Women welcome RH inclusion in LEDAC but Cautions on Watered down Version
A group of women working in grassroots communities welcome with relief the inclusion of the highly controversial Responsible Parenthood (RP) and Reproductive Health (RH) bill in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), but remains cautious on the final version that will be passed by Congress.
According to Elizabeth Angsioco, National Chairperson of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), the more than forty thousand DSWP women members nationwide have remained vigilant following PNoy’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) sans RH. “We have to admit that the RH-less SONA concerned us, but after Malacanang’s endorsement of the measure, we see it as a good sign that the President listens to what the people say,” Angsioco explains. “And we commend him for that,” she added.
Moreover, Angsioco expressed appreciation to LEDAC members for finally including the RH bill in its priority measures despite the very strong opposition from the CBCP and its allies.
She states that this development should clearly tell Congress that the RH bill needs to be voted on and passed the soonest and that there is no reason to dilly-dally on the bill. “Taking the cue from the President himself, lawmakers should now stop dilatory tactics,” said Angsioco.
Angsioco said that the passage of this highly clamored RH bill may be this administration’s biggest legacy to women, especially those in poverty who had long been affected by the lack of access to RH services.
“However,” said Angsioco, “our group will remain vigilant and work so that the final version that will be enacted does not lose the essence of what we have been fighting for 16 long years now.”
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About The Author
Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Noemi Lardizabal-Dado is a Content Strategist with over 16 years experience in blogging, content management, citizen advocacy and media literacy and over 26 years in web development. Otherwise known as @MomBlogger on social media, she believes in making a difference in the lives of her children by advocating social change for social good. She is a co-founder and a member of the editorial board of Blog Watch . She is a resource speaker on media literacy, social media , blogging, digital citizenship, good governance, transparency, parenting, women’s rights and wellness, and cyber safety. Her personal blogs such as aboutmyrecovery.com (parenting) , pinoyfoodblog.com (recipes), techiegadgets.com (gadgets) and benguetarabica.coffee keep her busy outside of Blog Watch. Disclosure: I am an advocate. I am NOT neutral. I will NOT give social media mileage to members of political clans, epal, a previous candidate for the same position and those I believe are a waste of taxpayers' money. I do not support or belong to any political party. I was part of accredited media covering the Office of the Vice President and Leni Robredo as she ran as a presidential aspirant in the 2022 National and local elections. On August 5, 2021, YouTube announced that I was selected as one of 50 Program participants of its Creator Program for Independent Journalists She was a Senior Consultant for ALL media engagements for the PCOO-led Committee on Media Affairs & Strategic Communications (CMASC) under the ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Council from January 4 -July 5, 2017. Having been an ASEAN advocate since 2011, she has written extensively about the benefits of the ASEAN community and as a region of opportunities on Blog Watch and aboutmyrecovery.com. Organization affiliation includes Consortium on Democracy and Disinformation Updated June 6, 2022