Thursday, February 19, 2004
Glo, lone woman in race to Palace, may not get vote of women’s alliance
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
WOMEN’S groups are calling for candidates who will prioritize health concerns in their political agenda.
The Cebu Health Rights Movement (Charm), an organization of representatives from different women’s groups, also joined the call to “junk” President Arroyo for her failure to focus on improving health services. It said Arroyo only allocated less than three percent of National Government’s budget for this service.
“Sad to say that she is a woman but she does not feel for the women,” said Judy Aguilar of Charm in a press conference yesterday.
The group, also made up of representatives from Gabriela, Women’s Resource Center of Cebu, Youth Advocacy Network, Cebu Urban Poor Women’s League and the Visayas Primary Health Care Services, will launch on March 8, International Women’s Day, their bid to make health an election issue.
Aguilar said they are open to talks with presidential bets Fernando Poe Jr. and Raul Roco, aspiring vice president Sen. Loren Legarda and reelectionist Sen. Rodolfo Biazon.
Policies that prevent violence against women, unwanted pregnancy and abortion could help better the lives of women, the group pointed out.
However, laws like House Bill 4110 or the Reproductive Health Care Act are not getting support from politicians because it would mean “losing valuable votes,” especially with strong opposition from the Catholic Church.
Aguilar pointed out that a Pulse Asia survey in 2001 revealed that 76 percent of voters favor politicians who are for family planning.
With women voters composing 51 percent of the voting population, the sector helps candidates win, she said.
“There’s no Catholic vote, so wa’y basehanan ilang fears (Their fears are baseless),” she added.
Kaira Alburo sadly noted that Arroyo has chosen to prioritize militarization and debt servicing in the budget when public hospitals are in a sorry state.
Lolita Barillano, who represented the urban poor sector, said that with threats of demolition of homes and vending stalls faced by some members of their sector
everyday, their health, especially reproductive health, is often neglected.
Joan Comedido, the youth representative, said that with the rate of adolescents engaging in premarital sex, the government should focus more on education and health services for the young.
With the dwindling allocations for hospital and health services, Dr. Mark Molina of the Visayas Primary Health Care Services is worried on how people in the grassroots level could be educated on family planning techniques to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
(February 19, 2004 issue)
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