortion. Nevertheless I knew the story had to be told. Maybe there was someone who needed to hear it. Someone struggling between life and abortion. So I went to my daughter and told her what I almost did. I asked for her forgiveness and after an hour of us crying plus the peace negotiating of her step-dad Ron, she forgave me.

On a different occasion I shared this story with some friends. Afterwards, one of them cried and admitted she had an abortion and carried that memory like a cross. I told her that all she needed to do was to give that burden to God. He is willing to swap loads with her anyway – and the good news is that His load is LIGHT!!!  So we cried and prayed together and asked for forgiveness. And then we spent the rest of the time talking  about her little child in heaven and how much God loved the both of them.

Credits:
Cited from an original article from adventuresofabeautyqueen.wordpress.com last 01/12/10

MANILA, Jan. 15, 2010—IN THEIR 20-page “catechism” for the 2010 Elections, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) outright mentioned their rebuff of 2010 electoral candidates who support the controversial Reproductive Health (RH)

A product of the national gathering of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life’s (ECFL) directors and lay coordinators last Nov. 30 in Antipolo City, the document titled “Catechism on Family and Life” clearly states that “it would not be morally permissible to vote candidates who support anti-family policies, including reproductive health bill, or any other moral evil such as abortion, divorce, assisted suicide and euthanasia.”

The guideline also says that once a voter decide to support a candidate who advocate the anti-life policies, “one becomes an accomplice to the moral evil in question.”

Launched last week after the approval CBCP President and Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar, the initiative was aimed at ensuring the voters would choose the “right candidates” who will lead the country.

Fr. Melvin Castro, ECFL executive secretary said, a candidate’s position on the RH bill mirror’s his or her stand on life and family.

“… and then from there, we can deduce their positions on other issues,” said Castro.
But Castro clarified the catechism for the 2010 polls was made only to serve as a guide for the faithful and a course of action.

When casting their votes, Filipinos, he said, must consider social interest over self interest, and decide guided by moral principles.

Based on the guidelines, Presidential survey frontrunner Senator Benigno Aquino is likely to lose major votes if Catholics will seriously take a call from their church leaders not to vote for candidates supporting birth control. Aquino has been very vocal on his support on population control.

Should the Catholic Church boycott him in the 2010 elections because of his support for the RH bill, he said he would rather heed his conscience.

Of the presidentiables, Councilor John Carlos (JC) de los Reyes, Senator Manuel Villar and Bro. Eddie Villanueva are only those who are totally against the bill.

Credits:
Cited from an original article by Roy Lagarde for cbcpnews.com last 01/15/10

MANILA, January 4, 2010—TO HELP Filipinos vote intelligently, a voter’s guide placing life and family issues at top priority was recently issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

Titled “Catechism on Family and Life,” the document proclaims that the dilemmas facing voters in the upcoming presidential elections are “not only political but also clearly and profoundly moral.”

Highlighted in the document were lengthy instructions in the principles behind the pro-life position. “We should not think that ‘abortion is wrong because the Church says so,’ but rather, ‘abortion is wrong because it kills a human being who is one of us, and the Church reminds us of its wrongness,’” it says.

The bishops point the finger at politicians on the left who have attempted to impose legislation to loosen restrictions on abortion, contraception and to undermine the Philippines’ strong identification of the family. Of particular concern, they write, is the government’s proposed Reproductive Health bill that would open the door to legal abortion, promote contraception, sex education and reproductive technologies.

The Catechism also defends the right of Catholics to bring their voices into the debate, saying, “Because we are people of both faith and reason, it is appropriate and necessary for us to bring this essential truth about human life and dignity to the public square.”

“Through our active participation in the democratic process, including voting, we contribute to ensuring that our democracy firmly underpins moral and ethical values and standards. In the absence of ethical values and standards democracy will become the totalitarian rule of the rich and the powerful who can trample on the rights of the weak and vulnerable, such as the unborn babies, mothers, the elderly and the poor families.”

Read the full document here.

Credits:
Cited from an original article by Hilary White for lifesitenews.com last 01/04/10

MANILA, DECEMBER 21, 2009—Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, lead Convenor of the Climate Change Congress of the Philippines (CCCP) held last December 17, has called for “inter-generational justice” urging a stronger global and Philippine response to the challenge of climate change.

Quoting the Vatican’s latest encyclical ‘Caritas en Veritate’, Ledesma told a multi-sectoral dialogue on climate change governance that the Church is seeking a pro-poor solution to the varied environmental and socio-economic problems facing the country.

The multi-sectoral dialogue, with representatives from a cross section of society was held at the University of the Philippines’ School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UP SOLAIR) in Diliman.

Among the pressing issues tackled were the concerns of the urban poor, who decried some of the unjust responses of government to the climate change such as the large-scale demolition of urban poor dwellings without any comprehensive program of job creation and housing relocation.

The farm sector groups also voiced their fears about declining harvests due to changing climate patterns and increasing occurrence of droughts, floods and land slides. The dialogue also highlighted the need for asset reform, particularly the fuller implementation of agrarian reform and the transformation of small farmers into modern “ecological agribusiness warriors”.

For their part, representatives from the Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DAR), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and Presidential Commission for Urban Poor (PCUP) shared the varied policy initiatives in mitigating the adverse impact of climate change.

Senator Nene Pimentel and Congressman Leonardo Montemayor backed up the need for greater social spending in support of asset reform, job creation and climate-resistant farming.

Credits:
Cited from an original article by Bel Formanes for cbcpnews.com last 12/21/09

MANILA, December 9, 2009—“Family and Life issues will be a major consideration in choosing public officials in the coming 2010 elections and this will be an opportune time to bring public awareness to the moral dimensions of the electoral issues,” this was part of the resolution formulated during the recently-concluded First National Conference of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life.

With its appropriate working theme “The Family Serving the Church and Society”, the conference was held from November 30 to December 3, 2009 at the St. Michael Retreat House in Antipolo City.

Commission on Family and Life Chairman and San Fernando (de Pampanga) archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto, expressed satisfaction that the Family and Life Directors and members resolved to pursue a more active education campaign to promote family values.

He assured the members that the ECFL would issue guidelines to clarify the family and life issues involved in the forthcoming elections.

Speaking to the participants, he underscored the importance of the family as the foundation of society. He remarked in his closing homily, “Just as the house that was built on rock could withstand the wind and rain, so must the family remain firmly founded on God. The family is the foundation of society and if this foundation is weak, then society itself will be weak.”

Fr. Melvin Castro, CBCP-ECFL executive secretary said the conference was convened in order to establish common core knowledge of family and life issues among the Directors and members of the Family and Life Ministry in the parishes.

The increasing concern about anti-family legislation in Congress prompted the ECFL to convene its members and make them aware of the issues affecting family and life.

The issues discussed in the conference were: World Population Collapse and the Lessons for the Philippines; Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality; New Age as a Spirituality of Knowledge and Experience; The Gospel of Life and Reproductive Health; The Effects of Pornography and Entertainment Violence on the Family; The Hidden Dangers of Sex Education; and The Family in God’s Plan.

These topics compose the SAFE (Subtle Attacks against the Family Explained) seminar that the ECFL has adopted as its regular education program.

“In addition, topics on Home and School Partnership and the Moral Dimensions of the 2010 Elections were discussed to help the Family and Life members engage educators and legislators to uphold the values of marriage and family,” he said.

The national conference was attended by 146 participants from 47 dioceses nationwide. Castro noted that this was 50% of all the dioceses and archdioceses in the country, thus ensuring a good representation of the members of the Commission. The participants were the Family and Life Directors of the parishes and their lay collaborators.

The participants received a message from the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI through Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State.

The Holy Father conveyed his spiritual closeness with the conference delegates and assured them of his prayers and blessing in order that they may carefully discern the challenges that face married couples and families and elaborate new strategies for helping them live their vocation with joy and fidelity.

This was the first time that the ECFL held a national conference. Participants asked for a regular gathering in order to be updated on the family and life issues and be able to formulate plans among themselves, prompting the ECFL to institute the National Conference as an annual activity.

Castro announced at the closing that the 2010 conference would be on Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, 2010 at the same venue, the St. Michael Retreat House in Antipolo City.

Incidentally, the reported release of the Commission’s “Catechism (Guidelines) for Filipino Voters” did not push through as the original materials were submitted to CBCP President and Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar for his imprimatur.

Credits:
Cited from an original article by Melo M. Acuña for cbcpnews.com last 12/09/09