Justice for Given Grace

October 14, 2011, Los Banos, Laguna- A name says it all for me like beauty queens Venus Raj, Shamcey Supsup or Gwendolyn Ruais has all pretty and unusual names fit for a queen. Leaders like Benigno Aquino, Ferdinand Marcos or Gregorio Honasan has all brave, masculine and courageous names. When my mother and I talked one time about names, I told her it might be destiny. There’s always a story behind every name and who would think that someone name Venus which is a feminine name, pronounce as Vee-nas and has a history Means "love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love, equal to the Greek goddess Aphrodite. This is also the name of the second planet from the sun will become a beauty queen?

When I first heard that a 19 years old, University of the Philippines, Los Banos, Computer Science student has been raped and murdered inside the campus(rape and murder are like usual cases nowadays everywhere and I am everyday disappointed with the justice system) I was more surprised with her full name which is Given Grace Cebanico. She had a very beautiful name, Given Grace is a powerful one, A grace from above or a blessing. So why it happened?

The two suspects right now are in Police custody, they are PSBank security guard Lester Ivan Lopes Rivera and a trike driver Percieval De Guzman. A witness told the police that she saw Given Grace has been abducted along Diamond street in Umali Subdivision which is just meters away from the campus.
Given Grace body was found in a canal at IPB in Barangay Putho, Tuntungin, Los banos which is also a part of the campus.

Saw her Facebook account, her profile picture hugging a big bear, innocent and young. Her life wasted because of those two selfish, greedy and no conscience men. Even though those two suspects were in custody, I don’t think Justice will be easy and will be just like that. The community must be safe for everyone, the other suspect was a security guard, does he was supposed to be a hero? Los Banos is like my second community, I even stayed up to 2 am studying at one of their Coffee shop.

The students and administrators at UPLB are all asking for Justice for Given Grace. At this moment, a lot of media men and a vigil hailed this afternoon just after the main gate. For me justice will be given if the crime like that will not happen again, security in the area will be tight at all times, mind set of the people about sex will be different and respect for women must be increase.

150 Women Leaders nagpunta sa Senado para sa RH Bill.

Photo from Senator Pia Cayetano Official Website


Dalawa sa pinagpipitagang Senadora ng sambayanang Filipino ang tumanggap sa 150 na kababaihang liders mula sa ibat ibang sulok ng Pilipinas. Sina Senadora Miriam Defensor Santiago at Senadora Pia Cayetano ay malugod na nakipag dayalogo mula sa pagoorganisa ng Reproductive Health Advocates Network (RHAN) at Likhaan ang mga kababaihan na nagmula pa sa malalyong lugar upang maipakita ang pagkakaisa sa pagsusulong ng RH Bill. Pinag usapan ang mga suhestyon at kung paano makukumbinse ang iba pang senador na di pa nakakapag bigay ng kani kanilang opinion sa agresibo at isyu tungkol sa Reproductive Health na isinusulong na maisabatas.

Suhestyon ni Senadora Santiago na mag email o sumulat sa mga Senador upang masabi kung ano ang nasa loobin ng mga kababaihang sumusuporta sa isinusulong na maisabatas. Kung maikwekwento rin ang mga pangyayari sa kani kanilang buhay na maipapakita ang pangagailangan ng RH Bill ay mas maganda upang malaman at maintindihang lubusan ng mga Senador na di sumasangayon ang kanilang kalagayan lalong lalo na para kina Senador Vicente Sotto at Senador Juan Ponce Enrile na tumutuligsa sa RH Bill.

Kilala si Senadora Santiago sa mga nakaktuwa ngunit totoong ma reaksyon at salitang binibitiwan. Ibahagi ko sa inyo ang mga binitiwang salita ni Senadora Santiago na sa tingin ko ay patungkol sa mga Pari at Senador na mga Anti RH Bill.:

1. “Not true that we are in favor of abortion.”
2. “ Not true na ang pills ay pang abort.”
3. “RH Bill is not only about education but empowering women.”
4. “ Ginawa ng Diyos ang Babae mula sa kanyang buto at hinipan, Ang Lalaki ay galling sa Putik kaya mas magaling talaga ang Babae.”
5. “Kung di makuha sa santong dasalan. Sapukin mo na.”
6. “Di nila maisip ang koneksyon ng kahirapan sa RH Bill.”
7. “ Di naman sinasabi na mag sex ng mag sex sa Bibliya pag kinasal, bakit ibang tao ang naguutos.”
8. “ Basta ako alam ko may karanasan sa pagtatalik, ang mga Pari wala.”
9. “ Walang block vote ang katoliko, so bakit sila matatakot sa katoliko?.”


Sa kasalukuyan ay hold ang session para sa RH Bill at magsisimula muli sa Nobyembre ngunit umaasa ang mga tagasuporta na maisasabatas na ito bago matapos ang taon lalong lalo na at naisama ito sa LEDAC ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino at ipinapakita nya ang kanyang suporta.

Marine Life and Reproductive Health

October 11, 2011, A Press Conference was held at Sulo Riviera Hotel for the immediate voting and passage of the Reproductive Health Bill with the theme “ Sampung Taon na, pagbotohan na!.” And was organized by the Philippine Legislators Commission and Population Development Incorporated (PLCPD). Speakers are from different field and staunch supporters of the bill but speech from the environmental sector strikes me most. As we all know, the more the population, the more supplies of food that we need which is never or seldom mentioned for every RH debate.

Dr. Enrique Hernandez of Path Foundation Philippines complete speech are as follow: "The Philippines is recognized as the center of marine diversity and it’s coastal and marine resources are an important economic resource and food source, especially of protein. Yet, less tan 4 percent of the Philippine Coral reefs are in excellent condition and fisheries resources are overexploited. One reason for the decline in fisheries and degradation of coastal habitats is increased pressure on the resources for income, food and habitat. Sixty-two percent of Filipinos reside in coastal areas where population density is much higher than the national average in which already surpasses the average growth rate for the world as a whole. To keep pace with the current rate of population growth, it was estimated in 2002 hat fish stock must increase by 30 percent by 2010, a tall order given the overstressed state of the Philippine marine- coastal ecosystems. Human population density and growth drive unsustainable patterns of marine resource extraction that in turn undermine the biological diversity and productivity of coastal ecosystems and habitats.

From 2001 to 2007, PFPI conducted a study using a population-environment approach to address both rapid population growth and marine resource decline in an integrated manner. A quasi- experimental design was used to test the hypothesis that there will be a significant improvement in both coastal resource management (CRM) and Reproductive Health (RH) outcomes by delivering integrated services as compared to delivering either independently. The interventions were tested in three island municipalities of Palawan: CRM in Cuyo, RH in Busuanga, and the integrated CRM+RH in Culion. Pre- project and post- project biophysical and community household surveys were conducted.

Results indicate that the integrated CRM+RH intervention generated higher impacts on human ecosystem health outcomes compared to the independent CRM and RH interventions. The improvements in the conditions of the coastal resources are the effects of protective management by the peoples’ organizations who collaborated in the study. The same organizations managed RH activities that enabled contraceptive access and a significant decrease in the average number of children born to women in the study area. Other trends show a significant reduction in income-poverty among young adults. Given that poor individuals and households are more vulnerable to the impacts of Climate Change, the income- poverty outcome provides added value also in terms of the community’s ability to cope with future environment and climate change.

While RH interventions are likely to play only a limited role in the rehabilitation of Philippine marine resources, nevertheless it will be difficult to sustain CRM gains without simultaneous efforts to address population factors and related gender inequity issues, particularly the high rate of unintended pregnancy among women and teens and their lack of access to contraceptives services. This is particularly true in biodiversity rich coastal areas, such as those bordering marine protected areas, where communities lack access to RH services and unmet need for family planning is high due to either geographic remoteness or political and social opposition or some combination of both factors. By demonstrating the improved outcomes that result from delivering RH services integrated with marine conservation interventions, this study argues that integrating the population dimension into natural resource management agendas enhances and ultimately improves conservation objectives, while also addressing a root cause of resource degradation and poverty. The evidence also implies that to ensure long- term sustainability of conservation gains and prevent over- use of natural resources, family planning services are necessary."