Labor group supports clamour on the vote for the RH bill

PRESS RELEASE

6 August 2012

Women members of the Partido ng Manggagawa joined women groups from the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) at the House plenary session this afternoon to show support to clamor to finally put the RH bill to vote.

“It’s been more than a decade it is time to pass the RH bill.  Poor and working women have waited long enough,” explained PM General Secretary Judy Ann Chan-Miranda.

She added that, “Poor women need family planning services and commodities which they cannot afford.  Millions of poor women and adolescents are left uninformed about their reproductive health rights and needs.  We do want merely want a ‘yes’ vote to the RH bill, we want the provisions intended to address the reproductive rights and needs of poor and working women and adolescents intact,” asserted Miranda. 

Partido ng Manggagawa called on the pro-RH legislators from the House of Representatives and the Senate to ensure that the following provisions in the RH bill shall not be comprised:

1.     The right of women to choose which family planning method to use, hence, the availability of all range of contraception – natural or artificial – but medically safe;

2.     The right of adolescents to age-appropriate sexuality and reproductive health education;

3.     The continuation of program on the prevention and management of post-abortion complications, and humane medical treatment of women who have risked unsafe abortion; and

4.     The fund allocation to free reproductive health care services and commodities for the poor, especially women and adolescents.

Women workers chide bishops for celebrating withdrawal of UN funding on family planning

PRESS RELEASE

2 September 2011

While bishops hail the United Nation’s decision to abandon the country’s family planning plan due to lack of funds, the Department of Health (DOH) notes that Filipinos with HIV has reached more than 7000 and increasing.  Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) believes that for these reasons, the more the State and advocates should make certain the passage of the RH bill and so its budget allocation.

“It is unfortunate that the bishops’ reason for rejoicing is also reason for more difficulties for the poor, especially women with unmet family planning needs and dying due to pregnancy and birth complications, and Filipinos with HIV and AIDs.  It is callous and insensitive to celebrate at the expense of people needing help,” explained PM Secretary-General Judy Ann Chan-Miranda.

PM chides the bishops for admonishing taxpayers regarding budget allocation for RH-related services.  The poor, needing RH services, deserves State support – it is one reason why the State exists in the first place. 

“The tax-exempt Catholic Church has no moral ascendancy to meddle on the State’s social spending.  Will it share its wealth or pay the bills for the healthcare of poor women?” asked Miranda.

Women workers are caring mothers not terrorists

PRESS RELEASE

April 27, 2011

In response to Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Vice-President Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma statement that RH bill advocates are no better than terrorists, PM Secretary General Judy Ann Chan-Miranda explained that, “On the contrary, women workers are caring mothers not terrorists.  The analogy is erroneous just as insisting that condoms are abortifacients.  Women workers support the passage of the RH bill because they care that much for the future of their children and would-be children.”

Women workers through PM are strong supporters of the controversial RH bill. They cite the pro-worker provisions of the bill such as providing paid leaves for pre-natal consultations; PhilHealth coverage of family planning services and commodities, and also life-threatening RH-conditions like HIV AIDS, breast, ovarian and prostate cancers, and obstetric complications; and finally information to employees and even applicants of the RH benefits and services provided by companies.

Miranda further argues that, “With meagre salaries to spend for food and education, among others – in the midst of a crisis and rising prices – the RH bill’s provisions for reproductive health services is similar to ‘mana falling from the heaven.’  That after waiting for what seemed to be a lifetime women workers will have the chance now to provide for and take care of their families without sacrificing their health.”

“Beyond the illusion that artificial family planning methods are abortifacients, on the contrary, the absence of reproductive health care services has caused thousands of deaths among women, especially poor women.  And the unmet need for family planning services of women has caused also them to resort to backyard abortions which we all do not want to continue happening,” insisted Miranda in reply to Archbishop Palma.

She insisted that “Through the RH bill, minimum wage earners will be able to have access to complete accurate and relevant information, and affordable and accessible family planning and reproductive health care services and commodities.”

The passage of the RH bill is one of the demands to be raised by PM in the coming Labor Day celebration. Aside from the Mendiola rally at noon, PM will also lead Labor Day protests in Cebu City, Davao City, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, General Santos City, Iligan City and Dipolog City. Thousands of workers are expected to participate in the Labor Day protest.

PM joins womens’ groups in pushing House to approve RH bill

Press Release
February 16, 2011

Women members of the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) joined the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) in a big demonstration at the House of Representatives to push Committee on Appropriations to finally approve the budget provisions of the RH bill. Once approved, plenary deliberations of the bill will commence.

More than a thousand women, including hundreds of women workers, gathered at the South gate of the lower house from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon carrying placards and streamers with slogans calling for immediate passage of the RH bill.

PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda called on the Committee to quit stalling on the bill, “Every day of delay in the RH bill passage, eleven (11) poor working women are dying from pregnancy and birth delivery complications. It is time to put a stop to this continued ‘daily slaughter’ of women? With the passage of the RH bill, we can avoid losing 4,015 precious women’s lives per year! It has been more than a decade, almost 12 years now, with the daily average, 48,180 women’s lives could have been saved!”

Particularly for workers, Miranda explained that, “It is not true that the RH bill is purely a family planning bill. Those saying so are not being truthful. In addition to Article 134 of the Labor Code wherein employers shall provide reproductive health services to all employees, the RH bill mandates that employers shall furnish in writing the following information to all employees and applicants:

‘(a) The medical and health benefits which workers are entitled to, including maternity and paternity leave benefits and the availability of family planning services,
‘(b) The reproductive health hazards associated with work, including hazards that may affect their reproductive functions especially pregnant women, and
‘(c) The availability of health facilities for workers."

In addition, Miranda further explained that employers are likewise obliged to monitor pregnant working employees and provide them with paid half-day leaves for each month of the pregnancy period during their employment, reimbursable to either the Social Security System (SSS) or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

“These pro-worker provisions of the bill support the ‘SAFETY FIRST’ maxim in the workplace. Workers’ lives, especially women’s, are spared from pregnancy complications and work hazards,” according to Miranda. “Again, we call on our legislators to quit delaying the bill and the Catholic Church to quit confusing the people and blackmailing government officials. Kung totoong pro-life kayo, you should support the RH bill – the RH bill will save women’s lives.”