Secretariat: Likhaan Center for Women’s Health

88 Times St., West Triangle Homes, Quezon City

Tel: 926 6230 • Tel/Fax: 4113151
Email: office@likhaan.org • RH_AdvocacyNetwork@yahoogroups.com

25 January 2011

His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III

President
Republic of the Philippines
Manila

Dear Mr. President,

In behalf of the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network and our thousands of members all over the
Philippines, we would like to convey our sincere appreciation for your decision to recommend to the
Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) the inclusion among the priorities of the
15th Congress of a measure based on the reproductive health bills. We, who have been working in the
area of family planning and reproductive health for 20 to 40 years, are heartened that your position on
responsible parenthood has remained steadfast and validates our own decades-long effort of providing
and advocating for access to full family planning information and services, especially for poor and
disadvantaged sectors, as a matter of human rights.

We hope that your version of responsible parenthood will eschew the approach of the former Arroyo
government which unfortunately had the similar name "Responsible Parenthood Movement". The past
president promoted only natural family planning, allowed the banning of artificial family planning by
local government executives (like Manila, Northern Samar and Antipolo), and refused to budget or
receive allocation from Congress for family planning. An anemic and erratic national family
planning/reproductive health program for the past 10 years has contributed to the present reproductive
health crisis characterized by a large number of preventable maternal and neonatal deaths, high rates of
unintended pregnancy and induced abortion, surging HIV particularly among young male adults who
have barely begun their productive life, and the exacerbation of poverty among families unable to
regulate the size of their families. Your unflinching support for a different brand of responsible
parenthood will be a major step in the reversal of the above conditions.

Mr. President, as you try to put together your recommendations for the LEDAC, we hope that you will
equally consider the following suggestions from reproductive health practitioners, educators and
advocates:

1. Ensure full family planning information and services to all methods that are safe, effective and
legal, based on informed choice and guaranteeing government budgetary and program support,
especially for the family planning decisions of poor and disadvantaged groups.

2. Mandate sexuality education integrated in school curricula for young people transitioning into
puberty and adolescence to prevent sexual abuse, early pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infections.

3. Ensure women’s and newborns’ survival from life-threatening maternal complications by

enabling the adequate provision—especially in the public health system—of skilled attendance
at delivery and the timely treatment of the most serious obstetric emergencies

.
 4. Develop an integrated approach to reproductive health problems that includes the prevention,
early detection, and treatment of serious reproductive conditions like HIV and AIDS, post-
abortion complications, and reproductive tract cancers.

In the interest of fairness and in keeping with democratic processes, we hope that you will find the time
to meet with us as you have done so with representatives of groups opposed to reproductive health.

Sincerely,

___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

PROF. ALVIN CLOYD DAKIS REIGNER JIREH D. ANTIQUERA, RN, CCRN MS. MICHELLE CAÑOS
National President, Alliance of Young Nurse Vice Chairman, Alliance of Young Nurse Deputy Secretary General,
Leaders & Advocates International, Inc. Leaders & Advocates International, Inc. Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino

__________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

MS. ROSARIO TAÑEDO MS. ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO ATTY. CLARA RITA PADILLA
Executive Director, National Chairperson, Democratic Socialist Executive Director,
Creative Collective Center Inc. Women of the Philippines EnGendeRights

___________________________ ___________________________ __________________________

MR. ROBERTO ADOR FLORENCE M. TADIAR, MD, MPH, MHA CORAZON RAYMUNDO, D.Sc.
Executive Director, Family Planning Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director,
Organization of the Philippines Institute for Social Studies and Action Institute of Maternal and Child Health

__________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

MS. MA. FE P. NICODEMUS JUNICE LIRZA D. MELGAR, MD MS. MINA MALABED
Chairperson, Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak Executive Director MAKALAYA
ng Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino Inc. Likhaan Center for Women’s Health Inc.

__________________________ __________________________ __________________________

MS. ESPERANZA DOWLING EDEN R. DIVINAGRACIA, PHD MR. ROBERTO A.O. NEBRIDA
Executive Director, Philippine Federation Executive Director, Philippine NGO Council Executive Director
for Natural Family Planning on Population, Health and Welfare, Inc. Philippine NGO Support Program, Inc.

__________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

MS. MAGDALENA BACALANDO MR. ROSTOM DEIPARINE ATTY. ELIZABETH PANGALANGAN
President, Pinagsamang Lakas ng Chief Operating Officer Project Director, Reproductive Health,
Kababaihan at Kabataan Population Services Pilipinas Inc. Rights & Ethics Center for Studies & Training

___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

MR. BRAYANT GONZALES MS. LYDIA F. ELA MS. MAI TAQUEBAN
RHAN Youth Representative President, Samahan ng Mamamayan- Unit Coordinator,
Zone One Tondo Inc. Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panlegal

___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

MR. BEN DE LEON MR. RAFAEL MAPALO MR. PERFECTO S. UYSINGCO
President, The Forum for Director for Education, Executive Director,
Family Planning and Development Inc. Trade Union Congress of the Philippines TRI-DEV Specialist Foundation, Inc.

___________________________
ANA MARIA R. NEMENZO
National Coordinator,
WomanHealth Philippines