Canvas Activity No.

5 November 26, 2019

CASTAÑEDA, Ramon David Vargas
11543728
TREDTWO

Abortion, in all its essence, is illegal and taboo in the Philippines. Regardless of reason or manner,
law mandates that no doctor, midwife, nurse, or individual is permitted to do such deed. However,
there are those who seek this operation for reasons such as unpreparedness to conceive a child due
to limited resources, strong dislike to be a parent, or the pregnancy not being wanted.
People get pregnant through intercourse, whether it be consented or not, and may be unplanned in
certain scenarios. This became the reason for individuals to identify their market. The said
individuals, who claim to be of help to those with unwanted or unexpected pregnancies offer illegal
and unregulated medication that will facilitate the abortion via ingestible drugs.
I am all for prioritization of personal health, but I certainly am not for taking the risk that may do
more harm than good. It is understandable that these illegal medications may not have the same
success rate each time they are taken. Like all medicines, there may be some incompatible with
one’s own physiology which can do harm instead of working as a cure to alleviate one’s condition.
This may be the same scenario with the unregulated medicines distributed for the purpose of
underground and illegal abortions.
I understand the sentiment that due to lack of preparation or commitment; abortion should be the
appropriate action. There are two factors that these pregnant women look at: it is either them who
would suffer, or it would be the child. To think that someone is unborn and is without
consciousness may be the easier way to decide upon the situation and have the fetus—or zygote—
aborted. However, it may also be thought of in such a way that you are already killing an unborn
human being by choosing abortion. It still all boils down to who the pregnant prioritizes—herself
or the human being that is soon to form inside her.
There may be reason, however, why these women resort to such illegal deed: they lack another
option. Health care in the Philippines is not much; it lacks funding and it lacks acknowledgement
as a good investment. The government, as well, is greatly influenced by the Catholic doctrine,
being greatly influenced by the major religious denomination in the country. This hinders objective
legislations and discussions to be put forward; there is bias because of religious beliefs.
The viewpoint in the documentary is something I would agree with; there should be further
investigation on those distributing illegal medications to women who are desperate to have their
fetuses aborted as these drugs and unregulated and are said to be harmful. There already lacks
supervision when taking them, and the fact that there is no following check up increases the risk
more. However, women should be given just one choice in this conversation. They should still be
made to choose to carry and conceive the unborn human or to abort it. The country must be more
objective in seeing the situation and should not be blinded by religious beliefs and viewpoints.
Women should not be subjected to primitive beliefs and practices; rather, they should be hand in
hand in ensuring there is progress in how society views a matter such as abortion. It is their health
and well-being after all.