Dana | The Advocate

From the words of President Duterte in 2017 that still bother me,

“Why do we have to debate on that?”

“As far as the Ilocanos (are) concerned, Marcos is a hero.”

First of all, I am an Ilocano and I would like to debate on that.

I remember when I was in 3rd grade, I asked my mom who was her favorite Philippine president and she said it was Ferdinand Marcos. She would tell me how the country was in its best form under his term. Me, a naive little girl, ingrained this perspective up until I was in 9th grade. However, I have never really worshipped his ‘accomplishments’ nor was he my favorite president. I just know that he was the 'best’ president, at least for most of the older generation Ilocanos I know.

I remember when I was in 10th grade, Twitter was starting to become a platform of unmasking truth about underlying deceptions of a lot of things. One of them is the truth about the Marcoses and the Martial Law era. Here, I started to realize why some people see Marcos’ term was the best, they fail to see that every deceitful 'accomplishment’ he attains for the country has a hidden agenda. They fail to see that this era’s 'economic boom’ has aggravated the country’s debt and we are still paying it up until now. They fail to see that behind the aid programs he built for the people is people suffering from the military oppressions during his dictatorship.

I remember when I came home from a semestral break. There were successive family gatherings during this time. There was one time when I and my relatives talked about Marcos or Apo Lakay, what most Ilocanos call him. The overall atmosphere of that conversation for me was an infliction of pain. Believe me when I say I tried to oppose their affirmations on Apo Lakay but they always thwart me from speaking up by saying this statement:

“Gapo a agbabasa ka dita Manila'n kasla met la ammom aminen. In-brainwash da kan sa metten.”

(Just because you are studying in Manila, you act as if you know everything. I think they have already brainwashed you.)

Isn’t it the other way around? The moment I Ieft this Ilocos bubble to study in Metro Manila, my way of thinking changed. I realized how we, Ilocanos, have been deprived of the truth, at least for me. They venerate Apo Lakay and justify his heroism. All those years, his name has been cologned from the people surrounding me just to find out the reeking horror he has done. I recall when my lola said how Martial Law has not affected the Ilocos Region. In Ilocos, there is no commemoration of this dark era because they think that Ilocos was 'exempted’ from his tyrannical leadership. But what about the rest of the Philippines?

Frustration and rage are constantly crawling in my mind about how I cannot even defend myself from my relatives’ assertions. I always think of the things I should have said during that time, to justify my opposition towards him. If I were to go back to that conversation with my relatives, I would have told and explained to them these things:

Just because Ilocos did not experience his tyranny, that does not mean it didn’t happen. While they argue that Martial Law was mainly concentrated in Metro Manila, other regions also had a taste of his abuse. An example is from Region 3, numerous are still crying out for help until now. Human rights victims are seeking justice from their husbands who disappeared during that era but are still being denied.

Indeed, I did not experience firsthand his tyrannical but…the numbers don’t lie. About 70,000 people were imprisoned and 34,000 tortured. Thousands of people were tortured in different ways. Some were electrocuted, strangled, and slowly beating them to death. While it is true that there numerous infrastructures that were built, but it came with an appalling cost. The Philippines are drowned with billions of dollars of debt, from $8.2 billion in 1977 ballooning to $24.4 billion in 1982.

Ilocos was not spared from the tortures of Martial Law. Even in his province that he calls home, human rights violations still persisted. In 1984, many farmers from Ilocos Norte were illegally arrested and experienced torture by the military. Three members of an indigenous community in Pallas Valley, Vintar, and eight farmers in Bangui were salvaged. Also, IPs were forced to evacuate from their ancestral domain. These Ilocano victims are not yet compensated until now.

These are just among the arguments I should have thrown. It is saddening how some people are still blinded by this so-called 'golden age’ made possible by Marcos and how some people are simply, misinformed. Seeing these people I know denying the tyranny made by this man is like denying the suffering of the Martial law victims and their families. Compensations do not fully relieve all the pain but rather we recognize all of their sufferings. Although some Ilocanos still see him as a hero, as an Ilocano pride. For me, as an Ilocano, Marcos is not a hero, this is not what a hero manifests.

References

Bulatlat. 2020. Ilocanos Remember Dark Days Of Martial Law, Vow To Continue Fight - Bulatlat. [online] Available at: https://www.bulatlat.com/2012/10/02/ilocanos-remember-dark-days-of-martial-law-vow-to-continue-fight/ [Accessed 24 October 2020].

Rappler. 2020. Martial Law Victims, Kin: Still No Justice, Full Compensation After Decades. [online] Available at: https://www.rappler.com/nation/martial-law-victims-families-decry-lack-compensation [Accessed 24 October 2020].

The battle for sufficient family planning in the Philippines has been ceaseless. Specifically, women still face disparities in access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care services which puts them in a vulnerable position. There are still apparent inequities for women due to their specific needs around this matter. There are also wars of words, prejudices, and skeptics. Lack of access and knowledge are still evident.

The situation of women’s SRH are existing public health issues in the Philippines. From the 2017 NDHS survey, 1/5 girls is a mother by the age of 19, and 2/3 of women are not using any form of birth control. While 17% of females aged 15 to 49, the general age of fertility, want to utilize family planning (FP) practices but are not doing so or they do not have access to such methods. According to a United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) study in 2015, the Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia where pregnancy rates are not declining.

Now that the world is in distress due to the COVID 19 pandemic, health emergencies are implemented in response to this phenomenon. However, it is disconcerting to know that health emergencies disproportionately affect the vulnerable, specifically to girls and women. Due to lockdown protocols in the country, family planning and SRH services are disrupted and have become limited. With the pandemic’s overwhelming effect on the health system of the country, the scarcity of resources to tend to non-coronavirus concerns is evident. There have been hospital rejections of expectant mothers throughout the pandemic, one of which is the case of Katherine Bulatao. She was reportedly rejected by six facilities. Two of the many reasons are the inadequate medical facilities and the inability to make an advance payment. By the time they had found a facility, she bled to death.

From the projection of the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI), around 5.2 million women are expected to have an unmet need of contraception and FP if the quarantine will continue by the end of 2020. This would necessarily result in an increase in the number of unintended pregnancies. There is also an expected increase of maternal deaths (around 60 deaths per month) and intimate partner violence (around 12,000 women experience violence every month) in 2020 with and without COVID 19-related community quarantine.

While the government is focused on containing the virus, there should still be an equal provision of health services such as SRH services for women. The impact of the pandemic on the disruption of providing SRH and FP services emphasizes the need for a sustained delivery on FP, maternal healthcare services, and protective networks for women to alleviate negative outcomes. Both the public and private sectors should design innovative methods to ensure the continuous provision of these needed services despite the pandemic. Lastly, even when the pandemic comes to an end, there should still be a significant recognition of providing access to such services for girls and women.

References:

Arevalo, R. (2019, October 29). Teenage pregnancy worsening in PH. Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://mb.com.ph/2019/10/29/teenage-pregnancy-worsening-in-ph/

Prof. Marquez presents UPPI and UNFPA study on SRH during World Population Day 2020. (2020, August 12). Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.uppi.upd.edu.ph/news/PNM-on-world-population-day-2020

The SHE Network Advocates for the Continuous Delivery of RH Services During the COVID-19 ECQ. (n.d.). Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://philippines.oxfam.org/latest/stories/she-network-advocates-continuous-and-unhampered-delivery-reproductive-health-services

Significant rise in maternal deaths and unintended pregnancies feared because of COVID-19, UNFPA and UPPI study shows. (2020, August 15). Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://philippines.unfpa.org/en/news/significant-rise-maternal-deaths-and-unintended-pregnancies-feared-because-covid-19-unfpa-and

Joy Salgado

Advocacy Program Director

Likhaan Center for Women's Health

 Addressing constraints of women's access to sexual and reproductive health services and information amidst the pandemic

 Dear Ms. Salgado:

Greetings!

Today, we continue the fight for women's rights, and tomorrow we hope to be an inch closer to our goal. I am writing you this letter to show my deep appreciation to Likhaan Center for Women's Health's initiative to provide women's sexual and reproductive rights and health services. I have researched through your advocacies and projects that undoubtedly created a permanent mark.

As we go through this pandemic, women and girls face intensified risks when accessing sexual and reproductive health services and information. Your organization’s continuous aid to women has truly impacted their welfare. I am in deep gratitude for your efforts to provide webinars in line with your goals, consultations, physical checkups, and such.

But there is one initiative that I was drawn to— attending to expectant mothers. Midwives of Likhaan’s birthing centers offering baby delivery services have widened the reach accessibility and availability for expectant mothers who cannot access such services in medical institutions due to the pandemic. However, it was asserted that Likhaan could not accommodate pregnant women who are at "high risk", women with medical conditions, giving birth for the first time, or women who are 35 years old or above. Additionally, community mobilizers are apprehensive that community quarantines and lockdowns will negatively affect the organization's family planning program.

With this, I humbly present some of my recommendations on how to address these constraints— not leaving any woman behind in these trying times:

1. Circulate information on pregnancy management and family planning amidst the pandemic. Since onsite meetings and seminars are prohibited, pamphlets and the use of Instagram containing this information will be given. Pamphlets will make it more accessible to indigent communities with lesser access to information. The organization will partner with Local Government Units (LGUs) for more efficient and extensive dissemination of pamphlets to smaller communities. Secondly, the use of Instagram will reach a wider audience, not limited to the organization's covered areas.

2. Provide transportation facilities for pregnant women. Community quarantine guidelines have restricted vulnerable individuals, which include pregnant women, access to public transportation facilities. This protocol has prevented these women to access proper healthcare services, maternal checkups, and immediate care for pregnancy emergencies. It is recommended to associate with LGUs and private sectors who can increase resources in transportation for people who need immediate access to healthcare. In this way, a safer transit is present to obviate health risks and exposure to the virus.

3. Appoint discussions with medical institutions and LGUs on procedures of maternal care services during the pandemic. There is a significant need to initiate dialogues on comprehensive and systematic mechanisms that ensure availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of sexual and reproductive health information and services.

4. Undertake conferences with policymakers and LGUs to reinforce laws that protect women's fundamental rights. It is crucial to associate with policymakers to strengthen the enforcement of Anti-Hospital Deposit Law, Magna Carta of Women, and the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act. This is also to highlight the government's obligation to assure women's rights to life, health, and equality, and non-discrimination despite the COVID 19 pandemic and constraints to resources.

May these recommendations bring about the significance of perpetuating and reinforcing your organization's goals and envisioned dream for all women. Here is to empowering fellow women, onward and upward!

 Sincerely,

Danielle A. Requilman

 References:

Abortion, I., 2020. PHILIPPINES – Likhaan Center Clinics Open During Covid-19 Lockdown – Safe Abortion : Women's Right. [online] [Safeabortionwomensright.org](http://safeabortionwomensright.org/). Available at: [https://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/philippines-likhaan-center-clinics-open-during-covid-19-lockdown/].[Accessed 26 September 2020].

Beltran, B., 2020. Filipino Community Workers Cope To Support Women Amid Pandemic | Catholic News In Asia | Licas.News | Licas News. [online] Catholic News in Asia | LiCAS.news | Licas News. Available at: [https://www.licas.news/2020/03/26/filipino-community-workers-cope-to-support-women-amid-pandemic/].[Accessed 26 September 2020].

Luna, F., 2020. Government Urged To Keep Women’S Health A Priority Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. [online] [philstar.com](http://philstar.com/). Available at: [https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/05/17/2014620/government-urged-keep-womens-health-priority-amid-covid-19-pandemic]. [Accessed 26 September 2020].

As I read through the readings, I have gained some insights and remarks on specific statements to each of the material. Although the overall readings impacted the way I perceive development communication and elements involved, there are particular ideas that made me evaluate and relate it to several social contexts and status quo.

Jan Servaes

Servaes has defined Development and Social Change; and its incorporated elements. He asserted the impact of cultures in shaping reality and the role it plays on communication. Culture has been a part of people's daily occurrence and a steering on how people convey with one another. It provides an idea on how to appropriate oneself when having a social interaction.

It is fundamental to integrate awareness on culture and communication towards the aim for development. There are two notions on development— it is both grounded in modernization theory; and grassroots and participatory development theories. The former notion concentrates on technology-transfer of the privileged, powerful and technologically 'advanced' towards the disadvantaged to raise their productivity that could sustain economic growth. However, it is worth noting that there is a cultural gap between the elite and the masses. It is a challenge for the development communicators on how to create suitable guidance for them to achieve productivity. Secondly, relating to the second notion of development, it is also significant to be conscious of the different cultures and norms of grassroots.

There is a need to understand their perspectives (how it resonates to their culture, norms and principles) on issues needed for development. In this way, they will feel empowered and encouraged to participate on reaching such goals. These things are important to bear in mind because people's perspective on development might not be the same for others.

Nora Cruz Quebral

A part of Quebral's statements in the reading is the influence of communication and media on rural and urban communities. Quebral asserted that: "Where the old and new media are concentrated in cities, the rural populace is virtually voiceless. What is passed off as public opinion is urban opinion." Urban spaces have more access to the media making them more aware of social repercussions and numerous of information.

As the virtual world continues to grow, its reach is also expanding, some rural areas are already starting or have access to the new media as well. An example is the provision of telecommunication companies of free data internet **on selected social media platforms such as Facebook. These platforms have been more reachable to the masses and have become one of their main sources of information. However, the proliferation of false information has also emerged compromising the integrity of transferring information to the masses. This has become one of the obstacles of communication of development. Social media platforms are efficient way to advocate development plans, ideas, and information because of its extensive reach but a risky space as well.

Another realization from the mentioned quote in the first paragraph, how the rural populace is virtually voiceless, it has become more accurate basing from the closing of the ABS-CBN Corporation. The company has a wide coverage to numerous rural areas of the Philippines. But due to this issue, it has weakened the access of information of these areas, alienating them from important informations that need to be recognized.

Dr. Minal Chatterjee

There are countless perspectives of what development is and how it should be. If development then is different for everybody, then who gets to decide what development is? Reading through Chatterjee's article, it has somewhat answered this question. Communication development has relatively aligned this disarrayed debate. The role of communication development has organized diverse goals of a collective and how every objective (for development/social change) harmonizes with one another. It directs consensus by building mutual understanding and comprehensive dialogue between stakeholders involved. It raises consciousness towards different perspectives and prevent exclusions. Communication development recognizes the teamwork it requires and identifies the specific objective it aims to attain the desired development outcome they all perceive.