Two Views on Reproductive Health
This has reference to the article
Pretty Lights Over Women's Rights: Manila is now beautifully lit, but does it keep women's issues in the dark? (MEDICAL OBSERVER, June-July 2004) by Michelle Ciriacruz.
The delivery of women's health services by our health workers is guided by Executive Order No. 003 issued by Mayor Jose Atienza Jr. on February 29, 2000, declaring total commitment and support to the Responsible Parenthood Movement in the city of Manila.
The Manila health department stands by the city's belief in the sanctity of life and its support to the Constitution in the protection of life of the mother and the unborn.
Cognizant of the disadvantages of artificial family planning methods, we encourage natural family planning not just as a method, but as a way of self-awareness in promoting the culture of life.
Intensive advocacy sessions in schools, offices, public places, and communities are aggressively conducted. Counseling facilities managed by trained staff in the health centers highlight moral rejuvenation to equip people against amoral influences brought about by the excesses of modernization.
Hence, in reaction to the said article, which mentions that "a health worker at the Baseco community reveals that when women ask clinic personnel for artificial contraceptives, they have to be furtive about giving them," please be advised that the Baseco Health Center of the Manila health department is not the only agency giving health services in the area. Nevertheless, agencies complementing the existing health services rendered by the city are being urged to adhere to the city government's position on this concern.
Promotion of responsible parenthood and natural family planning will always be an integral part of the functions of the public health facilities in the city of Manila.
The undersigned hopes that this letter response will be printed in the next issue for information, guidance, and fairness in publication.
Florante F. Baltazar, MD
Officer-in-charge
Manila Health Department
Re the story of Ms. Michelle Ciriacruz describing the findings of Likhaan's qualitative studies on maternal mortality and abortion, we had hoped that the studies would help inform the public about the extent of neglect and discrimination--including the moralist treatment-that women patients experience in the hands (literally and figuratively) of medical providers and national and local government executives.
In response to this article, Mr. Florante P. Baltazar indirectly denies the involvement of Manila government health workers in the "furtive" distribution of artificial contraceptives. I was expecting the good official to allay health workers' fears of being persecuted for providing artificial contraceptives in the capital city. Instead, he further admonished agencies to "adhere to the city government's position."
Exactly what the Manila government's position is, is unclear. How does the belief in the sanctity of life and adherence to the Constitutional provision of affording equal protection to the woman and the unborn translate into natural-family-planning- only health programs? Why are the disadvantages of artificial contraceptives being singled out instead of having the full spectrum of family-planning methods presented, each with their inherent advantages and disadvantages, to individual users? How do the city's intensive advocacy sessions with stress on moral rejuvenation respect individual conscience and decision-making? In effect, how does the city government of Manila respond to the family-planning needs of residents who don't share the mayor's beliefs?
In behalf of Likhaan, which has patients living in Manila, and the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN), an alliance of over 30 nongovernment organizations and people's organizations working for Reproductive Health, some of them in Manila, I would like to urge the MEDICAL OBSERVER to initiate a public discussion on the Manila policy and the threats that they pose to the lives and well-being of people, especially women.
Junice Demeterio-Melgar, MD
Executive Director, Likhaan
Convenor, Reproductive Health
Advocacy Network
Quezon City
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