Lifting TRO against contraceptives/SM Foundation’s CSR program

It’s been two years since the Supreme Court directed the Food and Drug Administration to evaluate and issue a resolution on whether 51 contraceptives are abortifacient or not. Contraceptives found non-abortifacient will be issued Certificates of Product Registration. The action will lift the 40-month-old Supreme Court Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued in June 2015 barring the implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law.

It had been a long journey – 13 years – for the RPRH law to be passed by Congress. But before it could be implemented, on March 13, 2015 the Supreme Court delayed implementation of the law in response to challenges raised by oppositors to the law, and in June 2015, the High Tribunal issued the TRO.

On Aug. 24, 2016 and again in its April 26, 2017 decision the SC denied the appeal of the Department of Health (DOH) seeking to proceed with the distribution of the contraceptives and gave the FDA 60 days to make an evaluation of their abortifacient or non-abortifacient nature.

The deadline has been overshot, because, I believe, in the utmost possibility that scientific evaluation of the contraceptives takes time. Documents submitted by the RH law advocates and oppositionists – covering physiology and mechanisms of action of contraceptives utilizing MEDLINE PubMed, EMBASE, and ScienceDirect databases have been reviewed by the FDA Technical Working Group (TWG) and the expert review group (TWG) formed by FDA. The ERG is composed of five obstetricians-gynecologists working in known level 3 hospitals, and practicing for at least 20 years and have worked in the academe.

Former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, head of the Department of Health’s national implementation team of the RH Law, said she respects the FDA’s “need for independence, their need for time to consider these matters. I’m sure they know the urgency so they must be on the edge of coming out with a resolution.”

Expectations are high that the FDA will announce its decision any time now.

In the meantime, since the issuance of the TRO in June 2015, some 1,000 women have died from pregnancy and childbearing complications, Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III, Population Commission executive director, said at a press meeting last week. In addition, citing estimates of the Philippine Statistics Authority, he added that some 500,000 unintended pregnancies have been caused by the TRO.

Dr. Junice Melgar, Likhaan Center for Women’s Health executive director, said that so far 35 out of the 51 contraceptives have been certified by DFA as safe, effective and non-abortifacient. That means the finding “goes against global assertion that all contraceptives are actually part of essential drugs and that they are non-abortifacient.”

Ben de Leon, president of The Forum for Family Planning Development Inc. said, “It’s been two long years and here we are, still fighting for the full implementation of our family planning program based on our RPRH Law.’’

“With the major and final barrier to our family planning program on its last stages, we are looking forward to the day when every Filipino of reproductive age is provided with the whole range of quality family planning products and services that are effective, medically safe and non-abortifacient.”

* * * Medjugorje Uy was a bright girl, but her family was poor. They lived in an informal settlers’ area amidst the stench and sight of trash. She thought she would never go to college. Thanks to a full college scholarship grant by SM Foundation, at age 19, she finished a degree in education, major in English, from National University. She is one of 2,385 college graduates whose grants include employment in SM companies after graduation. She is currently building administration officer at the SM Center Sangandaan.

In addition to college scholarships, the foundation has awarded 1,000 technical-vocational scholarship grants nationwide. Technical vocation education is an option for the youth to acquire skills that match market needs here and abroad.

Providing college scholarships is one of the corporate social responsibility programs of SM Foundation. The foundation seeks to meet three areas of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, namely education, health and well-being, and zero hunger through farmers’ training.

Ensuring quality education is expressed in SM Foundation’s twopronged school building program that involves constructing and donating new school buildings and renovating and rehabilitating dilapidated school buildings. Since the start of the program in 2002 until last year, the foundation has donated 80 school buildings with 248 classrooms, and repaired 28 school buildings with 78 classrooms. Each classroom is fully equipped, with two big blackboards, a teacher’s desk set, fully functioning washrooms with water closets and wall fans. Of great interest is that of the 50 chairs allocated for each classroom, five are for left-handed students.

The Felicidad Sy Wellness Centers for Children and the Elderly, an SM Foundation program, provides therapeutic ambiance to help patients in rural areas recuperate and feel better. Aside from conducting medical missions nationwide, the project maintains 13 renovated and upgraded centers with new equipment.

The foundation trains farmers to engage in effective backyard planting methods and small-scale farming techniques for fruits and vegetables so they can augment their income.

SM builds sustainable communities by providing 100 disaster resilient homes to victims of calamities like the typhoon Yolanda victims. Each village

has basic amenities like electricity, water, basketball courts and open areas. So far 1,000 families have been provided new homes at the SM Cares villages – 200 in Bogo, Cebu, 200 in Concepcion, Iloilo, 200 in Ormoc, Leyte, and 400 houses in Tacloban, Leyte. More homes are under construction.

SM Foundation chair Henry Sy Sr. speaks of the positive impact of helping improve people’s lives. A quiet, soft-spoken man, he says, “While I am not big with words, I am big in my dreams and visions.”

Tobias Biancone, a distinguished playwright-poet of Switzerland was in Manila recently. His works have been translated into various languages, such as in German, English, Pilipino, Bengali, Ilongo, Spanish and Arabic. He is the director-general of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) which is the performing arts organization on consultative status with UNESCO.

He was in Manila for a five-day visit on the occasion of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Center of the ITI established by Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, a Ramon Magsaysay laureate, 1972 founder of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and currently the director of Earthsavers, which is honored as UNESCO Artists for Peace.

While here, Bianco witnessed a cultural festival in Echague, Isabela and the community of ITI Folk Arts Workshop for trainors’ training of teachers and youth practitioners committed to strengthening the growth of the National Theatre Movement in the Philippines.

His visit also marked the initial discussions for the twinning of the city of Segovia under the leadership of Mayor Clara Luquero and Echague Mayor Francisco “Kiko” Dy. The Internet was initiated at the IT Congress held in Segovia recently, through the Philippine delegation that was supported by NCCA executive director Rico Pablo.

Photographer par excellence Mandy Navasero announced that a Batanes Safari 2018 promo is currently going on, until Nov. 15. The safaris will be held Jan. 19-22, Feb. 9-12 and March 16-19. For information, email luzamandolina@gmal.com or call 8963208.