Looking Beyond the Debate, Finding Common Grounds towards Quality Life: A Mapping of Perceptions,...

1Looking Beyond the Debate:Finding Common Grounds Towards Quality of Life

Finding Common GroundsTowards Quality of Life

CATHOLICS FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH (C4RH)

LookingBeyondDebate

the

A Mapping of Perceptions,Positions and Interventions on

Sexual and Reproductive Healthand Rights (SRHR) among Some

Religious and Lay in thePhilippines

A Mapping of Perceptions,Positions and Interventions on

Sexual and Reproductive Healthand Rights (SRHR) among Some



Prepared and published byCatholics for Reproductive Health (C4RH)Unit R1, 2nd Floor George Town Building756 Tandang Sora Avenue, Bgy. Matandang BalaraQuezon City 1119, Metro Manila, PhilippinesEmail: [email protected] us on Facebook “Katoliko Ako, RH Suportado Ko!”

Catholics for Reproductive Health (C4RH) is an advocacy groupthat endeavors to bring Catholics into full harmony with theirfaith and their right to reproductive health. It believes that theChurch is composed of diverse people united in faith anduniversal values that promote love, compassion, peace, andsocial justice towards quality and dignity of human life andintegrity of creation.

Copyright 2014

C4RH

All rights reserved.

ISBN

Any part of this report may be used for purposes of research, training, awarenessraising, and other advocacy for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and humanrights with the understanding that proper citation will be made.

Writers: Luz Francess Chua, Erlin Perlado, Ma. Theresa Navalta, andCrixandrei Chua

Researchers: Luz Francess Chua, Ma. Theresa Navalta, Erlinda Perlado,Crixandrei Chua, Ladylyn Mangada, Ana Ebo, Lorna Mandin,Winston Santiago, and Tessie dela Cruz

Editors: Bicbic Chua and Perla Aragon-Choudhury

Book Design, graphics, & layout: Crixandrei Esterlou Chua


Finding Common GroundsTowards Quality of Life

CATHOLICS FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH (C4RH)

A Mapping of Perceptions,Positions and Interventions onSexual and reproductive Healthand Rights (SRHR) among Some


LookingBeyondDebate

the


Table of Contents

Research Background................................................. 7

Description of the Roman Catholic Churchin the Philippines ........................................................ 12

Review of Literature ................................................... 28

Findings: Survey ......................................................... 41

Findings: Focused-Group Discussions (FGDs).............. 91

Summary & Recommendations ................................... 127

Endnotes ..................................................................... 147

Bibliography ............................................................... 152


As Catholics, how much do we know our Catechism or theChurch teachings? Do we just rely on what our church leaders sayand accept their words as Gospel truths? What if, deep in our hearts,in our innermost conscience, we feel discomfort in their words? Arewe not supposed to be provided by religion with salvation and comfortamidst the sufferings in the temporal world? Why then are we unsettledby religious news as we struggle to make life bearable?

The evolution of the public’s understanding of human rightscomes with an appreciation of themselves and of others as humanbeings. Concepts and theories change and so do human experiences.Resistance to accept emerging concepts reflected on valid humanexperience belies the universal consensus that all human beings areborn equal and free. It surfaces the realization that for all humanity’sachievements in human development, many people still live in a worldwhere people are viewed lesser in dignity than others.

In many parts of the world, women do not enjoy equalopportunities, rights and choices as do their male counterparts. Thesame can be said for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer,and intersex (LGBTQI) communities or those who do not fall under thetraditional sexual orientations and gender identities. Until theelimination of all forms of discrimination and acknowledgement of theimportance of gender equality, people can never really be equal andfree. As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “All humanbeings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

The Catholics for Reproductive Health (C4RH) embraced thehuman rights perspective when it was formally organized in 2011. Itstarted as a movement of Catholics advocating for the passage of anational policy on reproductive health (RH). C4RH aims to bringCatholics into full harmony with their faith and realization that thereis no dissonance with their being Catholic and simultaneouslybelieving in the advocacy and goals of reproductive health and rights.The members remain loyal to the church but continue to advocate forthe development of well-formed conscience through discernment anddialogue in the promotion of a culture of mature sexuality andresponsible parenthood.

Reproductive health as a human right should not divide thepeople. Instead, it should be one of the common grounds in our questto improve the Filipinos’ quality of life and elevate it to the status ofdignity and worth reflective of God’s grace. As St. Irenaeus (2nd AD)once said, “Gloria Dei, vivens homo” (The glory of God is a human beingliving a dignified and fulfilling life).

Preface


Research BackgroundReproductive health (RH) has been one of the highly controversial and polarizing issues in

the Philippines. At the one end of the spectrum are the anti-RH groups, which are dominated by keyleaders of the Catholic Church, and at the other end are the pro-RH advocates, mostly coming fromthe women’s groups and civil society organizations. Both camps have vigorously lobbied their causeswithin and outside of Congress. After more than 13 years of heated debates in the 11th to the 15th

Congresses, the RH bill finally became law when President Benigno Aquino III signed Republic Act10354 or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Act on December 21, 2012.

Filipinos are confronted with every-day realities of life such as the worseningpoverty situation, increasing population, highmaternal mortality rate and teenage preg-nancies, and the alarming incidence of HIV.Half of the citizens (52%) rate themselves aspoor1 and belonging to the dependent sector(19 years old and below; for full informationon documents cited, please see Referencessection at the end of this report). The official2010 census placed the country’s populationat 92,337,852 with a population growth rateof 1.9%.2 Compared with the rest of the world,the Philippines is the 12th most populouscountry.3

Concerns over managing the popula-tion growth rate comes at the heels of a lowcontraceptive prevalence rate of 48.9%among married women of reproductive age(15-49 years). Of this figure, only 36.9% usemodern method while 12.0% use traditionalmethod.4 Unmet family planning (FP) need(birth spacing and limited births) amongmarried women remains high at 19.3%. It ishigher among women considered poor(35.8%) than among the non-poor (16.6%),and it is highest among married women inthe Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao(ARRM) with 35.8%.5 ARMM also registeredthe highest poverty incidence (46.9%) amongfamilies.6

Family Health Survey (FHS) 2011 re-ported that maternal mortality rate (MMR) in

the country increased from 162 in 2006 to 221per 100,00 live births in 2010.7 Former HealthSecretary Dr. Alberto Romualdez calculatedthese figures as an increase from 11 to 15women dying every day due to birthing com-plications.8 In the same government survey,the “estimate of infant mortality rate (IMR) orthe probability of a child born on a specifiedyear and dying before reaching the age of oneyear declined to 22 deaths per 1,000 live birthsbased on the 2011 FHS from 24 deaths per1,000 live births in 2006 FPS.”9

Teenage pregnancy rate hasconstantly increased since 2000. Accordingto the 2013 National Demographic andHealth Survey (NDHS), one in ten in everyteenager 15-19 years old have begunchildbearing. Of these, 8% have alreadygiven birth while 2% are pregnant with theirfirst child.10 Studies have shown the highrisks of maternal and fetal deaths amongteen-age mothers. In the previous 2008National Demographic and Health Survey(NDHS) showed that “one in three births (36percent) in the Phi l ippines is e itherunwanted (16 percent) or mistimed (20percent).” On the reported ideal number ofchildren, the study reported the mean idealnumber of children is 2.8 children—lowerthan the country’s total fertility rate (TFR)of 3.3 children.11

In a study of the Alan Guttmacher In-stitute and the University of the Philippines

Reproductive Health Situation in the Philippines


(UP) Population Institute, 1 in every 3 un-planned pregnancies ends up in abortion or atotal of about 473,000 abortions occurs annu-ally. Abortion in the Philippines is illegal andgenerally unsafe. Still, many women risk theirlives by undergoing the procedure for economic,social, and health reasons. Many of thesewomen are married, Catholic, and poor. In de-ciding to end the pregnancy, most of them (43%)consult either their husbands or partners anda friend or relative (25%).12

The HIV situation in the country hasalready reached a level of a public health con-cern. With a person getting infected every 1.5hours, the Philippine HIV case is classified as“fast and furious”.13 The AIDS Registry of theDepartment of Health (DOH) recorded the high-est number of new cases in June 2013. Themain mode of transmission was sexual con-tact, especially among men having sex withmen. The age range of those infected throughsexual transmission was as young as 16 yearsold and the median age was 28 years.14

Two Sides of a CoinRH advocates believe that the RPRH

Law will help lower the maternal mortality rate,cases of teenage pregnancies and HIV infec-tions as well as address the worsening povertysituation and increasing population by mak-ing sure that those who need RH informationand services get them. These include mater-nal and newborn care in crisis situations, fam-ily planning (FP) supplies and services, age-appropriate sexuality education, capacitybuilding for health providers, etc.

However, anti-RH groups claimed thatthe then-RH bill would do more harm than goodand will put the moral fiber of the nation atrisk. In the Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bish-ops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) readby then-CBCP Vice President Bishop SocratesVillegas, RH was equated with contraception;contraception with corruption of one’s soul; andthe bill as being gift-wrapped as a gift for ma-ternal health care when it is not so. Also, itwould lead to “greater crimes against women”and to “a contraceptive mentality [that] is themother of an abortion mentality. The wide andfree accessibility of contraceptives, even to theyouth, will result in the destruction of familylife and in greater violence against women.”15

The RPRH Law was not implemented,pending the lifting of the Status Quo Ante (SQA)order by the Supreme Court of the Philippinesissued on March 19, 2013 for 120 days just afew days before the Implementing Rules andRegulations (IRR) could be signed.

The SQA works similar to a TemporaryRestraining Order (TRO) and directs all partiesto observe the situation before the presence ofthe Law.16 The five hearings on the oral argu-ments ended on August 27, 2013 and the Su-preme Court gave both petitioners and the re-spondents 120 days to submit written memo-randa incorporating their arguments and evi-dence.

The challenge to the constitutionalityof the RPRH Law focused on the following con-cerns:

• Proscription against involuntary servi-tude/Equal protection clause

• Right to life/Freedom of religion/Natu-ral law

• Freedom of speech/Academic freedom17

Only when the Supreme Court receivedthe memoranda did deliberations on the con-stitutionality of the RPRH Law begin. On April8, 2014, after more than a year since the SQAorder, the Supreme Court finally declared theRPRH Law constitutional, but struck down eightprovisions which revolved around conscientiousobjection and the consent of either the spouseor the parents. While the Department of Health(DoH) did not contest the SC decision, Catho-lics for Reproductive Health (C4RH) and threeother faith-based groups filed a motion for re-consideration (MR) to register its critique andpoint out the flaws in the Court’s arguments.

Problem and Purpose of the StudyFinding common ground between C4RH

and church-mandated organizations is difficultyet important in discussing the issue of dia-logue of life. While Christians value life andthe dignity of human beings, interpretation andpractice of these values may differ, as in thecase of the reproductive health. The transcriptsof plenary debates in Congress and in the Su-preme Court show the need to clarify numer-

RESEARCH BACKGROUND


ous misconceptions on the medical and reli-gious aspects of reproductive health, sexual-ity and women’s roles.

Understanding is important in findingcommon ground. As RH advocates reaching outto religious and church lay leaders, C4RH hasto level off on the understanding by its mem-bers of the situation and of the effect of issueson the lives of people. Regardless of politicaland religious convictions and economic sta-tus, teen-agers need to be educated on the factsof life; women want to have some degree ofcontrol over their lives and couples would wantto plan their families and ensure that chil-dren would not only be wanted and loved butalso be properly cared for.

It is with this motivation that the re-search described and discussed herein wasconceptualized. The religious sector is a ma-jor force for socio-cultural change and devel-opment. Knowing the structure, interventions,positions, and understanding of various con-gregations on SRHR concerns would be veryhelpful to C4RH in identifying the challengesand opportunities in engaging them towardssocial change advocacy and development work.Specifically, the study described the

Personal views of the clergy, nuns, and laychurch workers on

• Sex, gender, and sexuality

• Sexual and reproductive health rights(SRHR)

• Family planning, contraception, and re-productive health

Structure, population, and programs of theRoman Catholic Church in the Philippines

Scope and MethodologyThe initial intention was to include the

men and women members of the Associationof Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines(AMRSP), mission partners, and lay leaders aslisted in the 2012-2013 Catholic Directory of thePhilippines. Unfortunately such ambitious at-tempt proved futile, considering that:

• RH is such a contentious and divisiveissue that many members of religiouscongregations would rather not talkabout or make their opinions public.

• C4RH is seen with suspicion and withdisdain at times. Some priests and nunshave been very vocal about their posi-tion of not “having anything to do withC4RH” in view of the CBCP’s clarificatorynote against the organization.18

• The initial monkey survey did not pro-duce feedback from those invited.

Given such challenges, C4RH limitedthe scope of the study to those respondents whowere either willing to answer the questionnaireand to participate in the focused group discus-sions, or were available for interview. The itemsin the questionnaire, particularly on personalopinions, were heavily patterned after the ques-tions asked in the Values Clarification Work-shops conducted by the C4RH. Some items wererephrased and/or added based on the recom-mendation of the target respondents during thepre-test.

Respondents

The research covered the three majorisland groupings in the Philippines. Respon-dents came from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Data Gathering

Gathering of primary data was done fromOctober 2013 to March 2014 primarily throughthe questionnaire and focused group discus-sions (FGDs) in major geographical centers:Manila, Tagaytay and Legazpi cities in Luzon;Cebu City in Visayas, and Compostela Valleyand Davao cities in Mindanao. The respondentswere asked to answer the questionnaire andparticipate in the focused group discussions.Those who could not attend the FGDs were in-terviewed or asked to answer the questionnairethemselves.

Data Collation and Analysis

Data collation was done in simple Excelthat was later transposed to SPSS for the fre-quencies and cross tabulations.

RESEARCH BACKGROUND


Definition of TermsMost of the terms included here come

from the RPRH Law and from international stat-ues and reputable medical journals. RA 10354,Section 4, defined RH and other related issuessuch as:19

(b) Adolescent refers to young people be-tween the ages of ten (10) to nineteen(19) years who are in transition fromchildhood to adulthood.

(e) Family planning refers to a programwhich enables couples and individualsto decide freely and responsibly the num-ber and spacing of their children and tohave the information and means to doso.

(g) Gender equality refers to the principleof equality between women and men andequal rights to enjoy conditions in real-izing their full human potentials to con-tribute to, and benefit from, the resultsof development, with the State recogniz-ing that all human beings are free andequal in dignity and rights. It entailsequality in opportunities, in the alloca-tion of resources or benefits, or in ac-cess to services in furtherance of therights to health and sustainable humandevelopment among others, without dis-crimination.

(h) Gender equity refers to the policies,instruments, programs and actions thataddress the disadvantaged position ofwomen in society by providing preferen-tial treatment and affirmative action. Itentails fairness and justice in the dis-tribution of benefits and responsibilitiesbetween women and men, and often re-quires women-specific projects and pro-grams to end existing inequalities. Thisconcept recognizes that while reproduc-tive health involves women and men, itis more critical for women’s health.

(i) Male responsibility refers to the involve-ment, commitment, accountability andresponsibility of males in all areas ofsexual health and reproductive health,as well as the care of reproductive healthconcerns specific to men.

(k) Maternal health refers to the health ofa woman of reproductive age including,but not limited to, during pregnancy,childbirth and the postpartum period.

(m) Natural family planning refers to a va-riety of methods used to plan or preventpregnancy, based on identifying thewoman’s fertile days.

(p) Reproductive Health (RH) refers to thestate of complete physical, mental andsocial well-being and not merely to theabsence of disease or infirmity, in allmatters relating to the reproductive sys-tem and to its functions and processes.This implies that people are able to havea responsible, safe, consensual and sat-isfying sex life, that they have the capa-bility to reproduce and the freedom todecide if, when, and how often to do so.This further implies that women andmen attain equal relationships in mat-ters related to sexual relations and re-production.

(q) Reproductive health care refers to theaccess to a full range of methods, facili-ties, services and supplies that contrib-ute to reproductive health and well-be-ing by addressing reproductive health-related problems. It also includes sexualhealth, the purpose of which is the en-hancement of life and personal rela-tions. The elements of reproductivehealth care include the following:

(1)Family planning information and ser-vices which shall include as a firstpriority making women of reproduc-tive age fully aware of their respec-tive cycles to make them aware ofwhen fertilization is highly prob-able, as well as highly improbable;

(2) Maternal, infant and child healthand nutrition, includingbreastfeeding;

(3) Proscription of abortion and man-agement of abortion complica-tions;

(4) Adolescent and youth reproductivehealth guidance and counseling;

(5) Prevention, treatment and manage-ment of reproductive tract infec-tions (RTIs), HIV and AIDS andother sexually transmittable infec-tions (STIs);

(6)Elimination of violence againstwomen and children and otherforms of sexual and gender-basedviolence;

RESEARCH BACKGROUND


(7) Education and counseling on sexualityand reproductive health;

(8) Treatment of breast and reproductivetract cancers and other gynecologicalconditions and disorders;

(9) Male responsibility and involvement andmen’s reproductive health;

(10 Prevention, treatment and managementof infertility and sexual dysfunction;

(11)Reproductive health education for theadolescents; and

(12)Mental health aspect of reproductivehealth care.

(s) Reproductive health rights refers to therights of individuals and couples, to decidefreely and responsibly whether or not to havechildren; the number, spacing and timing oftheir children; to make other decisions con-cerning reproduction, free of discrimination,coercion and violence; to have the informa-tion and means to do so; and to attain thehighest standard of sexual health and repro-ductive health: Provided, however, that repro-ductive health rights do not include abortion,and access to abortifacients.

(t) Reproductive heal th and sexualityeducation refers to a lifelong learning processof providing and acquiring complete, accurateand relevant age- and development-appropri-ate information and education on reproduc-tive health and sexuality through life skillseducation and other approaches.

(u) Reproductive Tract Infection (RTI) refers tosexually transmitted infections (STIs), andother types of infections affecting the repro-ductive system.

(v) Responsible parenthood refers to the will andability of a parent to respond to the needsand aspirations of the family and children. Itis likewise a shared responsibility betweenparents to determine and achieve the desirednumber of children, spacing and timing of theirchildren according to their own family life as-pirations, taking into account psychologicalpreparedness, health status, sociocultural andeconomic concerns consistent with their reli-gious convictions.

(w) Sexual health refers to a state of physical,mental and social well-being in relation tosexuality. It requires a positive and respect-ful approach to sexuality and sexual relation-

ships, as well as the possibility of having plea-surable and safe sexual experiences, free fromcoercion, discrimination and violence.

(x) Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) refers to anyinfection that may be acquired or passed onthrough sexual contact, use of intravenous (IV)drug needles, childbirth and breastfeeding.

(y) Skilled birth attendance refers to childbirthmanaged by a skilled health professional, in-cluding the enabling conditions of necessaryequipment and support of a functioning healthsystem, including transport and referral facul-ties for emergency obstetric care.

(z) Skilled health professional refers to a midwife,doctor or nurse, who has been educated andtrained in the skills needed to manage normaland complicated pregnancies, childbirth and theimmediate postnatal period, and in the identifi-cation, management and referral of complicationsin women and newborns.

(aa) Sustainable human development refers tobringing people, particularly the poor and vul-nerable, to the center of development process,the central purpose of which is the creation ofan enabling environment in which all can enjoylong, healthy and productive lives, done in themanner that promotes their rights and protectsthe life opportunities of future generations andthe natural ecosystem on which all life depends.

Other definitions include the following:

AIDS: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Gender refers to the social roles of men andwomen, and boys and girls, as well as therelationships between and among them, ina given society at a specific time and place.Gender is a key determinant of who doeswhat, who has what, who decides and whohas power.20

Gender equality means that women andmen, and girls and boys, enjoy the samerights, resources, opportunities and protec-tions.21

HIV: human immunodeficiency virus

LGBTQI: lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender,queer, intersex

Youth or young people are those between 10and 24 years old.

RESEARCH BACKGROUND


The Roman Catholic Church inthe Philippines: A Description

Let it be clarified that the Church does not recognize the “Catholics forReproductive Health” as a genuine Catholic association or organization inaccordance with Canon Law. Any Catholic who freely identifies himself orherself with this group gravely errs.22

—For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines,+NEREO P. ODCHIMAR,DDBishop of TandagPresident, CBCPMay 17, 2011

In the debate on reproductive health(RH), the Catholic Church has been perceivedas the single most powerful opponent to thepassage of the law on reproductive and sexualhealth and rights. Since many RH advocatesare Catholics, Catholics for ReproductiveHealth (C4RH) took up the challenge ofunderstanding church teachings andtraditions on such rights. C4RH had alsohoped that in the process of responding tothis challenge, Catholics would find guidanceand inspiration amidst their personal painand confusion.

To reach out is to know the other sideand the context where this side is comingfrom. This is where theological reflections anda survey of the programs, positions, andperceptions on RH and related issues amongkey church organizations can help. And so,C4RH has explored non-intimidatingconversations and dialogues with individualmembers of the Church so as to look beyondthe RH debate and find common ground inhelping people. It is in this context that C4RHhas culled information from the CatholicDirectory of the Philippines, self-described as “theonly authoritative, most comprehensive and up-to-date directory of Catholic clergy, religiousmen and women and institutions in thePhilippines co-published every two years by theCatholic Bishops Conference of the Philippinesand the Claretian Publications.”23

C4RH, however, cautions the readerthat the Directory re lies on reportssubmitted by the concerned offices andorganizations—giving such reportsobservable gaps, inconsistencies in the datasubmitted, and cases where an office orgroup simply did not submit an update.

Ecclesiastical Territories/Divisions

The 2012-2013 edition of the CatholicDirectory of the Philippines (referred to simplyas “the Directory” in this document) covers85 dioceses, aside from the MilitaryOrdinariate of the Philippines, the Chinese-Filipino Catholic Apostolate in thePhilippines, and the Prelatures of the HolyCross and of the Opus Dei. The informationfor dioceses ranged from 2007 to 2011.

According to Canon Law:24

• Can. 368 Particular churches, in whichand from which the one and only CatholicChurch exists, are first of all dioceses, towhich, unless it is otherwise evident, arelikened a territorial prelature and territorialabbacy, an apostolic v icariate and anapostol ic prefecture, and an apostolicadministration erected in a stable manner.


• Can. 369 A diocese is a portion of thepeople of God which is entrusted to abishop for him to govern with thecooperation of the presbyterium, so that,adhering to its pastor and gathered by himin the Holy Spirit through the gospel andthe Eucharist, it constitutes a particularchurch in which the one, holy, catholic,and apostolic Church of Christ is trulypresent and operative.

• Can. 370 A territorial prelature or territorialabbacy is a certain portion of the people ofGod which is defined territorially andwhose care, due to special circumstances,is entrusted to some prelate or abbot whogoverns it as its proper pastor just like adiocesan bishop.

• Can. 371 §1. An apostolic vicariate orapostolic prefecture is a certain portion ofthe people of God which has not yet beenestablished as a diocese due to specialcircumstances and which, to beshepherded, is entrusted to an apostolicvicar or apostolic prefect who governs itin the name of the Supreme Pontiff.25

As of 2012, the Roman CatholicChurch in the Philippines consisted of 16Archdioceses, 57 Dioceses, 7 ApostolicVicariates, and 5 Prelatures. Plotting theseecclesiastical areas into the country’s geo-political (civil) divisions produced the followingdata as can be seen on table of dioceses perregion on the succeeding pages.

The 16 archdioceses are spread inLuzon (7), Visayas (4), and Mindanao (5):

Luzon has 7 archdioceses (and 30 dioceses, 6apostolic vicariates, 3 prelatures)• Archdiocese of Caceres

• Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan

• Archdiocese of Lipa

• Archdiocese of Manila

• Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia

• Archdiocese of San Fernando in Pampanga

• Archdiocese of Tuguegarao

Visayas has 4 archdioceses (and 14 dioceses)

• Archdiocese of Capiz

• Archdiocese of Cebu

• Archdiocese of Jaro

• Archdiocese of Palo

Mindanao has 5 archdioceses (and13dioceses,1 apostolic vicariate, 2 prelatures)• Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

• Archdiocese of Cotabato

• Archdiocese of Davao

• Archdiocese of Ozamis

• Archdiocese of Zamboanga

Archdioceses do not necessarilymatch the civil or political divisions observedby the government. For example, theArchdiocese of Manila includes the diocesesof Puerto Princesa and Taytay of Palawan, aprovince in Region IV that is way far fromManila. This is because many of theecclesiastical areas had been organizedbefore the present-day demarcation linesbetween geographical-political regions weredefined by the civil government.

An ecclesiastical division does notreflect authority of one over the other. Thismeans that an archdiocese does not “lord itover” dioceses, vicariates, and prelatures. Anarchdiocese simply means that thisecclesiastical division had been createdearl ier; hence the archdioceses aresometimes called “Metropolitan”Archdioceses, which is the Greek term formother-churches.

In Luzon, there are 7 archdioceses(Caceres, Lingayen-Dagupan, Lipa, Manila,Nueva Segovia, San Fernando Pampanga,and Tuguegarao). The Archdiocese ofCaceres consists of 5 dioceses (Daet, Legazpi,Masbate, Sorsogon and Virac) and thePrelature of Libmanan. The Archdiocese ofLingayen-Dagupan consists of the 5 dioceses(Alaminos, Cabanatuan, San Fernando de LaUnion, San Jose in Nueva Ecija, andUrdaneta). The Archdiocese of Lipa consistsof the 3 dioceses (Boac, Gumaca, andLucena), 2 Apostolic Vicariates (Calapan andSan Jose-Occidental Mindoro), and thePrelature of Infanta. The Archdiocese ofManila consists of 9 dioceses (Antipolo,Cubao, Imus, Kalookan, Malolos, Novaliches,Parañaque, Pasig, and San Pablo) and 2Apostolic Vicariates (Puerto Princesa andTaytay). The Archdiocese of Nueva Segoviaconsists of 3 dioceses (Baguio, Bangued, andLaoag), the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe, and the Prelature of Batanes. TheArchdiocese of San Fernando (Pampanga)consists of three 3 dioceses (Balanga, Iba,and Tarlac). And finally, the Archdiocese ofTuguegarao consists of 2 dioceses(Bayombong and Ilagan) and the ApostolicVicariate of Tabuk.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE PHILIPPINES


Table 1: Ecclesiastical Territories/Divisions by Region and ProvinceREGION REGIONAL

CENTER PROVINCES ARCHDIOCESE DIOCESE PRELATURE VICARIATE

LUZON National

Capital Region(NCR; Metro

Manila)

ManilaNo provinces(but the regionincludes 17 cities)

Archdiocese of Manila

Antipolo

Cubao

Imus

Kalookan

Malolos

Novaliches

Parañaque

Pasig

San Pablo (Laguna)

Apostolic Vicariate of

Puerto Princesa

(Southern Palawan or

Reg 4B)

Apostolic Vicariate of

Taytay(Northern

Palawan or Reg 4B)

Cordillera Administrative

Region (CAR)

Baguio City (7 provinces)

Abra

Apayao

Benguet

Ifugao

Kalinga

MountainProvince

Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia (Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Reg 1)

Baguio (Benguet, CAR)

Bangued (Abra, CAR)

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe(Ifugao, CAR))

Kalinga-Apayao—Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk(Kalinga-Apayao), suffragan of Tuguegarao

Ilocos Region(Region I)

SanFernando

City

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Sur

Laoag (IlocosNorte, Reg I)

Prelature of Batanes (Reg2)

La Union

Pangasinan

Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan(Pangasinan, Reg1)

Alaminos(Western PangasinanReg I)

Cabanatuan(16 towns in southernNueva Ecija, Reg III)

San Fernando de La Union (La Union, Reg 1)

San Jose in Nueva Ecija(12 towns in northern NE, Reg 1)

Urdaneta(eastern Pangasinan, Reg 1)

Cagayan Valley(Region 2)

TuguegaraoCity

• Batanes• Cagayan• Isabela• Nueva Viscaya• Quirino

Archdiocese of Tuguegarao(Cagayan, Reg 2)

Bayombong(Nueva Vizcayaand Quirino, Reg 2)

Ilagan (Isabela, Reg 2)

BATANES—Prelature of Batanes (Reg 2) Suffragan of Nueva Segovia

Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk(Kalinga-Apayao)

Central Luzon(Region 3)

SanFernando

City

Aurora Bataan Bulacan Nueva Ecija Pampanga Tarlac Zambales

Archdiocese of San Fernando (Pampanga, Reg 3)

Balanga(Bataan,Reg 3)

Iba (Zambales, Reg 3)

Tarlac (Reg 3)



REGION REGIONAL CENTER PROVINCES ARCHDIOCESE DIOCESE PRELATURE VICARIATE

CALABARZON (Region 4A)

Calamba City Cavite Laguna Batangas Rizal Quezon

Archdiocese of Lipa (Batangas, Reg 4A)

Boac (Marinduque, Reg 4A)

Gumaca (eastern Quezon, Reg 4A)

Lucena (central Quezon, Reg 4A)

Prelature of Infanta(northern Quezon, Reg 4A)

MIMAROPA(Region 4B)

Calapan City Mindoro

Oriental Mindoro

Occidental Marinduque Romblon Palawan

ROMBLON—Diocese of Romblon (Suffragan of Archdiocese of Capiz)

Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan(Oriental Mindoro, Reg4B)

Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro (Reg4B)

PALAWAN—Apostolic Vicariates of Puerto Taytay(Suffragan of Archdiocese of MANILA)

Bicol Region(Region 5)

Legazpi City Albay Camarines

Norte Camaries Sur Catanduanes Masbate Sorsogon

Archdiocese of Caceres(Naga City, Cam Sur, Reg 5)

Daet (Cam Norte, Reg 5)

Legazpi (Albay, Reg5)

Masbate (Reg 5) Sorsogon (Reg 5) Virac

(Catanduanes, Reg5)

Libmanan(Cam Sur, Reg 5)

VISAYAS

Western Visayas(Region 6)

Iloilo City Aklan Antique Capiz Guimaras

Archdiocese of Capiz (Reg 6)

Kalibo (Aklan, Reg6)

Romblon (Reg 4B)

Iloilo Negros

Occidental

Archdiocese of Jaro (Iloilo & Guimaras, Reg 6)

Bacolod (central Neg.Occ, Reg 6)

Kabankalan(southern Neg. Occ, Reg 6)

San Carlos (otherparts Neg. Occ,Reg 6)

San Jose de Antique (Reg 6)

Central Visayas(Region 7)

Cebu City Bohol Cebu Negros

Oriental Siquijor

Archdiocese of Cebu (Reg 7)

Dumaguete (NegOr, Reg 7)

Maasin (southern Leyte, Reg 8)

Tagbilaran (half of Bohol, Reg 7)

Talibon (half of Bohol, Reg 7)

Eastern Visayas(Region 8)

TaclobanCity

Biliran Eastern Samar Northen Samar Samar Leyte Southern Leyte

Archdiocese of Palo (Leyte, Reg 8)

Borongan(Eastern Samar, Reg 8)

Calbayog (western Samar, Reg 8)

Catarman(Northern Samar, Reg 8)

Naval (northwest Samar, Reg 8)SOUTHERN LEYTE—Maasin(southern Leyte, Reg 8), Suffraganof Arch of Cebu



Legend:Underlined Prelatures/Apostolic Vicariates do not belong to the same civil division as their suffragan archdiocese.Italicized Prelatures/Apostolic Vicariates are under the suffragan of Archdioceses not in the same civil/political division.


REGION REGIONAL CENTER PROVINCES ARCHDIOCESE DIOCESE PRELATURE VICARIATE

MINDANAO

ZamboangaPeninsula(Region 9)

PagadianCity

Zamboanga del Norte

Zamboanga del Sur

ZamboangaSibugay

Archdiocese of Zamboanga (city, Reg 9)

Ipil (ZamboangaSibugay, Reg 9)

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE—Dipolog(Zamboanga del Norte, Reg 9), suffragan of Arch of CDOZAMBOANGA DEL SUR—Pagadian(northern and eastern Zamboanga del Sur, Reg 9), Suffragan of Arch of CDO

Prelature of Isabelade Basilan(ARMM)

Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo (Sulu, ARMM)

Northern Mindanao (Region 10)

Cagayan de Oro

Bukidnon Camiguin Lanao del Norte

Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro (Misamis Or, Reg 10)

Butuan (Agusan, Reg 13)

Malaybalay(Bukidnon, Reg 10)

------- (Surigao del Norte, Reg 13)

Tandag (Surigaodel Sur, Reg 13)

MisamisOccidental

MisamisOriental

Archdiocese of Ozamis (Misamis Occ, Reg 10)

Dipolog(Zamboanga del Norte, Reg 9)

Iligan (Lanao del Norte, Reg 10)

Pagadian (Northern and Eastern Zamboanga del Sur, Reg 9)

Prelature of Marawi(Lanao del Sur, ARMM)

Davao Region(Region 11)

Davao City Compostela

Valley Davao del Norte Davao del Sur Davao Oriental

Archdiocese of Davao (city, Samal, Talicud, Reg 11)

Digos (Davao del Sur and portions of Sarangani, Reg 11)

Mati (Davao Or, Reg 11)

Tagum (Davao del Norte, ComVal, portion of Davao City, Reg 9)

SOCCSKARGEN

(Region 12)

KoronadalCity

Cotabato Sarangani South Cotabato Sultan Kudarat General Santos

Archdiocese of Cotabato (Reg 12)

Kidapawan (Sultan Kudarat, Reg 12)

Marbel (South Cotabato, Sarangani, GenSan, parts of Sultan Kudarat, Reg 12)

CARAGA(Region 13)

ButuanCity

Agusan del Norte

Agusan del Sur Dinagat Islands Surigao del

Norte Surigao del Sur

AGUSAN—Butuan(Agusan, Reg 13), Suffragan of Arch of CDOSURIGAO DEL NORTE—------(Surigaodel Norte, Reg 13), Suffragan of Arch of CDOSURIGAO DEL SUR—Tandag (Surigao del Sur, Reg 13), Suffragan of Arch of CDO

Autonomous Region in Muslim

Mindanao(ARMM)

CotabatoCity

Basilan Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sharif

Kabunsuan Sulu Tawi-Tawi

LANAO DEL SUR—Prelature of Marawi (Lanao del Sur, ARMM)—Suffragan of Arch of OzamisBASILAN—Prelature of Isabela de Basilan (ARMM), Suffragan of Arch of Zamboanga

SULU—Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo(Sulu, ARMM), Suffragan of Arch of Zamboanga


In the Visayas, there are 4archdioceses (Capiz, Cebu, Jaro, and Palo).The Archdiocese of Capiz consists of thedioceses of Kalibo and Romblon. TheArchdiocese of Cebu consists of the 4 diocesesof Dumaguete, Maasin, Tagbilaran andTalibon. The Archdiocese of Jaro consists ofthe 5 dioceses of Iloilo, Bacolod, Kabankalan,San Carlos and San Jose de Antique. TheArchdiocese of Palo consists of 4 dioceses(Borongan, Calbayog, Catarman, and Naval).

In Mindanao, there are 5archdioceses (Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato,Davao, Ozamiz, and Zamboanga). TheArchdiocese of Cagayan de Oro consists of the4 dioceses of Butuan, Malaybalay, Surigao andTandag. The Archdiocese of Cotabato consistsof the 2 dioceses of Kidapawan and Marbel.The Archdiocese of Davao consists of the 3dioceses of Digos, Mati. and Tagum. TheArchdiocese of Ozamiz consists of 3 dioceses(Dipolog, Iligan, and Pagadian) and thePrelature of Marawi. The Archdiocese ofZamboanga consists of the diocese of Ipil, theApostolic Vicariate of Jolo, and the Prelatureof Isabela de Basilan.

The heads of these ecclesiasticalareas are bishops or archbishops. They belongto the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of thePhilippines (CBCP). As of 2012, CBCP had 91active members and 38 honorary members.Bishops retire from active duty when theyreach the age of 75.

C a n . 4 0 1 § 1 . A d i o c e s a n b i s h o p w h ohas completed the seventy-fifth year of age isrequested to present his resignation from officeto the Supreme Pontiff, who will make provisionsafter he has examined all the circumstances.26

ClergyThe Roman Catholic Church’s

Catechism teaches that “The Christianfaithful are those who, inasmuch as they havebeen incorporated in Christ through Baptism,have been constituted as the people of God;for this reason, since they have becomesharers in Christ’s priestly, prophetic, androyal office in their own manner, they arecalled to exercise the mission which God hasentrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world,in accord with the condition proper to eachone.”27

On the other hand, the clergy are allordained bishops, priests, and deacons and areeither diocesan or religious. The diocesanclergy are governed directly by the localordinary or the bishop. Members of thereligious clergy are governed by their majorsuperiors and overseen by the religiousordinary assigned to them by the localconference.

In the all-male Catholic clergy residesthe power of governance of the church. Thepope is a member of the clergy and is thebishop of Rome. The bishops hold theteaching, preaching, and shepherdingauthority in the church and they delegatethis authority to the priests and deacons whoare ordained by the laying on of hands.

Can. 207 §1: By divine institution,there are among the Christianfaithful in the Church sacredministers who in law are also calledclerics; the other members of theChristian faithful are called laypersons.28

“The Christian faithfulare those who, inasmuchas they have beenincorporated in Christthrough Baptism, havebeen constituted as thepeople of God; for thisreason, since they havebecome sharers in Christ’spriestly, prophetic, androyal office in their ownmanner, they are called toexercise the missionwhich God has entrustedto the Church to fulfill inthe world, in accord withthe condition proper toeach one.”



The Catholic Encyclopedia furtherelaborates that a cleric is a person who hasbeen legitimately received into the ranks ofthe clergy. By clergy in the strict sense ismeant the entire ecclesiastical hierarchy.A cleric is also called a priest, defined brieflyas the “minister of Divine worship andsacrifice”.29 All priests/clerics/clergy havereceived their Holy Orders.30

Every cleric is incardinated in adiocese or a religious institute.31 Thismeans that an ordained priest belongs to aspecific territory where he will exercise hisministry. A Dominican priest, for example,is incardinated into the Dominicans while adiocesan priest is incardinated into aparticular diocese.

Diocesan priests are countedseparately from religious priests in theCatholic Directory because the religiousclergy answer directly to a major superior ofthe congregation with whom he made theprofession of vows. The diocesan priest, onthe other hand, reports directly to a localbishop.31

Incardination is a foundationalrelationship between a bishop and hispriests. Concerning a priest’s ministry, abishop decides where a cleric will beassigned after a dialogue with him. Thebishop assigns the clergy of his diocese toparticular roles, and priests undertake thoseassignments in obedience.32 Obedience doesnot mean blind obedience. Obedience comesfrom the Latin “Ab audire” which means tolisten.

Obedience takes place in a dialoguebetween the bishop and the cleric and in acontext of discernment. Both the bishop andthe priest are exercising obedience becausethey listen to what the Church needs at aparticular time and place. A priest does notdecide about where and how he will exercisehis ministry but he can have a say on theroles he will take, depending on how heperceives his own capacity and gifts.33

The bishop heads a diocese and is alsocalled an “ordinary”. He is the chief shepherdof the diocese and his duties includesanctifying, teaching, and ruling. The bishopis exclusively appointed by the pope.

Can. 375 §1 By divine institution,Bishops succeed the Apostlesthrough the Holy Spirit who isgiven to them. They are constitutedPastors in the Church, to be theteachers of doctrine, the priests ofsacred worship and the ministersof governance.

Can. 375 §2. Through episcopalconsecration itself, bishops receivewith the function of sanctifyingalso the functions of teaching andgoverning; by their nature,however , these can only beexercised in hierarchicalcommunion with the head andmembers of the college.

Can. 376 Bishops to whom the careof a given diocese is entrusted arecalled diocesan Bishops; the othersare called titular Bishops.

Can. 377 §1 The Supreme Pontifffreely appoints Bishops or confirmsthose lawfully elected.

Can. 381 §1 In the dioceseentrusted to his care, the diocesanBishop has all the ordinary, properand immediate power required forthe exercise of his pastoral office,except in those matters which the

Table 2: Number of Priests (2012-2013 Edition)Priests and Deacons Total %

Number of Priests 8,575 100.00%

Number of Diocesan Priests 6,046 70.51%

Number of Religious Priests 2,113 24.64%

Number of Filipino Religious Priests 1,529 72.36%

Number of Foreigner Religious Priests 350 16.56%

Number of Diocesan Priests Abroad 99 1.15%

Number of Diocesan Priests On Leave 104 1.21%

Number of Retired Diocesan Priests 94 1.10%

Number of Guest Priests 119 1.39%

Number of Deacons 74


Obedience takes placein a dialogue between thebishop and the cleric and ina context of discernment.


law or a decree of the SupremePontiff reserves to the supreme orto some other ecclesiasticalauthority.34 .

A diocesan bishop may request for theassistance of one or more auxiliary bishopsdepending on the scope of work. An auxiliarybishop may become a coadjutor bishop whenappointed by the Holy See and has the rightto succession.

Can. 403 §1 When the pastoralneeds of the diocese require it, oneor more auxiliary Bishops are tobe appointed at the request of thediocesan Bishop. An auxiliaryBishop does not have the right ofsuccession.

§3 If the Holy See considers it moreopportune, it can ex officio appointa coadjutor Bishop, who also hasspecial faculties. A coadjutorBishop has the right ofsuccession.35

Governance among bishops is basedon the principles of solidarity, collegialityand subsidiarity. Bishops are basicallycollegial with one another. They may speakas one voice under the bishops’ conference.However, they respect each other’s prioritiesin their areas. Hamrlik explains that theprinciple of subsidiarity supports “the bishopsin the free exercise of their proper power.”36

Gray acknowledges that the common notionfor collegiality is unity and the apostolicsuccession observed with the college ofbishops in consideration of the actions andintentions of the Pope, being the Primus interpares (the first among equals), and that suchcollegiality be exercised to serve the Peopleof God. 37 The principle of solidarity remindsthe bishops that they work for the commongood.

Deacons are not counted as priests.Deacons cannot celebrate Mass, administerConfirmation or Penance, or anoint the sick.They can, however, baptize, marry ( ifdelegated by the pastor to do so), preach(including the homily at Mass), and carry outall other sacramental/ministerial actionsthat do not specifically require priestlyordination.38

The clergy, particularly the bishopsand priests, exercise the teaching,sanctifying and governing authority of the

church. This authority, according to DavidJ. Stagaman, SJ, is considered astewardship in order to minister and to servethe people of God. It is not a subjective orobjective use of power and is not onlyjuridical. It is rational and is exercised withfreedom and spontaneity.

All genuine authority is shared andcollegial. It is shared in the sensethat authority resides in thecollective skills and talents of allthe members of the community. Itis collegial in the sense that theauthority of the community is thesum total of all those skills andtalents operating in concert.Christian authority is exercised inservice.39

The following table shows the numberof priests classified into diocesan, religious(classified into Filipinos and foreigners),abroad, on leave, retired, and guest, as wellas deacons, according to the 2012-2013edition of the Directory.

Diocesan priests are incorporated intoa geographic area called a diocese under theleadership of a bishop. They are ordained toserve the people of the diocese, usually in aspecific area called a parish. In collaborationwith the bishop they take care of the spiritualneeds of the people, and evangelize in thatpart of the Church. 40

Governance amongbishops is based on theprinciples of solidarity,collegiality, andsubsidiarity. Bishopsare basically collegialwith one another. Theymay speak as one voiceunder the bishops’conference; however,they respect each other’spriorities in their areas.



Religious priests belong to a religiouscommunity, and exercise their priesthoodaccording to the spirit and mission of theirreligious community. They are bound to thereligious group by the vows they take. Theirministry is as wide as the mission of theirreligious community. While they may serve ina given area, they are also available whereverthe superior assigns them. They are notrestricted to a given area.41

Men and Women ReligiousReligious congregations are founded by

individuals who were called to ministry andmission through the inspiration of the Spirit ofGod. Congregations of women religious arenuns and sisters admitted through theprofession of vows. The same is true forcongregations of men who can have brothers,deacons, or priests as members. Somecongregations have associate members who arelay.

Thus, congregations can be exclusivelymale in membership, or exclusively female ormixed gender, and even mixed l ife.Congregations with mixed life can havemembers who are clergy, nuns or sisters, andlay. An example is the Carmelite Order thathas members who are priests, brothers, sistersand lay people.

Religious congregations are called in aparticular historical period to serve for aparticular need of people through their charism.A charism incorporates the foundational spiritof the founder(s)/foundress(es), way of life,original expression of the spirit and manner ofgovernance. Members are women and men whovow to live the evangelical counsels of poverty,chastity, and obedience.

Religious men can either be priests orbrothers. Religious women/sisters andreligious brothers are not ordained and are notmembers of the clergy and as such, they belongto the community of the lay faithful.

Religious congregations have autonomyin governance but are under the oversight ofeither the Vatican or the local ordinary. Thatis why their members must have the ir

perpetual vows received by a local ordinaryor bishop.

A total of 119 congregations of MenReligious were listed in the 2012-2013Directory. Of these, 53 (45% ) gave noidentifiable information about their pastoralministries. Thus, the data gathered herecome from the 66 (55%) congregations thathad provided information. Aside fromorganizational details, their apostolates andinstitutions are reported. Schools leadamong the apostolates.

A total of 192 congregations ofWomen Religious are listed in the Directory.Of these, 44 (22.92%) gave no identifiableinformation about their pastoral ministries.Thus, the following data come from the 148(77.08%) congregations that had giveninformation. Aside from organizationaldetails, their apostolate/ministries andinstitutions are reported. Again, manywomen religous maintain schools.

Shepherds and the OverseersAccording to the Catholic Church’s

Catechism (Part One “The Profession ofFaith,” Section Two “The Profession of TheChristian Faith,” Chapter Three “I BelieveIn The Holy Spirit,” Article 9 “I Believe InThe Holy Catholic Church,” Paragraph 4“Christ’s Faithful—Hierarchy, Laity,Consecrated Life”):

In order to shepherd the People ofGod and to increase its numberswithout cease, Christ the Lord set upin his Church a variety of officeswhich aim at the good of the wholebody. The holders of office, who areinvested with a sacred power, are,in fact, dedicated to promoting theinterests of their brethren, so that allwho belong to the People of God …may attain to salvat ion. (LumenGentium18, 389) 42

Caridi explains the differencebetween a Bishop and a Cardinal.

When the Pope decides that a certainpriest is to become a bishop, thismeans that the priest is being chosento be one of the successors of theApostles (c. 375.1). Since the priesthas received the sacrament of holy



orders, he is already a member of theclergy; but becoming a bishop nowrequires episcopal consecration, whichraises him to what Vatican II termed“the fullness of holy orders” (LG 21).The mere announcement of his choiceby the Pope does not make the priest abishop; he must also receive theepiscopal consecration in order tobecome a member of the episcopacy.Once he has been consecrated, a bishophas additional sacramental powers thatan ordinary priest does not have:bishops may ordain men to thediaconate and the priesthood (c. 1012),and confer the sacrament ofconfirmation on the faithful (c. 882). Abishop can also consecrate otherbishops (see cc. 1012-1014).

We can see here that there is asacramental change when a priest

becomes a bishop. But when the Popeannounces that a certain bishop is tobecome a cardinal, there is no suchchange. There is an off icialannouncement, and a ceremony at theVatican (where the new cardinalreceives his “red hat”), but there isnothing specifically “sacramental” aboutit. So since a bishop already possessesthe fullness of holy orders, what’s thepoint of his being named a cardinalanyway?

The existence of cardinals in theChurch’s hierarchy can be traced backhistorically to the very early days of theChurch. The Pope had certain clericsaround him who acted in an advisoryrole. The term “cardinal” comes from theLatin word cardo, or hinge; these menwere key figures in the functioning ofthe Church on earth. The College of


Table 3: Filipino Cardinals by Age, Year Appointed, & Positions HeldCARDINAL BIRTHDAY/

AGEYEAR/AGE

APPOINTED AS CARDINAL

POSITION AT THE TIME OF

APPOINTMENT AS CARDINAL

OTHER POSITIONS HELD

Cardinal Orlando Beltran Quevedo, OMI

March 11, 1939

February 22, 2014 (74 y.o.)

Archbishop of Cotabato President of CBCP, 1999-2003President, Federation of Asian Bishops,

2005-2011Archbishop of Nueva Segovia,

1986-1998Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle

June 21, 1957 November 24, 2012 (55 y.o.)

Archbishop of Manila Bishop of Imus (2001-2011)

Cardinal Gaudencio Borbon Rosales

August 10, 1932

March 24, 2006 (73 y.o.)

Archbishop of Manila Archbishop of Manila, 2003-2011Archbishop of Lipa, 1992-2003Bishop of Malaybalay, 1984-1992

Cardinal Ricardo Jamin Vidal

February 6, 1931

May 25, 1985 (54 y.o.)

Archbishop of Cebu Titular bishop of Claterna, 1971-1973Coadjutor Bishop of Malolos,1971-1973Archbishop of Lipa, 1973-1981Archbishop of Cebu, 1981-2010President of CBCP, 1985-1987

Cardinal Jose Tomas Sanchez († 2012)

17 March 1920; Died at

91 y.o.

June 28, 1991 (71 y.o.)

Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples

Titular Bishop of Lesvi, 1968-1972Auxiliary Bishop of Caceres, 1968-1972Coadjutor Bishop of Lucena, 1972-1976Bishop of Lucena, 1976-1982Archbishop of Nueva Segovia,1982-1986Secretary of Congregation for the

Evangelization of Peoples, 1985-1991Cardinal Jaime Lachica Sin († 2005)

31 August 1928; Died at

76 y.o.

May 24, 1976 (47 y.o.)

Archbishop of Manila Archbishop of Massa Lubrense (1972)Archbishop of Jaro (1972-1974)Archbishop of Manila (1974-2003)President of CBCP, 1976-1981

Cardinal Julio Rosales Y Ras(† 1983)

September 18, 1906; Died at

76 y.o.

April 28, 1969 (62 y.o.)

Archbishop of Cebu Bishop of Tagbilaran, 1946-1949Archbishop of Cebu, 1949-1982President of CBCP, 1961-1966 and

1974-1976Cardinal Rufino Jiao Santos († 1973)

August 28, 1908

Died at 65 y.o

March 31, 1960 (51 y.o.)

Archbishop of Manila Titular Bishop of Barca, 1947-1953Auxiliary Bp of Manila, 1947-1953Military Vicar of the Philippines,

1951-1973Archbishop of Manila, 1953-1973

Source: http: //www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/country/PH-cardinals.htm


Cardinals which exists in the Church todaycontinues to serve this fundamental purpose(c. 353). The most well known responsibilityof the College today is of course the electionof a new Pope after the reigning Pope hasdied, but the Pope also can and does callConsisteries, or official meetings of theCollege of Cardinals, when he wishes todiscuss and get their opinions on variousimportant issues in the Church.

While having an administrative role in thepractical operations of the Catholic Churchis unquestionably important, the job doesnot itself require any sort of consecration.A bishop, therefore, who has been nameda cardinal remains a bishop.

We have seen, therefore, that bishops whohead archdioceses are called archbishops,that some, but not all, bishops are cardinals,and that cardinals are ordinarily bishops.43

Thus, a diocesan bishop or archbishopcan also be a cardinal. Table 3 shows thatPhilippines had 8 cardinals as of 2014. Whenthese cardinals were appointed, they werealready archbishops. Four of them werearchbishops of Manila while two werearchbishops of Cebu, one came from theArchdiocese of Cotabato, and another onebecame a cardinal while he was Secretary ofthe Congregation for the Evangelization ofPeoples. Half of these cardinals becamepresidents of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferenceof the Philippines (CBCP) with two of themheading the organization before the irappointment; the other two, on the year of theirappointment.

The title “Monsignor” is usually giveneither because of a position of prominence inthe diocese (the Vicar General, the Rector ofthe Cathedral, the Director of Education or aspastor of a large and prominent parish), orbecause of years of faithful and esteemedservice in a diocese. In and of itself, it carriesno extra power. It is simply a title of honor.44

In the segment of the Catechismconcerning “The Hierarchical Constitution ofThe Church,” it is taught that “Sacramentalministry in the Church, then, is a serviceexercised in the name of Christ. It has apersonal character and a collegial form.” 45

This means that like St. Peter and therest of the Apostles, their successors (the Popeand the bishops, respectively), are “related withand united with one another, in what is calledthe college or body of bishops. This college, in

so far as it is composed of many members,is the expression of the variety and univer-sality of the People of God; and of the unityof the flock of Christ, in so far as it is as-sembled under one head.” The hierarchi-cal constitution of the Church has a teach-ing, sanctifying, and governing office orfunction.

883 ”The col lege or body ofbishops has no authority unlessunited with the Roman Pontiff ,Peter’s successor, as its head.” Assuch, this college has “supremeand full authority over the universalChurch; but this power cannot beexercised without the agreementof the Roman Pontiff.”

885 ”This college, in so far as itis composed of many members, isthe expression of the variety anduniversality of the People of God;and of the unity of the flock ofChrist, in so far as it isassembled under one head.”

888. Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task“to preach the Gospel of God to allmen,” in keeping with the Lord’scommand. They are “heralds offaith, who draw new disciples toChrist; they are authenticteachers” of the apostolic faith“endowed with the authority ofChrist.”

889. In order to preserve theChurch in the purity of the faithhanded on by the apostles, Christwho is the Truth willed to conferon her a share in h is owninfallibility. By a “supernaturalsense of faith” the People of God,

The title “Monsignor”is usually given eitherbecause of a position ofprominence in thediocese or because ofyears of faithful andesteemed service in adiocese. In and of itself, itcarries no extra power. Itis simply a title of honor.



under the guidance of the Church’sliv ing Magisterium, “unfailinglyadheres to this faith.”

890. The mission of the Magisteriumis linked to the definitive nature ofthe covenant established by God withhis people in Christ. It is thisMagisterium’s task to preserve God’speople from deviations anddefections and to guarantee them theobjective possibility of professing thetrue faith without error. Thus, thepastoral duty of the Magisterium isaimed at seeing to it that the Peopleof God abide in the truth thatliberates. To fulf il l this service,Christ endowed the Church’sshepherds with the charism ofinfallibility in matters of faith andmorals.46

This hierarchical constitution,however, has for its model, Christ’s ownrelationship with God the Father, and hisApostles to him:

895. “The power which they exercisepersonally in the name of Christ, isproper, ordinary, and immediate,although its exercise is ultimatelycontrolled by the supreme authorityof the Church.” But the bishopsshould not be thought of as vicars ofthe Pope. His ordinary and immediateauthority over the whole Church doesnot annul, but on the contraryconfirms and defends that of thebishops. Their authority must beexercised in communion with thewhole Church under the guidanceof the Pope.” 47

While having anadministrative role in thepractical operations ofthe Catholic Church isunquestionablyimportant, the job doesnot itself require any sortof consecration. A bishop,therefore, who has beennamed a cardinalremains a bishop.

Caridi further explains how the Pope’s

situation is unique. By definition, theman elected in a papal conclave is theBishop of Rome, so he must be aconsecrated bishop. When he iselected as Pope and he accepts theelection, he at that very momentbecomes Pope (c. 332.1). In otherwords, there is no such thing as“papal consecration.” There is also noparticular reason why he would evenhave to be a cardinal. While Popesordinarily are selected from among themembers of the College of Cardinals,this technically is not a requirement.It is possible for the cardinals whoare voting in a papal conclave to electsomeone who is not even present andeligible to vote! But since the votersnormally are looking for someone whois already exper ienced and wellknown in the Church, it is highlyunlikely that they will elect someonewho is not among them.48

The Laity

In Pope Pius XII’s Mystici Corporis thelaity is an essential part of the Church. Theyare among the People of God, the Body ofChrist. Lay people are the non-clericalmembers that include the religious nuns,sisters, and brothers. There are ordainedclergy as leaders because there is laity, themajority of the Body of Christ, the People ofGod. The laity or the non-clerical and theclergy form the body of Christ, and everyoneis called to on the attainment on theperfection of Christ’s body.49

Pope John Paul II also quoted PopePius XII when he affirmed the role of the laity:

Lay believers are in the front line ofChurch life; for them the Church isthe animating principle of humansociety. Therefore, they in particularought to have an ever-clearerconsciousness not only of belongingto the Church, but also of being theChurch, that is to say, the communityof the faithful on earth under theleadership of the Pope, the commonHead, and of the bishops incommunion with him. They are theChurch.50



Filipino Catholic Population

The study also looked into thecountry’s total population and Catholicpopulation as well as that of priests,religious brothers and religious sisters.

Table 4 compares the total reportedpopulation, Catholic population andnumber of Catholic priests as reported inthe 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 editions ofthe Catholic Directory. It must be noted,however, not all ecclesiastical areassubmitted their updated reports forinclusion in the 2012-2013 edition. Still,the figures proved to be instructive interms of approximating the proportion ofCatholics to the population and priests tothe Catholic population.

The proportion of Catholics to the totalPhilippine population in shows a reduction of0.74%; from 79.21% of the total population inthe 2010-2011 edition to 78.63% in the 2012-2013 edition. This may be due to the fastergrowth rate of the total population (8.98%) ascompared to the growth rate of the Catholicpopulation (8.18%) in that time period.

It is also observed that the rate ofrecruitment among the clergy does not keepup with the increase of the Catholic population.The number of Catholic priests shows a growthrate of 5.06% in the time period of the twoeditions of the Directory. This is less than thegrowth rate of both the Catholic and totalpopulations.

Even if the priests are complementedby the religious brothers and sisters, the ratiois high as can be seen in Table 5. The figuresonly show the total number of active “Filipinocitizens of Rome” and do not take into accountthe location assignments—whether they are

still assigned in the Philippines or areconcentrated in particular political regionsor ecclesiastical areas in the country. Theratio of clergy, religious brothers, and sistersto the overall Catholic population mayimpact on the administrative functions aswell as pastoral ministries of the CatholicChurch in the Philippines.

Programs and Services

Education

The Catholic Church in thePhilippines is engaged in a variety ofpastoral ministries ranging from education(schools), taking care of the sick and theweak (hospitals, orphanages, home for theaged, safe houses), media (radio, TV, andprint) , socio-economic programs,dormitories, and many more. It has alsobeen very active in social justice advocacyby opposing human rights violations andcorruption.

Table 6: Number of Educational Centersof Dioceses, Religious Men & Women

Programs Dioceses Men Religious

Women Religious

Educational Centers 3,001 119 623Kindergarten/Nursery/Pre-school / Daycare 691 6 216Grade Schools 535 7 166High Schools 1,563 15 181Technical/Vocational/Colleges/Universities Graduate Schools 163 24 79Undifferentiated 49 67


Table 4: Proportion of Catholics to Population & Growth RatePopulation 2010-2011 2012-2013 Growth Rate

Population 88,887,382 96,871,813 8.98%Catholics 70,407,588 76,167,880 8.18%Proportion of Catholics to Population 79.21% 78.63% -0.74%Priests 8,605 9,040 5.06%*Raw data come from http://www.splendorofthechurch.com.ph/2013/04/25/catholic-bishops-conference-of-the-philippines-catholic-directory-of-the-philippines-statistics/

Table 5: Ratio of Priests, Religious Brothers, & Religious Sisters to Catholics

Priests, Religious Brothers & Sisters Number

Ratio to Catholics(76,167,880)

Ratio to Population(96,871,813)

Total Priests 9,040 1 is to 8,426 1 is to 10,716Religious Brothers 709 1 is to 107,430 1 is to 136,632Religious Sisters 10,781 1 is to 7,065 1 is to 8,985Total Priests, Brothers , & Sisters 20,530 1 is to 3,710 1 is to 4,718.55*Raw data come from http://www.splendorofthechurch.com.ph/2013/04/25/catholic-bishops-conference-of-the-philippines-catholic-directory-of-the-philippines-statistics/


Table 7: Types of Social Action Work by Dioceses & Religious Congregations


Women Religious

Social/Pastoral Concerns/Action/Work 60 1 21Social Communication/Media 63 4 2Prisoners/Jail/ Community-Based Rehabilitation / Restorative Justice 49 2 4

Indigenous Peoples/Tribal Filipinos 40 1 8Migrants and Itinerant People/Migrant Families/ Apostleship of the Sea/Air 37 6 3

Interreligious Dialogues and Peace Initiatives 32 1 3

Environmental Concerns/ Ecology/Integrity of Creation/Reforestation

29 2 4

JPIC 23 5 3Poverty alleviation/Livelihood/ Microfinance/Dumpsite residents 16 1 11

Social Services/Human Development 26Senior Citizens/Elderly 4 1 13Persons with Disability 7 5 4Education Assistance 4 9

Community/ Parish Ministry 13

Alternative Farm/Sustainable Agriculture/Organic Farming 7 1 2

Public/Political Affairs/Good Governance 10Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) 9

Pondo ng Pinoy 9Sick/Cancer Patients/ Discharged Patients 3 5

Programang Pabahay/Land and Housing/Shelter Assistance /Urban Settlement/ Housing assistance

4 1 1

Urban Poor 2 1 2Disaster Response/Relief and Rehabilitation 5

Workers/Labor 4

Mentally Challenged Persons 1 2

Human Rights 3Mentally Ill/Long-term Care of Indigent Psychiatric Patients

3

Community Development 2

Parents 2

Information Technology 1 1

Abandoned 2

Alternative Education 2

Alternative Health Care 1 1

Death-row prisoners 2

Farmers and Rural Poor/Peasants 2

Networking 2

Parish Outreach Program for the Sick, Aged and the Disabled (POPSAD) 2

(Ministry to the) Dying 1

Alcohol and drug dependents 1

Crisis Management 1Fisherfolk 1

NGO Advocacy 1

Welfare 1



A quick look at the 2013-2013Catholic Directory in the Philippines alsorevealed that among the specific programsand services of the Catholic Church,schools top the list. Education has a lot todo with evangelization. It is no wonderthat educational centers or schools leadin terms of institutions owned by diocesesor congregations. Table 6 shows that ofthe number and types of educationalcenters that are being owned/operated bythe Catholic Church in the Philippines.It should be noted that while the figuresdo not add up to the sum total, it is safe toassume that most of the educationalcenters cater to the forming of the mindsof young people from kinder to high schooland a small fraction is devoted to providingtechnical and higher education.

The Catholic EducationalAssociation of the Philippines (CEAP), onthe other hand, reported a membershipof 1,454 schools in all regions of thecountry.51 CEAP membershiprequirements include, among others, abishop’s certification that the school isgenuinely Catholic in character and aregular religious education program withqualified religion teachers.52

Next to educational centers, theCatholic Church also involves itself withthe management of catechetical orpastoral centers, which include socialaction centers, crisis centers and otherresource centers. Many of the religiousalso manage orphanages, asylums, andshelters for the aged, boys, girls, streetchildren, and even sexually abusedwomen. Hospitals or clinics comprise thecharity cl inics, lying-in/maternityclinics, rehabilitation (for those dependenton alcohol and/or drugs) and therapycenters (for those with special needs, orwith disabilities), and one-day medicaland/or dental missions.

Social Action

The Directory includes the variouscharitable and pastoral ministries ofdioceses and religious congregations.Since not all organizations and diocesesprovided updated reports, this section could

only provide observations and approximations.Some reports in the Directory were general (e.g.,“pastoral work”) while some were very specific(e.g., “medical assistance for tuberculosispatients”) and most fell somewhere in between.There are also reports that dealt with thetheme of the apostolate/ministry (e.g., “povertyalleviation”), while others reported the socialsector (e.g., “urban poor”). Most combined thetwo forms (e.g., “poverty alleviation amongurban poor”) and was thus counted twice.

As may be observed in Table 7, thebreadth of apostolate or ministries is very wide,and spans the social problems of today. Diocesestend to have more apostolates than do theorganizations of men and/or women religious,likely reflecting the nature of dioceses as rootedin or firmly connected to communities that aremicrocosms of Philippine society.

Lay Empowerment

Programs for lay empowerment ischanneled through the lay organizations andformation such as the Basic EcclesialCommunities (BEC,) also known as: BatayangPamayanang Kristiyano (BPK), MuntingSambayanang Kristiyano (MSK), Gagmay’ngKristohanong Katilingban (GKK), Sambulig, orCommunity Formation. Other lay organizationsare initiated by the diocese such as the Arch/diocesan Council of the Laity, Pastoral Leadersand Lay Ministers, Diocesan Pastoral orProgram Coordinating Council , and Lay

Table 8: Lay Empowerment Program of Dioceses, Religious Men & Women


Women Religious Total

Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC)/ Batayang Pamayanang

Kristiyano (BPK)/MuntingSambayanang Kristiyano

(MSK)/Gagmay’ngKristohanong Katilingban

(GKK)/Sambulig/ Community Formations

52 1 9 62

Archdiocesan or Diocesan Councils of the Laity 29 0 0 29

Pastoral Leaders and Lay Ministers 7 0 0 7

Diocesan Pastoral or Program Coordinating Councils 6 0 0 6

Lay Leadership Programs 3 0 0 3



Leadership Program. Table8 outlines the differentprograms for layempowerment.

Lay Organizations andMovements

In addition to theclergy and rel igiouswomen, there are alsoc h u r c h - m a n d a t e dorganizations in dioceses.C h u r c h - m a n d a t e dorganizations refer to layorganizations that theCatholic Church itself haschosen to organize or hasencouraged theorganization of. In thePhil ippines, many ofchurch-mandated layorganizations haveinternational beginningslike the Apostleship ofPrayer, Blue Army (of theLady of Fatima), Caritas,Catholic Women’s League(CWL), Catholic/Christian CharismaticRenewal Movement,Cursil los, FocolareMovement, Knights ofColumbus (KC), Legion ofMary, MarriageEncounter Movement,Mother Butler Guild andSerra Club International. Table 9 lists theseorganizations.

The largest lay movements in thecountry are home-grown, like the El Shaddaiwhich boasts more than 8 million members(as of 2009).53 Similarly home-grown are AlayKapwa, Couples for Christ (and its offspringorganizations Singles for Christ, Youth forChrist, and Kids for Christ, Handmaids of theLord and Servants of the Lord), theBrotherhood of Christian Businessmen andProfessionals, and the Student CatholicAction.

The most common lay organizationsand movements are the Catholic Women’sLeague, Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary,Mother Butler’s (Mission) Guild, Apostleship

Table 9. Catholic Transparochial Communities, Organizations, & Movements in the Philippines

TransparochialCommunities/Organizations

/ MovementsDioceses

Percentage of the Total 85

dioceses in the Phils.

Catholic Women’s League 54 63.53%Knights of Columbus 53 62.35%Legion of Mary 52 61.18%Mother Butler's (Mission) Guild 50

58.82%

Apostleship of Prayer 45 52.94%Couples for Christ 43 50.59%Catholic/Christian Charismatic Renewal Movement 42

49.41%

Daughters of Mary Immaculate 29

34.12%

Cursillos Movement in Christianity 27

31.76%

El Shaddai 26 30.59%Caritas 21 24.71%Marriage Encounter 14 16.47%Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals 13

15.29%

Alay Kapwa 12 14.12%Focolare Movement 10 11.76%Serra Club International 6 7.06%Youth for Christ 5 5.88%Singles for Christ 4 4.71%Student Catholic Action 3 3.53%Blue Army 2 2.35%Kids for Christ 2 2.35%

of Prayer, and Couples for Christ. They arefound in at least the majority of dioceses;CWL is found in 54 dioceses or 63.53 percent.

These data are by no means exactbecause some organizations like the Youthfor Christ, Kids for Christ and Singles forChrist have national organizing programsthat would cover more than the 2 to 5dioceses reported above.

Some of the groups listed wereorganized to address specific needs andinterests; Marriage Encounter includesresponsible parenting and intimaterelationships between spouses. The Youthand Singles for Christ also cover sexualityin their discussions.



Review of Related LiteratureThe research focused on gender, sexuality and reproductive health issues in relation

with the position of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. This chapter also discussesthe historical development of the concept of human dignity as the foundation of the modernunderstanding of human rights.

Books and articles were studied for trends in Catholic thought on these issues, and possiblesources that can shed light on the dialogue in the Catholic community were read in an attemptto fill gaps of knowledge. Western theological perspectives, East Asian and Filipino reflectionsand particularly women reflections from 1993 to the present were likewise studied.

The literature survey undertaken reflects:

• Historical development of human dignity and human rights discourse, which is one ofthe basis of this study

• Ethical frameworks that can assist the dialogue and understanding on reproductive healthissues

• Studies made on the perceptions and positions of the clergy, religious and lay leaders onSRHR, sexuality and gender

• Current perceptions on church teachings on SRHR, sexuality and gender from differentsides of the dominant conservative and from feminist readings and analysis

The concept of human dignity hasundergone many changes throughout history.The importance of such changes can best beappreciated with a review from differentlenses. From the re ligious context forinstance, primarily from the Christianperspective, “human dignity” is derived fromthe concept of God distinguishing man fromthe rest of creation.

Lebech gave a summary of accountson “human dignity”: (1) Cosmocentric, dealingwith the value of man in relation to othercreations.; (2) Theocentric, dealing with thevalue of man created in the image of God; (3)Logocentric, dealing with the value of manas a result of reason; and (4) Polis-centric withhuman dignity in re lation to socialacceptability.54

Many of the Church documents andencyclicals on human dignity have been based

on the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas andprimarily on the Natural Law. I t issignificant to note that Aquinas’ views wereinfluenced and/or contain elements ofprevious philosophers’ thoughts likeAristotle, Cicero, and Augustine.

To understand the value or dignityof the human person, it is important todefine what the human person is. In themetaphorical sense, this can be called an‘essence’ or the inherent determiningfactor that makes a thing what it is.55 InSumma Theologiae, Aquinas wrote that a“person refers to that which is most perfectin the whole of nature, namely, to thatwhich subsists in rational nature.”56

The word “person” came to refer tomen of high rank. In the ecclesiastical worldthere grew the custom of referring topersonages of rank. For this reason some

Human Dignity


theologians define person as “an hypostasisdistinguished by dignity”.57

The word dignity comes from the Latinword dignitas (“worth”).58 During the reign ofthe Roman Empire, it was used to refer topersons distinguished from the rest of thepopulation in a hierarchical order. Dignitythen was an attribute of social recognitionspecifically implying social and politicalprominence.59

Donnelley also traced the concept ofhuman dignity from the time of MarcusTullius Cicero, who was a prominent Romanphilosopher and politician. Cicero wrote onnatural law, and was echoed in earlyChristian writings. In his works, dignityrequires a “virtuous life in accord with natureand reason”.60

In line with the Greek philosophy ofStoicism, dignity is to be achieved andpreserved by freeing oneself from destructiveemotions.

But it is essential to every inquiryabout duty that we keep before oureyes how far superior man is bynature to cattle and other beasts:they have no thought except forsensual pleasure and this they areimpelled by every instinct to seek;but man’s mind is nurtured by studyand meditation; he is always eitherinvestigating or doing, and he iscaptivated by the pleasure of seeingand hearing. … if, I say, he is alitt le too susceptible to theattractions of pleasure, he hides thefact, however much he may becaught in its toils, and for veryshame conceals his appetite. Fromthis we see that sensual pleasureis quite unworthy of the dignity ofman and that we ought to despiseit and cast it from us; but if someoneshould be found who sets somevalue upon sensual gratification, hemust keep strictly within the limitsof moderate indulgence. One’sphysical comforts and wants,therefore, should be orderedaccording to the demands of healthand strength, not according to thecalls of pleasure (Cicero, 1913 [44BC].61

In this passage, Cicero distinguishesman as having dignity above an animal. Yetto achieve such dignity, Man must not submit

to sensual pleasures or instincts which arecharacteristics of an animal.

Human in the Image of God

Cicero’s description of what separatesman from animals is also reflected in thedoctrinal teaching of Man as being createdin the image and likeness of God or ImagoDei. This concept primarily takes itsinspiration from the bible passage in Genesis.

Then God said, “Let us makemankind in our image, in ourlikeness..” (Gen. 1:26).

This scriptural affirmation of Man asan image of God has brought to the fore aplethora of discussions and interpretationsabout what constitutes an Imago Dei.Augustine’s belief about the Holy Trinityguided his search for the image of God (ImagoDei) in the rational human mind which hebelieved as the essence of the human person.

He distinguished the mind, or “innerman,” from the rest of human nature andthe physical bodily sensations which heattributes as the “outer man.” He likenedphysical sensations or sense organs tosomething shared with animals and whichthus cannot be reconciled with the essenceof the human person as an image of God. Topursue Imago Dei, one must turn away fromthe life of sensation and turn inward towardthe life of the mind to find unity of beingsufficient to form the basis of the imago.Memory, intellect and will, being acts of themind distinct from those shared withanimals, constitute the genuine Imago Deiwhich Augustine asserted as the essence ofthe soul.62

Christian tradition has put emphasison “Man”, created in the image of God, andgiven rule over the rest of creation and thushaving a certain importance—dignity. St.Thomas Aquinas argued that to sin is todeviate from what is according to natural lawor human nature, thereby implying losingone’s dignity. Aquinas further articulatedthis thought in his Summa Theologica:

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE


Since man is said to be made in God’simage, in so far as the image implies“an intelligent being endowed withfree-will and self-movement”: now thatwe have treated of the exemplar, i.e.,God, and of those things which cameforth from the power of God inaccordance with His will; it remainsfor us to treat of His image, i.e. man,inasmuch as he too is the principleof his actions, as having free-will andcontrol of his actions.63

Man’s spirituality sets him apart fromother creatures. Then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla,who would later become Pope John Paul II in1978, wrote:

A person dif fers from a thing instructure and in the degree ofperfection. To the structure of theperson belongs an ”inner” in whichwe find the elements of spiritual lifeand it is this that compels us toacknowledge the spiritual nature ofthe human soul and the peculiarperfectibility of the human person.64

Human Rights

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights (UDHR) states: “All humanbeings are born free and equal in dignity andrights.”65 Much of the concepts of human dignityin relation to the modern UDHR can largely beattributed to Immanuel Kant who “laid thephilosophical foundations for our understandingof human dignity”. Kant placed human dignityat the center of moral and political theory whichalso posits that human dignity is an “absoluteinner worth” which is the standard of value bywhich one exacts respect for himself fromothers.66

In his Metaphysics of Morals, Kantargued that our moral law and freedom accordsany person with inalienable dignity and keepsus from being exploited or used by others. Forhim, “humanity in his person is the object ofrespect which he can demand from every otherhuman being, but which he must also notforfeit.67

Following this argument, Kantemphasized that the concept of right “is thelimitation of each person’s freedom so that it is

compatible with the freedom of everyone,insofar as this is possible in accord with auniversal law; and public right is the totalityof external laws which makes such athoroughgoing compatibility possible.”68

Sexual and Reproductive Healthand Rights (SRHR)

Sexuality and contraception havelong been controversial topics within theCatholic Church—spanning centuries indiscourse and justifying traditional beliefswith interpretations of ancient scriptures.More than mere stubbornness, theChurch’s position is rooted deeper in historyitself. Though the Church has been opposedto contraception and adheres to traditionalgender roles and sexual expression, manyargue that such a position does not addressthe changing realities of modern day societynor reflect the majority sentiment ofChurch believers.

To understand why the institutionclings to tradition despite the clamor forchange—primarily on views towards genderand sexuality and recognizing the irimportance in the overall human rightsframework—the reader is presented thefollowing concepts of the Church onsexuality, sexual expression and the role ofwomen.

What is sexual and reproductivehealth rights (SRHR)? Sexual andReproductive Health entails “healthy,voluntary, and safe sexual and reproductivechoices—voluntary choices of individualsand couples about family size and familyformation, including early marriage andother exposures to sexual risks.”Reproductive health issues, thus, deal withvital (and frequently sensitive) concerns,including sexuality, gender roles, male andfemale power relations and social personalidentity.69

The International Conference onPopulation and Development (ICPD) of 1994recognized the concept of sexual andreproductive health. It adopted an approach



that is grounded on human rights rather thanon population control. ICPD affirmed thepeople’s rights on parenthood, pregnancy,sexuality, and relationships. The Program ofAction (PoA) that called for the “UniversalAccess to SRH by 2015” was a landmarkdocument that shaped the context of how SRHRis viewed. Philippines was one of the 179countries that signed the ICPD PoA. Thecountry’s commitment was renewed during the1995 Fourth World Conference on Women whichyielded the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA).The PFA states that

Reproductive rights rests on therecognition of the basic right of allcouples and indiv iduals to decidefreely and responsibly the number,spacing and timing of their childrenand to have the information andmeans to do so, and the right to attainthe highest standard of sexual andreproductive health. It also includesthe r ight to make decisionsconcerning reproduction free ofdiscrimination, coercion, andviolence.70

Though commitment to theachievement of universal access to SRHR hasbeen reaffirmed time and again through variousglobal meetings, pushing through with theagenda faces a plethora of challenges.Opposition to the concept comes mostly fromadherents to conservative norms on sexuality.Sometimes arguing that SRHR is a foreign-imposed concept and, therefore, opposed totradition and culture that must be preserved.Sexuality has turned into a key battlegroundin the conflict.

Long analyzed that the ‘culture talk” isincreasingly being used to counter the “rightstalk” in the debate for SRHR, particularly amongthe lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender(LGBT) people.

The target is chosen withpassion, but also precision and care.Movements for the rights of lesbian,gay, bisexual, or transgender people,along with movements that assertsexual rights more generally, arearguably the most vulnerable edge ofthe human rights movement. Incountry after country they are easy todefame and discredit. But the attackon them also opens space for attackinghuman rights principles themselves—as not universal but “foreign,” as notprotectors of diversity but threats tosovereignty, and as carriers of culturalperversion.

In many countries,forces opposed to universalrights standards have foundtheir strongest stance is todeclare themselves defenders of“authentic” (though ofteninvented) cultural tradition.“Culture talk” increasinglyopposes itself to “rights talk.”Rights are treated as invaders.Sexuality has turned into a keybattleground in the conflict.The “cultural” argument againstsexual rights sees it self asstriking the exposed flank ofrights protections. Theonslaught also has devastatingeffects on public heal th—asessential measures to preventHIV/AIDS are scrapped in thename of “morals,” and asvulnerable people are driveninto the shadows.71

Vatican & SRHR

Strong reservations againstgender rights and SRHR also come fromthe Vatican and Pro-Life groups. In theaddress given by Archbishop Chullikatt,Holy See’s permanent observer to theUnited Nations at the 55th session of theCommission on the Status of Women ofthe United Nations Economic and SocialCouncil (UNESCO) in March 2011, theVatican concerns were raised. The HolySee questioned the “redefinition” of genderin reference to the Universal Declarationon Human Rights (UDHR). For the Vaticanand Pro-Life groups, gender is limited tomale and female only.

The attempt to re-define genderis also linked to the missingreference to the UDHR, in thepresent text. The UDHR, thefoundational document of thehuman rights system,acknowledges the inherentdignity and worth of everyhuman person, male andfemale. Yet some of thosepromoting a re-defini t ion ofgender opposed references tothe UDHR in the face ofoverwhelming support for itsinclusion, and equally opposedreference to “the inherentdignity and worth of womenand men,” a bedrock principleof the human rights system. In



people; (2) more sexual pleasure;(3) the elimination of thedif ferences between men andwomen; (4) no full-time mothers.These people recognise thatincreasing sexual pleasure couldincrease the number of babies andmothers. Therefore, theirprescription for world salvation is(1) free contraception and legalabortion; (2) promotion ofhomosexuality (sex without babies);(3) sex education courses toencourage sexual experimentationamong children, and to teach themhow to get contracept ion andabortions, that homosexuality isnormal, and that men and womenare the same; (5) fifty-fifty, male-female quotas; (6) all women in theworkforce; (7) discrediting allreligions that oppose thisagenda.”75

The Vatican rejects the gendertheory or the idea that masculinity andfemininity are socially constructed. It viewssuch a theory as shaking the very foundationof the Natural Law and the true nature ofhumans being as man and woman. Thegender agenda is seen as contrary to the willof the Creator and will only lead people tothe path to self-destruction.76

Views on sex, gender, and sexualityare not only grounded on the philosophy ofbiological determinism but are also justifiedby the interpretations of scriptures. Relatingagain to man’s nature as an image of God,Aquinas posits that

In a secondary sense the image ofGod is found in man, and not inwoman: for man is the beginningand end of woman; as God is thebeginning and end of everycreature. So when the Apostle hadsaid that “man is the image andglory of God, but woman is the gloryof man,” he adds his reason forsaying this: “For man is not ofwoman, but woman of man; andman was not created for woman,but woman for man” (SummaTheologica, Question 93 Article 4).77

The Gender Agenda is seen as athreat based on the perspective that it willdestroy the very foundation of humanidentity or essence. Pope Benedict XVI

l ight of these trends, theinternational community should beaware that this agenda to re-define“gender ” in turn, cal ls intoquestion the very foundation of thehuman rights system. 72

It should be recalled that in 1964, theVatican, a non-member state, joined theUnited Nations as a permanent observer inthe General Assembly. As a permanentobserver, the Vatican or the Holy See enjoysthe rights and privileges of participation inthe sessions and work of the GeneralAssembly and the international conferencesconvened under the auspices of theAssembly or other organs of the UnitedNations, as well as in United Nationsconferences.73

No other religious organization hasthe kind of power and privilege the Vaticanhas at the UN level. Its UN status furtherstrengthened its position as a global leader.With more than 1.2 million membersglobally, the Roman Catholic Church is oneof the oldest and largest rel igiousinstitutions in existence. It has played animportant role in shaping Westerncivilizations and, to date, remains one of themost influential organizations in the world—influencing both culture and politics.

Through the decades, the Vaticanand other re ligious participants ofinternational gatherings have consistentlyopposed the term “gender”. They did this atglobal meetings like the 1994 ICPD in Cairo,the 1995 World Conference on Women inBeijing, and in the aforementioned 2011UNESCO Commission on Women meeting.

Dale O’Learey, author of The GenderAgenda: Redefining Equality, is wary in usingthe gender perspective. Instead, she calls ita manipulative ploy of radical feminists orthe Sexual Left. She believes that the useof “gender” for “sex” is a deceptive techniqueto push for anti-family agenda. Her book waswritten from the Catholic perspective. Shetalked about the United Nations’ effort tochange traditions on marriage, family, andmotherhood.74 Her suspicions of the UN issummed up as follows,

“I observed that the UN isinhabited by people who believewhat the world needs is (1) fewer



with fecundity, sex no longerappears to be a determinedcharacteristic, as a radical andprist ine orientation of theperson. Male? Female? They arequestions that for some are nowviewed as obsolete, senseless,if not racist. The answer ofcurrent conformism isforeseeable: “whether one ismale or female has little interestfor us, we are all simplyhumans.” This, in reality, hasgrave consequences even if atfirst it appears very beautifuland generous. It signifies, infact, that sexuality is no longerrooted in anthropology; it meansthat sex is viewed as a simplerole, interchangeable at one’spleasure.79

Ethical Frameworks inUnderstanding the RH Issue

Catholic medical doctor and ahealth policy specialist MarilenDanguilan wrote in 1993 Making ChoicesIn Good Faith: A Challenge to the CatholicChurch’s Teachings on Sexuality andContraception from the perspective of aFilipino Catholic woman. She traced thehistorical development of the CatholicChurch’s consistent position againstcontraception, abortion and sterilization.She showed the tensions betweenmembers of the church that gatheraround two poles: one of conservativeinterpretation of tradition and scriptureand the other of a prophetic historico-critical interpretation for tradition andscripture to be relevant and meaningfulto people today.

Can the church be more engagedin a respectful dialogue of life that theSecond Vatican Council has called for?Can the church also recognize the facesof the people whose beliefs are differentfrom its members? Danguilan pointed tothe need for church, state and allorganizations which work for the benefitof women and their families to listen toall women concerned. Women have beengiven the social and ecclesial role ofreproduction and nurturance. She then

explains in his 2008 address to the members ofthe Roman Curia for the traditional exchangeof Christmas greetings.

(The Church) has a responsibilitytowards creation, and must alsopublicly assert this responsibility. Inso doing, she must not only defendearth, water and air as gifts of creationbelonging to all. She must also protectman from self-destruction. What isneeded is something like a humanecology, correctly understood.

If the Church speaks of the nature ofthe human being as man and woman,and demands that this order ofcreation be respected, this is not someantiquated metaphysics. What isinvolved here is faith in the Creatorand a readiness to listen to the“language” of creation. To disregardthis would be the self-destruction ofman himself , and hence thedestruction of God’s own work.

What is often expressed andunderstood by the term “gender”ultimately ends up being man’s attemptat self-emancipation from creation andthe Creator. Man wants to be his ownmaster, and alone – always andexclusively – to determine everythingthat concerns him. Yet in this wayhe lives in opposition to the truth, inopposition to the Creator Spirit.

Rain forests deserve indeed to beprotected, but no less so does man, asa creature having an innate “message”which does not contradict ourfreedom, but is instead its verypremise.78

Pope Benedict provided a clearpicture explaining the core of Vatican’sopposition to the gender agenda. Heposits the self-destruction of mankindas the destruction of Vatican’s view of“the nature of human beings as manand woman.” In a 1985 exclusiveinterview before he became pope, thenCardinal Ratzinger cautioned everyoneabout trivializing sex.

But it is further necessary to get tothe bottom of the demand that radicalfeminism draws from the widespreadmodern culture, namely , the“trivialization” of sexual specificity thatmakes every role interchangeablebetween man and woman. When wewere speaking of the cris is oftraditional morality, I indicated aseries of fatal ruptures: that, forexample, between sexuality andprocreation. Detached from the bond



Expounding on “Biomedicine from anEthico-Socio-Anthropological Perspective”,Dr. Michael L. Tan found the CatholicChurch not speaking loudly enough againstviolence against women but more againstcontraception. He also sought the return ofthe strong scientific tradition of the Churchinto ethics and biomedicine, as well as formore education, information and ethicalre flection on the use or non-use ofcontraceptives and on reproductive healthissues.

Allison Jagger in her article on“Feminist Ethics: Projects, Problems andProspects” provided a critique on presentCatholic ethics and moral theology based onmale reflections on a totally male hierarchy.Her call is expressed more clearly in herfeminist commitment to the elimination ofthe male bias in ethics grounded on twoassumptions:the subordination of women ismorally wrong and their moral experiencemust be treated as respectfully as the moralexperience of men.

These reflections bring forth thequestion of women’s sexuality andreproductive health: who or what defines thefoundations of morality and ethics? What isthe responsibility of the Church and itsmagisterium in fostering a genuine dialoguewith women and feminist theologians, notonly with the traditional and conservativeblock of the church? After all, all are equallychildren of God and disciples of Christ whohad been baptized into one Body of Christ.

The February 2003 conference ofSoutheast Asian women organized by theFederation of Asian Bishops Conference(FABC)–Office of the Laity and the CatholicBishops Conference of the Philippines(CBCP)–Office on Women focused on thetheme “Responding to Challenges ofChristian Women in Asia.” This conferencebegan with a presentation of feminisms anddefined a model of spirituality from afeminist perspective characterized asintegral that harmonizes opposites;harmonious that is holistic and beautiful;circular not pyramidal, not in hierarchicalorder; inclusive that embraces large circlesof people at the margins fostering life inabundance for everyone and promotingpeace as a fruit of communication, dialogueand building of community and that seeks

called for the recognition of women’sdecision making and freedom of choice notonly as a right but also as an element ofwomen’s freedom and equality amongpeople. She asserted that these decisionsare made in conscience in the context of aperson’s relationship with God. The ethicalrole of church must be one of understandingand support not judgment andcondemnation.80

In the 1999 Sourcebook of SelectedReadings on Health and Feminist Researchincluded articles on feminist ethics thatprovide perspectives in viewing issues onwomen’s sexuality and reproductive health.Four of these articles are summarizedhere.81

Fr. Percy Bacani, MJ in his article,“A Theological View of Ethics and GenderRelations,” shared three basic points onethics and gender relations: seeing theworld through women’s eyes; analyzing thereality of women’s cruel context thatincludes the victimization of women in theworkplace, women’s subordination andexperience of violence and analysis of malebehavior and power; and looking at womenempowerment within the context ofpatriarchy where the erotic has always beenmisnamed by men and used against women.

Writing from a Filipino woman’sperspective, Raquel Tiglao pointed out theneed for women in the Philippines to realizeand recognize their oppression. There is theproblem of class in the issue of reproductiverights and access to reproductive health.Rich women can afford safe expensiveabortion services, and poor women dependon herbal medicines. Tiglao asked about therole of the church in reproductive healthissues and women’s sexuality:

We seldom hear churchauthorities ask the men to askforgiveness for what they havedone to women. What we hear areadmonitions to women. Do notwear seductive clothes. Do not betoo sexy. Do not be too provocative.Be good wives… I am not sayingthat these are all wrong. What Iam saying is there is somethingwrong with family values thatrequire women to be subordinate,and unable to understand orexercise their rights properly.



Encourage the formation ofwomen’s groups in theneighbourhood for sharingexperiences and buildingsolidarity.

Have a common definition andunderstanding of feminism from aChristian perspective that willguide our work for women.

Make more Church leadersresponsive to women and theirproblems.

Express sensitivity though the useof inclusive language.

Encourage the development ofspirituality from women’sperspective.83

Margaret Farley in Just Love: AFramework for Christian Sexual Ethics wroteon the importance of cross-cultural andinterreligious perspectives in sexualethics. The book gives a comprehensivedevelopment of the Christian ethic on sexand how it became related to procreationbased on the Stoic norm for sexualintercourse. Farley believed thatAugustine and Thomas Aquinas were thefathers who cemented the Catholic moralthought with a negative view on sex andwith a view of women as unequal to men.These two philosophers also cementedthe development of Catholic morality intoa moral manual focused only on sins ofimpurity.84

Farley recognized the importanceof historical and cross-culturalperspectives for freedom for developingnew perspectives on sexual ethics. Sheexpounds on the framework “Just Sex,” aframework of justice in loving and notjustice and love.

The most difficult question tobe asked in developing a sexualethic is not whether this or thatsexual act in the abstract ismorally good, but rather, whenis sexual expressionappropriate, morally good andjust, in a relationship of anykind. With what kinds ofmotives, under what sorts of

peaceful methods rather than aggression tosolve conflicts.

Several prominent women theologianspresented their views on feminism. Feministspirituality as a one that promotes life in peopleand in nature, and is incarnational. Sr.Consolata Manding, SPC used the termChristian feminism and Sr. PhilomenaD’Souza, FMA urged a “birthing of spiritualityfrom women’s perspective” as a holistic andtransformational model of spirituality. Sr.D’Souza also quoted Joan Chittister: “Feminismis not a heresy; it is the spirit of Jesus writtenanew.”

In the same conference, however, Sr.Pilar Versoza, RGS made a call to protect eventhe smallest and most vulnerable stage of life.She reiterated that speaking of and appreciatingfertility, especially for women, must be donetogether with the recognition of God’s plan forlove, life, marriage and family.82

Towards the end, the fol lowingrecommendations were affirmed:

Engage in a serious and ongoing studyon the teachings of the Church withrespect to the dignity of women

Design and implement programs toenable parents and teachers to improvethe socialization process towardsequality between women and men,value formation and appreciation ofecology for children.

Undertake seriously andcomprehensively sessions preparingcouples for marriage and ongoingformation for the married, in order tohelp them understand and respect eachother’s sexuality

Encourage women in Southeast Asia tobe more active in formulating andimplementing strategies to solve issuesconcerning women, especially thosemired in poverty and victims of violence.

Initiate awareness campaigns onwomen’s dignity and vocation fordifferent sectors of society with the useof media technology.



Reproductive control highlightsissues of freedom, autonomy andbodily integrity–key issues thataffect women. Reproductive rightsneed to be situated in a frameworkthat recognizes the complexity ofwomen’s needs in the sphere ofreproduction (Kingdom 1991, 54 inPorter, 1994). Also, reproductiverights are part of reproductivefreedom that af f irms ideals ofequality and autonomy. Givenwomen’s body, sexuali ty, andreproductive potential,reproductive rights affirm equalityas an extension of bodily integrityand self-determination (Porter,1994). Only on the basis of suchreclamation can we assert woman’smoral authority, not merely byvirtue of our distinctiveembodiment but also by that of oursocial histories, to adjudicate thecomplex ethical dilemmas thatarise out of our reproductivity. Inthis relation, a truly Fil ipinofeminist perspective on RH debatesis anchored deeply within the livedexperience of poor Fi lipinasburdened by caring for multiplechildren, who are certainly thepoorest of the poor in our midst.86

For Peracullo, utmost priority in thedecisions for the approval of the RH Bill liesin the respect accorded poor women of theirown autonomy and personal decisions interm of pregnancy, kind of contraception andnumber of children. The Roman CatholicChurch also fosters the development ofpersonal conscience as the basis of moralauthority. This supports the need to respectwomen’s autonomous decisions in view oftheir personal responsibility as women andmothers in home and society.

Studies on Church, Women, RH,Sexuality and Gender

In the 1993 survey on the impact ofVatican II on women re ligious in thePhilippines, Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSBlooked into the women religious’ lifestyle,ministry, organizational structure,perceptions on socio-political issues likehuman rights and women’s movement. Thefindings revealed that 36% of the womenreligious believe that human rights must be

circumstances, in what forms ofrelationships, do we render oursexual selves to one another inways that are good, true, right andjust? 85

She defined justice as rendering toeach person “her or his due.” This takesplace when “persons and groups of personsare affirmed according to their concrete reality,actual and potential.” The concrete realityof persons is that they are embodied,inspirited, needing food, clothing andshelter, with a capacity for free choice,thinking, and feeling. Persons are alsorelational and possessing their particularityin history and location. According to Farley,a just love ethic will consider all theseaspects of persons, depending on the contextand nature of relationships. The norm forjust sex involves the following: making surethat no unjust harm is done; free consentthat is grounded on the human capacity forse lf-determination; mutuality ofparticipation; equality of power;commitment in relationships, some form ofcovenant; fruitfulness that is beyondbiological procreation and includes all wayslove can be fruitful; overflowing service andbeauty and nourishment to the community;and fostering social justice for all.

Her framework gives priority to thegood outcome and effect of sexualrelationships. Farley commented on theissue of reproductive health, sex andcontraception, saying how this was notdiscussed because she does not considerprocreation as related with sex andsexuality. She focused more on theinclusion of LGBT issues in Christianmarriage and sexuality.

In 2012, Jeane Peraculloemphasized the essential issue of women’sautonomy and self-determination whenmaking decisions on issues likereproductive health particularly onpregnancy and birth control. She pointed outthat Filipino women cannot be defined bystereotypes because they are complex andhave many sides. She understood how thiscomplexity plays a role in their ability tomake decisions for themselves, and in thetension it creates with the social, politicaland cultural expectations on women. Shecited the important reality for Filipinowomen:



the church is not apparent,particularly in the participation ofwomen in leadership and liturgy.

In the area of contraception, morethan half of the individual membersand staff understand whatcontraception is and consider it partof responsible parenting. Between32.5% and 43.1% of the respondentsuse contraception.

Reproductive health, in view of faith,has not been addressed pastorally andin development concerns and that,contrary to the fears of the Church,there seems to be a low contraceptivementality among grassroots women.What matters most to them: thewellbeing of their family and children.In one of the sharing sessions, awoman expressed the stress sheexperienced from the guilt of usingartificial means of contraception asher response to her concern for thefuture of the family and children.88

Some clergy and even leaders of theRoman Catholic Church in the Philippinesrecognize the need for family planning.Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ inprovided pastoral guidelines and core valueson the natural family planning (NFP) method.He reiterated that the official RomanCatholic stance is pro-life and can solely andexclusively accept natural family planningmethods. In the guidelines, Archbp. Ledesmaaffirmed that they are still:

1. Prolife;

2. for responsible parenthood;

3. for natural family planning; and

4. for enabling couples to make aninformed and morally responsiblechoice.

He shared that Catholic couples wantto plan their families in terms of family sizeand spacing of births; prefer natural familyplanning i f they are given adequateinformation on fertility awareness and NFPmethods; and choose among NFP methodsaccording to their own circumstances andpreferences. Making informed choices

respected by all; 10% consider human rightsas God-given; 9% believe that human rightsmust be an important concern in prayer andapostolate and that there is such a need forthat ministry.

There was also high agreement andsupport for the women’s movement butnowhere did it ask the perspective or opinionof religious women on sexuality, gender andreproductive health issues.

The study supports an Asian feministtheologizing that is rooted in the struggles ofwomen from marginalization and violence.The agenda of Asian feminist liberationtheology is renewal in the church throughreinterpretation of Scriptures, historico-critical reflection on church doctrines fromthe women’s point of view, rediscovery of thegreat women in church history, fundamentalquestioning of church hierarchical structurewith its constricting prescriptions anddiscriminating practices and the sexist (allmasculine and not inclusive) language of itsliturgy. Women must be freed from a falseconsciousness in order to discover theirpotentials and freedom to work fully withothers in the transformation of society into anew heaven and the new earth. In the samestudy, Mananzan called on the womenreligious to integrate feminism, whichupholds the liberation of women in societytowards total human liberation which isachieved through the women’s movementlocally and globally.87

In 2007, the Integrated PastoralDevelopment Initiatives (IPDI) cooperatedwith Fastenopfer (SCLF) and published a studyon Women, Households and Organizations:Touchstones for Gender Development andPastoral Work. The study identified indicatorsand measurements relevant to womenempowerment, gender equality fordevelopment and pastoral ministry among the14 groups of grassroots women-focusedprojects and organizations in the Philippines.It also identified issues in the promotion ofwomen’s rights and gender equality in theCatholic Church. The study found out that,

Even if Catholic members and staff ofthe fourteen organizations perceivethat local Catholic churches promoterights of women and genderawareness, equal representation in



The risk of pregnancy in the use ofNFP is between 6.7% and 11%, whichis comparable to the pill that has a9% failure rate. (17, 9).90

A similar study was done by thePhil ippine Center for Population andDevelopment (PCPD) with the ResearchInstitute for the Mindanao Culture (RIMCU)of Xavier University in the Prelature ofZamboanga-Sibugay. The study concludedthat couples need help in planning familiesand when given proper training, prefer theNFP. The study recommended crediblecoordinators and service providers, plusappropriate monitoring and evaluation toolsfor accurate tracking of acceptors and reports,managing data for dissemination, andeliciting support from local parishes andclergy.91

Church Perception on RH andDirectives

The Catholic Church stance has longdefended the right of the unborn, and hasstood firm against abortion. In the report ofNJ Viehland on the stance of the Churchagainst the reproductive health bill in thePhilippines, she quoted Fr. Marlon Lacal,O.Carm about the strong opposition and rallyagainst the RH law in August 2012:

“It shows the church’sunity when it comes to denouncingthe moral dimension, and also thepolitical dimension of the issue. Iwish the church would exert asmuch force with other urgent moralissues, such as Fre edom ofInformation Bill or anti-torturelaw,” Lacal said.

Responding to critics whohave called the bishops “bullies” forstanding up against the bill, Lacalsaid, “The church will alwaysengage institutions in socie ty.There may be things that cannotbe compromised on the side of thechurch, but more often than not,the church must always engagewith society. The church cannotsay it will turn its back at one

involves the Church providing informationon all methods of NFP, and alsoaccompanying couples in conscienceformation to freedom in three aspects: (1)ontological or the innate human freedom tochoose between right and wrong; (2) freedomof speech on the social, political andreligious levels; and lastly, (3) authenticfreedom as defined by the Vatican CouncilII in Gaudium et Spes:

(Authentic freedom) “demandsthat he act according to a knowingand free choice that is personallymotivated and prompted fromwithin…” (GS, 17). This innerprompting is what we mean byconscience which calls man toacknowledge the natural morallaw given by God.

“For man has in his heart a lawinscribed by God,” cite the CouncilFathers. “His dignity lies inobserving this law, and by it hewill be judged… By conscience ina wonderful way, that law is madeknown…” (GS, 16). Thus theindiv idual assumes personalresponsibility for all his humanacts that are knowingly andwillingly done, heeding thedictates of his conscience.However, conscience itself needsto be formed and guided by theobjective norms of moral conduct.Ignorance or sinful habits pose asobstacles to the formation of aright conscience.89

Fr. John Carroll, SJ conducted astudy on NFP, particularly the BillingsOvulation Method with the Two-days Methodand the Standard Days Method (SDM) among347 women in Payatas. An overwhelmingmajority (91.35%) of the women interviewedwere Catholics. Among the findings include:

Neither the level of education northe socio-economic status issignificant in accepting or notaccepting NFP as a method forresponsible management of fertility.

Couples with more stable unions,regardless of civil or churchweddings, seem to be more likelyacceptors of NFP.



theology is in accordance with the truth ofCatholic faith.94

Evangelii Gaudium exhorts Catholicsin the joy of proclaiming the Gospel. In theApostolic Exhortation Pope Francis criticizesthe “idolatry of money” that results in povertyand suffering for so many people. He alsocriticizes the Vatican for being toocentralized in its power, and the religiousand clergy for their excessive desire forpersonal freedom.

The exhortation also reminded theCatholic faithful to put Christ and the Gospelat the center and to take priority over liturgy,rubrics, doctrine and church institutions.Pope Francis supports education for healthcare. An unmistakable direction in the letteris his defense of the poor and of the right ofthe unborn to life. He describes the unbornas one of the most vulnerable human beings,and as the most defenseless and innocent.He states,

A human being is always sacredand inviolable, in any situation andat every state of development.95

In the issue of dialogue with otherfaiths and cultures, Pope Francis encouragedChristians to avoid violent fundamentalismin favor of peacemaking and ecumenical andinterreligious dialogue as a mark of trueevangelization. Sacramental power must notbe equated with power over; women must begiven new areas for decision making.96

Reforms at the Vatican

Many feel that the tides are changingat the Holy See. There seems to be someopening of minds and hearts with regards tofamily, marriage, and even sexuality. PopeFrancis has shared many of his thoughtswhich centered on providing compassion andnonjudgmental care towards others. He alsoinitiated the conduct of Vatican global surveyon family and marriage and convened thetwo-week Second Extraordinary Synod onFamily and Marriage on October 5-19, 2014.The second phase of the synod is scheduled

instance that the state has failed tolisten to its voice. This fight againstending Congressional debate on [thebill] has not been wasted effort.92

In an article of Carlos Tulali, Directorof Task Force Mapalad, on the history of theRH Bill and the Catholic Church, he tracedthe official Roman Catholic stance againstcontraception to a pronouncement of PopePius XI in Castii Connubi and to the two majordeclarations: Humanae Vitae by Pope Paul VIand the pastoral letter Donum Vitae of PopeJohn Paul II (Instruction on Respect for HumanLife in its Origin and on the Dignity ofProcreation).

Tulali pointed out that the Philippineshas a population composed of Catholics andnon-Catholics who have to be served withoutdiscrimination. Otherwise, the governmentdisobeys the constitution. Quoting FrancesKissling and her criteria for making adecision on contraception and abortion, Tulalistressed the importance of representation andconstituency in terms of moral decisions. Hesaid that there are Catholics who do not feelobliged to follow the church stance, since thelaw of conscience also prevails in Catholicbelief.93

The Vatican has issued recentdocuments on the issue of gender, life, andrights. Pope Francis, who ascended to papacyin 2013 after the resignation of Pope BenedictXVI, issued two important Pastoral Letters:the encyclical Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith,June 2013) and the apostolic exhortationEvangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel,November 2013). Lumen Fidei was drafted byBenedict XVI and Pope Francis added hiscontribution. This encyclical was written tohelp Catholics in Christian discernmentbetween good and evil today. It places JesusChrist at the center of faith and belief and asthe expert in faith, from whom a Christianmust learn to see and listen to the love thattransforms humanity and creation fromwithin (Chapter 1). The encyclical’s positivecontribution to Christian discernment is thedirection on faith with truth and faith withreason. It also emphasized that theology is aparticipation in the knowledge God has of God-self and is done at the service of the church.The role of the magisterium in CatholicChristian discernment is to ensure that



a year later, on October 4-25, 2015. While thesynod did not produce revolutionary decisions,it is good that the church leadership gatheredto talk about the issues like divorce, same-sex relationship, broken families, and the like.The current bishop of Rome seems to be movingtowards more pastoral care.

There are quotable quotes which couldbe cited for the seeming liberalism of the pope.On his attitude towards gay people,

“If someone is gay and issearching for the Lord and has goodwill, then who am I to judge him? ...The problem is not having thistendency, no, we must be brothersand sisters to one another . Theproblem is in making a lobby of thistendency: a lobby of misers, a lobbyof politicians, a lobby of masons, somany lobbies.” (News conferenceduring flight from Brazil to Rome, July28, 2013).97

“A person once asked me, ina provocative manner, if I approvedof homosexuality. I repl ied withanother question: ‘Tell me: when Godlooks at a gay person, does he endorsethe existence of this person with love,or reject and condemn this person?’We must always consider theperson.”98

Pope Francis is pushing for a pastoralapproach the Church’s ministry. He said thatthere should be a new balance in deliveringmessages while becoming more compassionatein healing the wounds.

“We have to f ind a newbalance; otherwise even the moraledifice of the church is likely to falll ike a house of cards, losing thefreshness and f ragrance of theGospel,” the pope says. “The proposalof the Gospel must be more simple,profound, radiant. It is from thisproposi tion that the moralconsequences then flow.”

“The role of the church:“The thing the church needs mosttoday is the ability to heal woundsand to warm the hearts of thefaithful; it needs nearness,proximity. I see the church as a fieldhospital after battle.”99

Pope Francis also admonished theclergy for focusing so much on abortion, gaymarriage, and contraception by saying,

“We cannot insist onlyon issues related to abortion,gay marriage and the use ofcontraceptive methods,” PopeFrancis said. “This is notpossible. I have not spokenmuch about these things, and Iwas reprimanded for that. Butwhen we speak about theseissues, we have to talk aboutthem in a context. The teachingof the church, for that matter,is clear and I am a son of thechurch, but it is not necessaryto talk about these issues all thetime.”

“The dogmatic andmoral teachings of the churchare not all equivalent,” he said.“The church’s pastoral ministrycannot be obsessed with thetransmission of a disjointedmultitude of doctrines to beimposed insistently.”100

He also explored the role of womenin the church:

“The f eminine genius isneeded wherever we makeimportant decisions. Thechallenge today is this: tothink about the specific placeof women also in those placeswhere the authority of thechurch is exercised forvarious areas of thechurch.”101



RESEARCH FINDINGS

Respondents’ Profile

Respondent Type byGathering Method

Data gathering fromthe questionnaire yielded 88respondents. Half of therespondents attended thefocused group discussions(FGDs) while 32 (36% )answered the questionnaireon their own. Thoseinterviewed (12) accounted for14% of the total respondents.

The research targetedthe “taong simbahan” orchurch people – meaning, clergy (priests), nuns or lay persons. Priests were either diocesan ormembers of religious congregations. Nuns, while technically non-ordained, also belong toreligious congregations. Lay persons were categorized into two: lay leaders who performleadership and management roles (e.g., catechists and officers) and lay persons who wereactive members of church organizations.

Many of those who answered the questionnaire were lay leaders (41 or 47%), followed bythe nuns (21 or 24%), lay persons (18%), and lastly, the clergy (10 or 11%).

Respondent Type by Sex

There were more female (63or 72%) than male respondents(25 or 28%). As it turned out,women respondents were moreopen to the survey and researchthan their male counterparts. Thesame can be said of the womenreligious, compared to menreligious.

SEX

Respondent TypeTotal

Clergy Nun Lay Leader Lay

Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq %

Male 10 11% 0 0% 7 8% 8 9% 25 28%

Female 0 0% 21 24% 34 39% 8 9% 63 72%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Gathering Method



Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq %Self-

administered 3 3% 7 8% 2023% 2 2% 32 36%

Interviewed 5 6% 6 7% 1 1% 0 0% 12 14%

Answered during FGD 2 2% 8 9% 20

23% 14 16% 44 50%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 4147% 16 18% 88 100%

SEX




Male 10 11% 0 0% 7 8% 8 9% 25 28%

Female 0 0% 21 24% 34 39% 8 9% 63 72%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


Respondent Type by Age

A third of the respondents (30 or34%) were between 45-54 years old,or practically middle aged. This wasfollowed by the 35-44 years old group(19 or 22%) and 55-64 years oldgroup (17 or 19%), respectively.

Majority (70%) of the clergybelonged to the 35-44 years old agebracket while many nuns and layleaders belonged to older agebrackets (45-64 years old). Therewas more diversity in terms of ageamong the lay persons.

Respondent Type by Civil Status and Number of Children

Forty-nine percent (49%) of therespondents were married but theirmargin over the single respondents(45% ) was slim. This could beattributed to the fact that the 35%of the respondents were clergy andnuns, who were all single due totheir vows of celibacy.

Among those married, separatedand widowed/widower, Twenty-onepercent (21%) have 4 children. Sixpercent (6% ) of the respondentsacknowledged having 6 children.The most number of childrenreported was nine (9).

RESEARCH FINDINGS: SURVEY

AGE




24 years old and younger

0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 2 2% 3 3%

25 - 34 y.o. 1 1% 0 0% 3 3% 3 3% 7 8%35 - 44 y.o. 7 8% 4 5% 5 6% 3 3% 19 22%45 - 54 y.o. 1 1% 7 8% 18 20% 4 5% 30 34%55 - 64 y.o. 1 1% 6 7% 8 9% 2 2% 17 19%65 - 74 y.o. 0 0% 2 2% 5 6% 2 2% 9 10%

75 y.o. & older 0 0% 2 2% 0 0% 0 0% 2 2%No Answer 0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 1 1%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

CIVIL STATUS

Respondent TypeTotal %Clergy Nun Lay Leader Lay

% Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq

Single 10 11% 21 24% 5 6% 4 5% 40 45%

Married 0 0% 0 0% 31 35% 12 14% 43 49%

Separated 0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 1 1%

Widow/er 0 0% 0 0% 3 3% 0 0% 3 3%

No Answer 0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 1 1%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

No. of Children

CIVIL STATUS

Total %Married Separated Widow/er

Freq % Freq % Freq %

0 1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 1 2%

1 4 5% 0 0% 0 0% 4 9%

2 4 5% 0 0% 0 0% 4 9%

3 3 3% 0 0% 1 1% 4 9%

4 9 10% 0 0% 1 1% 10 21%

5 2 2% 0 0% 0 0% 2 4%

6 3 3% 0 0% 0 0% 3 6%

9 1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 1 2%

No Answer 16 18% 1 1% 1 1% 18 38%

TOTAL 43 49% 1 1% 3 3% 47 100%

AGE GROUPS

Respondent Type


Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq %

24 y.o. & younger 0 0% 0 0% 1 2% 2 13%

25 - 34 y.o. 1 10% 0 0% 3 7% 3 19%

35 - 44 y.o. 7 70% 4 19% 5 12% 3 19%

45 - 54 y.o. 1 10% 7 33% 18 44% 4 25%

55 - 64 y.o. 1 10% 6 29% 8 20% 2 13%

65 - 74 y.o. 0 0% 2 10% 5 12% 2 13%

75 y.o. & older 0 0% 2 10% 0 0% 0 0%

No Answer 0 0% 0 0% 1 2% 0 0%

TOTAL 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


Respondent Type by Educational Attainment

Sixty-two percent (62%) ofnuns and 40% of the clergy havepost graduate degrees or units.Some lay members had reachedhigh school only.

Tagalogs account for 40% ofof the respondents. Cebuanos(36%) came in as a close secondwhile Waray (7%), Ilonggo (6%)and Bicolano (5% ) were adistant third, fourth and fifth,respectively. If all Visayan-speaking respondents weregrouped together, they wouldoutnumber the Tagalogs witha combined percentage of 49%.

To facilitatecollation andanalysis, someoccupations wereclustered together.Those engaging in“ r e l i g i o u sministries” werenuns and priests invarious capacities.“ P a r i s h - b a s e d ”occupations were forthose active in thechurch programssuch as catechism,serving as lectors,altar boys, etc.“ D e v e l o p m e n tworkers” were lay

Respondent Type by Ethnicity


Respondent Type by Occupation

EDUCATION

Among Respondent Type



HS Level 0 0% 0 0% 3 7% 2 13%

HS Grad 0 0% 0 0% 5 12% 3 19%

College Level 1 10% 0 0% 9 22% 2 13%

College Grad 5 50% 8 38% 16 39% 7 44%

Post Grad 4 40% 13 62% 5 12% 1 6%

NA 0 0% 0 0% 3 7% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%

EDUCATION




HS Level 0 0% 0 0% 3 7% 2 13%

HS Grad 0 0% 0 0% 5 12% 3 19%

College Level 1 10% 0 0% 9 22% 2 13%

College Grad 5 50% 8 38% 16 39% 7 44%

Post Grad 4 40% 13 62% 5 12% 1 6%

NA 0 0% 0 0% 3 7% 1 6%

Total 10100%

21100%

41 100% 16 100%

ETHNICITY

Respondent Type

TotalClergy Nun Lay Leader Lay

% Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq Freq %

Tagalog 3 3% 7 8% 20 23% 5 6% 35 40%

Cebuano 2 2% 6 7% 17 19% 7 8% 32 36%

Waray 3 3% 2 2% 1 1% 0 0% 6 7%

Ilonggo 0 0% 4 5% 1 1% 0 0% 5 6%

Bicolano 0 0% 0 0% 2 2% 2 2% 4 5%

Cantonese 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 1 1%

Pangasinan 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 1 1%

Ilocano 1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 2 2%

NA 1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 2 2%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

OCCUPATION

Respondent Type

TotalClergy Nun Lay Leader Lay

% Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq Freq %

Religious Ministry

10 11% 17 19% 1 1% 0 0% 28 32%

Parish-based 0 0% 1 1% 17 19% 2 2% 20 23%

NGO Dev't Work 0 0% 0 0% 3 3% 1 1% 4 5%

Theology Student/

Seminarian0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 2 2% 2 2%

Health care provider

0 0% 1 1% 6 7% 6 7% 13 15%

Educator/ Teacher

0 0% 2 2% 5 6% 0 0% 7 8%

Gov't Service 0 0% 0 0% 6 7% 3 3% 9 10%

Private Sector 0 0% 0 0% 2 2% 2 2% 4 5%

No Answer 0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 1 1%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


Of the 88 respondents, 4 left thisportion unanswered. One of these was a laywoman who could not finish the questionnairefor lack of time. (She had to leave immediatelyafter the gathering.)

The other 3 were priests who refusedto share personal opinions on the grounds thatthey are categorically against anything thathas to do with reproductive health (RH) despiteassurances from the interviewer of the confi-dentiality and the purpose of the research.These priests, however, provided information

people involved in non-governmentalorganizations as staff, bookkeepers, socialworkers, program officers, psychologists, etc.“Theology students/seminarians” and“teachers/educators” were distinct groups.

Nurses, midwives, barangay nutritionscholars (BNS) and barangay health workers(BHW) were clustered under “healthproviders”. Those working in government - asemployees in the local government unit(LGU), as village councillors or as Luponmembers- were clustered under “government

service”. Those in the “private sector” werebusinessmen, real estate appraisers, andreal estate agents. Those clustered in“others” were housewives, a seamstress, aseaman and an operator.

Based on the clustering, many of therespondents (32%) were involved in variousaspects of religious ministry, who werefollowed by those in parish-based activities(23% ). Health providers (15% ) andrespondents in government service (10%)ranked third and fourth, respectively.

Perception and Opinions

A. Personal Views on Sex, Gender, & Sexuality

The researchers wanted to checkthe respondents’ level of comfortwith their bodies or with the ideaof personal exploration of one’sbody.

The su rvey showed a majori ty(68% ) concu r red wi t h t hestatement. There were 39 (44%)who strongly agreed and 21 (24%)who agreed. Si xt een percen t(16%), however, said that they didnot concur with this statement.

on their parishes’ programs and services.

The respondents were asked fortheir personal opinions and positions on 3major issues:

Sex, gender, and sexuality

Sexual and reproductive healthrights

Family planning, contraception, andreproductive health

The following show the collatedanswers to the questionnaire.

1. The human body is a beautiful creation. It is not shameful to explore andtouch one’s body, even the most private and intimate parts.


Not shameful to explore & touch

one’s body




Strongly Agree 2 2% 10 11% 21 24% 6 7% 39 44%

Agree 1 1% 7 8% 7 8% 6 7% 21 24%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 2 2% 1 1% 3 3%

Disagree 1 1% 1 1% 4 5% 1 1% 7 8%

Strongly Disagree 2 2% 2 2% 3 3% 0 0% 7 8%Partly agree,

partly disagree1 1% 1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 2 2%

NA 3 3% 0 0% 4 5% 2 2% 9 10%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


In this survey, the clergy werepolarized when 3 membersagreed with the statement while3 others disagreed. Three morepriests refused to provide theiropinions. The laity (nuns, layleaders, and lay), on the otherhand, were more inclined toagree with the statement.

“As long as it will not lead to masturbation.”—a nun

One respondent said that self-explorationcould also be viewed

“as part of growing up. . . but I do notagree and condone masturbation becauseit is a vice.”—a nun

And exploring one’s body could be done

“for health reasons - by the owner of thatbody herself.” —a nun

“kung kailangan suriin upang mabigay lunaskung may depekto, pakonsulta to the rightperson such as doctors (need to checkone’s body for anything unusual, andconsult with the right people such asdoctors.) “—a lay leader

The respondents were generally grateful forthe gift of body, including its most privateand intimate parts.

“It’s a beautiful creation. Through this, Iglorify and thank the Creator. At the timeI accept the body and the most privateand intimate parts, that these are part ofme. The strange guilt and the need toexplore disappeared. What helps is self-knowledge, self-confrontation, why I havethis urge to satisfy now, where does itcome from, what is a need in me that Idid not give attention to; that I ignore.”

—a nun

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

In the additional comments, many affirmedthat the body is a beautiful creation and asacred temple of God, and therefore has to berespected as part of human dignity.

“Human’s body needs to be respected - aspectof dignity.” — a priest

“I do agree that being convinced of one’ssexuality is of great value but it should notbe abused by others. It needs to be respected.Human dignity matters most.”

—a nun

However, some expressed caution aboutpossible abuse and perceived negativeintention of self-exploration and -touching.This was clearly observed by two lay leaders:

“The motive of exploration and touchdepends on one’s values and importance.”

—a lay leader

“Kind of appreciation of the gift from God/not for sexual gratification.”

—a lay leader

A priest qualified that self-exploration wasfine.

“provided that one is not given to theconcupiscence of the flesh.”

—a priest

Some religious sisters added:


Not shameful to explore & touch one’s

body




Strongly Agree 2 20% 10 48% 21 51% 6 38%

Agree 1 10% 7 33% 7 17% 6 38%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 2 5% 1 6%

Disagree 1 10% 1 5% 4 10% 1 6%

Strongly Disagree 2 20% 2 10% 3 7% 0 0%

Partly agree,

partly disagree1 10% 1 5% 0 0% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 0 0% 4 10% 2 13%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


“Reflect first. Respect the body which wascreated by God. We have no right to abuseour body.” —a nun

“The body is a sacred creation. The bodyshould not be exposed, exploited andshould be taken care of.”—a nun

“Templo ng Diyos ang katawan ng tao (Thebody is a temple of God).” —a lay leader

“Sapagka’t ito’y sagrado at privacy ng bawatisa (Because it is sacred and privacyshould be maintained).” —a lay leader

Another nun clarified.

“Yes, it’s not a sin to know one’s body and beable to take good care of it.”—a nun

While many believe that the body is a gift fromGod, others (16%) disagreed with the statementbecause of its perceived negative insinuation.They insisted that the body should be keptprivate and sacred. Some of the comments:

This statement referred to theparticipants’ level of comfort withhomosexuality and homosexualbehavior of some people.Majority (71% ) of therespondents did not like the ideaof same-sex romantic attraction.Only about one-fifth or (21%)acknowledged that some peopledo get attracted to the same sexand that this behavior isacceptable.

2. It is OK to be attracted romantically to the same sex.

When the answers werecompared among members of eachrespondent type, the nuns had aslightly different mix than therest. While the clergy, lay leadersand lay were predominantlyagainst homosexual attraction,the nuns had nearly balancedpositions: 48% said that theydisagree and strongly disagreewith the statement while 43%agreed.


OK for same sex attraction




Strongly Agree

0 0% 1 5% 1 2% 1 6%

Agree 0 0% 8 38% 6 15% 2 13%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 5% 0 0% 0 0%

Disagree 1 10% 5 24% 13 32% 8 50%

Strongly Disagree

6 60% 5 24% 19 46% 5 31%

NA 3 30% 1 5% 2 5% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%

OK for same sex attraction




Strongly Agree

0 0% 1 1% 1 1% 1 1% 3 3%

Agree 0 0% 8 9% 6 7% 2 2% 16 18%

Don’t Know

0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 1 1%

Disagree 1 1% 5 6% 13 15% 8 9% 27 31%

Strongly Disagree

6 7% 5 6% 19 22% 5 6% 35 40%

NA 3 3% 1 1% 2 2% 0 0% 6 7%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Among the reasons given for sucha negative opinion on same-sex attractionstemmed from the notion that homosexualityis not normal:

It is not normal to be attracted romanticallyto the same sex. —a nun

“It is OK to appreciate the beauty of someoneof the same sex. Being attracted or not isreally not of our volition.”—a nun

Respondents said that a man and a woman,while different, complement and are made foreach other:

“The word romantically must be definedwell. Sexual relationship is complementary;the purpose of making man and woman.”—a priest

“The Lord is the model of the first man andwoman. They were created to complementeach other.” —a nun

“Biblically and scientifically male is differentfrom female.” —a lay leader

“Ang babae para lang sa lalaki, and vice-versa.(A woman is to a man and vice versa.)” —a lay leader

“Kasi ang lalaki ay para sa babae, para sakin.(for me, a man is for a woman)”—a lay person

Some lay leaders also mentioned that same-sex attraction and relationship are sinful anddisobey God:

“Malaking bawal sa mga mata ng Diyos (Thisis grave sin in the eyes of God).”—a lay leader

“Ito ay paglabag sa kalooban ng Diyos (This isagainst the will of God).” —a lay leader

However, amidst all these negative reactiontowards homosexuality, some nuggets ofaffirmations came mostly from the religioussisters. Some of these are:

“Love is accepted even for others.”—a nun

“Although Philippine culture is not yet opento this issue, I respect those who areengaged in this kind of relationship. Whoam I to judge?” —a nun

A lay leader also emphasized the humanityof every human being:

“Humans we are, whether gays or lesbians.”—a lay leader

This statement referred to same-sex relationships. The findingshere were consistent with theanswers to the previous item onsame-sex attraction.

Nearly three-fourths (74%) of therespondents had an unfavorableopinion on a homosexualrelationship. Nearly half of therespondents strongly disagreed, inaddition to the 27% who disagreedwith the statement. Thissentiment was common among allrespondent types.

3. It is normal to have a romantic or sexual relationship with the samesex: woman to woman or man to man.


Same sex relationship



Freq % Freq % Freq %Freq

% Freq %

Strongly Agree

0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 1 1%

Agree 0 0% 5 6% 5 6% 2 2% 12 14%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 2% 0 0% 1 1% 3 3%

Disagree 1 1% 7 8% 11 13% 5 6% 24 27%

Strongly Disagree

6 7% 6 7% 22 25% 7 8% 41 47%

NA 3 3% 1 1% 2 2% 1 1% 7 8%

Total10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88

100%


Like same-sex attraction, a same-sexrelationship was seen as not normal.

“Admiring those of the same sex is normalbut not engaging in sexual relationship”—a nun

and seen as something that could also destroyidentities.

“We are destroying our own identity. Strictlyspeaking we are using our body which is notsupposed to be used that way. It is explicitlystated in the Bible, that it is between manand woman.” —a priest

One felt that nothing good would come out ofsame-sex relationships.

“Walang magiging resulta ang ganitong gawainkung sa parehong kasarian gagawin (Nothinggood wil l come out from same sexrelationship).” —a lay person

Not only is a homosexual relationship sinfulbut also unpleasant.

“Hindi dapat gawin ang pagkakaroon ng samesex and magkapalitang uri, kasi ang lansangpakinggan. Bawal talaga. Di talaga OK nangganyan kasi ginawa tayo ng Diyos na hindimagkauri ng lalaki at babae (Same-sexrelationship is not allowed. It’s like a smellydirty plate. Men and women were createddifferently by God, and that is OK but notsame-sex).” —a lay leader

“Yan ang pinakaginagalitan ng Diyos, kayasinusunog ang Sodoma at Gamora (God reallyhates it and that is why He burned Sodomand Gomorrah).” —a lay leader

“Kasi para sa kin, malaswang tingnan. Masmainam ng lalaki at babae. (For me, it’sunpleasant. Better if only between a manand a woman).” —a lay person

Again, the religious sisters provideddifferent views.

“Though I have not experienced this, I canaccept. I used to observe couples of thesame sex. I can see that they complementeach other; that each one is free to explorewhat she/he is. Like the man who hasthe need to develop his feminine side, andthe woman, her masculine side throughtheir respective partners, they feel free toexpose and develop it, actualize it.” —anun

“As long as they remain faithful to theirpartner, and still live a productive and holylife.” —a nun

“Individuality po. If the two fall in love,who are we to stop them? Makikinig ba sila(Are they going to listen)?” —a nun

But other respondents would rather directthe discussion to love or to the temporarynature of homosexual relationships:

“Mas sang-ayon ako kung nakabatay angsekswal na relasyon sa pagmamahal hindisa purong sekswal na satispaksyon (I wouldrather agree if the sexual relationship isbased on love, rather than just simplysexual satisfaction).” —a nun

“Transition/growth stage of the personat times.” —a nun

Interestingly, close to aquarter among the nunshave a dissenting opinion.Twenty-four percent of thenuns viewed same-sexrelationship as normal while10% felt that they did nothave enough information tomake a position.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS


Same sex relationship




Strongly Agree

0 0% 0 0% 1 2% 0 0%

Agree 0 0% 5 24% 5 12% 2 13%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 10% 0 0% 1 6%

Disagree 1 10% 7 33% 11 27% 5 31%

Strongly Disagree

6 60% 6 29% 22 54% 7 44%

NA 3 30% 1 5% 2 5% 1 6%

Total 10100%

21 100% 41100%

16100%


Young people have beentold that they should wait for theright person to get married andwhen married, engage in sex.This is also one of the majormessages behind the concept ofabstinence and Love Waitssexuality programs among youngpeople.

This statement solicitedthe opinion of the respondents onpre-marital sex. Close to three-fourths or 73% of the respondentsconcurred with this statement.

The pattern wasconsistent even among membersof each respondent type. Theclergy (50%) and lay leaders (56%)have half and more than half ofits members, respectively,strongly agreeing with thestatement.

A priest justified his position:

“The purpose of sex is not pleasure butprocreation.”

Some lay leaders believe that marriage issacred:

“Ganap lamang ang pagsasama ng isang mag-asawa pag nabasbasan na ng simbahan, sakapa lang maaring magtalik (The union of acouple is completed with the blessing ofthe church, and only then can the coupleengage in sex).” —a lay leader

4. Sex should only be done if you are married.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Others called the body sacred:

“Ang katawan ng tao ay sagrado kayaginagamit ito sa sagradong layunin ng Diyos,ang nagbigay ng buhay at pagmamahal; lifegiving and love giving (The human body issacred and therefore should be used forGod’s sacred purpose, which is to give lifeand love).” —a lay leader

Many underscored that the reality is far fromideal:

“Should but not necessarily so, i.e., ideallydi dapat but it happens outside of marriage.”—a nun


Sex only in

marriage



Freq %Freq

% Freq %Freq

% Freq %

Strongly Agree

5 6% 7 8% 2326%

6 7% 41 47%

Agree 0 0% 7 8% 1011%

6 7% 23 26%

Don’t Know

0 0% 1 1% 1 1% 2 2% 4 5%

Disagree 0 0% 2 2% 5 6% 1 1% 8 9%

Strongly Disagree

1 1% 1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 2 2%

NA 4 5% 3 3% 2 2% 1 1% 10 11%

Total10 11% 21 24% 41

47% 16 18% 88

100%

Sex only in marriage




Strongly Agree

5 50% 7 38% 23 56% 6 38%

Agree 0 0% 7 38% 10 24% 6 38%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 5% 1 2% 2 13%

Disagree 0 0% 2 10% 5 12% 1 6%

Strongly Disagree

1 10% 1 5% 0 0% 0 0%

NA 4 40% 3 14% 2 5% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21100%

41100%

16100%


“Dapat sana pero halos 5 to 10 % na lang angikinakasal na hindi pa nagtatalik; mostly samga kinakasal ay buntis na or may nangyari na(It should be but almost 5-10% only of thosegetting married have not engaged in sex; mostof those who get married were alreadypregnant or had had sexual encounters). —alay leader

“Kasi karamihan sa mga babae ay buntis na, nanghindi pa kasal, at kabilang na ako doon (many ofthe women who get married are alreadypregnant, and I am one of those).” —a layperson

Given such realities, others have proposedmeasures like values education to developproper disposition and responsibility:

“Sana, pero malaking bagay ang disposisyon atrespons ibil idad (Hopefully, but moreimportantly are the (couple’s) disposition andresponsibility.)” —a nun

“As a religious I cannot set DOs andDON’Ts/Should and Should Not to coupleswho engage in pre-marital sex. What I willtell them is to be responsible to the possibleoutcome of what they do; and (even if it’s)out of curiosity and the need to affirm one’swomanhood/manhood.” —a nun

“The concept of intimacy should bediscussed among young people. The sexualact is very intimate and should be anexpression of love and not just out ofcuriosity. There should be values againstsex without love; without sex at all or safesex and nothing in between.” —a nun

A married priest gave a radical proposition- allowing engaged couples to engage in sex:

“Pre-marital sex may be allowed forengaged couples who are decided to getmarried.” —a married priest

This statement solicited therespondents’ opinion on same-sexmarriage. Close to three-fourths(74%) expressed concurrence withthe statement. Apparently, most ofthe respondents did not want todeviate from the norm ofheterosexual marriage.

All members of each respondenttype consistently positionedthemselves in the affirmative.However, 17% among lay leadersand 19% among ordinary laypersons did not support thestatement. Even some of the clergy(30%) strongly disagreed with theproposition.

5. Marriage is only between a man and a woman. It is wrong for a womanto marry another woman or a man to another man.


Marriage for man &

woman only




Strongly Agree

4 5% 7 8% 22 25% 11 13% 44 50%

Agree 0 0% 9 10% 10 11% 2 2% 21 24%

Don’t Know

0 0% 3 3% 0 0% 0 0% 3 3%

Disagree 0 0% 1 1% 4 5% 2 2% 7 8%

Strongly Disagree

3 3% 0 0% 3 3% 1 1% 7 8%

NA 3 3% 1 1% 2 2% 0 0% 6 7%

Total10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88

100%

Marriage for man &

woman only

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

4 40% 7 33% 22 54% 11 69%

Agree 0 0% 9 43% 10 24% 2 13%

Don’t Know 0 0% 3 14% 0 0% 0 0%

Disagree 0 0% 1 5% 4 10% 2 13%

Strongly Disagree

3 30% 0 0% 3 7% 1 6%

NA 3 30% 1 5% 2 5% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16100%


ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Some who supported the statement citedtheir adherence to natural law and currentteachings of the church as reasons; somealso expressed cultural considerations:

“That is the natural law and the teaching ofthe Catholic Church.” —a nun

“We have to distinguish between marriageand union. Marriage is founded between manand woman. It includes procreation.”—a priest

“Ginawa ng Diyos ang tao na babae at lalaki atito ang Kanyang piniling magsama (God createda woman and a woman to join in a union).No to same-sex marriage.” —a lay leader

“Based on the Bible, lalaki lang talaga at babaeang dapat nagpapakasal (According to theBible, only a man and a woman can marry).”—a lay person

“Dahil ang babae ay para sa lalaki lamang(because a woman is destined for a man).”—a lay person

“But culture also matters.” —a nun

Others refrained from using the term“marriage” and even the rituals for suchunions:

“I am open to civil unions but not to the useof “marriage” between same-sexparticipants.” —a nun

“Dahil itinatakda ito ng sakramento, magbuo nalang ng bagong ritwal ng pagbubuklod (Thereis already a defined sacrament for this; theycould just create new rituals for suchunions).” —a nun

“Simple civ il contract will do.”—a lay person

This was because they see that, admittedly:

“There’s no law that supports the sentimenthere in the Philippines.” —a lay leader

Those who disagreed with the statementcommented that judging same-sexmarriages as “wrong” may be inappropriateand discriminatory:

“The word “wrong” is not appropriate. It isnot proper.” —a priest

“Sa karapatang civil ay dapat walang tinatangipwera kung ito ay labag at pinagbabawal saiyong relihiyon (It is part of people’s civilrights, unless, of course if it is prohibitedby your religion).” —a lay leader

Some also acknowledged the difficulties ofsuch a proposition:

“I don’t like to say it’s wrong. I don’t wantto judge dahil ayokong unahan ang Diyos. Masgugustuhin ko pa ang couples na ganito namay harmony (I don’t want to second-guessGod. I would rather have couples like thesewho live in harmony), helping each otherto actualize themselves, to be alive, to behuman. They tend to be more faithful totheir partners and loving to their adoptedchild, but with some exceptions naman (ofcourse).” —a nun

“Pag ginusto ng PUSO, may magagawa ba angbatas (If the hear t wills it , can a lawprevents it)?” —a nun

6. Young people need to understand their sexuality. Sexuality educationshould be made compulsory for adolescents.

This statement sought therespondents’ opinion on the mandatorysexuality education amongadolescents. RA 10354 or the RPRH LawSec 14 provides for age- anddevelopment-appropriate healtheducation in public schools.

SEC. 14. Age- and Development-Appropriate Reproductive HealthEducation. – The State shall provide

age- and development-appropriatereproductive health education toadolescents which shall be taughtby adequately trained teachersinformal and nonformaleducational system and integratedin relevant subjects such as, butnot limited to, values formation;knowledge and skills in self-protection against discrimination;sexual abuse and violence againstwomen and children and otherforms of gender based violence and



A priest explained:

“There is a danger in teaching teenagers re:sexuality because they are not yet ready tomaturely understand. It might just lead themto curiosity.”

Another was ambivalent about the statement:

“I agree with the first statement but I don’tagree with the second one. Sexuality is asensitive issue. It must be handed properly.”

—a priest

This concern was overwhelmingly felt by mostthe respondents. They felt that sexualityeducation should be in accordance with Churchteachings.

“Provided this is done in accordance to ourCatholic Faith and Catholic morality.” —apriest

teen pregnancy; physical, social andemotional changes in adolescents;women’s rights and children’s rights;responsible teenage behavior; genderand development; and responsibleparenthood: Provided, That flexibilityin the formulation and adoption ofappropriate course content, scope andmethodology in each educational levelor group shall be allowed only afterconsultations with parents-teachers-community associations, schoolofficials and other interest groups. TheDepartment of Education (DepED)shall formulate a curriculum whichshall be used by public schools andmay be adopted by private schools.103

Many of the respondentsstrongly agreed (38%) and agreed(34%) with the statement. Thisbrought the affirmative opinion toa total of 72%.

This was generally truefor all respondent types, except forthe clergy where 30% did notfavor sexuality education amongthe youth.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

“May good and bad. Human sexuality isbeauti ful. Pamaagi han pagtutdo (Themethod of teaching should be) inaccordance to the div ine teachings/catechesis.” —a nun

Also, the contents should be integrated andinclude life skills, psycho-sexual aspects,values formation, self-identity andconfidence-building.

“The educator should not be one who doesnot make sexuality just an aspect of lifebut an integral part of life.” —a nun

“Pero dapat may diin sa konsiderasyon ng(there must be emphasis on) psycho-sexual(the most for Grade 6 up).” —a nun

“Being a values education teacher, Isuggested to the class advisers to includein my session Human Sexuality in Grade6, but they said it’s not yet appropriate forthe pupils. I can still see that even


Compulsory sexuality educ


Clergy Nun Lay Leader LayFreq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq %

Strongly Agree 1 1% 12 14% 12 14% 8 9% 33 38%Agree 1 1% 7 8% 16 18% 6 7% 30 34%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 1 1%Disagree 1 1% 1 1% 5 6% 0 0% 7 8%Strongly Disagree

2 2% 0 0% 3 3% 1 1% 6 7%

Partly agree, partly disagree

1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 1 1%

NA 4 5% 1 1% 5 6% 0 0% 10 11%Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Compulsory sexuality educ

Among Respondent TypeClergy Nun Lay Leader Lay


Strongly Agree 1 10% 12 57% 12 29% 8 50%

Agree 1 10% 7 33% 16 39% 6 38%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 1 6%

Disagree 1 10% 1 5% 5 12% 0 0%

Strongly Disagree

2 20% 0 0% 3 7% 1 6%


1 10% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%

NA 4 40% 1 5% 5 12% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41100%

16100%


teachers are still bound by the taboos not totalk about sex. What they do is ignore thetwo boys who masturbated during their class;what they do is put them at the back so noone can see what these two boys are doing.I’m wondering why they cannot explain tothese young people the changes in theirbodies and sexuality.” —a nun

“Must be limited and must be careful inteaching.” —a nun

“Yes, but it must be a healthy sex educationthat will develop their self respect and theproper use their sexual capacities and power.It should not encourage experimentation.”—a nun

“Values should be introduced in the sexualityeducation.” —a nun

“Encourage them to identify themselves; forguidance” —a nun

“For them to understand the sensitivity ofthe parts of the body.” —a lay leader

“awareness/learning mode—idea more ofprevention “TIPS, ALERTS, red f lags”—a lay leader

“Maaari lamang sapagka’t pang maging bukasdin ang kanilang isip sa mga ganitong gawain(Could be so that their minds would beopened to such possibilit ies).”—a lay leader

Educators should be competent and thereshould be guidance of parents:

“Part of the school curriculum, by competentprofessionals.” —a nun

“1st statement = 1; Sa second statement(sexual formation), yes, with goodfacilitators; optional, depende sa maturityng isip/attitude.” —a nun

“Pero dapat ang magtuturo ay talagang maytamang alam (Hopefully those who will teachreally have the right information)…” —anun

“Only upon the guidance of parents.”—a lay leader

Some respondents even recommended thatsexuality education should start at an earlyage of 4 to 5 years:

“Dapat e-explain sa teenager na kung anosiya, the parts of the body habang bata pasiya, 4-5 years old (Who they are and partsof their bodies should be explained toteenagers, preferably as young as 4 to 5 yearsold).” —a lay person

The reason is for so that the youthcan be better prepared for their future:

“Para alam nila ang kanilang kinabukasan.”—a lay person

In one of the heated plenary debates on the RH bill, the issue of a safe and satisfying sexlife for women created much furor. The opposition in the Senate was uncomfortable withthe phrase “a safe and satisfying sex life for women” and lobbied to strike it down. The

pro-RH champions, on the otherhand, strongly defended it up tothe final version of the bill thatbecame a law.104

The pro-RH legislators seemed tohave found kindred spirits amongthe respondents in this survey.Forty-eight percent (48% )seemed to believe that decencyhas nothing to do with looking forsafe and satisfying sex life withtheir partners. However, asignificant 31% felt that decentwomen, indeed, do not look forsexual safety and pleasure.

7. Decent women do not look for safe and satisfying sex life from theirpartners.


Decent women don’t

look for safe &

satisfying sex life




% Freq %

Strongly Agree

3 3% 2 2% 7 8% 2 2% 14 16%

Agree 0 0% 1 1% 10 11% 2 2% 13 15%

Don’t Know

1 1% 1 1% 4 5% 3 3% 9 10%

Disagree 2 2% 9 10% 9 10% 8 9% 28 32%

Strongly Disagree

0 0% 6 7% 7 8% 1 1% 14 16%

NA 4 5% 2 2% 4 5% 0 0% 10 11%

Total10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88

100%


Majority of the nuns (72%) and laypersons (56%) felt that women canseek a safe and satisfying sex lifefrom their partners. So did nearlya third (30% ) of the clergyrespondents, who strongly agreedwith the statement, and 41%among lay leaders whocollectively strongly agreed andagreed with it.

Since the statement discusses sex, many of therespondents seemed to assume that sexuallyactive woman are married; as such, theircomments had references to marriage. Thosewho disagreed and strongly disagreed with thestatement explained that marriage also has aunitive function. Love and mutual respectshould be present.

“One of the ends of the conjugal act is that itis unitive. Sex should only be enjoyed withinmarriage.” —a priest

“Hindi issue ang disente na babayi o lalaki (It isnot an issue of whether the man or the womanis decent). Because if they love each other,they can be satisf ied with their sex life.”—a nun

“Does not affect decency of a woman. Sex isLife, especially to married couples.” —a layleader

“If act is only open, but there should beaffection and respect.” —a nun

A safe and satisfying sex life was also seen as aright:

“Decent women have the right to look forsatisfying sex life from their partner, as wellas to safe sex.” —a nun

“It is not the issue of “disente o hindi disentengbabae (decent or not decent woman)”, rather itis also the right of every woman to f indsatisfaction and even pleasure in their sexuallife with their husband.” —a nun

“Kahit sino, gusto ligtas at masaya sa kahitanong bagay (Anyone would want anything tobe safe and satisfying).” —a lay leader

A woman should also protect herself and herhealth:

“Health is wealth.” —a nun

“When the woman knows that the partneris a womanizer or a frequent customer inthe bar, then she should protect herself.An old couple was interviewed why theyare faithful to each other and remainhappy. Their answer: healthy sex life,until now they are still searching for newways to satisfy each other sexually.”—a nun

Those who agreed with the statement alsoprescribed standards of conduct for womensuch as looking for spiritual satisfactionrather than for physical gratification, andbeing prim and proper:

“Alam nya na mataas ang kanyang pinag-aralan at kung wala naman, isipin nya na sanaay isa siyang babae (She knows that she iseducated and if not, she should rememberthat she is a woman).” —a lay leader

“I am not a woman. But I believe womendon’t go after physical satisfaction;, theyare also after spiritual satisfact ion.”—a priest

Others who agreed pointed out that love hasmany forms of expression:

“The expression of love is not just sex butit can be shown in caring, supporting andrespecting.” —a priest

“Respect each other; do it out of love.”—a nun

But in the end, people will decidebased on their perspectives:

“Kasi iba-iba ang pananaw ng tao (Peoplehave different views).” —a lay person

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS


Decent women

don’t look for safe & satisfying

sex life




Strongly Agree

3 30% 2 10% 7 17% 2 13%

Agree 0 0% 1 5% 10 24% 2 13%

Don’t Know

1 10% 1 5% 4 10% 3 19%

Disagree 2 20% 9 43% 9 22% 8 50%

Strongly Disagree

0 0% 6 29% 7 17% 1 6%

NA 4 40% 2 10% 4 10% 0 0%

Total 10100%

21 100% 41100%

16100%


In the RH debate, some sectorswanted to include morality basedon religious grounds as one ofthe key considerations. No lessthan Archbishop SocratesVillegas was alarmed in 2012that:

“The Reproductive Health Bill,if passed into law in itspresent form, will put themoral fibre of our nation atrisk.” 105

In this survey, majority (81%) ofthe respondents concurred withthe statement.

The same pattern was mirroredin all respondent types, as can beseen in the table below. Laypersons scored the highest, with94% concurring with thestatement. They were followed bythe lay leaders and the nuns, witha combined 81% each. The clergywas third in the overallaffirmative score but it had thehighest percentage (60%) amongmembers who strongly agreedwith the statement.

8. Greater morality is needed in laws related to sexual and reproductivehealth (SRH) in my country.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

“Dahil marami ng kabataang maagangnabubuntis (because there are already manyteenagers who get pregnant).” —a layperson

Other respondents felt that the law couldhelp in developing a higher sense of moralityfor the good of society and environment:

“For the people to elevate their sense ofmorality.” —a nun

“Yes, greater morality is needed in lawsrelated to sexual and reproductive healthin our country for an orderly and healthysociety and environment. It wil l alsoencourage self-respect and respect for therights of others and develop a maturedpopulace.” —a nun

The respondents had various reasons for theirconcurrence. Some were concerned that theSRH law could lead to abortion, artificialcontraceptives, sex for pleasure, and eventeenage pregnancies:

“Please define reproductive health. Thisshould exclude death practices like abortionand artificial contraceptives.” —a priest

“Law must not advocate sex a means ofpleasure but as an expression of love.”—a priest

“Abortion = control of population; shouldfocus more on the issue of health.”—a lay leader


Greater morality needed in SRH laws



Freq %Freq

% Freq %Freq

% Freq %

Strongly Agree

6 7% 10 11% 1517%

5 6% 36 41%

Agree 0 0% 7 8% 1820%

10 11% 35 40%

Don’t Know

0 0% 1 1% 1 1% 0 0% 2 2%

Disagree 0 0% 2 2% 1 1% 1 1% 4 5%

Strongly Disagree

1 1% 0 0% 2 2% 0 0% 3 3%

NA 3 3% 1 1% 4 5% 0 0% 8 9%

Total10 11% 21 24% 41

47% 16 18% 88

100%

Greater morality

needed in SRH laws




Strongly Agree

6 60% 10 48% 15 37% 5 31%

Agree 0 0% 7 33% 18 44% 10 63%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 5% 1 2% 0 0%

Disagree 0 0% 2 10% 1 2% 1 6%

Strongly Disagree

1 10% 0 0% 2 5% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 1 5% 4 10% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41100%

16100%


Still others clarified that morality should bebased on informed conscience:

“This is already in the RH Law. The bill shouldtouch the moral views but should be very clearon whose morality are we talking about. Weshould go for informed conscience.” —a nun

Morality should also be responsive to the needsof people:

“Pero hindi nakakasakal (not the constrictingone). I even encouraged our neighbor, whosehusband is alcoholic and irresponsible, tohave a ligation after giving birth to their 11thchild. Yearly she’s giving birth, and she hasTB. They live in misery, with undernourishedchildren …. some are infected with TB. Anglalaki di na nag-iis ip. Parang ang asawa’yginagawang imbakan ng kanyang sperm cells (Thehusband does not care and treats his wife asrepository of his sperm cells). —a nun

Some of those who disagreed or could notdecide which position to take with regardsto the statement were skeptical about thevalue of legislating morality:

“Morality does not depend on civil law. Itdepends on our dignity as God’s creatures;we are created on the image and likenessof God.” —a priest

“I wonder if legislating morality reallyworks.” —a nun

If that would not possible, then perhaps thetwo aspects could be separated, as a nunclearly suggested:

“Sana, kung hindi, e mas paghihiwalay ito ngbagay na moral at legal (Hopefully (thatwould happen) but if not, then it wouldbe better to separate what is moral andwhat is legal).” —a nun

This item solicited therespondents’ opinion onthe idea of possible benefitsof greater openness on sexand sexuality. Nearly half(48%) of the respondentsagreed with the statement.Combined with the 19%who strongly agreed withthe statement, theaffirmative position rose to67%.

When compared amongmembers of eachrespondent type, the nuns,lay leaders and lay personsshowed more openness.The lay people registered acombined score of 88% forstrongly agree and agree;nuns, 81% ; and layleaders, 66%. The clergy,on the other hand,registered a combinedscore of 50% (disagree andstrongly disagree).

9. Greater openness in society about sex and sexuality may requiresome adjusting to, but overall it is better for everyone.


Greater openness about sex

& sexuality




Strongly Agree

0 0% 7 8% 6 7% 4 5% 17 19%

Agree 1 1% 10 11% 21 24% 10 11% 42 48%

Don’t Know

1 1% 0 0% 1 1% 1 1% 3 3%

Disagree 2 2% 2 2% 2 2% 0 0% 6 7%

Strongly Disagree

3 3% 2 2% 5 6% 0 0% 10 11%

NA 3 3% 0 0% 6 7% 1 1% 10 11%

Total10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88

100%

Greater openness about sex

& sexuality




Strongly Agree

0 0% 7 33% 6 15% 4 25%

Agree 1 10% 10 48% 21 51% 10 63%

Don’t Know

1 10% 0 0% 1 2% 1 6%

Disagree 2 20% 2 10% 2 5% 0 0%

Strongly Disagree

3 30% 2 10% 5 12% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 0 0% 6 15% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41100%

16100%


On this item, there was no middle ground forthe nuns. No nun expressed ignorance on it.For those who concurred, openness isimportant in education and awareness ofoneself so that people could make informeddecisions:

“Mas mabuting informed kaysa Pinoy na walangalam. Ang impormasyon naman ang tutulong sakanilang pagdesisyon at pag-motivate bakitkailangan at hindi makakatulong ang bagay nakanilang pinaplanong gawin. Kung minsan hulina ang information, dahil nakagawa na ng mali,dahil wala pagbabasehan ng desisyon (It isbetter to have informed Filipinos. Informationcan help them decide and be motivated onwhat needs to be done and which could helpthem in their plans. Sometimes their actionsare wrong because they have nothing to basetheir decisions with or because theirinformation is delayed or faulty).” —a nun

“As part of the education.” —a nun

“Awareness” —a nun

“Human person is a sexual creature; one musthave a mature knowledge of oneself .”—a nun

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

“We direct the issue on sex not for humansatisfaction. We treat sex as a Gift fromGod.” —a nun

Half of the clergy did not want greateropenness about sex and sexuality. They wouldrather be discreet about it to avoid lust:

“Sex is something sacred. The act is asacred act between husband and wife.Thus, matters of sexuality are to be handledwith reverence and prudence.” —a priest

“You must be discreet in presenting sex andsexuali ty to society to avoid lustfulexpression of sex whick destroys itsdignity.” —a priest

“It is not sexual knowledge that would bringin or change us to become better persons.”—a priest

A lay person also expressed his concernabout increasing people’s openness towardsex and sexuality:

“Kasi kung pati bata malalaman ang sex,magiging mapag-experimento ang mga ito kungbakit ganun (Even children will know aboutsex which would encourage them toexperiment).” —a lay person

The recent sexual scandalsinvolving members of theclergy have resurrected theclamor for optional celibacy orfor removal of this vow amongthe clergy and Religious. Inthis survey, the positionswere varied but the differencebetween the combinedaffirmative and the negativepositions was small.

10. If celibacy is not a dogma, then a priest may be married.


Married priests



Freq %Freq

% Freq %Freq

% Freq %

Strongly Agree 0 0% 6 7% 3 3% 3 3% 12 14%

Agree1 1% 4 5% 10

11% 5 6% 20 23%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 1% 8 9% 6 7% 15 17%

Disagree 2 2% 4 5% 6 7% 0 0% 12 14%Strongly Disagree 4 5% 4 5% 9

10% 1 1% 18 20%

NA 3 3% 2 2% 5 6% 1 1% 11 13%

Total10 11% 21 24% 41

47% 16 18% 88

100%


Among the members of eachtype of respondents, majority ofthe clergy (60%) held dissentingopinions while more nuns (48%)and lay persons (50%) favoredthe statement. Lay leaders, onthe other hand, had diverseopinions: 31% affirmed thestatement while 37% rejectedit. The percentages of layleaders (32%) and lay persons(44%) who said they did notknow or simply did not answerwere significantly high.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Many additional comments came from theclergy and nuns. Some held the view thatclergy celibacy is not a dogma but a form ofdiscipline:

“It is a form of discipline of the Church but ithas been observed that a priest can servemore effectively if he considers everybody ashis family.” —a priest

“I don’t think so. Celibacy is not a dogma. Itis a form of religious discipline.” —a priest

“It ’s a discipline which the Church stillrespects. If one enters but is not convincedof this, then better not to be ordained—noone is forced into priesthood.” —a nun

“There is no “if” about it. Celibacy is not adogma. This is just a matter of disciplinarypolicy of the Catholic Church. Priests of otherchurches may marry.” —a nun

“Part of the moral law is to be chaste. It ispart of the discipline for those who servethe Lord. Magulo kung walang disiplina (Itbecomes complicated when there is nodiscipline).” —a nun

“Celibacy more than a dogma is a gift anddisposition.” —a nun

A nun recalled that it was not an originalteaching of the Catholic Church. According toher, the vow of celibacy was introduced toprotect church property against inheritanceclaims by the offspring and wives of marriedclergy:

“Yes, i f I am not mistaken from what Iremember, celibacy was introduced in the

Church not principally because of sexrelationship, but because of the patrimony/properties of the Church “ —a nun

Others pointed out that having marriedpriests would complicate matters becauseit is against the norm:

“Sa Filipino culture/norms, mas mahirap/kumplikado kung ang kura paroko ay familyman (In the Filipino cultural norm, itbecomes more complicated if the parishpriest is a family man).” —a nun

“Ito ay hindi pa din nauukol sa mga gaya nilasapagka’t meron silang vow of chastity (It isnot right for them because of their vow ofcelibacy).” —a lay leader

Some said that a married priest would easilybe distracted:

“I still believe that priests should serveonly one master.” —a lay leader

“Priesthood ministry needs focus; requiressingle/not married.” —a nun

However, others viewed the priest’s marriedlife not as a hindrance but an opportunityto understand family life:

“Priest’s married life is not a hindrance;but can further understand the dynamicsof family life.” — a lay leader

Removing the requirement would removerestrictions among priests who want toengage in sexual relationships:


On Married priests




Strongly Agree

0 0% 6 29% 3 7% 3 19%

Agree 1 10% 4 19% 10 24% 5 31%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 5% 8 20% 6 38%

Disagree 2 20% 4 19% 6 15% 0 0%

Strongly Disagree

4 40% 4 19% 9 22% 1 6%

NA 3 30% 2 10% 5 12% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


“Mas gusto ko pang mag-asawa sila kaysa naka-vestment ang mga pari nguni’t hindi namantapat sa kanyang vow of celibacy. Masakit namalaman ko na hindi naging free ang mga paringito. Natutong magpapanggap para ibuhay langang “asawa” at tatlong anak; 18 years old angpanganay; ang isa naman 4 ang anak sa 4 nababae. Kung malalaman ng parishioners ,magiging malaking iskandalo pa. Hayaan na langang iba na maging celibate kung nakita nilaang meaning nito. Ang masaklap, babae angsinisisi na naging tukso. (I would rather havethem married than wear the vestment andnot be true to their vow of celibacy. It’spainful to know that some of the priests Iknow were not free. They hid their statusto support their families: one has 3 children,the eldest was already 18 years old; the otherhas 4 children from 4 women. It would be abig scandal if the parishioners learn aboutthese things. Let us just allow those whowish to maintain their celibacy if they findmeaning in it. The sad part is that thewoman is always seen as the temptress).” —a nun

Other churches and religions allow prieststo get married, said two respondents:

”Other religions have married priest.”—a nun

“Dahil sa ibang denomination ay tanggap angmay pamilya/asawang pari (Married priestsor priests with families are accepted inother denominations”. —a lay leader

Still, others believed that it is important toconsider the intention of those who areentering the priesthood:

“The intention of those entering thepriesthood should be factored in; otherwise,we will have problems.” —a nun

And the vow of celibacy is a must because itis in the Bible, one respondent said:

“Stated in the Bible—follow Christ.” —a nun

This statement checkedthe respondents’ opinionon the ordination ofwomen into priesthood.Many of the respondentsexpressed negativeopinions: 24% disagreedand 19% stronglydisagreed.

Among the members ofeach respondent type,majority of the clergy(60%) and the lay leaders(53% ) held negativeopinions about women’sordination. In contrast,majority of the nuns (52%)have positive opinionsabout it. The lay membershave relatively evenpositions: 38% disagreed,and 38% agreed andstrongly disagreed with thestatement.

11. If men and women are equal, then there should also be women priests.


Women ordinatio

n




% Freq %

Strongly Agree 0 0% 7 8% 5 6% 3 3% 15 17%

Agree 0 0% 4 5% 5 6% 3 3% 12 14%Don’t Know 0 0% 1 1% 4 5% 4 5% 9 10%

Disagree2 2% 1 1% 12

14% 6 7% 21 24%

Strongly Disagree 4 5% 3 3% 10

11% 0 0% 17 19%

NA 4 5% 5 6% 5 6% 0 0% 14 16%

Total10 11% 21 24% 41

47% 16 18% 88

100%

Women ordination

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

0 0% 7 33% 5 12% 3 19%

Agree 0 0% 4 19% 5 12% 3 19%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 5% 4 10% 4 25%

Disagree 2 20% 1 5% 12 29% 6 38%

Strongly Disagree

4 40% 3 14% 10 24% 0 0%

NA 4 40% 5 24% 5 12% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


Some of the reasons for the negative opinioncited that Pope John Paul II had alreadymade a decision about it:

“John Paul II stated authoritatively that thisis not anymore a matter for discussion.“Roma locuta causa f inita es t - “ St.Augustine.” —a priest

Another reason given was that men have afirm decision:

“Priesthood is still for men. They have firmdecision.” —a lay leader

And this order of things is in the samemanner as nuns being women:

“There is no such thing as a male nun.”—a priest

Others could not make a position becausethey deferred to Church hierarchy:

“Depende sa saloobin ng Simbahang Katoliko,CBCP (It depends on the wishes of theCatholic Church, the CBCP or the CatholicBishops’ Conference of the Philippines).”—a lay leader

This matter needs further study andreflection, said a respondent:

“No it does not follow! It is something thatwe sti ll have to study and define,theolog ically! Priesthood is a div inecalling!” —a nun

A lay person said that he was used to havingmale priests, although he realized thatwomen could also fit into the role:

“Dahil nakasanayan ko nang lalaki ang pari,pero pwede ang babae (I am used to havingmale priests but women could also be

considered).” —a lay person

Many of the nuns felt that priesthood shouldnot be defined by gender but by abilities:

“If women are ready and responsible, thenthis should be allowed. Karapat-dapat dinsila sa post (They are also qualified). —anun

“If the woman has greater theologicalknowledge and skills, why not? Lalo nakung ang male priest ay hindi nagre-reflect(especially if the priests do not reflectproperly).”—a nun

“Noon akala ko puwede na ang babae maginglay ministers, at nakikita ko na mas able pasila, malinis at dedicated. Kapag naririnig koang homily ni Father na walang laman, di komaiwasang ihambing siya sa galing ng akingprofesora sa Theology. Kaya kung maybabaeng contribution sa s imbahan,malamang mas may quality (I used to becontented with women being lay ministerswhom I see as more able, credible, anddedicated. Whenever I hear Father’shomily that lacks substance, I cannot helpbut compare him with my female professorin Theology. Hence, I think that if thereare women priests, their contributionwould be of quality).” —a nun

“May mga madre na kaya, bakit hindi silapwedeng maging pari (There are nuns whocan, so why can’t they be priests also)?—a lay leader

One criterion should be having the vocation:

“For me “should” does not follow vocationto the priesthood/ordained ministry. It isonly those “called”—men/women—whoshould be ordained. —a nun

Another criterion should be the principle ofequality despite the differences in gender:

“Pantay-pantay na (equal) dignity but werecognize also the differences of roles.”—a nun

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS



This statement sought therespondents’ opinion onmarriage and divorce. ThePhilippines is the only countryin the world that does not havea law on divorce. Otherpredominantly Catholiccountries like Spain, Italy andPortugal allow divorce as aremedy for failed marriages.

Forty-one percent (41%) of therespondents did not agree withthe statement, and another17% strongly disagreed with it.This meant that more thanhalf of the respondents seemedto favor divorce when there isviolence, abuse and loss ofaffection.

Among the respondents, 40% ofthe priests believed thatmarriage should be kept intactdespite abuse, violence andloss of love between couples.Eighty-two percent (82%) of laypersons disagreed and stronglydisagreed with the statement.They were followed by the nuns(62%) and lay leaders (56%).

B. Personal Views about Sexual andReproductive Health Rights (SRHR)

1. Marriage is for life. You cannot divorce your spouse even when there isviolence and abuse or when love has been lost.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Those who believed that marriage is for life,especially if true love and real marriage existbetween the couple, would like to uphold it assacrament and as vow:

“Love founded in God will not fail.” —a priest

“Real” marriage is for life. But from the word“go”, there are provisions for voidablemarriage because it is hard to determinewhen there is a “real” marriage. —a nun

“Whoever God has united, no human beingcan separate. The challenge is to considermarriage seriously because it is a majordecision.” —a priest

“It is a sacrament which nobody canseparate.” —a nun

Since there are married individuals, mostlywomen, who are trapped in abusive andviolent marriages, other respondents clearlypointed out a violation of dignity:


Divorce




Strongly Agree 3 3% 2 2% 8 9% 1 1% 14 16%

Agree 1 1% 2 2% 5 6% 0 0% 8 9%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 3 3% 1 1% 4 5%

Disagree 2 2% 7 8% 17 19% 10 11% 36 41%

Strongly Disagree

0 0% 6 7% 6 7% 3 3% 15 17%


1 1% 2 2% 0 0% 0 0% 3 3%

NA 3 3% 2 2% 2 2% 1 1% 8 9%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Divorce

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree 3 30% 2 10% 8 20% 1 6%

Agree 1 10% 2 10% 5 12% 0 0%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 3 7% 1 6%

Disagree 2 20% 7 33% 17 41% 10 63%



1 10% 2 10% 0 0% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 2 10% 2 5% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


“When HUMAN DIGNITY is at stake, theyshould be separated and heal the broken one.”—a nun

“Hindi lahat ng kinasal ay responsible, mature atmay true commitment. Yung iba napilitan langdahil teenager pa lang pinakasal ng magulangdahil pregnant na; may iba ipinakasal ngmagulang sa taong pinagkautangan ng loob. Kungsa una pa lang at hindi love ang nag-udyok sacouple na magpakasal at hindi isinama ang Diyossa kanilang mga sumpaan, hindi ito tumatagal.Malimit ang babae ay di na asawa kundi biktimana, nagpakamartir pa. Di pa aware na biktma nasiya, nagka-nervous breakdown na nga sapagmamalupit ng asawa. Saan na ang dangal ngtao? (Not everyone who marries is responsible,mature, and has true commitment. Some werejust forced to marriage by their parents becausethey were young and pregnant; others weremarried off by their parents to men as a formof payment or gratitude. If there was no loveto begin with and God was not involved inthe vow, then marriage would not last. Oftenthese women, who are not longer treated aswives but as victims, still stay and endure.Where is human dignity in that?)” —a nun

“Una dapat ang pagpapahalaga sa dangal ng tao(Firstly, we should value human dignity).” —a nun

When violence and abuse are present and loveis lost, some respondents advised women toleave and not to endure unnecessary miseries:

“Why prolong the agony?” —a lay leader

“Kung labis man at di makatarungan angnararanasan, maaari rin silang humiwalay (If whatis being experienced is abusive and unjust,women can leave the (marriage).”—a lay leader

“Ang pamilya ay binubuo ng pagmamahalan. Atkung may karahasan, ibig sabihin wala nangpagmamahalan at paggagalangan (A family isfounded on love. When there is violence,there is no longer love and respect).”—a lay leader

“I have been working with sexually abusedwomen and girls and I advise them to leaveabusive families and husbands.” —a nun

Some respondents acknowledged legalremedies for those intent on leaving abusiverelationships - legal separation, annulment,and voiding of a marriage:

“No law in the country on divorce.” —a nun

“The Church, however, allows legalseparation to protect a party from abuse andviolence. But not divorce.” —a priest

“I agree with the first statement but I disagreeof the second one. The Church is open toannulment.” —a priest

“Education is the solution and not divorce.Was there really love before marriage? If not,then their marriage was null and void.”—a nun

“Sapat ang nullity at legal separation(Annulment and legal separation areenough).” —a nun

Times have also changed people’s outlook onmarriage, one lay person said:

“Noon ito ang kasabuhan, pero sa ngayon hindina. Depende na sa sitwasyon (“That was thebelief before. Now it is different. It dependson the situation).” —a lay person

2. Founding a family is the primary purpose of marriage and sex. One shouldnot get married or have sex if there’s no plan of having children.

This statement is related tothe statement on sex withinmarriage only. In thissurvey, those who disagreedand strongly disagreed (46%)slightly outnumbered thosewho had the opposite views(42%).


Marriage/sex for procreation




Strongly Agree 2 2% 5 6% 8 9% 1 1% 16 18%

Agree 3 3% 4 5% 8 9% 6 7% 21 24%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 2 2% 0 0% 2 2%

Disagree 0 0% 7 8% 12 14% 9 10% 28 32%

Strongly Disagree

0 0% 5 6% 7 8% 0 0% 12 14%

NA 5 6% 0 0% 4 5% 0 0% 9 10%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


Among the respondenttypes, majority of thenuns (57%), lay leaders(46% ), and lay persons(56% ) re jected thestatement. The membersof the clergy either did notanswer (50%) or chosethe affirmative position.

Those who agreed with the statementcommented that marriage is for love andprocreation. Some of them equated marriagewith family, and family with children:

“Marriage is a sacrifice not for one’s comfort.It is one of the two purposes of marriage:love and procreation.” —a priest

“Ang kasal ay pagpapahayag ng dalawangtaong nagmamahalan. Ang sex ay ang isa langsa mga expression ng pagbibigay ng isa’t isasa pagmamahal (Marriage is a testimony of acouple in love. Sex is just one of theexpressions of giving oneself to loved one).Children should be fruits of marriage.” —anun

“A child is a gift of God. The married coupleshould be open to the gift of life. We canplan, but God is the giver of life.” —a priest

“Marriage/family.” —a nun

“The family is not complete without achild.” —a nun

Some respondents clarified that the Catholicteachings on marriage are not limited to sexand procreation but also include service,mutual development, love and respect:

“According to the Catholic teaching ofmarriage is not only for pleasure, it is firstof all a call to service—service to humanityand to God.” —a nun

“I disagree. Even Humanae Vitae recognizesthat couples can marry for pleasure andmutual growth.” —a nun

Others insisted that there are far moreimportant considerations for getting married,such as the level of maturity of the couple

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

and their relationship, love and respect,plans for the future:

“Marriage is a mature relationship; broaderthan having siblings.” —a nun

“It is founded on love.” —a nun

“Maraming factors pag nagpapakasal (Thereare many factors to consider whenmarrying): 1) love, 2) respect, 3) sharing,and 4) responsibilities.” —a lay person

There are also practical considerations likefamily planning and responsible parenthoodthat enable parents to provide for theirchildren:

“May mga couples na nagpasya na huwagmunang magkaanak dahil pinaghahandaanang saril i at sa darating na mga anak;pinapalalim ang relasyon nilang mag-asawa;nagpaplano ang mga responsableng couplebago magkaanak dahil gustong magbigay ngmagandang kinabukasan at welfare ng bawa’tisa; mapalalim pa kung papaano sila mag-complement sa isa’t isa bilang mag-asawa, ma-strengthen pa ang union nila (Some couplesdelay parenthood because they would wantto prepare themselves first and strengthenthe bond between them. Responsiblecouples plan their children so that theycan provide better future for their family).”—a nun

When establishing a family, love andcompanionship alone is not an option:

“Paano kung baog ang isa sa may partner peronagmamahalan sila (What if the other one issterile but they still love each other)?”—a lay person

“Depende kung hindi talaga naghahangad ngpamilya (It depends, because others do notreally want to have a family).” —a lay leader


Marriage/ sex for

procreation




Strongly Agree

2 20% 5 24% 8 20% 1 6%

Agree 3 30% 4 19% 8 20% 6 38%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 2 5% 0 0%

Disagree 0 0% 7 33% 12 29% 9 56%

Strongly Disagree

0 0% 5 24% 7 17% 0 0%

NA 5 50% 0 0% 4 10% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


Marital rape in the Philippines isa criminal offense under RA 8353(Anti-Rape Law of 1997). Amarried woman may be raped byher own husband, as she has theright to decide when she wantsto have sexual intercourse.106

The first two convictions weremade in Davao City.107

This statement checked therespondents’ knowledge of theprovision of marital rape in thelaw. In the survey, 53% agreedand 32% strongly agreed with thestatement. This brought theaffirmative position to a total of85%.

Among members of eachrespondent type, more than halfacknowledged that rape canhappen between spouses. Thenuns registered 95%concurrence with the statement,closely followed by the lay personswith 94%, the lay leaders (83%),and lastly, the clergy (60%).

Rape, according to a nun, is a violationof a woman’s right:

“Out of will, it is truly rape. It is oneof the rights of a woman to refuse.”—a nun

There is also the absence of respect forthe other person’s dignity and privacy,and a lack of dialogue in cases of maritalrape:

“Respect is essential.” —a priest

“Respect of the husband to the wifeand vice versa. Wag pil itin (Thereshould be no coercion).” —a nun

3. There is marital rape. If the wife says no to sex and the husband stillforces himself, it’s rape.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

“There must be a reason why a wife willsubmit to the need of the husband, inmarital relationship, there must bedialogue and respect for each other.” —anun

“There is understanding and acceptanceif communication is deep.” —a priest

Wives have their reasons for refusing sexwith their husbands; some of the reasonsare practical in nature, said therespondents:

“Di naman lahat ng oras go-go lang ang babae,dapat igalang din ang kanyang privacy atpagkatao. Di siya machine na puwedengmag-on and off. Iisipin mo na lang na kungmay menstrual pain pa at pinipilit pa ng


Marital rape

exists




Strongly Agree

3 3% 9 10% 11 13% 5 6% 28 32%

Agree 3 3% 11 13% 23 26% 10 11% 47 53%

Don’t Know

0 0% 1 1% 5 6% 0 0% 6 7%

Disagree 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 1 1%

Strongly Disagree

1 1% 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 2 2%

NA 3 3% 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 4 5%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Marital rape exists




Strongly Agree

3 30% 9 43% 11 27% 5 31%

Agree 3 30% 11 52% 23 56% 10 63%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 5% 5 12% 0 0%

Disagree 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 1 6%

Strongly Disagree

1 10% 0 0% 1 2% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 0 0% 1 2% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


lalaki na makipag-sex. (A wife is not available forsex all the time; her privacy and dignity shouldbe respected. She is not a machine that couldbe switched on and off. Just imagine when shehas menstrual pain and she is still being forcedinto sex by her husband).” —a nun

“Kasi hindi sa lahat ng oras gusto ng babaemakipagtalik lalo na kung may regla (Not all thetime would a wife want to have sex, especiallyif she has menstruation).” —a lay person

Other respondents, however, couldnot imagine a wife refusing sex butwould recognize that physicalviolence is not acceptable:

“Case to Case s iguro kung maykasamang pananakit, pwedeikamatay niya, well siguro rape, casena yun. (It’s a case-to-case basis butwhen there is physical v iolencewhich could lead to her death,then perhaps it is already a rapecase).” —a lay leader

One of the arguments againstthe provision on adolescentsexuality education of theRPRH Law was that parents arebeing stripped of their authorityover their children, particularlyin educating them about lifeand sex.

In this survey, 43% stronglyagreed and 39% agreed with theabove statement. This meantthat 82% believed that parentsdo have the primaryresponsibility of providing sexeducation to their children.

Majority of members in eachrespondent type expressedagreement with the statement.

4. Parents bear the primary responsibility for educating their childrenabout sex.

Parents’ primary

responsible for sex educ




Strongly Agree

5 6% 10 11% 18 20% 5 6% 38 43%

Agree 1 1% 9 10% 14 16% 10 11% 34 39%

Don’t Know

0 0% 0 0% 2 2% 0 0% 2 2%

Disagree 0 0% 1 1% 4 5% 1 1% 6 7%

Strongly Disagree

1 1% 1 1% 1 1% 0 0% 3 3%

NA 3 3% 0 0% 2 2% 0 0% 5 6%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Parents’ primary responsible for

sex educ

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree 5 50% 10 47% 18 44% 5 31%

Agree 1 10% 9 43% 14 34% 10 63%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 2 5% 0 0%

Disagree 0 0% 1 5% 4 10% 1 6%

Strongly Disagree

1 10% 1 5% 1 2% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 0 0% 2 5% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Parents are perceived as the first teachers oftheir children:

“First to teach.” —a nun

“First to teach are parents.” —a nun

“Parents are first educators.” —a nun

“Sa ako lang ang akong ikatudlo mas langtong basic (I am the one who teachesthem the basics).” —a lay person


Parents’ primary

responsible for sex educ

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree 5 50% 10 47% 18 44% 5 31%

Agree 1 10% 9 43% 14 34% 10 63%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 2 5% 0 0%

Disagree 0 0% 1 5% 4 10% 1 6%

Strongly Disagree

1 10% 1 5% 1 2% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 0 0% 2 5% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%

Parents’ primary

responsible for sex

educ




Strongly Agree

5 6% 10 11% 18 20% 5 6% 38 43%

Agree 1 1% 9 10% 14 16% 10 11% 34 39%

Don’t Know

0 0% 0 0% 2 2% 0 0% 2 2%

Disagree 0 0% 1 1% 4 5% 1 1% 6 7%

Strongly Disagree

1 1% 1 1% 1 1% 0 0% 3 3%

NA 3 3% 0 0% 2 2% 0 0% 5 6%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


“Mas maganda kung sa magulang unangmatutunan ang mga bagay-bagay tungkol sasex (It is better to learn the basics fromparents.) —a lay person

According to some respondents, the way thatparents live their lives is a good way ofeducating children:

“Primar ily with their witnessing, notnecessarily lecturing.” —a nun

“It should be seen and witnessed first of allby both mother and father.” —a nun

“Ito ay maaring ipagsabuhay unang-una ngbawa’t magulang (This is shown by example).—a lay leader

However, some respondents pointed out theparent’s lack of training in discussing sex withtheir children:

“Paano kung kulang sa kaalaman ang magulang?Nagmamagaling lang (What if the parents alsolack information? Would they just feign it)?”—a nun

“How about if their own parents are noteducated about sex…” —a nun

“Pero dapat sila rin ay educated tungkoldito…(they should also be educated on this)—a nun

“Parents should also be properly informedand educated on this matter.” —a nun

“Supposedly! But the reality in thePhilippines is that not all parents areeducated and responsible.” —a nun

To provide better sexuality education, parentsshould be educated themselves:

“Dapat talaga. At dapat pag-aralan kung kelanat papano umpisahan ang sexual awareness.Magkakaroon ng sexual problem ang mga anakkapag ang alam ng magulang na sabihin sa mgaanak ay ‘Huwag hipuin, marumi ‘yan.’ Angsalitang huwag nagpalalim ng kanilang curiosity;at negative ang dating kapag sinabi pang dirtyito. Gusto ko ang ginawa ng isang ina napsychologist, nang nakita niya ang kanyang 6-year-old son na nagma-masturbate. Tiningnanlang niya, at pagkatapos, tinanong niya: ‘Ano’ngfeeling mo ngayon?’ Sagot ng bata, ‘Masaya atmasarap ang feeling.’ Dahil dito hindi nagkaroonng negative perception sa sex ang bata. (Parentsshould learn how and when to startdiscussing sex among their children. Theremight be some problems if the only thingparents would tell their children are ‘don’ttouch i t; it ’s dirty . ’ The more they areprevented, the more they would get curious;besides, they would have negative perceptionif the word ‘dirty’ is used. I like what amother, who is a psychologist, did when shesaw her 6-year-old son masturbating. She justallowed him and later processed the child’sexperience to avoid developing any negativeperception about sex.)” —a nun

Or sexuality education at home could besupplemented by the schools, some said:

“Primary responsibility but this may bedelegated if they feel inadequate to do it.—a nun

“But in reality parents can’t do it since theydidn’t have any sex education. In principle,it’s their responsibility. Catholic schoolshave to supplement this lack. —a nun

This statement was basedon the premise that awoman should not use anycontraceptive methodwithout her partner’sapproval. The surveyrevealed that 48% of therespondents disagreed andstrongly disagreed with thestatement.

5. A woman should not use contraception unless her partner agrees.


Woman shouldn’t use contraception

unless her partner agrees




% Freq %

Strongly Agree 3 3% 3 3% 8 9% 1 1% 15 17%

Agree 0 0% 3 3% 9 10% 7 8% 19 22%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 1 1%

Disagree 2 2% 9 10% 12 14% 8 9% 31 35%

Strongly Disagree

1 1% 4 5% 6 7% 0 0% 11 13%

NA 4 5% 2 2% 5 6% 0 0% 11 13%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88100%


More nuns (62% ) did notconcur with the statementwhile both lay leaders and laypersons had nearly equalpercentages of negative andpositive answers. Among thelay leaders, 42% had positiveanswers while 44% hadnegative answers. Laypersons had 50% for eithernegative or positive answers.The number of clergy whoanswered negatively (30% )was the same as those whoanswered positively (30%).

The comments gathered were mixed. Thosewho supported the statement believed thatcontraception is wrong, saying:

“Di dapat gumamit kahit pumayag pa ang partner(She shouldn’t use contraceptives even if herpartner agrees).” —a priest

“No artificial contraception at all.” —a priest

Contraception should be avoided unlessabsolutely necessary and has the partner’sconsent, said three respondents:

“Contraception is not allowed but in rare casesit may, with mutual consent of husband andwife.” —a nun

“Hindi dapat; at aayunan pa ng partner (Itshouldn’t be; and if ever, the partner shouldagree).” —a lay leader

“Mainam siguro ng wag na lang gumamit kunghindi naman dapat (Better not to use it if notnecessary).” —a lay leader

Some disagreed with the statement becausethe very idea of women using contraceptiveswas strange to them, considering that, in theirhearts, they believe that contraceptives areanti-life.

“Contraceptives are against life. Agreed by thepartners or not, it is not right. —a nun

“A woman must not use contraception.”—a priest

A respondent said that it may not be fair tofocus attention only on women:

“A woman is responsible for her own health.Why only woman? How about the man? Whatif he had himself sterilized?” —a nun

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

However, there were those who disagreedwith the statement because of the unequalpower relations that exist between theman and the woman:

“Mutuality at hindi pagdomina (and notdomination).” —a nun

The statement also affect the principlesof freedom and rights:

“May sariling kalayaan at karapatan angwell-educated woman (A well-educatedwoman has freedom and rights).” —anun

“May freedom siya, at pwede ding pag-usapan at pagpasyahan nila para magingeffective, at pumili ng contraception naangkop sa kanila (She has freedom butshe can also discuss this wi th herpartner and decide which contraceptionis effective and appropriate). —a nun

Autonomy and protection are related tohealth, according to two respondents:

“Women can decide for themselves, inparticular when they are affected health-wise.” —a nun

“A woman/wife has the right to protectherself when she feels endangered.”—a nun

In the end, it will still be the woman whowill get pregnant and eventually give birth:

“Hindi naman lalaki ang nanganganak kundibabae; hindi nila alam ang hirap ngpagbubuntis (It is not the man who givesbirth but the woman; men don’t knowthe dif ficulties of getting pregnant) .”—a lay person


Woman shouldn’t use contraception

unless her partner agrees

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree 3 30% 3 14% 8 20% 1 6%Agree 0 0% 3 14% 9 22% 7 44%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 1 2% 0 0%Disagree 2 20% 9 43% 12 29% 8 50%

Strongly Disagree 1 10% 4 19% 6 15% 0 0%NA 4 40% 2 10% 5 12% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


Another contentious issue isabortion. The abovestatement aimed to solicitthe positions and perceptionsof the respondent on themorality of abortion,especially in serious cases.Most of the respondents tookthe affirmative positions(46%).

The clergy and the laypersons have the samepattern in disagreeing andstrongly disagreeing withthe sentence. The reversepattern marks the reactionsof nuns and lay leaders.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Those who answered negatively were emphaticthat abortion is never moral because it ismurder and is against Church’s teachings:

“One may never intend to kill the baby in thewomb. That is murder. See the principles of‘double effect’ and “the end does not justifythe means.” — a priest

“It is always immoral to kill a child.” — a priest

“Abortion is still killing!” —a nun

“This can be a confusing in itself; abortion iswrong.” — a nun

“Abortion is immoral.” —a nun

“Murder.” — a nun

“Abortion can’t be a moral act.” — a nun

Even when done out of necessity, abortionis still considered an evil act, albeit of alesser degree:

“Spontaneous abortion is not viewed asimmoral. Normal consequence of weakconception. Forced abortion is nevermoral. It can be a lesser evil if the life ofthe mother is at stake.” — a nun

Other respondents showed opennesstowards the reasons for an abortion:


6. Abortion is moral only under serious circumstances and a case-to-casebasis.

Abortion is moral in

serious cases




Strongly Agree

0 0% 8 9% 5 6% 0 0% 13 15%

Agree 0 0% 5 6% 16 18% 6 7% 27 31%

Don’t Know

0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 1 1% 2 2%

Disagree 2 2% 3 3% 9 10% 8 9% 22 25%

Strongly Disagree

4 5% 4 5% 5 6% 1 1% 14 16%

NA 4 5% 1 1% 5 6% 0 0% 10 11%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Abortion is moral in

serious cases

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

0 0% 8 38% 5 12% 0 0%

Agree 0 0% 5 24% 16 39% 6 38%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 1 2% 1 6%

Disagree 2 20% 3 14% 9 22% 8 50%

Strongly Disagree

4 40% 4 19% 5 12% 1 6%

NA 4 40% 1 5% 5 12% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


“Depende sa ibig sabihin mo ng serious (It dependson what you mean by serious).” — a nun

“Lalo na kung ang panganganak ay maging ikamatayng ina na may sakit sa puso. Pero may mga nanayna nagpapasya na ituloy na isilang ang sanggolkahit sila’y mamatay, dahil gusto nilang maranasanng anak ang ganda ng mundo (This is unavoidableespecially when the mother with heart ailmentwould die from childbirth. But there are mothers

who decide to give birth even if it wouldmean their death because they would wanttheir children to experience the beauty ofthe world).” —a nun

There are also cultural considerationsregarding abortion, one respondent noted:

“Culture also plays a big part.” —a nun

This statement referred to theideas of abortion on demandand respect for the woman’sdecision to terminate herpregnancy, regardless of thereason.

In this survey, majority (67%)of the respondents tooknegative positions. Thirty-nine percent of therespondents disagreed, and28% strongly disagreed. Thosewho agreed accounted only fora total of 14%.

Percentage-wise, there weremore lay persons (82%) who didnot agree with the statement.They were followed by the nuns(72%), lay leaders (71%), andclergy (60%).

7. Abortion is moral and acceptable for a wide range of reasons.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Regardless of reasons, abortion is never moraland is a crime, according to those whodisagreed with the statement:

“Abortion is never moral. There can bemitigating circumstances but it is still acrime.” — a nun

“Ito ay pagiging isang kriminal (You will becomea criminal [if you abort]).” — a lay leader

“See the principles of ‘double effect’ and‘the end do not justify the means’.” — apriest

A lay leader felt that perhaps those who gothrough abortion need more informationso as to make the right choice:

“Importante dito ang informed decision ngsangkot (Here, informed decisionmatters.)” —a lay leader


Abortion is moral for

wide reasons




Strongly Agree

0 0% 1 1% 3 3% 0 0% 4 5%

Agree 0 0% 1 1% 5 6% 2 2% 8 9%

Don’t Know

0 0% 2 2% 2 2% 0 0% 4 5%

Disagree 2 2% 6 7% 15 17% 11 13% 34 39%

Strongly Disagree

4 5% 9 10% 10 11% 2 2% 25 28%

NA 4 5% 2 2% 6 7% 1 1% 13 15%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Abortion is moral for wide reasons




Strongly Agree

0 0% 1 1% 3 3% 0 0% 4 5%

Agree 0 0% 1 1% 5 6% 2 2% 8 9%

Don’t Know

0 0% 2 2% 2 2% 0 0% 4 5%

Disagree 2 2% 6 7% 15 17% 11 13% 34 39%

Strongly Disagree

4 5% 9 10% 10 11% 2 2% 25 28%

NA 4 5% 2 2% 6 7% 1 1% 13 15%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Abortion is moral for

wide reasons

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

0 0% 1 5% 3 7% 0 0%

Agree 0 0% 1 5% 5 12% 2 13%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 10% 2 5% 0 0%

Disagree 2 20% 6 29% 15 37% 11 69%

Strongly Disagree

4 40% 9 43% 10 24% 2 13%

NA 4 40% 2 10% 6 15% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


Others seemed to be ambivalent about thestatement and wanted more information:

“Kailangan ang depinidong dahilan (We have todefine the reasons).” —a nun

“Maaaring bunga ito ng panggagahasa sa babaeng kanyang sira ulo na kidnapper. Ang bata ayposibleng maging s ira ulo din, o kayamagpapaalala sa kanya ng kanyang sinapit; o

kaya puwede siyang manganak at ipakupkopsa isang institusyon (It’s possible that it’s aresult of a woman raped by a mentallyunstable kidnapper. The child might alsobecome mentally unstable, be a constantreminder of her tragic past, or be adoptedby an institution).” —a nun

“Ambiguous questions!” —a nun

“Not clear and distinct.” —a lay person

Abortion is illegal in the Philippines. The Philippine Revised Penal Code and other penal laws of1930 prohibit intentional and unintentional abortions.108 It is said that the Penal Code waspatterned after colonial Spain’s Penal Code of 1870.

Some advocates of women’s rights maintain that the very restrictive laws on abortion result inthe proliferation of unsafe abortion facilities and practices. They also claim that by decriminalizingabortion, the government could address maternal deaths due to unsafe abortion. They alsorecommend that it would help to identify justifying circumstances — rape, fatal fetal defects,threat to the mother’s life— which could serve as exemptions to the prohibition.

In a Guttmacher Institute study,it was projected that an estimatedof 560,000 abortions occurred in2008 and 610,000 in 2012.109

The RPRH Law was touted as ameasure for abortion preventionbecause women would beencouraged to plan theirpregnancies if the governmentprovided family planninginformation and services.

In this survey, more than half(56%) did not want to decriminalizethe abortion law in the country,and 31% agreed and stronglyagreed with the statement.

Among the members of eachrespondent type, half of the laypersons (51%) held affirmativepositions while the three othertypes of respondents took thenegative positions. Except forthose who refused to answer, allmembers of the clergy did notagree with the proposition. Sixty-two percent of the nuns and 53%of the lay leaders echoed theclergy on this matter.

8. I support the liberalization of my country’s abortion law like itsdecriminalization; but I wish more women used contraception and did notneed abortion.


Decriminalization of abortion




Strongly Agree 0 0% 2 2% 2 2% 2 2% 6 7%

Agree 0 0% 2 2% 13 15% 6 7% 21 24%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 2% 1 1% 1 1% 4 5%

Disagree 0 0% 6 7% 10 11% 4 5% 20 23%

Strongly Disagree 7 8% 7 8% 12 14% 3 3% 29 33%

NA 3 3% 2 2% 3 3% 0 0% 8 9%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Decriminalization of abortion

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree 0 0% 2 10% 2 5% 2 13%

Agree 0 0% 2 10% 13 32% 6 38%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 10% 1 2% 1 6%

Disagree 0 0% 6 29% 10 24% 4 25%


NA 3 30% 2 10% 3 7% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


Some of those who did not agree with thestatement equated contraception withabortion, saying:

“No abortion! No contraception!” —a nun

Also, contraceptives were seen as harmful:

“Other methods can be encouraged.Education and information on the effectsof contraceptives is a must.” —a nun

Abortion was also seen as wrong:

“The child must not suffer with themistake of the mother. All children havethe right to live.” —a priest

“This is too technical and also takes forgranted that abortion is ok. Abortion isbasically wrong when it kills life. Thepoint is not whether woman use or notuse contraception.” —a nun

“Huwag na lang balaking gawin kunggagawin naman ang di-tama gaya ngpaggawit ng pangontra (Don’t even attemptto do something that is not right. Isupport the Law.” —a lay leader

Some respondents would rather promotenatural family planning method (NFP) aswell as encourage education andinformation, as they said:

“Sinusuportahan ko pa rin ang NaturalFamily Planning na is inasagawa saCagayan De Oro. Maliwanag na informationat motivation ang binibigay sa mga mag-asawa. Ang sharing ng dati kong kapwaguro sa school: ang NFP ay tumulong namaging satisfying ang sex life nila, dahilpagkatapos nilang mag-abstain duringfertility period, happy na sila at walangkaba dahil sigurado na safe days. At maslalo pa nilang na-appreciate ang kanilangunion (I support NFP, which is beingimplemented in Cagayan de Oro. Clearinformation and motivation are given tocouples. As my fellow teacher onceshared, NFP helps couples developsatisfying sex li fe because after

abstaining during fertile period, theycould then happily engage in safe sex;and this will make them appreciate theirunion more).” —a nun

“On this question I am more into properwomen education on uplifting womandignity. If it endangers a woman’s life,then contraception could take place.” —a nun

Other respondents were ambivalent aboutthe issue, and therefore could not makeany firm position:

“I am ambivalent about this, dependingperhaps on the situation. Abortion couldbe done on medical grounds but wouldrather not condone it.” —a nun

“Ambiguous question!” —a nun

However, there were also respondents whoagreed with the statement and said thatcontraception is better than abortion:

“Mas mainam gumamit ng contraceptivekesa yung andiyan na, tapos tsaka mo langipapatanggal (It is better to usecontraceptives than getting pregnantand having it aborted).” —a lay person

A respondent pointed out that bydecriminalizing abortion, there is no needto resort to illegal methods:

“Para walang underground. (So that therewon’t be underground).” —a lay leader

But still, the best way to address the issueis through education and provision ofinformation that will motivate people tobecome responsible, another respondentsaid:

“Una pa rin ang impormasyon/edukasyonat responsibilidad (It is still important tohave information, education andencourage responsibility).” —a nun

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS



A little over half (59% ) of therespondents took affirmativepositions on this statement whilea quarter took the negativepositions. The 40% of therespondents who agreed with thestatement were joined by 19% whostrongly agreed. Sixteen percent ofthe respondents strongly disagreed,and 9% disagreed.

Of the four types of respondents,only the clergy opposed thestatement. Sixty percent of theclergy strongly disagreed with it.Majority of the nuns (72%), layleaders (58%), and lay persons(88%) concurred with it.

9. I should advocate publicly for more sensible sexual and reproductive healthrights and laws in my country.

“Private matter (sexual and reproductive)”—a lay leader

Those who agreed with the statement sawthe potential of SRH laws for providingwomen and youth with information thatcould protect them:

“Lalo na mga proteksyon sa mga babae atkabataan (especially the protection ofwomen and youth).” —a nun

“Para lumawak ang pang-unawa ng mgakabataan tungkol dito (to expand theunderstanding of the youth regardingthis).” —a lay person

One respondent was skeptical about thecountry’s level of readiness for laws onreproductive and sexual health:

“Do you think our country is ready? Grayarea.” —a nun

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Some suspected the RH law as a euphemismfor abortion and contraception:

“Reproductive health” is a euphemism. Thisactually means: the right to abortion andcontraception.” —a priest

Other respondents felt that existing laws justneed to be properly implemented:

“There are laws about protection of women.”—a priest

“No need of more laws. Work for implementationof all relevant laws.” —a nun

“You must advocate the respect and dignity ofsex.” —a priest

“We have the natural laws that are always forour good.” —a nun

One respondent did not feel it important topublicly discuss sexual and reproductiveconcerns:


More sensible SRHR laws

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

0 0% 8 38% 5 12% 4 25%

Agree 1 10% 5 24% 19 46% 10 63%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 5% 1 2% 2 13%

Disagree 0 0% 3 14% 5 12% 0 0%

Strongly Disagree

6 60% 2 10% 6 15% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 2 10% 5 12% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%

More sensible

SRHR laws




Strongly Agree

0 0% 8 9% 5 6% 4 5% 17 19%

Agree 1 1% 5 6% 19 22% 10 11% 35 40%

Don’t Know

0 0% 1 1% 1 1% 2 2% 4 5%

Disagree 0 0% 3 3% 5 6% 0 0% 8 9%

Strongly Disagree

6 7% 2 2% 6 7% 0 0% 14 16%

NA 3 3% 2 2% 5 6% 0 0% 10 11%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


According to the United States Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), “latexcondoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing the sexualtransmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.110 To quote the summary of studies preparedby the AIDS Map: The use of male condoms provide protection of 80-85% against HIV.111 Somesay it is higher at approximately 87% 112 or between 80-95%.113

Female condoms, on theother hand, have shown a94-97% effectiveness inreducing the risk of HIVinfection if used correctlyand consistently.114

In this survey, morerespondents (45% )answered the statementaffirmatively than those whonegated it (40%). Twenty-eight percent (28%) agreedwhile 17% strongly agreedwith the statement. Thosewho disagreed accounted for17%; strongly agreed, for23%.

10. Condoms should be allowed to prevent the spread of HIV infection.

Respondent type and gendermay have affected therespondents’ positions.Compared to the clergy, whoare all men, more nuns andthe predominantly womenlay leaders and lay personsagreed about the use ofcondom for HIV prevention.

The priests thought that condoms were not safeand therefore, not the solution:

“Condoms are not safe.” —a priest

“Condom is not the solution, but faithfulness.”—a priest

Other respondents believed that the bestprevention is abstinence:

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS


Condoms against HIV

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

0 0% 3 14% 6 15% 6 38%

Agree 0 0% 7 33% 14 34% 4 25%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 5% 1 2% 2 13%

Disagree 2 20% 4 19% 5 12% 4 25%

Strongly Disagree

5 50% 3 14% 12 29% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 3 14% 3 7% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%

Condoms against

HIV




Strongly Agree

0 0% 3 3% 6 7% 6 7% 15 17%

Agree 0 0% 7 8% 14 16% 4 5% 25 28%

Don’t Know

0 0% 1 1% 1 1% 2 2% 4 5%

Disagree 2 2% 4 5% 5 6% 4 5% 15 17%

Strongly Disagree

5 6% 3 3% 12 14% 0 0% 20 23%

NA 3 3% 3 3% 3 3% 0 0% 9 10%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

“Ito ay hindi makatarungang gamit. Wag nalang makipagtalik sa taong may HIV. Suriinmuna bago makipagtalik.” (It is not right touse this; instead, do not have sex with HIV-posit ive person; you check f irst beforeengaging in sex.)” —a lay leader

“To avoid it , don’t engage [in sex].”—a lay person

“Ang dapat ay no sex outside marriagebetween a man and a woman in love.”—a nun


Some respondents raised questions aboutcondoms and their uses:

“Why single out condoms? Especially sincemany say they are not sure means? Allcontraceptives are offered, except those provenabortifacient.” —a nun

“Nabubutas din ang condom, ‘di ba?” (Condomscan also have breakage, right?) —a nun

“The question is, how can/do we determinewho is qualified or permitted to use it?” —anun

Respondents who agreed with the statementfelt that the condom could protect the healthand life of users to a certain degree:

“Dapat lang, buhay nakasalalay dito.” (Itshould be; lives depend on it.)” —a nun

“Para sa kaligtasaan nguni’t sa ligtas napaggamit.” (For safety, but in a safe way)—a lay person

“As option, ok.” —a nun

“To a certain degree” —a lay leader

As such, education about condoms shouldbe advocated and strengthened, said arespondent:

“Pero dapat i- increase/strengthen angadvocacy against this [HIV].” —a lay leader

Condoms prevent the spermfrom meeting the ovum. If usedconsistently and correctly,condoms, particularly malecondoms, are said to be 98%effective.115 Condoms are saidto be more effective as acontraceptive than as an HIVprevention device.

In this survey, majority of therespondents did not concur withthe statement. A quarterstrongly disagreed; 22%disagreed. Those whoconcurred were 37% (26%agreed and 11% disagreed).

No member of the clergy tookthe affirmative position while24% of the nuns disagreeingand another 19% stronglydisagreeing. Most of the layleaders and lay persons on theother hand, endorsed thestatement. More than half of thelay persons (63%) concurredwith it, as did 42% of theirleaders.

11. Condoms should be allowed as a family planning method or to preventpregnancy.


Condoms for FP

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

0 0% 2 10% 4 10% 4 25%

Agree 0 0% 4 19% 13 32% 6 38%

Don’t Know

0 0% 2 10% 0 0% 1 6%

Disagree 1 10% 5 24% 9 22% 4 25%

Strongly Disagree

6 60% 4 19% 11 27% 1 6%

NA 3 30% 4 19% 4 10% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%

Condoms for FP




Strongly Agree

0 0% 2 2% 4 5% 4 5% 10 11%

Agree 0 0% 4 5% 13 15% 6 7% 23 26%

Don’t Know

0 0% 2 2% 0 0% 1 1% 3 3%

Disagree 1 1% 5 6% 9 10% 4 5% 19 22%

Strongly Disagree

6 7% 4 5% 11 13% 1 1% 22 25%

NA 3 3% 4 5% 4 5% 0 0% 11 13%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


Respondents who did not want condoms as afamily planning method insisted that couplesuse natural family planning (NFP) method orother means:

“Proper education of sex; NFP and the willof God.” —a priest

“NFP should be strengthened.” —a priest

“There is natural way.” —a lay person

“They can prevent pregnancy without usingcondom.” —a nun

“Mas siguro i-introduce ang calendar rhythm.”(Better introduce the calendar rhythm.)—a lay leader

Or perhaps, couples could abstain from sex,they said:

“If one does not want to get pregnant thendo not marry at all.” —a nun

“Ang pagtatalik ay magdudulot ng regalo ngDiyos at ito ay ang anak. Bakit mo pa gagawinkung ayaw mo ding mabuntis?” (Sex wouldresult in bearing a child, who is a gift fromGod. Why engage in sex if you don’t wantto get pregnant?) —a lay leader

“Parating posibil idad ng pagtatal ik angpagbubuntis at di ba bunga ito ng disposisyon?”(Getting pregnant is always a possibleoutcome of sex, and isn’t it the result of adisposition?)—a nun

Other respondents felt that condoms are notsafe:

“Why single out condoms? Especially sincemany say they are not sure means? Allcontraceptives are offered, except thoseproven abortifacient.” —a nun

Or that condom use might encourage pre-marital sex:

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

“This might possibly encourage pre-marital sex.”—a nun

Those who agreed with the statementcommented that contraceptives likecondoms help couples plan the number ofchildren, and ease the economic burden:

“Para sa pag-iwas sa pagdami ng anak, saligtas na pamamaraan. (To control numberof children in a safe manner).” —a layperson

“Maybe because one reason is to minimizepoverty of the family.”—a lay leader

Some added that the choice of FP methodsshould be done in consultation withdoctors and should also be mutually agreedby a couple:

“With the doctor’s consent at selecteddoctors lang, yung with good morality.”—a nun

“Partners need to agree on this aspect.”—a nun

“The use of FP should depend on thecouple.” —a nun

They frowned on lessons on sexuality andon giving free condoms to teenagers:

“Umaayon ako kung ito’y para sa mag-asawa at pinili nila itong method to planthe family; at magulang ang gagabay samga anak na teenagers na ito’y para samga mag-asawa lamang, at sana hindiavailable at libreng ipamigay sa mgateenager. Kung may lessons about humansexuality, makatulong na mapahalagahanang katawan.” (I agree if this is for coupleswho chose this method to plan theirfamily; and the parents will adivse theirteenaged children that condoms are forcouples only. I also wish that condomsshould not be made available and givenfor free to teenagers. Better for them tohave lessons on human sexuality so thatthey could take care of their bodies.)—a nun



More than half of therespondents took the affirmativeside to this statement: 30%agreed and 27% strongly agreedthat government should providefree FP to those who need it.

Among members of therespondent type, only the clergydiffered from the three othertypes of respondents. Majority ofthe nuns, lay leaders, and laypersons agreed with thestatement while 60% of theclergy disagreed and stronglydisagreed.

1. The government has a responsibility to make family planning accessibleand free of charge to those who need it, especially the poor.

C. Personal Views on Family Planning,Contraception, and Reproductive Health

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

“(encircled the terms except “personalviews on”) (then an arrow) right to abort.These are not Catholic and are againstnatural law; very harmful to the health ofa mother or women.” —a priest

“It is not promoting artificial birth controlbut educating the family on the sacrednessof marriage and of sex.” —a priest

“NFP has been part of the pre-Cana seminarbefore marriage.” —a priest

Among the reasons of the clergy is the conceptof the natural law being the guiding principlein promoting just the NFP. Another is thatartificial birth control is harmful to women andtheir families. Still another is that thesacredness of marriage and sex should beupheld, one means being pre-Cana seminarsfor couples who would like to get married. Afourth reason: artificial contraception equalsabortion, and is therefore against the Catholicteachings.


Free govt FP




Strongly Agree

0 0% 6 7% 10 11% 8 9% 24 27%

Agree 1 1% 8 9% 12 14% 5 6% 26 30%

Don’t Know

0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 1 1%

Disagree 1 1% 1 1% 6 7% 2 2% 10 11%

Strongly Disagree

5 6% 2 2% 8 9% 1 1% 16 18%

NA 3 3% 4 5% 4 5% 0 0% 11 13%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Free govt FP

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

0 0% 6 29% 10 24% 8 50%

Agree 1 10% 8 38% 12 29% 5 31%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 1 2% 0 0%

Disagree 1 10% 1 5% 6 15% 2 13%

Strongly Disagree

5 50% 2 10% 8 20% 1 6%

NA 3 30% 4 19% 4 10% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


Others felt that the poor should not be usedas an excuse for spreading contraception:

“Actually family planning is theresponsibility of each family and not of thegovernment. But maybe you meancontraceptive materials. Let’s not use thepoor as an excuse for the spread ofcontraceptive materials.” —a nun

Considering corruption within thegovernment, it would be difficult to agree withany government program, a respondentpointed out:

“Given the corruption sa government?”—a nun

Another said she could not imagine agovernment that provides incentives forusers:

“The gov’t even provides incentive if theyavail of the artificial FP.” —a nun

However, other respondents felt thatit should be a private matter betweena couple:

“Dapat na responsibilidad ito ng mga couples(This should be the couple’s responsibility).”—a lay leader

On the other hand, many said governmentaid would be acceptable as long as it is fornatural family planning, which is allowed bythe Church, and as long as it respects thelife of the mother and the unborn.

“As long as it is natural family planning.”—a nun

“Specify NFP only.” —a lay leader

“Makipag-coordinate din ang government samga diocese na nagtagumpay sa NFP,magdagdag ng suporta para mapadami ang mgaspeakers at resource persons; magtulungandin ang mga dioceses na i-promote ito sa kani-kanilang lugar at maging responsible naipagbigay-alam ito at ipabatid sa mga mahihirapna nasa kanilang mga area. Dahil kung sino payung mga mahihirap at walang masilungan sakalye s ila pa ang dumadami. Ano angkinabukasan ng limang maliliit at maruruungisna mga bata sa kalye at ang nanay buntis pa.Dagdag na bilang ng mahihirap, dagdag nawalang kinabukasan. Sana maging apostolate/ministry to reach out ang pagpapaliwanag

na gawin ng bawa’t parish. Mag-umpisamuna sa lugaw serving dahil mga gutomsila, pagkatapos magbigay ng kaalamantungkol sa NFP. (To promote responsibleparenthood among the poor and ensurethe successful implementation of theNFP, the government should coordinatewith the dioceses in expanding thesupport and pool of resource persons.Despite their squalid conditions, it isactually the poor who are more prolific.What kind of future awaits the 5 smalland grimy kids living on the streets withtheir mother pregnant with their nextsibling? That would add to the miseryand hopelessness. I hope it wouldbecome an apostolate/ministry to reachout to poor families in each parish.Perhaps we can start with the soupkitchen to feed the hungry and thenmove on to provide information aboutNFP).” —a nun

“Family planning that is moral andrespects both the life of women and theunborn child.” —a nun

“Would rather the Church allow it, nota government matter.”—a nun

“But it should have limitations when?Should it be made accessible but to offercontraceptives, definitely not!”—a layleader

Still, other respondents believed that theRH Law provides information and serviceson all methods and that this wouldencourage couples and women to decide.In fact, even the Church should providefree RH services so that couples,particularly the poor, can plan theirfamilies:

“This is what the RH Law is about.”—a nun

“Even the Church should provide RHservices!” — a nun

“Upang matuto s ilang magkontrol sapagbubuntis (For them to space theirpregnancies).” —a lay leader

“FP is education. Libre naman dapat, dutyng government (FP education is free anda duty of the government).”—a lay person

“Dahil hindi kaya ng mahihirap kung patiito ay bibilhin, mas kailangan ito ngmahihirap (The poor cannot afford to buycontraceptives, which they need) .”—a lay person



Majority (71% ) of therespondents thought that thereshould be a comprehensive lawon reproductive health.

However, the priestsconsistently opposed RH; on theother hand, the nuns, layleaders and lay personssupported it.

2. There should be a comprehensive law on reproductive health.

According to the priests, there are alreadylaws on health and so, with the properimplementation of existing laws there wouldbe no need for an RH law:

“There are already laws about health, etc.It is a matter of good implementation.” —apriest

Some respondents said if ever there wouldbe an RH law, then it is acceptable:

“As long as it is not contrary to the teachingof the church.” —a priest

“If it is not against the church.”—a nun

“A law that is moral, and respects both thelife of women and the unborn child.”—a nun

“It should be within the bounds ofmorali ty and conform to the churchteachings.”—a lay leader

Some expressed frustrations with theimplementation of the laws:

“Rather, a comprehensive law on thehealth of the whole person and of all.”—a nun

“Try the current one first and see howeffect ive. Later amend it to coverloopholes.”—a nun

“Sabi, Phi lippines ang maypinakamagandang batas sa buong mundo.Nasunod ba (They say that Philippineshas the best laws in the world. Are theseimplemented?) Why make another one?Will it matter)?” — a nun

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS


Comprehensive RH law




Strongly Agree 0 0% 8 9% 13 15% 8 9% 29 33%

Agree 1 1% 6 7% 19 22% 7 8% 33 38%

Don’t Know 1 1% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 1 1%

Disagree 1 1% 1 1% 2 2% 0 0% 4 5%Strongly Disagree 4 5% 1 1% 4 5% 0 0% 9 10%

NA 3 3% 5 6% 3 3% 1 1% 12 14%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Comprehensive RH law

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree 0 0% 8 38% 13 32% 8 50%

Agree 1 10% 6 29% 19 46% 7 44%

Don’t Know 1 10% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%

Disagree 1 10% 1 5% 2 5% 0 0%


NA 3 30% 5 24% 3 7% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


Those who agreed that there should be acomprehensive RH law felt that it is necessaryfor the health of the many, and for preventingabortion:

“Ito ang nararapat” (It is what should be.”)—alay leader

“Para sa kalusugan ng nakakarami.” (For thehealth of the many)—a lay person

“Less abortion.”—a lay person

An RH advocate believes that the RH Law andthe Magna Carta of Women would be beneficial

for all, with the help of experts and withdefined targets:

“The RH Law provides this plus theMagna Carta of Women.”—a nun

“At tutulong sa mga mambabatas ang mgaexperts (psycholog ist, sociolog ist,doctors, pastors, etc.) ng lahat ng level(Experts at all levels and fields will helpthe lawmakers).” — a nun

“It must define and give the purpose/benefits and recipients.”—a nun

Forty-eight percent agreedthat the RH Law should beimplemented while 30%disagreed.

Consistently, the clergyopposed the RPRH Law in thesame many that most of thenuns, lay leaders, and laypersons be lieved that itshould be implemented.

3. RPRH Law should be implemented.


Implement RPRH Law




Strongly Agree

0 0% 3 3% 7 8% 6 7% 16 18%

Agree 1 1% 6 7% 12 14% 7 8% 26 30%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 2% 0 0% 1 1% 3 3%

Disagree 1 1% 2 2% 7 8% 0 0% 10 11%

Strongly Disagree

5 6% 3 3% 7 8% 2 2% 17 19%

NA 3 3% 5 6% 8 9% 0 0% 16 18%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Implement RPRH Law

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

0 0% 3 14% 7 17% 6 38%

Agree 1 10% 6 29% 12 29% 7 44%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 10% 0 0% 1 6%

Disagree 1 10% 2 10% 7 17% 0 0%

Strongly Disagree

5 50% 3 14% 7 17% 2 13%

NA 3 30% 5 24% 8 20% 0 0%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


Respondents who opposed the implementationof the RPRH Law reasoned out:

“It is not the solution. We can use the fundfor education.” —a priest

They would also want more information and arevision of this law:

“Learn more … more discussion.”—a nun

“It should be analyzed and revised!” —a nun

Others used the same lack of information asa reason for not making a firm decision onthe statement:

“Not very familiar in most aspects.”—a nun

“This is still an issue questionable to many!”—a nun

“I need some clarification.”—a lay leader

“But several points need to be improved andqualified.” —a nun

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Some respondents had apprehensions aboutthe lack of information and the readinessof the government and the people for sucha law. Others still believed that the lawcontains abortion provisions:

“May mga bagay na dapat pang i-revise parasa mas ikabubuti ng marami. Kaya i-reviewmuna, at ipagbigay-alam sa mga kababayan.Papaano ipapatupad kung hindi pa handaang mga dapat tumupad? Gawing batas itopara lang ilabag ng marami? (There are itemsthat need to be revised for the good of themany. It needs to be reviewed first andthe people should be informed. How canit be implemented if those who should beimplementing it are not ready? Should wemake this into a law only to be ignored bymany?)”—a nun

“Minus the abortion provision.” —a layperson

But respondents said that on the whole,implementation of this law would be goodfor everyone, particularly the youth, andwould help evaluate effectiveness:

“Para sa ikakabuti ng mga kabataan (Forthe good of the youth).”—a lay person

“Implementation is necessary forevaluation.”—a nun

While there were majorapprehensions on thegovernment’s familyplanning program, eighty-three (83% ) of therespondents agreed andstrongly agreed with thisstatement.

4. The church should be providing means to address the family planning gap.


Church address FP gap




Strongly Agree

6 7% 12 14% 15 17% 6 7% 39 44%

Agree 1 1% 8 9% 19 22% 6 7% 34 39%

Don’t Know

0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 1 1%

Disagree 0 0% 0 0% 4 5% 2 2% 6 7%

Strongly Disagree

0 0% 0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 1 1%

NA 3 3% 1 1% 2 2% 1 1% 7 8%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


Most of the members of theclergy were in the sameposition as the rest of therespondent types. Practicallyall of the nuns took theaffirmative position.

Those who agreed quali fied the iragreement by calling for natural familyplanning:

“Long time ago and on-going NaturalFamily Planning implementation”—apriest

“The Church advocates natural familyplanning.”—a priest

“The Church is already doingsomething teaching to live a moral life,NFP, dignity of marriage.”—a priest

“The Church has been introducingnatural family planning. It is thepeople who are not cooperative.”—apriest

“Must follow the plan of God. FP mustbe NFP, Billings and ovulation.”—anun

“Natural Family Planning”—a nun

Some suggested that parishes shouldinclude family planning as a ministryor have clinics for it.

“NFP but this is inadequate. FP shouldbe included in the Family Ministry.”—a nun

“Marami pong gagawin ang simbahanpara dito. Kasi merong grupo na Familyand Life Ministry (The church can doa lot on this concern. There is already

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

the Family and Life Ministry).”—a layleader

“We should put up Catholic familyplanning centers/clinic in allhospitals and parishes.”—a nun

Others felt that it would then be thechurch’s contribution to people’swelfare as well as show of openness todialogue and alternatives:

“Dialogue with the government needsto cont inue. Open to otheralternatives.”—a nun

“Sa mga sagot ko pinapakita ko na angmaging contribution ng simbahan (Ishow my contribution throughactions).”—a nun

“Sa diwa ng pagbibigay ng alternatives(I am willing to share andrecommend alternatives).” —a layleader

“Sana nga (I hope so)!”—a nun

But still there was confusion on familyplanning and contraception in generalbecause of the belief that the Churchis totally against these:

“Kasi ang alam ko hindi payag angSimbahan sa family planning (What Iknow is that the Church does notallow family planning).” —a layperson


Church address FP

gap

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

6 60% 12 57% 15 37% 6 38%

Agree 1 10% 8 38% 19 46% 6 38%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 1 6%

Disagree 0 0% 0 0% 4 10% 2 13%

Strongly Disagree

0 0% 0 0% 1 2% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 1 5% 2 5% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


Majority (62% ) of therespondents felt that medicalproviders can be conscientiousobjectors.

Majority of each respondenttype took the affirmativeposition, and felt that it is rightto follow one’s conscience.

5. Medical providers like doctors, nurses, midwives, etc. have a right torefuse to provide or refer services that violate their personal conscience.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Those who agreed believed thatfollowing one’s conscience isinherent human law:

“Dahil may saril i s ilang kamalayan,paninindigan/prins ipyo … lalo na kapagnapaka-sensitive at well-formed ang kanilangkonsyensya (People have principles,especially with a well-formed conscience).”—a nun

“Yes, that is an inherent human law!” —anun

“We should respect an indiv idual’sconscience.” —a nun

However, there were those who observed thatdoctors have different ways of dealing withtheir patients.

“Kasi iba-iba ang ugali ng mga doctor (Thedoctor has different attitude towards this).”—a lay person

Others felt that the patient needs to beinformed:

“The law of information should bepractised. Medical ethics should bestrengthened.”—a priest

“They have a right to refuse but forhuman responsibility, they should referpatients to other doctors who areneutral.”—a nun

“Patients should be informed.”—a nun

“They shouldn’t be involved or withholdinformat ion from couples who aredeciding. As government employees, theyshould follow government policy. Or theycould also choose the alternative whichis referral.”—a nun


Conscientious objection

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree 4 40% 6 29% 9 22% 2 13%

Agree 1 10% 8 38% 16 39% 8 50%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 2 5% 2 13%

Disagree 0 0% 3 14% 7 17% 3 19%

Strongly Disagree

2 20% 3 14% 5 12% 0 0%

NA 3 30% 1 5% 2 5% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%

Conscientious

objection




Strongly Agree

4 5% 6 7% 9 10% 2 2% 21 24%

Agree 1 1% 8 9% 16 18% 8 9% 33 38%

Don’t Know

0 0% 0 0% 2 2% 2 2% 4 5%

Disagree 0 0% 3 3% 7 8% 3 3% 13 15%

Strongly Disagree

2 2% 3 3% 5 6% 0 0% 10 11%

NA 3 3% 1 2 2% 1 1% 7 8%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


The respondents seemed to bepolarized on this statement.Those who took affirmativepositions were slightly higher(44% ) than those who tooknegative ones (41%).

Among respondent types,majority of the clergy took thenegative positions whilemajority of the nuns and layleaders were on the oppositeside. Majority of the lay persons,on the other hand, seemed toside with the clergy.

6. Contraception is immoral and intrinsically evil.

Those who agreed claimed thatartificial contraception kills and that itopposes Church teachings:

“Because it is equivalent to artificial.” —apriest

“Contraception kills life. Ito ay malakas nanilalabanan ng simbahan (It is stronglyopposed by the Church).” —a lay leader

There were respondents who did not takeany position because they thought that itwould really depend on the situation and,therefore, should be viewed objectively:

“Depends upon the condition, health-wiseetc., of both partners.” —a nun

“Should be: objectively, wisely.” —a nun

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

“Not always, there are exceptions.” —alay person

However, those who took the negativestance were very vocal in stating thatcontraception is not intrinsically evil andthat morality is not a doctrine. They alsobelieved that the teaching was based on 16th

century traditional moral theology and on aminority report.

“I am not convinced it is intrinsicallyevil.”—a nun

“There seems to be a traditional (16th)century moral theology and a sweepingstatement without a context.”—a nun

“Morality is not a doctrine.”—a nun


Contraception is evil




Strongly Agree

0 0% 7 1% 5 6% 0 0% 12 14%

Agree 0 0% 5 6% 16 18% 5 6% 26 30%

Don’t Know

0 0% 0 0% 2 2% 1 1% 3 3%

Disagree 2 2% 3 3% 9 10% 8 9% 22 25%

Strongly Disagree

4 5% 4 5% 5 6% 1 1% 14 16%

NA 4 5% 2 2% 4 5% 1 1% 11 13%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Contraception is evil

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

0 0% 7 33% 5 12% 0 0%

Agree 0 0% 5 24% 16 39% 5 31%

Don’t Know 0 0% 0 0% 2 5% 1 6%

Disagree 2 20% 3 14% 9 22% 8 50%

Strongly Disagree

4 40% 4 19% 5 12% 1 6%

NA 4 40% 2 10% 4 10% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


“I have never agreed with Humanae Vitae.It’s a minority decision of Pope Paul VI.When it came out, there was an impasseamong theologians and bishops.”—a nun

For others, it was more for practicalconsiderations:

“Sana may terminology na puwedeng gamitinupang mapigil o hindi maging buo angpagbubuntis ng lahat, kaysa contraception.Ang salitang contra ang lakas ng impact.Hindi ko kinokontra ito, pinipigil ko lang namangyayari uli na taon-taon nanganganak angisang maloka-lokang babae na inaabuso ngmga lasing. Di ko maituturing na nagkasalaang mga doktor na nag-ligate sa kanya; iisipindin nila kung ano ang magiging mga anak nito

dahil di mabigyan ng tunay na kalinga ng ina” (Ihope there’s a better term for preventingpregnancy than contraception. the term contraseems to have a negative connotation. I am notagainst it; I just want to prevent a situation whereevery year a woman, who is out of her wits andabused by her drunkard husband, gives birth. Idon’t think doctors commit sin when they ligateher probably because they took pity on herchildren whom she could not provide propercare.)” —a nun

“For health reason and responsible use”—a nun

“Kasi mahirap umiwas sa pagpaparami ng anakkung walang contraceptive (It’s difficult to avoidhaving many children without contraceptives).”—a lay person

Those who took the affirmativepositions were slightly more(39%) than those who took thenegative positions (34%).

Majority (56% ) of the laypersons took the dissentingposition. Sixty percent of theclergy thought thatcontraceptives cause abortion.This was followed by 47% of thenuns. Lay leaders, however,seemed polarized at 37% oneither side of the fence.

7. Contraceptives cause abortion.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

“Contraceptives are abortifacents.” —a priest

“The worse thing is it affects the physical,health and psychological condition of theunborn.” —a nun

There were respondents who believedthat contraceptives are abortifacientsand thought of the worst effects on theunborn:


Contraceptives cause abortion




Strongly Agree 3 3% 3 3% 7 8% 1 1% 14 16%

Agree 3 3% 7 8% 8 9% 2 2% 20 23%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 2% 7 8% 3 3% 12 14%

Disagree 0 0% 4 5% 11 13% 5 6% 20 23%

Strongly Disagree

0 0% 2 2% 4 5% 4 5% 10 11%

NA 4 5% 3 3% 4 5% 1 1% 12 14%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Contraceptives cause abortion

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree 3 30% 3 14% 7 17% 1 6%

Agree 3 30% 7 33% 8 20% 2 13%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 10% 7 17% 3 19%

Disagree 0 0% 4 19% 11 27% 5 31%


NA 4 40% 3 14% 4 10% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


“Contraceptives kill life. Ito ang malakas nanilalabanan ng simbahan (It is what theChurch strongly opposes).” —a lay leader

Some said that not all contraceptives areabortifacients:

“Maaaring may ilan na may ganitong bunga(Some have these effects).” —a nun

“Depende, some contraceptives have thateffect.”—a nun

“Maaaring mangyari ito (It may happen.).” —a lay leader

Hence, they felt that it would be best to useNFP:

“Kaya pumili ng method na safe kagaya ngNFP (They should choose safe methods likethe NFP).” —a nun

Other respondents s found contradictions inthe statement:

“Not necessarily. If it is a contraceptivethere is nothing to abort.” —a nun

“This statement is a contradiction in itself.In most part this is not true among thepoor.” —a nun

Forty percent of therespondents agreed with thisstatement while 30% did not.But a significant number of29% did not answer or did notknow.

Sixty percent of the clergyagreed with the statement, and48% of the nuns and 44% of thereligious leaders. Fifty percentof the lay persons took thedissenting opinion.

8. Contraception is corruption.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Those who believed that providingcontraception would pave the way for morecorruption in the government, especiallywhen big money is involved, said:

“Dahil may kinikita daw dito ang iba (Thereis money to be made here).” —a nun

“Morally corrupted.” —a nun

“It has become the way of the government.”—a nun

“May kalakip na pera na galing sa mga malalakingdrug companies (There is money coming from


Contraception is corruption




Strongly Agree 5 6% 5 6% 10 11% 0 0% 20 23%

Agree 1 1% 5 6% 8 9% 1 1% 15 17%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 2% 3 3% 4 5% 9 10%

Disagree 0 0% 3 3% 9 10% 5 6% 17 19%

Strongly Disagree

1 1% 3 3% 3 3% 3 3% 10 11%

NA 3 3% 3 3% 8 9% 3 3% 17 19%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Contraception is corruption

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree 5 50% 5 24% 10 24% 0 0%

Agree 1 10% 5 24% 8 20% 1 6%

Don’t Know 0 0% 2 10% 3 7% 4 25%

Disagree 0 0% 3 14% 9 22% 5 31%


NA 3 30% 3 14% 8 20% 3 19%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


big drug companies. Drug is a big businessenterprise).” —a nun

“Big fund and what is distributed to thepeople are cheap medicines which caneven cause cancer.” —a priest

Other respondents thought this likely,especially with the way the government iscurrently being run:

“Katulad ng iba pang programa, lalu na maybudget, posibilidad! (It would be like theother programs. Hence, it’s a possibility).”—a nun

Some would rather see a direct relationshipbefore making judgment:

“Show direct causation. Anything can becorrupted.”—a nun

“Depends on the conscience and its context.Again this sounds like a sweepingstatement.”—a nun

“Depende.” —a nun

“Dapat ma-categorize ang bawa’tcontraceptive kung ano ang effect nito atrisk sa nanay at sa bumubuong fetus; o kayasa ovum (Contraceptives should becategorozed by effects and risks).” —a nun

“This is an inflammatory statement and isa disinformation! Bishops should walk thetalk.”—a nun

“Depende sa situation (It depends on thesituation).” —a nun

“Corruption of what?”—a lay person

“Hindi naman s iguro (I don’t think so).”— a lay person

Forty-six percent of therespondents did not agree thatsex education will encourageyoung people to be promiscuous.About 32% disagreed andanother 14% strongly disagreedwith the statement.

Majority of the clergy, believedthat sex education promotespromiscuity. Among the laypersons, 75% dissented,followed by 57% of the nuns.Among the lay leaders, 29%disagreed and another 7%strongly disagreed—bringingthe total dissenting opinion to37%. However, the number oflay leaders on the other side ofthe fence was higher with 22%agreed and another 22%strongly disagreed —bringingthe total to 46%.

9. Sex education will encourage promiscuity among young people.


Sex ed promotes

promiscuity




Strongly Agree

5 6% 1 1% 9 10% 0 0% 15 17%

Agree 1 1% 3 3% 10 11% 2 2% 16 18%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 1% 1 1% 1 1% 3 3%

Disagree 1 1% 7 8% 12 14% 8 9% 28 32%

Strongly Disagree

0 0% 5 6% 3 3% 4 5% 12 14%

NA 3 3% 4 5% 6 7% 1 1% 14 16%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%

Sex ed promotes

promiscuity

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree 5 50% 1 5% 9 22% 0 0%

Agree 1 10% 3 14% 10 24% 2 13%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 5% 1 2% 1 6%

Disagree 1 10% 7 33% 12 29% 8 50%

Strongly Disagree

0 0% 5 24% 3 7% 4 25%

NA 3 30% 4 19% 6 15% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%


There seemed to be a general fear of possiblenegative consequences if the education isnot properly handled, even among thosewho agreed with the statement.

“Puwedeng mangyari ito (This mighthappen).” —a lay person

“Pos ibil idad! Kaya dapat ay age/levelsensitive (There’s a possibility. Hence, itshould be age/level-sensitive).” —a nun

“If it is a proper way of sex education, thatis not only limited to the physical body.We must give a holistic education, whichincludes psychological/emotional moral/religious.” —a nun

The same sentiment was echoed by others:

“Dapat maayos ang pagtuturo ng sexeducation (Sex education should be doneproperly).” —a nun

“Teachers should be selective. Youngpeople with immaturity, i.e. , juveniledelinquents, should not undergo the sameeducation formation. Case-to-case basis.”—a nun

“It depends.” —a nun

“Depende sa gagawing education (Itdepends on the type of sex education).”—a lay leader

“Curiosity maybe (but not sex education).”—a lay person

Those who disagreed expressed outrage anddisbelief. They said that even without sexeducation in school, the youth can stillaccess information outside:

“Not necessarily. There’s a lot ofpromiscuity right now. Maybe educationcan lessen it.”—a nun

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

“This sounds naïve. Ignorance is worse.The youth have to know all about sex andbe taught to make responsible choicesaccording to our Christian faith.”—a nun

“Even without sex education, the youthare quite daring to try sex.”—a nun

“A must, as far as the young people areconcerned.” —a nun

The importance of education cannot beoveremphasized, the nuns explained:

“Sa values education sa 4th year highschool, may lesson ako sa sex education.Values ang ipinapakita ko sa katawan ng taoat sexuality , at di dapat lalabas napornography. Na-discover ko na limited angunderstanding and perception ng mgaestudyante. Sa kanila pag sex, pagtatalikkaagad; genital level lang. Dahil napansinko ang malaking feeling hiya nila. Ginawa kopina-drawing ko sila isa-isa ng male andfemale genitalia. Habang nagda-drawingpina-process ko na maging aware sa feelingna hiya, kilig, kiliti, etc. Pagkatapos, anotherprocess na naman, saan nanggagaling angmga feelings na ganito. Karamihan sa turo sakanila. Marumi ang sex at bawal ito. (In myvalues education class among 4th year highschool students, I have a lesson on sexeducation. I teach values on body andsexuality but do not show pornography. Idiscovered their limited understanding/perception of the students. For them, sexis equated with intercourse: genital levelonly. And I noticed their great sense ofshame. What I did was to let them drawthe male and female genitalia. Whiledrawing I processed their feelings ofshame. These are then discussed in termsof identifying where these feelings comefrom. Most of them have negativeinformation about sex. They were made tobelieve that sex is dirty and sinful).”— a nun

“Education is important.”—a nun



The notion that RH law aims tocontrol population seemed tohave been embraced by therespondents. Thirty-fivepercent (35% ) agreed andanother 16% strongly agreedwith the statement.

This sentiment was shared byall respondent types.

10. The RPRH Law has population control agenda by controlling the poorfrom having children.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Those who concurred with the statementfelt that poverty should not be equated withoverpopulation:

“Ang analys is sa kahirapan due tooverpopulation (Poverty is seen as thereason for overpopulation).”—a lay leader

And because of this population controlagenda, the possibility for a demographicwinter may not be farfetched:

“Not only the poor. Europe is not poorbut they have zero population growth:`demographic winter’.”—a priest

“The law does not look for the future.”—a nun

Some were suspicious of the government:

“The govt is after the funds.” —a priest

“Pwede i-agenda ng aabusong grupo kayadapat bantayan (There might be someabuses; hence, we need to monitor it).”—a nun

Others, however, realized that the law wouldbenefit everyone:

“If it applies to all cit izens, all will beempowered to have or not to have children.It may help the rich decide to have lesschildren, too.” —a nun

“Ipagbigay-alam sa mga couples atmakapagpasya at mag-commit (Couplesshould be informed for them to decide andto commit).” —a nun

“It’s not only the poor but also the entirenation’s populace.” —a nun

“I don’t think so. Couples should be trainedon responsible parenting and how to


RPRH Law has pop’n

control agenda

Respondent TypeClergy Nun Lay Leader Lay


Strongly Agree

4 40% 4 19% 6 15% 0 0%

Agree 2 20% 6 29% 16 39% 7 44%

Don’t Know 0 0% 4 19% 1 2% 2 13%

Disagree 0 0% 4 19% 6 15% 5 31%

Strongly Disagree

1 10% 1 5% 5 12% 1 6%

NA 3 30% 2 10% 7 17% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%

RPRH Law has popn control agenda




Strongly Agree

4 5% 4 5% 6 7% 0 0% 14 16%

Agree 2 2% 6 7% 16 18% 7 8% 31 35%

Don’t Know

0 0% 4 5% 1 1% 2 2% 7 8%

Disagree 0 0% 4 5% 6 7% 5 6% 14 16%

Strongly Disagree

1 1% 1 1% 5 6% 1 1% 8 9%

NA 3 3% 2 2% 7 8% 1 1% 14 16%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


manage their families and provide qualitylife for themselves and their chi ldren.”—a nun

Others also realized that the RPRH Law doesnot have any population control agenda:

“This statement seems to be amisunderstanding of the RPRH.”—a nun

However, some comments showed a lackof understanding and knowledge of theRPRH Law, like this question from a nun:

“Hindi ba ang RPRH law is still beingfinal ized (Isn’t the law is still beingfinalized)?” —a nun

Perhaps because they areChurch people, the respondentswere expected to respect andfollow the teachings of theChurch at all times. Fortypercent agreed with thestatement in addition to those20% who strongly agreed.

Surprisingly, most of there ligious and the ordainedinhibited themselves fromtaking a position. The 48% of thenuns who did not answer plus the5% who categorically stated theydid not know would bring the totalto 52% of nuns having noposition on the statement. Fortypercent of their malecounterparts also did not answerthe question. Majority of layleaders (75%) and of lay persons(56%), on the other hand, wouldrather follow the CatholicChurch and expect everyone todo the same.

11. The RPRH Law should respect the teachings of the Catholic Churchbecause majority of Filipinos are Catholic.

Those who agreed felt that it was only rightto follow God’s will by not supporting the RHlaw:

“Nararapat lamang sundin natin ang kaloobanng Diyos. No to RH Bill/Law (It is onlyright to follow God’s will).” — a lay leader

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

A priest was also emphatic in saying,

“Not just because majority of the Filipinosare Catholic but because it is morallycorrect.” —a priest

However, some nuns felt that that was notthe main issue:


RPRH Law should respect

Catholic teachings

Respondent Type



Strongly Agree

3 30% 3 14% 12 29% 0 0%

Agree 2 20% 5 24% 19 46% 9 56%

Don’t Know 0 0% 1 5% 0 0% 2 13%

Disagree 0 0% 1 5% 2 5% 2 13%

Strongly Disagree

1 10% 1 5% 2 5% 2 13%

NA 4 40% 10 48% 6 15% 1 6%

Total 10 100% 21 100% 41 100% 16 100%

RPRH Law should respect Catholic

teachings




Strongly Agree

3 3% 3 3% 12 14% 0 0% 18 20%

Agree 2 2% 5 6% 19 22% 9 10% 35 40%

Don’t Know

0 0% 1 1% 0 0% 2 2% 3 3%

Disagree 0 0% 1 1% 2 2% 2 2% 5 6%

Strongly Disagree

1 1% 1 1% 2 2% 2 2% 6 7%

NA 4 5% 10 11% 6 7% 1 1% 21 24%

Total 10 11% 21 24% 41 47% 16 18% 88 100%


“That’s not the main issue.” —a nun

These nuns would rather focus on humandignity:

“Respect for the dignity of human personcomes first before respect of religion.” —a nun

Some respondents said that the RH law in factrecognizes all religions and that people havedifferent points of views:

“RH Law respects ALL RELIGIONS.”—a nun

“Iba-iba ang pananaw ng tao (People havedifferent opinions).” —a lay person

One urged dialogue and openness between theChurch and the State:

“Dapat pag-usapan both government andChurch. Respitohan lang (There should bedialogue between the Church and thegovernment. Each should respect each other).”—a lay person

Church leaders have to immersethemselves with the people for greaterunderstanding and possibly work for reformson sexuality and morality, said tworespondents:

“Dapat lang na maging bukas angs imbahan na di ka sobranglegalistic, magbibigay ng mgaprovisions para sa mga exceptionalcases. Kung puwede lang magbabadmga Church leader sa bangketa atslum areas, kung gaano ka-affectedang mga babae sa populat ionexplosion ngayon. (The Churchshould be open and not becomeoverly legalistic, and acceptprovisions in certain exceptionalcases. If possible, the Churchleaders should immersethemselves on the sidewalks andslum areas, and see forthemselves how women aregreatly affected by populationexplosion).” —a nun

“The Church should change itslaws on sexual morality andeducate her people.”—a nun



There were 6 focused group discussions (FGDs) conducted in Luzon (Manila,Tagaytay and Legazpi), Visayas (Cebu), and Mindanao (Davao and Compostela Valley).These involved 61 participants, 45 of whom answered the questionnaire.

There were 3 more FGDs for religious congregations (1 men Religious, 1women Religious, and 1 mixed) that were planned but did not push through whenthe rescheduling went beyond the data-gathering time frame.

During each FGD, the participants were asked to share their understandingand opinions on the following:

Feminism , equality, and women empowerment

RPRH Law

Contraception

Divorce

Abortion

Women’s Autonomy

Homosexuality/Same-sex relationships

Violence against women and children

Rape, including marital rape and incest

Protecting Girl-Children

Women’s Ordination

Vow of Celibacy

Some participants equated feminismwith equality among men and women.The nuns were comforted and liberatedby the idea of feminism. Theyspecifically mentioned eco-feminism asa concept that they could embrace.

They said that feminism is all aboutequality and taking care of God’screation—men, women, and the

FOCUSED GROUPDISCUSSIONS

environment—all of whom have a role toplay. They believe that when people getbaptized, they are gifted with dignity andequality.

They also said that if Christiancommunities were true to their natureand grew in faith, then thesecommunities would accord men andwomen equal rights and privileges. Twosaid:

On Feminism, Equality, and Women Empowerment


“I agree about feminism. It’s aboutequality, equity and empowerment ofwomen. We are really equal. Womenshould be empowered. Women havethe r ight to express ourselvesbecause we are human beings andwe have rights like men. Men alsohave the right to express themselvesas men. Feminism is not just howwe dress up but more of rights.Women’s rights are human rights.”—women’s coordinator/lay leader

(from ComVal FGD)-

“I am a feminist. I believe in theequality of men and women. We havedif ferent gifts and abilit ies, andphysically we are not the same butequality is important. Neither isgreater than the other. Even in jobs,women ought to be allowed to dowhat men do, even in the Church.They do allow women to lecture atthe Second Reading. Any time thatthey allow women to have a role, Itake it. I feel it’s very important topromote the fact that we can do thesethings. I am not a radical feminist; Ithink they have an agenda. But I amfeminist, and in the Church we arebaptized like men, so we should bethe same. I think all women shouldbe feminist, it ’s recognizing thedignity that’s within us.” —a nun(from Manila FGD)

One nun described feminism as very personal,a way of life and an expression of one’s innerbeing. Another nun felt that it encouragesrespect and flexibility. Their words:

“For me, feminism is my pagkatao,my personhood, my commitment,the way I live my rhythm of life withcreation. It’s a recognition of our rolein the world. What I don’t agree withis the dominance in the oldfeminism. Now I like it, without thedominance.” —a nun (from ManilaFGD)

“I agree. Feminism implies flexibilityfor me, a lot of it is respect. I canrespect her beliefs, while alsorespecting my own.” —a nun (fromManila FGD)

Two nuns called equality a concept rooted inthe belief that God created men and womenin His image and likeness, and as arecognition of the God in each person.

“God has created us in His imageand l ikeness.” —a nun (fromManila FGD)

“I consider myself a feminist inthe sense that I would like tofoster a Christ ian society; torecognize and empower the HolySpirit in each person; … maybeguided, but not dictated by theChurch. This is an open, no-judgment discussion; you can sayyour feelings and opinions.” —anun (from Tagaytay FGD)

If one uses a feminist lens, said two nuns,one can find equality and valuing of womenin the Scriptures. They cited the creationstories, specifically:

“I said f iguratively—ang babaegaling sa rib, ang lalaki sa clay. Alinba diyan ang materyales fuertes?Pag nahulog ang clay e ‘di basag(The woman was made from theman’s rib while the man wasmade from clay. As such, who doyou think was made from qualitymaterials? A material made fromclay breaks when dropped.) It isvery clear, though, our nature andour dealings with one another asequals, as God created us asequals. Respect is very basic; kungwala ito, wala na. (If it is notpresent, then we lose respect.)”—a nun (from Tagaytay FGD)

“The woman used more of herbrain when she tempted thesnake while the man did notbecause he immediately ate theapple.” —a nun (from Cebu FGD)

Some participants view women as strongerthan men because women makesacrifices—just like the women workingabroad:

“We have so many OFWs, I justcame from Macau, the cathedralon Sundays is full of womenoverseas workers. Same in thePacific, Australia, Rome. Womenare stronger than men, in termsof working abroad, endangeringtheir safety, making sacrifices.There should also be a good studyof taboos. There are so manytaboos regarding women. That isa challenge for us in the academe,to go deeply into the very taboosthat … women, while theseshould be helping women. A

RESEARCH FINDINGS: FGDs


reversal of mentality, one that ispositive instead of negative.” —apriest (from Tagaytay FGD)

Two participants traced how feminismemerged and evolved based on the changingneeds and culture of people, and stronglypropelled by the movement for basic women’srights and the assertion for strong personalautonomy and caring for the environment:

“The issue behind this is culture,power, and the changing situation—people more and more are startingto know their rights. This is one ofthe characteristics of post-moderntimes: a strong personal autonomy.Aside from their own rights, thesewomen are leading, avant garde intheir caring for the environment.This is an aff irmation of what Ibelieve in: that men and women arecomplementary to each other.” —apriest (from Tagaytay FGD)

(Sharing her experience with tribalFil ipinos in Mindanao ) “Thediscussions always involved thewhole community, especially aboutissues affecting their environment,their displacement.” —a nun (fromTagaytay FGD)

Promoting women’s rights would require acritical look at culture and traditions. Thisincludes taking women seriously andencouraging them to raise their voices.

“Those who are educated aboutequality should promote it; you donot need to do anything special, youwill meet the situation that you needto act upon. Just do not keep quiet,just do not stand still.” —a nun(from Manila FGD)

“If we are not going to do something;how can we elevate the status ofwomen? How can we develop aplace if half of the population, thewomen sector, is being left behind?By putting women up—taking themseriously— we can break thesilence. It ’s about breaking thesilence, taking initiatives, breakingground, breaking barr iers tostrengthen ourselves to be a part ofthis development. Even theteachings of the Church shouldintegrate how to elevate ourselves.Do we want our children toexperience what we have gonethrough? The woman’s womb is the

first environment of every humanbeing. We really have to giveimportance to our own bodies. Idon’t like people wearing revealingclothes in church but we cannotcurb their right to wear thosebecause they feel comfortable inthose. This is a challenge for usto take women seriously.”—women’s coordinator, a lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

“Fighting for women’s rights isperhaps f ighting for equalopportunities and job. .... How canwe raise this issue when ourlegislators are mostly men? Givingwomen an equal opportunity ineverything–perhaps that ’s wherewe should focus: on concretethings, realities in life having aconcrete solution.” — governmentemployee, lay leader (from theComVal FGD)

Women experience inequalities at manylevels as they and their bodies have beentreated as commodities to be used in tradeand industry, a participant pointed out:

“Dowry and bride-price are stillpracticed in the Philippines.These are kinds of inequalitybecause the husband’s family feelsthat they have bought the wife. Canwe really have gender equalityrather than inequality? I think so,so I suggest that we focus on whatwill make them equal and notunequal. And get familiar with thebook Theology of the Body by PopeJohn Paul. There are also twoindustries emerging: the bodyindustry–which makes us pay moreattention to our own body. Wherebefore, we paid more attention toour soul; and the sex industry,such as in human traff icking,where the human body is acommodity. The market economy,globalization are destroying us andcausing much inequality inpolitics, economics, religion, etc.Very good for research - leaningtowards developing more ways andmeans on what make us equalrather than unequal - to minimizethe inequality.” —a priest (fromTagaytay FGD)

Patriarchy in the church is so pervasive thatwomen have been relegated to supportiveroles instead of leadership positions, saidthree participants:



“Some of what pains me and which Idon’t totally agree with is that in theChurch, they are boxing andtypecasting women into a role. I praythat someday, men in the Church willhave the openness that even womenhave the right to use their talents andabilit ies….. In the parish, it ’s thepriest who is King. In some parishes,they don’t allow women as Lectorsand Commentators; not in terms ofparticipation in the Church, it’s veryhierarchical.” —a nun (from ManilaFGD)

“There is discrimination even in theBible. There is liberation infeminism. It’s true that feminism cameout because of discrimination. Butin reality, we need to surface andaddress this discrimination. Women’sroles and contributions are notrecognized by the Catholic Church.Like Virgin Mary, she was notrecognized for her contributions;instead she was recognized as saint.The rules and ruler ’s roles areimpor tant elements for thisdiscrimination. Also in the LGBTissues. Feminism should expose thisdiscrimination.” —a Bgy. Kagawad,lay person (from Davao FGD)

“About the Church, it is true that therewas discrimination but now it isslowly gaining recognition like thepagkalawat (communion). There isfemale involvement now. For examplein the SPMC, there are women layministers. In the Jesuit Fathers thereare also women lay leaders. In theparish, dominant are women layleaders, especially among formators.But I think women have more time tostudy while men have lesser focusand limited time. Ang lawas ay pagod(they are already tired from work) andto expound on topics, their focus islimited.” —a male lay formator/person (from Davao FGD)

It is ironic that most Church workers arewomen whose contributions are not fullyappreciated, said a male formator:

“Especially in GKK—peace keepersare women. Ang pagbuhig sa liturhiya.I don’t know about the plans. Sa ngayonay lalaki pa rin ang nag-lead sa liturgy.Maglisod ang simbahan is more focusedon traditions which are patriarchal.Magsunod kay Adan, puro lalaki. It isaccording to our culture, which ispatterned after Western countries.Hopefully there will come a time thatwomen will lead, and probably thatis feminism. Hinay-hinay na pagtunaw

para sa katubangan. Nagkataon langang nahimong nasundan sa atingpagtuon ang ating tradition aywalang power ang babae. Womencan’t decide. As of now that is myobservation. (With regards to theliturgy, I don’t know about thefuture. As of now, men still leadin the liturgy. The Church willencounter difficulty because it ismore focused on tradit ions,which are patriarchal. Startingfrom Adan, it was all men. It isaccording to our culture, whichis patterned after Westerncountries. Hopefully there willcome a time that women will lead,and probably that is feminism.Slowly, women’s discriminationwill slowly be eliminated. It sohappened that it was handed tous through tradition and womendidn’t have power. Women can’tdecide. As of now that is myobservation.” — a male layformator/person (from DavaoFGD)

Our culture also promotes traditions,beliefs, and practices that in turn promotegender differences and inequality. Womenand men are expected to behave in certainways. Women are socialized into domesticroles and are discouraged from attendingschools. There is little investment in theirdevelopment they are expected to stay athome. Their domesticity is seen as aconcept brought by the Spanish colonizers.The analysis of the participants:

“It ’s because of our culture,traditions and belief that if thewoman will court a man, it’s bad.According to our culture, womenshould wait to be courted by men.This is based on Church teachingas well as our education; womenshould just wait and stay athome.” —Women’s Coordinator, alay leader (from ComVal FGD)

“A woman going to churchdressed in shorts and in backlessand spaghetti (straps) . . .(requiring certain) behavior in theright place, in the right time, atthe right situation). If you’re goingto a party, . . . as a woman dressyourself as you’re going there.That is what I understand of afeminine issue—right place, righttime, right occasion right action.In the Catholic Church, ourpriests have placed those signsbut our people don’t really follow



them. What I understand here,something should be done by theChurch so that the people willfollow. Not in the harsh way. I donot know what steps should be doneby our Church in that kind ofsituation.” —SK leader, lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

“We are not really equal in terms ofsex. It’s impossible for women to bemen because they have differentorgans. It’s God’s will. We can’tquestion this because this isbiological... In terms of sex men arenot really equal with women but inother areas, they are equal. We say,“Dong, don’t wash dishes, don’tsweep the floor because you are aboy” and “’Day, don’t chop firewoodbecause you are a girl.” Accordingto culture, we were not trainedwhen we were young to carry heavyloads. . . . If you are wearing shorts,you are bad. Too much Maria Claraculture because of the long Spanishinfluence on us. It should be equalopportunities. If you are a womanworking and can’t take care of yourfamily, you are considered bad. If aman is working and can’t take careof his family, i t ’s acceptable.Anyway, he brings money to thefamily.” —Women’s Coordinator, layleader (from ComVal FGD

“I would like to share my mother’sexperience. She wanted to study.She was bright in Mathematics butwas discouraged from going toschool because she would justeventually get married. So only themale siblings were educated.Women are taught to stay at homeonly. If we were schooled, then wewould have opportunities. Dapatpantay kung napaeskwela pero sabalay lang ang babayi. (Educationwould have equalized all; andwomen should not just stay athome.)”—a lay person (from DavaoFGD)

“We were taught in school thatwomen were expected to washclothes, cook, stay at home. Menshould also do domestic roles. Menare used to sitting around the house,given coffee by the wife, wifepreparing lukewarm water forhusband’s bath, then wife preparestowel and briefs. Men can cook andclean. Men use only their hands inthese chores, not their manhood.They should not be afraid to takeon domestic roles. However, inschool we are taught that menshould do physical roles. Women aretaught to take care of housekeepingroles, take care of husbands. At

home, we have agreed to split roleslike washing our own underwear,cooking, simple chores likehanging his briefs, when I am notaround. I have so many roles. Ialso do shiatsu therapy as mylivelihood. My husband shouldalso help. Diyoskoday! (Oh my God!)What will happen if the wife willnot bring income to the family,what will happen to her family?So if th is will happen, womenwork. What will happen to herfamily? The concept of a goodwoman because she stays at homewill be gone forever. I also wouldlike to go home to an orderly home.Hence, I talk to my husband.” —Women’s Coordinator, a lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

“I wanted to become a teacher andso, I requested my father to sendme to school…. But I wasdiscouraged because he said thatit was no use because I would onlyget married.” —women’scoordinator, a lay leader (fromComVal FGD)

Others believe that women’s empowermentshould include economic independence.Women’s independence and confidence areboosted by their capacity to earn, theyexplained:

“Seamen’s wives handle everythingwhile their husbands are away.Medyo strong ang personality ngseafarer’s wives, because they needto be strong. Otherwise, sira na angdiskarte mo sa buhay (Seafarers’wives have to be strong andresourceful). Strong in handlingthe children, in terms of decision-making, in terms of yourrelationship with the community(assertive). Such women’s childrenshow that there is no confusion,and proper rearing. But because ofwomen’s economic dependence,they show submissiveness.Asserting your right in terms ofyour capacity to earn. …Who hasthe economic power has the powerto direct life.” —a lay leader (fromTagaytay FGD)

Sometimes, as women learn to adapt andsurvive, they learn their potentials, said afemale participant:

“When I was married and my eldestwas in Grade 1, I attended



community discussions. In 1986, Ididn’t know how to lead. I was onlya housekeeper. However, throughcommunity discussions, I learnedabout women’s rights and roles, andthat we can also talk to our husbands.My husband’s income is not enoughfor the family so I need to work. Kahitpanti dili ako kapalit (I couldn’t affordto buy even a panty). Wives shouldnot only be dependent on theirhusbands, especially those who havevices. When my eldest son couldalready be relied on to do the housechores and took care of his siblings,I requested his school teacher if mychildren could stay at his room duringlunch break while I was at work.This set-up worked. I was so proudof my son. He did really take care ofhis younger siblings. I worked as aBHW when my youngest was 3 yearsold. Eventually, my husband realizedthat I could do anything and learnedto appreciate my contributions athome. Hence, I believe women cando leadership roles.” —BHW, layperson (from Davao FGD)

By asking questions and engaging the statusquo, women are slowly finding their voice:

“Until now, the priest in the parishtalks and talks. I’m the only one whohas interrupted him. It’s a way ofshaking the patriarchy in theChurch.” —a nun (from Manila FGD)

Some are optimistic with the seeminglychanging tides at the Vatican.

“At least, there are signs of hope. Bitby bit they see our significant role.Even with the New Evangelization,they focus on Mary. Slowly we areevolv ing into new roles.” —a nun(from Manila FGD)

“I’m so on f ire with all th is NewEvangelization. We can bring thisfeminist orientation in line with that.I’d like to have this thread, becausethe priests are still dualistic, theyseparate the matter and the spirit.The course on feminism helped meunderstand the differences. It’s howsociety has raised men.”—a nun (fromManila FGD)

“There is still hope. There are leftistsin the Church. In RH advocacy. Inthe new evangelization, there is PCPII. And Pope Francis is also pushingfor change. There is patriarchy but if

we empower women, there wouldbe change. Gumawas na ang mgalayko…. Hinay-hinay but it willeventually happen. (Laity are nowout. Slowly but it will eventuallyhappen.)” —a Bgy. Kagwad, layperson (from Davao FGD)

On the RPRH Law

Many of the participants saw the RPRH Lawas an opportunity for dialogue within andoutside of the Church, and called for open-mindedness and sensitivity to the plight ofthe poor.

“There are some signs of hope -for example, the RH law. Becauseof poverty, a family with 10children can’t deal with it .Allowing them to choose birthcontrol is only sensible. The Popeagrees with RH, but will not sayso because he believes that theBishops should have aconsensus. Bottom-line, it’s ourfaith.”—a nun (from Manila FGD)

“I have read so much about thisRH bill . And I have attendedC4RH discussion on the bill, andit was very enlightening. Sayingthat the law is pro-abortion is ajudgmental statement. As aChurch, we should have adialogical stance about issues, notthe intolerant statements made bythe bishops. I see the poor incommunities, and I can feel theirhardship.” —a nun (from ManilaFGD)

“I heard all the negative. I had togo to all the rallies at the parish.It’s so sad they couldn’t see thepositive.”—a nun (from ManilaFGD)

Others would rather focus on thesacredness of life and on the couple’sresponsibil ity, rather than oncontraceptives. Some affirmed that thedecision to use contraceptives is for thecouple to make and as such, should berespected as a moral act:

“The problem is we are making alaw on what should be thecouple’s responsibility. If we



could educate couples about thesacredness of life, since no onewants an abortion, no one intendsit, there would be no need for a lawif couples were educated about it.”—a nun (from Manila FGD)

“I would like to focus on what iscalled quality of life. Again, it is thewoman here who is at stake. I don’tagree that anyone should dictate toa woman, it’s really between thehusband and wife what they planfor their family. We are shown onlypart of the whole picture, which noone shows. It is the woman who isinvolved. What is going on insideher, that should be.” —a nun (fromManila FGD)

“It ’s women and men who areconcerned with this. It’s not thebishops or priests, or even nuns.But our people really need moreeducation on this.” —a nun (fromManila FGD)

“Yang ang mga isyu. Yan kasi angdapat respetuhan (Respect isimportant). Every concrete case isdifferent. Itong mga absolutes onsexuality ang ginagamit na moralitysa sexuality (The absolutes are beingused as basis for morality onsexuality). Mali iyan (that is wrong). .. . You have to decide on your own.Pag-aralan ang situation at dapat mag-decide ang couple (Analyze thesituation and the couple shoulddecide) . And you make decision.That, in itself, is moral.” —a marriedpriest (from Legazpi FGD)

Those participants who support the RPRH Lawwere emphatic on the need to plan theirfamilies so that they could provide for theirchildren:

“ I had BTL to make sure that mychildren have education and foodto eat. I am in favor of RH Law.” —BHW, lay person (from Davao FGD)

Some participants emphasized the need toeducate people, including Church people, onreproductive health and sexuality. Somebelieved that RPRH Law would preventunwanted pregnancy, abortion and poverty,and that the Church should educate families,parents and youth. Their words:

“I believe that involvement withthe grassroots, and my educatingfellow women, the youth, and thefamily—that’s what our societyneeds. I am aware that eventhough an RH law did not exist,women would have abortionsbecause of poverty. Givingeducation will help poor familiesknow what they are facing andhelp them to see the real world.My heart says that this is the properway of facing it. But if we guidethem, if we journey with them,maybe they will understand. TheRH law is not really it, but theflexibility and the appropriateresponse to the situation is.”—a nun (from Manila FGD)

“I agree that Christian educationshould be the priority of theChurch. Instead of spendingresources to say No! No! No! to RH,they should spend on familyeducation.” —a nun (from ManilaFGD)

“Not to miss are the opportunitiesfor formation and education of thewomen and men you meet, becausepart of the empowerment is reallyeducation, especially the mindsetand the beliefs. This is the areawhere we can really minister. Ourpresence should speak for itself,we model in our relationships; thequality of our relationships is whatthey, especially young people, get.There’s still a long way to go interms of consciousness even of thewomen themselves, of their rightsand their dignity. This is what Isee through the ministry. This ishelpful for me, an opportunity togo back to my own perception, myown belief. It’s a good time to havethis discussion to talk about theseissues, RH, VAWC, to look at thisas the reality of life, what we aredealing with in our ministry. A lotof things need to be done, toparticipate in the community,Philippine society and church.”—a nun (from Manila FGD)

“I believe we need this at thegrassroots. This is very vital andwill especially help in parenting,in building families, in rearing thechildren, because they are thefuture generation, our future. It willhelp for our tomorrow.” —a nun(from Manila FGD)

“We should widen our perspectivein valuing this advocacy. As asocial worker, I deal with realities.



In my community, we advocate for NFP.For me, parents should give rightinformation and education so they couldshare these to their children—this istheir f irst activ ity. However, if theparents knew nothing and areuneducated, how could you expect thatthey could also teach their childrenabout this issue? Like the connotationabout sex. Sex is not properlydiscussed. Hence the meaning ofsexuality is limited only to genitalia.Sometimes in the moral aspect, if thestatement will not be fully read andthe reader will already made aconclusion about what she reads, shecan’t see anymore the disadvantagesand advantages.” —a nun (from CebuFGD)

“Ang mga tao ay kulang sa kaalaman, atdadaanin sa mga sabi-sabi lamang, hindimaganda ang resulta niyan. E ipilit pa ngmga pari. . . . Mahirap ang resulta. Palagayko naman ang simbahan ang unang bibiling condom… di ba, pati Obispo. Angdaming paring may anak e, tingnan moyung mga orphanage …. It is so easy tobe a man pero kung sa parte ng isangbabae na nagdadala ng bata. Kailangangmaintindihan ng lahat kung ano talaga angpagdadalantao, para gamitin nang tamaang isipan kung ano ang tamang paraan. .. . . I don’t think the bishops would bevery, very blindfolded in things thatthey themselves do not understand.Kaya ako lumabas sa pagkapari para saaking anak I had to select between thepriesthood and baby (first). Martial Lawnoon. (People lack information andoften rely on hearsay; and that doesnot result in a positive outcome. Thenyou have pressure from the priests. Inmy opinion, the Church would be thefirst one to buy condoms, even thebishops. There are many priests whohave offsprings, just look into theorphanages. It is so easy to be a manbut it is the woman who gets pregnant.Every one should understand whatpregnancy means so that they can havethe right information and method. Idon’t think the bishops would be very,very blindfolded in things that theythemselves do not understand. That iswhy I left priesthood for my child. Ihad to select between priesthood andmy firstborn. It was Martial Law at thetime. Instead of pushing and tellingpeople not to do this or that, they reallyhave to go out and really educate everyCatholic. I don’t think the Church hasto blame us but they should blame itself.Instead of giv ing information to allfamilies who need guidance…they aredoing other things.”—a married priest(from Legazpi FGD)

Some participants expressed their lack ofinformation about RH, and wantedclarification why RH and contraception areseen as anti-family and anti-life by religiousleaders:

“I am not familiar what is insidethe RH Bill. Of course, hopefullythis will be presented. What isreally the content? We are alwayshearing the side of the Church:that this is abortion, but we alsoneed to learn and understand theother side. Is it an entry point toabortion? Anti-family, anti-life?Personally, I am not fond ofreading and so, whatever I readthat’s also how I understand. Itis Ok for special cases; however,these cases must be identified.There is a truth to the fear of theCatholic Church on abortion. Howtrue? Then it should behighlighted. What are the thingsallowed by the law that needs tobe supported because the supportto scrap the law had been done?Even if I am a nun, I support RHfor special cases and it should beclearly identified. The fear ofCatholic Church, and I also heardfrom the judge, is on abortionwhich had been done by othercountries.” —a nun (from CebuFGD)

“Mostly used is artificial FP likepills. I am a Catholic. Why arepills considered abortifacientsand those using pills are pro-abortion? That is where I wantto be clarified or it is being saidto lead you to sin. Then we feltguilty. The motive is good,spacing of children, planningfor economic advancement. Still,you can raise your children but(getting) education is soexpensive. I am confused whypills are being considered asabortifacients.”—a Bgy. Kgwd/FPformator, a lay leader (fromComVal FGD)

However, a few sti ll view RH andcontraception as harmful and sinful. Toresolve the conflict within, they have optedto follow the traditional teachings of theChurch. Some of those who object to RHhappened to be service providers, which maybecome a problem for the governmentshould the RPRH Law go into full swing.Catholics, particularly health serviceproviders, truly feel the contradictions



between two opposing concepts, as seen below:

“RH bill is something very emotionalto me because I almost lost my momand a cousin because ofcontraceptives. I am very concernedthat feminist movements are veryconcerned with pushing RH.” —acounselor, lay leader (from TagaytayFGD)

“Working at the health center, I andmy colleagues have to promote theuse of contraceptives. I had myligation when I was 36. I am veryreligious and so, there is a conflict.I am remorseful of what I did. I feltI have sinned. Whenever I am atthe Center, I am not really promotingthe use of contraceptives because Iam a catechist and I don’t want tocommit sin again. Even if my bosswill reprimand me, I will not reallypromote because I don’t want torepeat what I did before. I will justpray and ask for forgiveness becausethis is a sin.” —a BHW andcathechist, lay leader (from ComValFGD)

“I’ve been attending a lot of seminarson FP. I am one of the formators ofFP but I was confused on how tochoose the concept given by the BSUand the Church. For the Centerclients, it must be artificial. But asa church formator, I know thatartificial methods are not acceptable.Now I am confused on how to goabout promoting them.” —BgyNutrition Scholar (BNS), lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

“I have been a catechist for 2 yearsnow, I have 6 children. I didn’thave any knowledge ofcontraceptives, got li tt le onspirituality, hearing Mass as wellas praying. When I gave birth tomy youngest, I decided to haveligation since I had been giving birthyearly. I didn’t want that I could nottake care of my children. In givingbirth to my youngest, I underwenta caesarean and didn’t want tosuffer anymore. So, I attended a lotof seminars. I am not against RHbut I am not supportive, either Iobserved that the eleven I knew whoused contraceptives didn’t havetheir lives changed at all. They arestill poor. Maybe God said, “Whychange something that I had givenyou to take care of?” So I just askedforgiveness for my sin. Why did Idestroy the creation of God? It isalso written in the Bible. I am veryremorseful why I had ligation. Italked it over with my husband. I

also share my spiritual experienceregarding this matter.” —BHW, alay leader (from ComVal FGD)

There were also participants those whothought that the need for contraceptives wasborn out of the need to control population.Others are still wary of the “conspiracy”among the big corporations with the ultimatepurpose of generating huge profits:

“Ang sa akin ay population din. Angsabi kasi ay “Go out ang multiply.”Kung di problema ang population, eyou don’t have to usecontraceptives . E ngayon,population din, limit children anduse contraceptives. Kung walangproblema sa population e sino anggagamit niyan?”—a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)

“Nabasa nyo ba yung NSSM,Nationalist States Security 2000?”Kung binasa nyo, you willunderstand the political dimensionof RH bill….in-implement ng US andWHO sa Third World territories,dumating sa sukdulan, after BillClinton . USAID pulled out thesupport for condoms, because it’snow collection period. Bili na dapat.Isa iyon sa dahilan na-push ng RHang Third World territor ies.Makikita ang magkano budget forcampaigning for the Third World. SaCIA. (I read in the NSSM securityreport about the polit icaldimension of RH bill and why USand WHO push it in Third Worldterritories. USAID pulled out itsfree condom distribution becauseit is collection period already.)”—aformer seminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

In the long-drawn debate, RH has beenequated with contraception and evenabortion. In the process, the issue has gottenmuddled. And so, two participants said thatthe beneficial provisions of the RPRH Laware being ignored:

“Pangulo ako sa alagad sa GKK. . . Idon’t agree with the tarpaulins inthe church about RH being pro-abort ion. I explain that it isactually for birth spacing. I have 3children and I know what I amtalking about. I even helped mydaughter to get pregnant because Iwant to have moregrandchildren…”—BHW, layperson (from Davao FGD)



“Uminit ang debate to the point naparang nalaglag sa riles ang tren.Meaning to say, kung RH lang naman,walang problema but in some of theprovisions of the bill, doonnagkaproblema, especially on abortionand contraception, which is thecenter of the opposition of the church.Sana ang dapat ayusin ng crafters ofthe law should have to zero-in onplayers ng both parties: governmentand CBCP. That provision may behand in hand with abortion andcontraception issues. So these twodestroy the whole thing, which isRH. Marami namang magagandangprovisions, designs, plans, programsand activities which are RH per se atyun ang dapat tutukan. Kaya langnalihis sa isyu ng abortion. (The debatehas become so heated to the point thatit got derailed. It would not havemuch of a problem had the discussionfocused on RH but the bil l hasprovisions on abort ion andcontraception—which is at the centerof the opposition of the church.Hopefully both parties, governmentand CBCP, will be able to focus onthe issue. The RH bill per se hasmany good provisions, designs,plans, programs and activities andthat should have been the focusinstead of being diverting to the issueof abortion.)” —a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)

In addition to being immoral and sinful,artificial contraception is also seen by someparticipants as going against human nature:

“Iyung tinuturo ng simbahan, na-embedna iyan sa process of education at hindibasta matatalikuran. Ang artificial isreally putting a hindrance betweenthe possibility of conception,preventing the meeting of the egg andsperm. Ang diperensya ay sa naturalmethod, ay you engage duringinfecund/infertile period. Angdiperensya sa artificial ay you engagein the sexual act even during fertileperiod. That’s the one na sinasabi ngsimbahan na immoral and sinful. Youare cutting off the natural process ofconception. Samantalang sa naturalmethod, hindi ka fertile, you engagesexually, so walang conception kasiinfertile. Yun ang propagate ngs imbahan. yung natural methodperiod, which is greater in numberin 1 month. Ngayon kung gumamit kang artif icial contraception,nagiginganimalistic ang tao, nagigingmasyadong biological while doon sanatural method ay rational ang tao.Nawawala ang control and patienceusing artificial methods. It destroys

patience and control when itcomes to sexuality. Ang aso kapagin heat, walang makakapigil. Mag-aaway ang mga lalaking aso diyan.They have to do it. Natural iyon.That distinguishes human fromanimals. (The teachings of theChurch were so deeplyinternalized that they’re difficultto ignore. Artificial contraceptionprevents the possibili ty ofconception; of the meeting of theegg and the sperm. The differenceis that in the NFP, you engageduring infecund/infertile periodwhile in the artificial method, youcan have sex even during fertileperiod. That’s what according tothe Church is immoral andsinful. )”—a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)

The pressure to follow the Church positionon RH and contraception is not confined tothe pulpit but also to other Church facilitieslike funding institutions, said thisparticipant:

“Every 3 years, I got pregnant. Ihad bleeding. At 39, I hadeclampsia. I am in favor of RHlaw to help women. In our[Catholic funder] project , (wepromote) NFP. We were taught thatcontraception is sinful andagainst the teachings of theChurch. I don’t believe this.Maayo ang RH bill (RH bill is good).Knowledge on it should bedisseminated. Corruption ise v e r y w h e r e — c h u r c h ,government, communist….notcontraception. We are layko tanan(all laity). When we die, we havethe knowledge on how to improveour situation.” —a Bgy. Kagawad,lay person (from Davao FGD)

Given the Church leaders’ resistance,Catholic RH advocates said they encounterdifficulties in promoting their advocacy.They said:

“I am with vocation promotion andit ’s dif f icult to promote andcampaign about rel igiousvocations. . . I was invited. Ireally wanted to join you, in lowprofile.” —a nun (from Cebu FGD)

“There were instances that I wasbeing misinterpreted concerningthese issues and concerns. I am



working with the academe... RH isa delicate issue for nuns. Therewere times that my colleagues wouldwarn me that the nuns might getmad at me. I reasoned out thatintegrating these issues andconcerns in my curriculum is anexpression of academic freedom.And so, the nuns didn’t have theright to be angry. I am not a threat;I just want to explain various issuesfor women to increase their level ofawareness. However, I am doing itslowly because I don’t want womento have ‘mental diarrhea’ and I amhoping this will help us raise ourlevel of understanding andawareness.” —women’s r ightsadvocate, a lay leader (from ComValFGD)

“RH is not abortion. It is spacingbirth, management of family. Forme, I was late in using modern NFPEarly in marriage, I didn’t know FPand so, I have 5 children. I wantedonly 2. Women need 3 yearsbetween pregnancies for our wombsand bodies to completely recover.During my last pregnancy in 1997,I had hypertension and eclampsia.I was 32 years old then. It was arisky pregnancy and I had bleeding.Women should decide who we getmarried to; we should also decidewhen to get pregnant. Fortunately,I was able to provide for my children.I did not choose when to getpregnant. We should reformourselves, get ourselves educatedabout facts of life. In RH, we areencouraged to decide when to getpregnant, how many children tohave, how to manage our families.It is not true that RH is anti-life andpro-abortion, as the Church says.How can it be abortion when thereis nothing to abort in the first place?. . . After my last childbirth, I hadBTL. . . I decided on my own. Iwas not educated on FP but Irealized what I should do. My worldrevolved around bata, bana, baboy,balay (child, husband, pig, andhouse)—all the Bs are with me.Hindi na ako maganda, laging nagbe-breastfeeding (I am not beautifulanymore because I was alwaysbreastfeeding). . . Actually RH helpswomen take care of their bodies andmanage their lives.” —BHW, layperson (from Davao FGD)

“I am not anti-RH Law. How can wehave many children who will onlybecome streetchildren? We can buyukay-ukay (pre-owned) clothes butwhat about food, coffee with rice?I am in favor of RH Law. . . . I donot believe what the Church says.

Ang nagpractice ng abortion areCatholics actually. Not the born-again. Menos ang nagpapa-abort(The ones who practice abortionare Catholics actually. Not the born-again. There are few who undergoabortion).”—BHW, lay person (fromDavao FGD)

“I am working with prostitutes. Iam for RH. These women arealready struggling for their dailyneeds. They need to be educated.They may not go into abortion ifthey wi ll have the propereducation. This is a reality amongprostituted women. If we couldonly disseminate information downto the grassroots for the nextgeneration. Education should begiven in a proper way. How aboutthe others who just started thisprofession? They should also begiven education. Advocacy shouldbe disseminated and should not beselective . . . . It is difficult tof ight and attack directly theChurch. I just opposed a little bit,selectively. Whatever is being readshould be balanced. It is difficultto let women understand at thegrassroots level . Theconsequence: these women willnot be open anymore, they will beagainst the RH, and think that FPis a sin. What about the others whodo not know? There are manypossible answers but then they areoff guard to these possibleanswers. It’s difficult to have thesame perspective, level with theChurch.” —a lay leader (from CebuFGD)

Some pointed out that the RH Law respectspeople’s positions on contraception but stillprovides services for those who ask:

“I respect (his) position, lumabas angkanyang pagkalalaki. But for me Iagree with the RH law. SomeCatholics are already not faithful butwe have to respect them becausethey are still Catholics. How manygive birth in the hospitals? Theyhave no money. Where is justice inthat? What about those who are notmarried? RH law is for the protectionof one’s right—women, children andmen.” —BHW, lay person (fromDavao FGD)

“I worked with priests and bishopsand saw how they reacted on theissue. I was curious and so, Idecided to read it for myself . Ididn’t see anything wrong about it



or that it’s pro-abortion. Maybe thereaction of the Church lies in whereit will lead. And it was not stipulatedin the law. My sister is a rural healthmidwife. She’s responsible forputting IUDs in women. Even if shewas transferred to another barangay,the women kept following her. Theysaid they were comfortable with her.The only problem was medicine,vitamins and follow-up. There wasno follow up because the barangayhad no budget for this. So we reallyneed this law for the budget. . . .Sometimes I have to remind myselfabout being too emotional. I might beexcommunicated. I am very vocal; Itell them I am pro-RH if I know thatthe priest is against RH.” —a nun (fromCebu FGD)

Church leaders’ position on the RPRH Law hasalienated many members, said a participant:

“My relative used contraceptives toproperly manage her family. If shedidn’t, maybe she would have had somany children now and not afford tosend them to school and give themfood. The wife of my brother distancedherself from the Church; she didn’tgo to church anymore because she feltguilty of using contraceptives. But ifshe had not, what kind of family lifewould she have had?”—a nun (fromCebuFGD)

To facilitate understanding and building ofbridges between the Church and the State onRH, a participant suggested a commonlanguage, and humility as both camps dialogue:

“Masyadong na-drum beat ang politicalaspect ng RH. Nag-umpugan angdalawang poli t ical parties. Angmaganda diyan ay tanggalin ang prideng bawa’t isa. Yung government , hindinaman mag-come accros na humble kasiinsistent. Mas lalo ang simbahan. Thereshould be a facilitator in between.Umupo ang government andsimbahan. Maglagay ng parameters bagomaupo. Responsible parenthood is thelanguage of the Church kung gusto nggobyerno na ma-welcome . Gumamitdapat ng simbahan ng simbahan. Paramaka-interject the government shouldnot insist on the terms . . . that isthe language of the church para maka-interject …. (RH has been politicizedand both camps, government andChurch, have so much pride instanding their respective grounds.There should be humility in a truedialogue. A common language could

also be used to facilitateunderstanding. For instance,responsible parenthood isacceptable to the Church.)” —aformer seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)

“NFP and RP as points of entry,makikita maka-relate sa mga tao.(NFP and RP could be good entrypoints. These are already beingimplemented by the Church.)”—aformer seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)

On Contraception

At the core of the contraceptionissue is the value and quality of lifenot only for the woman but also forher family, stated at least three ofthe participants:

“No woman should die giving life.Her womb is the first environmentof any human being. The mostimportant is the woman’s body.The harvest depends on theseeds. If the body is bad, thenwhatever is inside her will bebad. What will happen to thechild? The woman should decideif her life is at stake.” —Women’sCoordinator, a lay leader (fromComVal FGD)

“I believe in birth spacing at hinditayo maghihirap kung dalawanganak lang. My relative has manychildren at naghihirap sila. Nakitako ang difference. The childrensuffer. (I believe in birth spacingand we would not have difficultyraising children if we had onlytwo. My relative has manychildren and they live in poverty.I’ve seen the difference betweenthe l ives of families with fewchildren and of families withmany children. In the latter thechildren suffer).” —BHW, layperson (from Davao FGD)

“When I started NFP, the RPRHlaw was not yet there. I taughtBillings Method, LAMP. I havegrown old but have never usedNFP even if I am a BHW. . . SinceI was teaching NFP, what I tellthe participants was to spacepregnancies to provide for basicneeds of the children, especiallywith the rising cost of



commodities, education, food, . . tohave healthy children. Thechildren suffer. Married couplesshould decide, especially newly-weds. There is love and lovingloving (at the start)….. but later,there is no more love but “labad”(headaches} if there is nothing toeat.” —BHW, lay person (from DavaoFGD)

“I have only 2 children and they goto private schools. I can do thisbecause they are few.”—a lay person(from Davao FGD)

Some women use contraceptives not only toprevent pregnancies but also to protectthemselves from sexually transmitteddiseases (STD), said a participant:

“I was already a BHW and myyoungest was already in first yearhigh school when my husbandacquired mild STD, with strongsmell. One day I learned of hisinfidelity. He didn’t have anychoice but to tell me the truth. I gotconfused. I didn’t tell anyone. I wentto work to forget my problems,pretending that everything wasnormal. I didn’t tell even my family.I really wanted to separate but I wasthinking of my children. Hereasoned out that it was his friendwho ent iced him to use otherwomen. If he truly loved his family,then he would not have done it. Iwas faithful, I gave everything tohim. Even if I was tired, I alwaysgave in to all his sexual desires andadvances because I loved him. Hedid change but I could not forgetand forgive him. I talked to mychildren about this and they saidthat they would support whateverdecision I made. Wala na akong ganasa sex (I don’t have desire for sexnow) which resulted in conflict/quarrels with my husband. I stilllive with him, but no more sex. Iused FP as protection. I want to besafe.”—BHW, lay person (from DavaoFGD)

“At first, I was afraid of using FP. Ipracticed abstinence and controlwith my husband. I didn’t know FP.In 2000, when I became a BHW, Iattended seminars on FP and wasintroduced to contraceptives. I diduse it when my husband got STD toprotect myself. I don’t want to getpregnant again, RH is not abortion.”BHW, lay person (from Davao FGD)

Two of the women participants understoodthat contraception prevents fertilization, andthat without fertilization, there is no lifeinside the woman’s womb to be aborted. Somealso saw the difficulties of using only thenatural methods.

“If we ask a thousand womenwhether they use pills , thecommon answer would be yes.Women take pills with the goal offamily planning - having thisnumber of children, or spacingthem. Women should not suffergiving birth. I think the RH bill isnot pro-abortion. As long as thereis no life yet, life has not started.From the beginning that you’ve usedpills, there’s no life yet. It is onlyto control. What is needed iseducat ion. Once there isfertilization, it ’s a sin already.Women should be educated on theconsequences. Once, the churchshowed pictures which were reallymorbid and with a story that wasnot good,”—FP trainer, a lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

“This is where I was confused, touse sex control over birth control.I couldn’t deepen myunderstanding of this. Naturalmethod used in pre-cana seminaris good only if your husband is nota drunkard. He then canunderstand but if he can’t,artificial is good. But they said itwas abortion. Sex control versusbirth control leads to conflict. NFPis only applicable (in the Church)but for me it is not real. There isalso no abortion because there isno fertilization.” —BNS/FP trainer,a lay leader (from ComVal FGD)

“Using IUD is not abortion. In mycase I could not see blood becauseI immediately got pregnant. So Iused contraceptives to control. Iused IUD for one year, thennatural. So the gap between mythird and fourth children is 11years. I am working in the healthcenter.” —BNS/FP trainer, a layleader (from ComVal FGD)

For some, contraception is not a sin,especially if it involves the woman’s life andthe welfare of her family. They testified howcontraceptives enabled them to space theirchildren and to provide themselves and theirfamilies with quality time. Quoting them:



“I married at 16. At 22 and alreadyempowered, I decided to have a tuballigation. My husband is the only son.He said if I undergo ligation I wouldbecome a sex maniac. I didn’t care atall. Without his knowledge, I had theligation. I didn’t commit sin. Whatwill happen to me and my childrenif my husband will dictate what I mustdo? If I want sex I tell my husbanddirectly. You should tell your husbandif you are not happy having sex withhim. For me, I believe in thesacrament of marriage. That’s why Ihave been married for 42 years. Asa woman, you’re the one gettingpregnant, you should decide. I hadplans. I wanted to study, and so Istudied and finished my course. Ishould really decide on what to dowith my body.”—Women’sCoordinator, a lay leader (from ComValFGD)

“I am pro-contraceptives because Iused pil ls for 4 years and then,ligation. Contraception doesn’t meanabortion. In family planning, you arejust prioritizing the rearing of yourchildren and giving them a good life.I don’t think there is abortion in usingcontraceptives for FP... Quality lifefor children. If you want a betterfuture for your children then there’sno such thing as a wrong method ofFP.” —government employee, a layleader (from ComVal FGD)

“I didn’t undergo ligation. Only Godcan tell when I will be pregnant again.I have now grandchildren, I want tohave one since we already havetwins, a boy and a girl. It ’s nowcomplete, I used pills, for birth controlonly.” —a Bgy. Kagawad, a lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

“Life is difficult. I’ve seen my auntwho has a dozen children give birthyearly and now can’t afford to giveeven food to her children. She is nowbegging for food together with mygrandmother. I really felt bad seeingher. As well, I felt pain andsometimes anger why she allowedherself to have that many children.”—SK, a lay leader (from ComVal FGD)

Not just the women participants but also themen wanted contraception:

“I have been married for 25 years andall my children have gaps of two yearseach. We really practiced self-controlbut my husband went to a doctor andasked her for ligation for me. But thedoctor refused because she said I was

still young. Instead, sheintroduced us to othercontraceptives, I didn’t like IUDand so, I tried using pills. We andthe doctor did talk about it, WhenI gave birth to twins, my husbandasked the doctor again for myligation. The doctor explained tome that using conceptive likepills doesn’t mean that I alreadykilled the fetus; there is no fetusat all yet.”—a Bgy Kagawad, a layleader (from ComVal FGD)

“I have 4 children. The gapbetween each child is 4 years. Ireally planned my family becauseI was thinking of my children’seducation. My youngest is a girl.I have good relations with myhusband. He never gets mad atme and is understanding. If everI get angry he would just say thatI should pray the holy rosary toease my anger. We just talk aboutit. We are really happy and oursex life is active even if we arealready in our prime. He alwayschecks for my whereabouts; asksif I have had lunch or dinner. Heis really like this even when mychildren were young. Until nowwhen they are all married, hechecks on them and calls themup often. If I am out, my husbandwho is a (public official) even goesout on his way to follow me. Hehasn’t changed even after he waselected. He doesn’t have “barkadas(gang)”. Every time he attends aseminar, he goes home after theseminar or conference, reasoningthat I am alone at home.”—Women’s Coordinator, a layleader (from ComVal FGD)

“Nag-usap kami ng wife ko. Nursesiya. Pareho tayong may knowledgesa ating bodies. Paano yung wala?Pangalawa. How about yung babaena nasa feudal set-up over theirbodies? Pag sinabi ng lalaki nagusto, wala siyang laban. Hindi rinnakikita ng mga Katoliko leaders,yung ganong set-up very feudal angPilipinas. Walang control ang mgababae over their bodies. Kahitferti le, paano kung las ing angasawa?…. (My wife and I talk aboutit. She’s a nurse. We both haveknowledge about our bodies. Butwhat about others who do not?Secondly, how about a woman ina feudal set-up? If the man wantsit, she cannot refuse. The womandoes not have control over herbody. Even if she is fertile, whenher drunk husband insists.” —aformer seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)



“For me, iba ang nangyari. For 10years, we had no children. Nagpa-work out s i mis is saka nakabuo.Nagkaroon kami ng anak. And then na-trigger ang ano niya… sunud-sunod na.Ang problema ay lahat ceasarian.After 3 ceasarians sabi ng doctor,delikado na. Nalito na ako. Kailangangi- l igate ang mis is . As a formerseminarian to be ligated is beyondmy inclination… pero she had to beligated. Kapag nagkaanak pa atnabuntis, her life would be at stake.(It was different for me. For 10 yearswe could not produce an offspring.It was only when my wife had somework-outs that she got pregnant.And it somehow triggered herfertilit y and we had two morechildren, one after the other. Butthe problem was, those were allceasarians. The doctor told me thatit would be dangerous to haveanother pregnancy. I got confused:my wife had to be ligated but as aformer seminarian, I did not agree.But she had to go through it becauseher life would be at risk if she gotpregnant again.)” —a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

To be consistent with Church teachings,some still opt for NFP:

“I use only NFP because I have usedit. We emphasize responsibility ofmother and of parents when weprovide basic services.” —BHW, layperson (from Davao FGD)

Others, however, contended that even NFPgoes against human nature:

“NFP is also a contraceptive and youdo not conceive. Hence, NFP isintended for the couple not toconceive. Para ang away lang namandiyan ng mga methods. Babalik nanaman diyan: Ang natural noongunang panahon ay yung nao-observesa animal. Kapag may sex ay forprocreation . Pero with theadvancement of science, ang naturalngayon ay hindi lang biological orwhat is called ng ilan as physicalismbut also including reason andscience, etc, including technology—And that is also part of naturalenvironment—to guide us what isright and good. E may advancementnga, hindi lang yung automatic. Hindilang biologicalism. Ang akala nila hindika nag-iintervene. (It is just a debateamong different methods. It wouldalways revert to the old observation

among animals. Sex is forprocreation. But wi th theadvancement of science, what isconsidered natural now is notsimple biological or physicalismbut also reason, science, etc,including technology—all of whichare part of our current naturalenvironment—to guide us what isright and good. We already haveadvances and therefore, things donot just become automatic. Not justbiologicalism. They think that theydon’t intervene in this) when infact, you are actually interveningin the natural process even inNFP. Because the most naturalthing for a woman is to have sex(amorous) when she is fertile. SoNFP is the most unnatural tohappen to a woman actually, whenshe is prevented to engage in it.So NFP is the most unnatural tohappen to a woman....sorry to saythat many church leaders’ conceptsand teachings are not based onmodern, technogical advances andknowledge but on the old paradigm(sa dating daan). The modern worldhas new sources of knowledge. Ifonly we could be open. We all wantthe same thing except that; coloredna rin ang Church. They alwaysequate artificial contraception withabortion. This is not true.” —amarried priest (from Legazpi FGD)

Women’s control over their bodies is not theissue of controlling fertility and decidingwhen to have children. Some of the womenparticipants verbalized how they also wantto exercise their right to pleasure:

“Now that you are married, you area teacher, a wife, you learn somany things about the body, whichis sacred. I belong to a family of10, whi le my husband has 7siblings. When we got married, wewanted of course to have fewchildren, 3 to 4. He’s a technicianand is always tired while I am ateacher and get tired too. We talkedabout sex, and agreed upon whento have sex. Women should playlike a slut to their husbands tosatisfy themselves. You shouldmanage and have techniques toenjoy sex. It is just a matter oftalking to each other, wife andhusband. ’—FP formator , a layleader (from ComVal FGD)

“Personally, I am a late bloomerwho got married at 35, and isconservative. However my husbandis aggressive. One time I attended



a seminar and learned so many thingswhich I shared with my husbandbecause before the seminar I couldn’topen up with him, especially on sexissues. Deep inside I felt pain. If everwe had sex I didn’t enjoy it. I learnedthat sex is part of you but you can’tgive in every time your husband wantsex. I shared this with my husbandand he understood. I was able toovercome my conservatism and now,I enjoy sex and our relationship.”—a government employee, lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

“My 2 sisters used contraceptives butnot continuously. There were timesthey couldn’t hold on to their sexualpassion as husband and wife. Theemotional care will be less if you havemany children. The children willexperience lack of love. It’s a choiceof the couple, together with psycho/emotional care, and love of children.I am single and so, am actually notthe right person to tell couples aboutthis issue. One time while I was inPangasinan and one wife told me thatI couldn’t tell them what to do becauseI didn’t have experience of being amarried woman. She said, you don’thave a partner in bed who will‘mangangalabit’ (sexual advances) toyou which you can’t resist. So I alwaysbring with me this lesson.”—a formernun (from Cebu FGD)

Other participants believed that sex is anexpression of love and that pleasure is a naturaloutcome of sex between two loving individuals.They said:

“Gugma ang sex (Sex is done withlove).”—BHW, lay person (from DavaoFGD)

“In marriage, couples should agreealso. Di dapat husbands lang ang mag-enjoy. (It’s not only the husband whoshould enjoy sex); the wife shouldalso enjoy. I am already a senior, andmy husband is still active sexually.Women are entitled to enjoy sex. Wecan also init iate sex, especiallywhen we are still young…..any timeas long as it is with your husband….Mali kung hindi bana. (It’s a differentstory if it’s not your husband).”—BHW,lay person (from Davao FGD)

“For young people, that is true butwhen we get older it’s a dif ferentstory. I strongly demand fidelity frommy husband. When he cheated onme, I never had sex with him.”—BHW, lay person (from Davao FGD)

“I am newly married. I still don’thave children and am enjoyinglife. In making love to my wife, Ialways ask if she enjoys ourlovemaking because I want her toenjoy sex mutually. For me, it isnot real ly pleasure; i t is anexpression of love. I always askpermission, if she is available. Ialso took note of her monthlycycle and asked her to have sexbut she didn’t want it because itwas dirty/messy. We have sexonly when she and I arecomfortable. My wife is 3 yearsyounger. I can’t afford to use birthcontrol. It’s probably discipline. Imust be aware, open-minded. Mywife is not exposed to this kindof topics. I just share with herwhat I’ve learned. We have beenmarried for about 5 months.”—amale lay formator/person (fromDavao FGD)

“Love is very broad. Let us be veryspecific. Sex lives. May papasoksa isip mo na (What comes into yourmind are) traditional sexualrights. Ang babae ay nakahilata lang(the woman just lie down ) andspreads her legs. Rephrase: is itright for married women to enjoyor have equal sex rights as theirhusbands? I agree.” —a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

“Gusto ng lalaki na mag-enjoy ngsex. May right siya. Gusto ng babaena mag-enjoy ng sex. (A man wantsto enjoy sex. It is his right. Awoman also wants to enjoy sex.)There is always negotiation. Eachand everyone has a say on this.Bukas tayo na gusto ko. Pero pagodsi misis. But gusto mo. (You maywant to have sex but your wife istired.) That ’s negotiation. It isboth respecting each other’s rightsand finding ground. Saan kayomag-meet (where do we meet)?Negotiation is mutualunderstanding.” —a marriedpriest (from Legazpi FGD)

Despite the preponderance of scientificevidence, misconceptions still aboundamong the rich and poor, unschooled andschooled:

“Kapag hindi ka regular, alamnaman ng babae yan. E magbilanglang ng after menstruation so mag-engage ka after menstruation notbefore. Kasi hindi mo pa alam kungkailan ka magme-menstruate peroafter menstruation, mabibilang mo



yung number of days kung kailan kaferti le. (Even if they do notmenstruate regularly, women stillknow. They just have to count thedays after menstruation beforeengaging in sex to know their fertileperiod.)” —a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)

On Divorce

In a Catholic setting, sex should be donewithin the confines of marriage. Sex outsideof marriage is seen as taboo and is frownedupon. However, forced sex within marriage isalso not acceptable to women.

Divorce is seen as a way out of an abusiveand unhappy relationship. Participants saidthat it takes courage for any woman to decideto leave that relationship and assert herrights:

“For richer and poor, till death dous part. Kahit pitikin ka lang aymasama na ang loob mo, e di paano naang abuse? (Even with a pinch youalready feel bad, how much more ifit’s already abuse?) It is not advisableto get married, it ’s against thesacrament of marriage if you are avictim of VAW, and do women needto die first? I agree with women wholeave the abusive relationship. Butthe loophole in the VAWC is, there’sno place for abused families andincest victims.”—a nun (from CebuFGD)

“My sister had a philanderinghusband. Call it woman’s intuition,but she caught him in the act. Shewent up to the ship and found outthat her husband was with anotherwoman. She formerly worked as anaccountant in a resort. I advisedmy sister to ask the husband toleave; however, he didn’t. Sheand her children should stay home.Her children were in high school.The eldest son, known to be quietand shy, unexpectedly told hisfather to leave. The father wasshocked. However, to save themarriage, I advised her to talk it outwith her husband, undergo maritalcounseling, then decide what to do.It takes courage to leave a husband.But if you do, as much as possible,do it amicably. Also, you need toconsider the social stigma on thechildren. It also matters how youvalue your worth and dignity. I can’t

tell that my sister doesn’t haveshortcomings but she should notbe forever battered. She shouldtake all the possibilities. There’sno reason to prolong the agony.She told her husband that she andthe children would survive becauseshe had so many talents and shegave up her career only because ofthe children. Her husband didn’tdo anything; in fact she helpedher husband f ind a stable job.Anytime, she can go back to herjob. Now she’s doing business. Itold her to get the ATM card becauseshe has the right. I told her toreport it to her husband’s boss.”—a nun (from Cebu FGD)

“My nun-friend told the wife of hisbrother to do something andinvestigate the infidelity of herhusband. She didn’t do anythingand so, she just woke up onemorning and she had nothing. Herhusband filed for early retirement,the mistress was given a houseand lot worth millions while shegot only a portion of the retirement.It is important you value yourwomanhood, f ight for yourrights.”—a nun (from Cebu FGD)

Despite this, there is always a stigmaassociated with divorce, stressed a leader:

“We need to strengthen advocacy.But Fi lipino women areconservative, one-man womenwith close family ties; there is astigma on broken families. Angating tinatrabaho ay effect. Ang familydin. (We work on the effects of theseparation on the family.)”—a layleader (from CebuFGD)

Abortion

Many participants expressed discomfort withthe issue of abortion. Some felt that abortionis wrong and should be avoided as much aspossible. Their words:

“I have no full knowledge of RH.What is abortion? On my part,there are parts of the law that Iagree with, but not on abortion.Sad to hear for those outside ofCatholics. . . As a representativeof the Catholic Church, I know thatthere are practicing Catholics andthere are Catholics only by name.



It is not right to have Catholicsundergo abortion. PracticingCatholics do the sign of the cross.Abortion is kill ing life. Povertyshould not be used as an excuse.Lovemaking is an expression of love.Pregnancy is a natural result of love.It is a grace. . . We should not blamethe child who had nothing to do withit.”—a male lay formator/person (fromDavao FGD)

Others recognized that abortion may be allowedin difficult circumstances like saving themother’s life and health. In such cases, thewoman’s decision should always be respected.

“I am not pro-abortion, but in specialcases, to save the mother where thereis no other alternative, then it’s anoption.” —a nun (from Manila FGD)

“Regarding abortion, I think it shouldbe al lowed for cases where themother is in danger.”—a nun (fromManila FGD)

“For me, abortion is a case-to-casebasis. I respect the decision of thewoman. If she has heart disease andshe doesn’t want to have abortion,then there is a possibility that shewill die. The important thing is thewoman, but others will not approveof her undergoing abortion. So whois more important: the woman or thefetus? Don’t tell me the woman isless important than the fetus? Unlessthe woman undergoes abortionbecause she doesn’t want to disfigureher body. That’s wrong. A girl wasraped by her father. She belonged toa family with 13 children, and if shewould gave birth then there wouldbe 14 mouths to feed. They were sopoor. The community said no toabortion. The child didn’t have armsand feet. If the girl had been allowedabortion, then her life may be differentnow. In her case now, nobody daresto help her. Where’s the community?So it’s a case-to-case basis. For me,abortion before was murder but now,I respect the decision of a woman.”—women’s coordinator, a lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

“Depende sa sitwasyon (It depends onthe situation).”—BHW, lay person(from Davao FGD)

“For medical reasons, siguro puwede.But intentional abortion to do awaywith the child, no!” —a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

However, since abortion is not legal, unsafeand clandestine abortions proliferate—graveprocedures which put women’s lives at risk.

“My younger sister was a product of anattempted abortion by my mother. We didn’tsee anything unusual upon her givingbirth but after six months, her intestinewas in bad shape and she was bleeding,”SK, a lay leader (from ComVal FGD)

Abortion is happening, some participantspointed out, stating that it is important tounderstand the issue, withhold judgment,provide counselling, give support, andrespect the woman’s decision:

“Even if there’s a law or even ifwe don’t have a law, reality tellsus that there are many who aredoing abortion although they arenot reported. The Church isgetting emotional on this issue. .. and not clear enough on what itis presenting. They don’tunderstand. They immediatelyreact, which results in settingaside the positive effects. Theylabel everything. I am not sayingthat abortion is not bad.Sometimes culture matters. Theway they treat women is theirculture, and we cannot judge. Asa woman Religious, I shouldwiden my understanding andperspective. . . . I cannot judgethose who commit abortions. Youdon’t know them. Counseling isnecessary. They might not be intheir r ight mind, they areconfused and nobody guides themand so, they resort to abortion.We also helped women in thecommunities. We housed singlemothers. Values formation isnecessary. We allowed them tochoose, and some opted foradoption. The sisters in charge,in consultation with the familiesof the pregnant women, provideshelter to unwed mothers whostay wi th us until delivery.During pregnancy, the family isincluded in the process. Aftergiving birth, the women return totheir families. Others opt foradopt ion, which we refer toagencies. It’s the decision of thefamily and we respect that.” —anun (from Cebu FGD)

“My conscience has beenawakened from a long sleep. Inreality, I focused my life onlywithin the context of my religious



activities. I sometimes forgot thatthere were other issues. I reactedwhile watching TV but my reactionhad no direction because I don’tknow what’s going on aroundme.”—a nun (from CebuFGD)

“Sa iko, parang common . Walangword on abortion, basta sa kanila ayilaglag lang. So, with the wordabort ion dito lumabas angnakakatakot. Yung “palaglag lang”, sakanila ay dugo pa lang, alisin pa langyun. Nakakahiya. Pero kung tutuusin,hindi talaga maliwanag kung kailannagiging tao ang tao. ... pero sabi nilaay dugo pa rin iyan. Pero andiyan naang tao, yan na rin ang simula. Hindilalaki iyan kung hindi nagsimula iyan.Kaya lang ang term na palaglag aypangkaraniwan lang. (In myexperience, it seems common. Butthere’s no word for abortion; insteadthey use “ilaglag.” The term abortionseems f rightening. The words“palaglag lang”, for them it’s justblood that needs to be removed. It’sshameful. Actually, it is not clearwhen a human being becomes aperson. . . but they insist that it’sstill blood; hence it can be removedand seems ordinary.)”—a marriedpriest (from Legazpi FGD)

From a theological perspective, abortion iswrong because life begins at conception:

“Ang sabi ni (According to) St. Thomas,Agustinian mystic: life begins at conception.Infused upon conception.” —a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

Women who go through abortion feel shameand guilt. To atone, some women leave abortedfetuses at church doors:

“Dinadala iyon kasi alam nila namaraming pumupunta, para makuhaang bata. Kasi maraming pumunta sasimbahan para ipalibing. Pangalawadiyan ay innate relig ious guilt ,humihingi ng paumanhin sa simbihanat iniiwan nila. (They leave the child,knowing that many people go tochurch, so that the child could haveproper burial. Secondly, they haveinnate religious guilt; and they areasking the Church for forgivenessby leaving the child at churchdoors.)”—a former seminarian (fromLegazpi FGD)

On Women’s Autonomy

The idea that women own their bodies seemsto contradict the teaching that our lives andbodies are not our own but are “on loan” fromGod. Some had difficulties reconciling howpeople, women in particular, can decide fortheir bodies. An example:

“I feel offended by the statement‘Women own their bodies.’ Instead,I feel I revere my own body as acreation of God. It’s a pagan-ishstatement, it has no faith. Becausewe are a temple of the Spirit, wedon’t own our bodies.”—a nun (from Manila FGD)

On Homosexuality

There are a lot of negative ideas abouthomosexuality. Some of these include theperception that homosexuality is related topedophilia:

“Many gays are pedophi les.”—a nun (from Cebu FGD)

“Let us dif ferentiate pedophile,which is really a disorder. Not allgay people are pedophi les butstraight people, heterosexual, arepedophi les and male sexualpredators in the church were notbeing fully screened because wedidn’t want to see what isheterosexual, what is pedophiliaand what are predatory activities.Sexual predators can also becunning. They are good in makingcamouflage. They are intelligent.You can’t identify them as sexualpredators when they were stillseminarians until they would beordained. The Church shouldknow how to identify them.”—a former nun (from Cebu FGD)

Some participants maintained thathomosexuality exists among congregationsand in seminaries:

“I know one , . . my classmate in(a theology school). Before entering



the seminary, he was already gay. Hetold me that he was the first womanordained priest. He was accepted in(a province in Luzon). In fact, it wasBishop ——— who ordained him. Heis very effective, very close to hiscommunity.” —a former nun (fromCebu FGD)

“There are many gay priests. Onepriest confided his experiences as aparish priest. Nagkaribal sa isang parisa attention ng isang sacristan, umiyakkasi (He became a rival with anotherpriest for the attention of a sacristan.He cried to me because) he thoughthe had committed mortal sin. Theyouth already stripped in front of himbut as a holy person, he didn’t doanything. When this happened, hewas t rembling. However , thesacristan was able to experiencesexual activity with the other priest.Gay priests are OK because there aregay priests who are very creative,productive, and faithful, they are sogood during retreats, and theirhomilies are attractive. They alwaysconfide their wrongdoings. Gaynessis innate—not necessarily that theywere victims of abuse and becamegay. But for sexual abuse victims,they should be undergoing therapyto process the issue of abuse. Thechain of abuse continues. During myaspirant days, I knew of a girl-girlrelationship between aspirants.Validation/intervention was notenough; however, there wereformators who didn’t know how tohandle cases like this. If cases ofsexual experiences were discoveredamong the aspirants, theyimmediately panicked. There’s a caseof a postulant in a contemplative whowas sexually abused by threeseminarians. I am doing the therapynow. One of these seminarians wasa sexually abused victim. I amworking with the formator. I am notdone with her yet.” —a nun (fromCebu FGD)

“Ang anak ko, sa experience niya,lumabas sa seminaryo at nag-callcenter… ang tawag niya Christ theQueen Seminary kasi maramingganyan. Yung mga super iors paginirereklamo yung trend, ikaw pa angpag-iinitan. (My son left the seminaryand worked as a call center agent.He calls the seminary Christ theQueen because of the presence ofmany gays. When you reportinappropriate behavior, you subjectyourself to reprisal f rom thesuperiors.)” —a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)

Some participants believed thathomosexuality happens in exclusive same-sex institutions and that sexual abusesshould be prevented:

“Kaya maraming nangyayari saseminary, like any all-male or all-female institution. May tendenciestalaga, in a sense. Paano angpagbabalanse na ang environmentang hindi napro-promote ngabuses? Dapat heal thyenvironment, whether all-men orall-women. Hindi conducive. Ma-prevent din ang abuses if normalenvironment. High school minorslalo na sa minor seminaries, walangguidance. (Homosexualityhappens in seminaries like anyall-male or all–female institutions.There is a great tendency. Whatis important is to balance theenvironment and prevent abuses.It should be a healthyenvironment for all. There shouldbe guidance.)” —a married priest(from Legazpi FGD)

Still, homosexuality was seen byothers participants as sinful andperverse:

“Ako diyan sa Biblical, Sodom andGomorrah. Ibig sabihin, iyan angpunishment for homosexual acts.(For me, it’s like the Sodom andGomorrah. It is meant aspunishment for homosexualacts.)” —a former seminarian (fromLegazpi FGD)

“Ang tingin ko diyan, kahayupan.Naging biktima ako niyan. Pagka-graduate ko sa high school ,tinawag kami sa kuwarto ng paringdominikano. Ang buong akala ko aymedical exam….ng isang pari.Pinahubad, tingnan ang lapit mo,buhayin pa, tingnan ang puwet mo…hindi ko alam. …. But I felt different,kakaiba. Ang lapit, dako sa lapit…at papuntahin ako sa Sta. Cruz tokumpisal . …e s iya naman angnagkasala…. But he died, . . .pumuputok na ang . . . [STD]. (Ithink it’s a perversion. I was avictim of that. After graduatingfrom high school, I was called bya Dominican priest. All the while,I thought it was a medicalexamination. I was asked toremove all my clothes; and heinspected my genitals. But I feltdiscomfort when he fondled mygenitals. And the nerve of himasking me to go to confession in



Sta. Cruz when it was him whohad sinned! But I learned he diedof STD.)” —a married priest (fromLegazpi FGD)

“Everything we have about religioncomes from the Bible. Yet if itaffects them, then they would notquote it. Nasabi mo yung Sodom andGomorrah. Anong kasalanan ngSodom and Gomorrah? Sinunogyan. Yung mga bisita kasi doon angniyayari nila. They were condemnedbecause of homosexual ity andpromiscuity. Sinabi rin ng Panginoonna any man who has sexualrelationship with another man iscommiting sin—garbage yan! Perobakit hindi napo-point out yan? Taoka rin at may karapatan. Maykarapatan ka ring magmahal. Ano angmasasabi mo diyan tungkol sa sinabing Panginoon? (How would youinterpret the Bible whenhomosexual relationship is beingcondemned? Isn’t it your right tofall in love?)” — a married priest(from Legazpi FGD)

Religious congregations maintain that theydo not accept homosexuals.

“SVD does not accepthomosexuals.”—a former nun (fromLegazpi FGD)

Some participants clarified the variouslabels used for homosexuals:

“Iba naman yung bading sa pagiginghomosexual. Ang bading ayeffeminate. Ang bakla talaga ayhomosexual. (The ‘bading ’ isdifferent from a homosexual. The‘bading’ is effeminate. The ‘bakla’is the real homosexual. )” —aformer seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)

“Merong homosexual na macho-macho. (There are homosexualswho are very masculine.)”—amarried priest (from Legazpi FGD)

Other participants seemeduncomfortable with the LGBT’s policyadvocacy for respect, and recalled:

“There was a bill in the provincethat was shut down from the start.It was about requiring respect forLGBT. It was knocked down kasi

hindi puedeng ilagay sa ordinansya.Respect is earned kasi may penalty.Paano kung bading ako at kursunadako ay isang tao? Kung hindi pansininbaka gamitin ang ordinansya at di siyanirerespeto .... I respect the LGBTs’sexual preferences. But I don’tagree with their demand forrespect from society. Paano monaman irerespeto yung dumadaan sabahay na parang rumarampa.Palaging… gumaganun ang hips(There was a proposed provincialordinance that was struck downfrom the start. It required respectfor LGBTs. It was struck downbecause you cannot put ‘respect’ inthe ordinance. Respect is earnedbut the bill also includedpenalties. What If I am gay and Ilike another man? If the gay is notnoticed, the ordinance might beused as ground for not being‘respected’ . . . . I respect theLGBTs’ sexual preferences. But Idon’t agree with their demand forrespect . How can you respectsomeone who always walks as ifon the runway?)” —a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

“Puedeng gamitin ng bading toharass. . . . Kasi marami nang dirumirespeto. (It might be used bygays to harass others because manyare not really respectful. )” —aformer seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)

Sexual abuses also happen inhomosexual relationships, stated theparticipants:

“In girl-to-girl relationships, thereare abuses also. For teenagers notto be confused, they think thathaving a same-sex relationship issafe, but not really. We are workingon it for them not to be confusedwith their identity.” —a lay leader(from Cebu FGD)

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re agay. Pare-pareho lang dapat. Bawalang exploitation sa relationship.”—a married priest (from LegazpiFGD)

Other participants were uncomfortable withsame-sex relationships, including marriage,and one described marriage as a sacredsacrament reserved to unite only a man anda woman:



“Yung same-sex marr iage, I don’tagree. Puede ang partnershipagreement lang. (I don’t agree withsame-sex marriage. Perhaps they canuse partnership agreement. )” —aformer seminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

“Marriage is sacred.... The fact thatthey will be pushing for sacramentalmarriage... is a desecration. Ok langang civil sa gobyerno”.” —a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

In sacramental marriage, the couple becomesthe minister, a participant pointed out:

“In the sacrament of marriage, theminister is not the priest but he wasjust a witness. The ministers are thecouple.”—a married priest ( fromLegazpi FGD)

At least one participant linked the rise of LGBTsto Gender and Development (GAD) and otherrelated programs like Gender SensitivityTraining (GST):

“Itong issue ng gender anddevelopment, itong GST, naabuso rinat wala na rin sa tama. Ang sabi ko sakanila, ayusin ang GAD issues. Itonagagamit nila sa pang-aabuso…nagiging opportunist ang iba. Maramingbatas na lumalabas …. Nagigingopportunist sa GAD. Ito ring LGBT,nagiging opurtinista (This GAD budgetand program has become an attractionfor abuses and opportunists.)”—aformer seminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

The participants took note of practicalconsiderations in a same-sex relationship oreven in marriage like child rearing, propertyrelations:

“Ang position ko ay kasi may alaga anggay couple na-confuse ang bata saschool. Kung ma-legalize yung union,kung kasal sila, anong epekto sa batana parehong male partners? Hindi itofamily. (My personal position on thematter is that it same-sex marriageshould not be legalized and shouldnot be called a family. It would confusethe child.)” —a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)

“Kawawa ang bata (The child willsuffer).” —a former nun (from LegazpiFGD)

While views on the family could change overtime, some participants were uncomfortablewith the notion of calling a same-sexrelationship with children as a family.

“Kung sa bagay, there was a timethat we had a tradition with noprivate but communal families.Sociologically, I am just open.Puede ring mag-change ang formof families. Although we are usedto a monogamous family, Muslimshave many wives. How do we viewit? I mean, it’s a cultural thing.What serves them and protectsthem and their dignity? That istheir family now. Would that bethe norm forever? Or it willchange? OK, there was a time nanagche-change ang society . Iaccept par tnerships na dede-develop. Gay who takes care ofchildren at baka may partner rin.Para namang comfor table angcouples at ang mga bata. Dependerin. In other countries… marami rin.What about single parents, walangtatay? Ang argument kasi ay ahealthy family is needed for thenormal growth of the children.Kung wala sa context na ganoon,hindi maganda ang growth ng mgabata. Hindi automatic naman yankapag we define family nangganun, what is basic sa definitionnatin ng family is partnership… (Inreality, traditions change overtime. While we are used tomonogamous families, there arethose have different norms, likethe Muslims who practicepolygamy. Family traditions arecultural and may changedepending on what serve andprotect the members of society. Iam open and accept partnershipsthat develop. Fami ly is aparatnership and healy family isneeded for the normal growth ofchildren.)” —a married pr iest(from Legazpi FGD)

“I have a problem with same-sexmarriage and calling it a family.Sexual preference is OK; wag langbabasagin ang normal. Wag i-impose ang kasal. At tatanggapinang kasal sa batas (Don’t break thenorms. Don’t impose marriage.Just accept the laws onmarriage).” —a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)

“Ok lang yung walang tatay kasibaka namatay ang tatay. Masmadaling maintindihan ang soloparents. Hindi yung growth anddevelopment. (It’s ok not having afather, probably the father hasdied. It is easier to understand



the situation of solo parents. That’snot growth and development.) Thenorm is that when you say there isa family: a mother, a father, a child,a father acting as a mother. Hindifamily ang same-sex couple. Same-sex couple is not a family).”— aformer seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)

Some participants could accept the realitythat some cultures have polyandry (a womanwith many husbands) and polygyny (a manwith many wives), but could not imaginehomosexual relationships.

“For example nga may isang lalaki,maraming asawa (for example, thereis one man who has many wives.)”—a married priest (from LegazpiFGD)

“Somewhere in Africa. Isang nanay,maraming tatay. Yung 3 tatay ayhunters, yung elderly tatay ang mag-aalaga. Hindi acceptable ang same-sex couple. Kung married sila, hindipuedeng manganak kaya nag-ampon.(In Africa, a woman can have manyhusbands. The three fathers arehunters while the elderly husbandtakes care of the children. Same-sex relationship is not acceptable.If a married couple cannot havechildren, it’s OK to adopt. And thatis st ill family. )”—a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

“Ang basic orientation kasi natin ayanything that happens in this worldhappens because of rules. Yung mgahindi sang-ayon sa rules na yun, yung360 turnabout is uncomfortable. OKlang ang 45 degrees lang naman angdeviation maaaring maintindihan.Yung 360 degrees, not according torules puedeng tanggapin. Level offang comfort natin doon sa batas. Kayanga may sanctions and obligations,kasi kung hindi nasa batas. OK nairespeto sila for their option andpreference na maging bading. Okey.Wala kaming pakialam, doon kamaligaya. Pero kung gagawin mo nababaliin, babasagin, mo ang batas foryour comfort, hindi puede iyon. Gayanito, magkasama kayo, parehong lalaki,wala namang batas doon e. pero angpagiging bading mo, pagiging bakla mo,pagiging lesbian mo, wala kamingpakialam sa iyo. In same-sexrelationships walang batas…. Walakaming pakialam kung magingrelasyon, wag lang kasal. (Our basicorientation is that things happenon this world because of rules.When people don’t follow the rule,

in 360 degree turn-about, thatbecomes uncomfortable. It is OKperhaps if 45 degrees deviationand we can understand that. If it’s360 degrees, that is no longeracceptable. We should level off onthe law. There are sanctions andobligations. It is OK to respect theirpreference and choice to becomegays if that would make themhappy. But if you circumvent oreven change the law for your owncomfort, that is not acceptable.There are no laws on same-sexmarriage, hence we cannot allowit. But if you want to be gay, thatis your business—just don’t ask usto allow you to get married.)”—aformer seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)

Some participants called on people to putthemselves in the shoes of those who wantto be recognized as children of God, too,deserving happiness and accorded withrights and privi leges l ike those inheterosexual relationships.

“Pero ang tanong diyan, let’s putourselves in their places. Ang gustoay magkaroon ng partners. Call it afamily or not. Gusto nila na uniqueiyan sa kanila. At gusto rin nila namayroon s ilang inaalagaan. Ofcourse, hindi naman biological iyan.(They also want to start a familyand take care of children. Ofcourse, the children are not theirbiological offsprings.) It may not benormal (to us) but let us accept thefact na dumadami na rin ang ganyan.(there is an increasing trend) Asscience studies, lifestyle, pagkain,hormonal…. Whatever... time willcome na marami na rin…. whenabnormal becomes the norm. Angpunto ko ay (my point is), let’s keepit open. And let us not usecategories that are normal for usbut not for them. If we do not wantto call it family for them, then iyankasi ang definition nila. We mayhave our definition of family butwe should allow them to live inthe way they call ‘family life’—callit partnership, whatever. Kasi angsa atin ay mother and father. Butwe should allow them to live somesort of to call it family by theirstandards. Why should we denythem? And condemn them andinsist that hindi puede at tama (notright and proper). Ito ang pamilya.Sa kanila iyon ang ibig sabihin nilang family (This their familyaccording to them).”—a marriedpriest (from Legazpi FGD)



“But that is my personal opinion.Kung yun ang opinion nila, bahala sila(If that is their opinion, I couldn’t careless). I respect their partnership andunion. But for me, I will not allowmyself to believe na family iyon. kasitinatanong ako.”—a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)

Instead of marriage, which is sacramental,some proposed a partnership agreement toprotect partners in terms of property relations:

“May written agreement.”—a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

“Partnership agreement and union.Legal it ies to protect theirproperties.”—a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)

“In the meantime that we do not havea law on same-sex marriage, LGBTscan avail of what is existing to protecttheir properties and rights. Whenthere is a law, then perhaps….”—amarried priest (from Legazpi FGD)

“Kung ako ang tatanungin, I wouldrally in Congress not to make a lawon that. Kasi pagbibigyan mo ng bataspara sa kanila. Special law for themmagiging precedent for them. Nadi-disturb ang ating mga batas. (If I wouldbe asked, I would rally in theCongress not to make a law on samesex marriage. Because if you allow it,it becomes a special law for specialpeople. It would become a precedent.It would disturb the existing laws.)”—a former seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)

As a norm, homosexuality is frowned upon.However, by affirming understanding, love forfellowmen and respect for human dignity, someparticipants later changed their behavior andattitude towards LGBT:

“I used to think with the moral eye ofthe Church that being gay was amortal sin. But through my journey, Ilearned of the various kinds of humanbeing, and I lost my view of it asmortal sin. So I l ike what PopeFrancis says about it, which I feelemanates from respect for them, andthus, we can give them space.”—a nun (from Manila FGD)

“I agree about the impor tance ofeducation and formation. This is howwe can really help. Respecting the

body as the temple of the HolySpirit... Before, I was shocked atLGBTs; later, no matter what theorientation, they are still humanbeings created by God. I neededto be educated and to understand,for my attitude to grow respectfulof these persons’ dignity. It wasa growth for me in terms ofunderstanding, accept ing andrespecting them.”—a nun (fromManila FGD)

Some participants recalled howsocialization molds people into certain rolesand ways of thinking, and how children areoften socialized into specific types of workand even behavior based on sex. Those whodo not conform are considered different.

“My father is a butcher and Iworked with him. My eldestbrother is shy with this kind ofjob. So I guess it’s easier for myfather to work with me. Butunfortunately because of my kindof job, I was branded a lesbian. Iwas hurt and frustrated becausemy only reason for doing this jobwas to help my family because weare poor. In high school, I wasalways bullied and teased aboutbeing a lesbian. There were timesthat I had second thoughts,because I liked girls because theyare beautiful. I admire them. Ididn’t have a boyfriend in highschool. I don’t like boys but I ama girl. Actually, it is difficult togo against the old folks. Theysaid, What would happen to thelives of lesbians and gays? Whyare there lesbians and gays? Butnow on TV, Showtime, they madelesbians and gays known. Before,we were just conscious aboutthem. Now, men and womenstrive and work hard to attainsuccess.” —SK chair, a lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

However, others observed that culture ischanging to suit the needs of society, andthat gender roles and expectations areslowly being equalized in schools:

“In HE (Home Economics), boysare taught to sew clothes whilegirls are taught to do carpentryand electrical jobs. It is a goodpart in gender development, itevolves. In book drawings, Motherwas cooking while Father is



reading and watching TV. Notanymore this day. The father ishelping his child to take a bath andis also changing diapers. This isnot radical but slowly integratingchanges in daily lives.” —Women’sCoordinator, lay leader (from ComValFGD)

“I believe that we cannot standsilent. We have to act. A priest wastalking against gays/lesbians, Iasked him if he knew that 10% ofparishioners are gay. We have toact, speak, because we are movingmountains.” —a nun (from ManilaFGD)

On Violence Against Women

In all the focused group discussionsconducted, the participants displayed morepassion in talking about violence againstwomen than about other issues. Some evenshared their personal experiences or thestruggles of women they know.

When asked whether women should leavewhen abused by their husbands, many felt thesuffering women go through:

“It’s not an easy question, to leaveor to stay. What I do is try to help awoman come into her own dignity,of who she is. It is not right forhusbands to abuse their wivesphysically or otherwise, but it takesa long time. In the Philippines,poverty makes it worse – if thewoman left her husband, wherewould she go?” —a nun (fromManila FGD)

“This is too sweeping a statement.There are so many things toconsider. Abusive husbands are noteven gender sensitive; they are noteducated about this; the children;the woman herself . For me, thewomen should be accompanied in aprocess that should betransformative and not justpunishing – already abused, whenshe leaves she is punished by nothaving anyone to help her raise herchildren.” —a nun (from ManilaFGD)

“For me the statement is not enough.We should treat the problem. Ahusband may be sick – if he is nottreated, then even if you leave, the

problem continues.” —a nun (fromManila FGD)

“I agree dapat iwan ang abusivehusband. Ang problema lang, hindinga nila iniiwan dahil wala silangkaya panustos kung may mga anak. Iadvise women to learn how to live,how to work, how to support theirchildren. Hindi puwedeng mamartirna lang nang ganuon, kung sinuboknang maisaayos at walang nangyari.(I agree that women should leavetheir abusive husbands. But inreality, they cannot do so becausethey have no means of supportingtheir children. I advise thesewomen to learn how to live, howto work, how to suppor t theirchildren. It is not right to sufferfor so long; they just have to try tomake things right for them.)”—a layleader (from Tagaytay FGD)

The complexity of the situation of women inan abusive relationship should be thoroughlyunderstood, the participants urged:

“It ’s complex; there are manythings to consider before leavingthe husband.”—a nun (from ManilaFGD)

“It is not a simple must-thing; it isa process that ought to beaccompanied, and not just theabused woman, but also thechildren, and even the abuser.” —a nun (from Manila FGD)

“Hindi madali (It is not easy) forsomeone being abused, this isbeyond logic and needsintervention.”—a theology student(from Tagaytay FGD)

“Please be very careful about tellingwomen to leave their husbands.First, think of safety; ensure thetiming, protection, money. It’s nota matter of convincing a person todo it, but ensuring the protectionnot only of the woman but of herchildren. Many women have diedbecause of mishandling of theircases.” —a nun (from the TagaytayFGD)

Some respondents shared their personalexperiences and knowledge about gender-based violence. Others admitted that whilethere are laws that protect women and



children against violence, many still do notbenefit because of lack of information.

“My concern, my experience withwomen here in Tagaytay, is that theyfear being abused by men. They arealways questioned why they have somany children when they cannotafford them because of poverty. Theysay their husbands forced them, andthey cannot do anything. That’s sounfair to women.”—a lay leader (fromTagaytay FGD)

“I personally know about the story ofour parish worker. Pero wala akongnasabi (to help). (I was not able to sayanything to help.)” —a nun (fromTagaytay FGD)

“When you marry and your husbandwants to have sex, then you have tohave sex with him because if you willnot be able to have sex with him thenhe will get mad. But there are timesyou can’t always give what he wants,especially when you are tired. Menhave more times doing sex thanwomen. If men are still young, in their20s and still in good health, they arecapable of having sex as much asthey want. When you give sex withoutpleasure, they can also detect this.They don’t want this. If it’s forcedsex, it’s not good. I just pray.” —aBHW, lay leader (from ComVal FGD)

At least one participant pointed out that thereare contributing circumstances that lead mento violence, like the nagging of the wife:

“Unfair din sa male na may nagger namisis. (It is also unfair to the man tohave a nagging wife.)”—a nun (fromTagaytay FGD)

However, that was immediately questioned bythe others:

“Ang Filipino husband, kaya nagigingnagger yung wife kasi women have allthe bulk of work at home, not justhousework but also taking care of thechildren. Magiging sweet ka ba pa napagod na pagod ka na’t gusto mo lang ematulog? Kung may trabaho ka pa,inaayos mo lesson plans mo, makapag-lambing ka pa ba sa gabi? (A wifebecomes a nagger because she getsall the bulk of work at home, not justhousework but also taking care of thechildren. How can you be sweet whenyou are so tired that you just want to

go to sleep? And if you have a job,(say a teacher) you still need toprepare your lesson plans; howcan you feel romantic in thenight?) ” —a lay leader (fromTagaytay FGD)

On Rape and Marital Rape

There was a consensus that rape violates aperson’s dignity, whether it happens withinor outside of a relationship:

“Marital rape is also a violation.”—a nun (from Manila FGD)

“There is such a thing as rapeeven in marriage.” —BHW, layperson (from Davao FGD)

“Women’s rights, especiallysexual rights, their rights againsttheir husbands to say no. We needto protect ourselves from rape.Even from husbands. That’s whatI understand.”—BHW, lay person(from Davao FGD)

“Actually, if you say rape, it issexual act committed by oneperson against the will of another.Kahit mag-asawa iyan, puede pa rinpatawan ng rape pero wala namanglumalabas. (Even among marriedcouples, there is such a thing asrape but no one speaks out.)” —aformer seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)

Despite the consensus, the current attitudetowards rape works to the disadvantage ofthe victim, who is deterred by the stigmaassociated with rape from seeking justicepublicly.

“It’s a silent, hidden crime. Inmy country it doesn’t even get tocourt.” —a nun (from Manila FGD)

“Women hide the abuse theysuffer even from their friends.”—a lay leader (from Tagaytay FGD)

“Mabait kas i ang mga babae.(Women are quiet.)”—a marriedpriest (from Legazpi FGD)



Women endure a lot and often suffer insilence. They would either accept their fatebecause that is what society expects of them,or they are concerned with the effects on theirchildren should they speak out and asserttheir rights. A female leader said:

“Marital rape is a crime against aperson. Communicate and love yourhusband so you won’t get raped. Youhave to think of your family first ifever you are going to decide to file acase against your husband. I reallywanted to separate but I wasthinking of my children and whatmy relatives and friends would sayabout loving my husband. I was ableto tame my husband. I believe inthe saying there’s a t ime foreveryth ing. A husband is noteverything in your life. There aremany compartments in your life, notjust your husband. Love is coupledwith commitment and respon-sibility. Until now, part of marriedlife is love. You can’t tell that youwill not love him because he is notlovable anymore. He is noteverything in my life. He broughthome his mistress, he got all thevices in life, but I didn’t break down.He is not a bad person but hisactions are. Treat him like a gem.Everything is from God. Others willimmediately resort to bringing thecase to court and not want to talk.A friend brought her case to courtand her witnesses were herchildren. My heart bled when thechildren testified in court. So to stopsuffering, love the person. Untilnow I am with my husband. OurLord wants us to have a happyfamily. Acceptance, understan-ding.”—Women’s Coordinator, a layleader (from ComVal FGD)

Marital rape also happens during a cycle ofviolence. There are already legal and socialinterventions for abused women, but theirsuffering is not yet over, the respondentsstressed. The survival and well-being of bothwomen and their children also come into play:

“One of the things that we do is theimplementation of restorative justicerelationships in the community. Wehave got to empower men inaddressing VAWC and focus notonly on the man and the womanbut also on the family and thecommunity. What is their role? Howcan we use restorative justice to dealwith community violence and theviolence between spouses? We are

for the restoration of humandignity to all involved, but thepriority is the safety of theweaker.”—a former nun (fromTagaytay FGD)

“In Davao we already have aconviction on marital rape becauseunder the revised law of rape,there was force, intimidation andthreat. The case involved a taxidriver and a laundry woman. Thewoman was three monthspregnant and she miscarried. Theman was convicted on three countsof rape. It’s a challenge to supportgroups. What is impor tant ispersonal healing.”—governmentemployee, a lay leader (fromComVal FGD)

“Women forgive easily. At thebarangay level we always issue aprotection order. But if it cannotbe, it is elevated to the courts.”—FP formator, a lay leader (fromComVal FGD)

“Women are not economicallyempowered. They forgive the manbecause of the survival of theirchildren. If the woman isfinancially independent, she candecide. She is dictated by societyand culture.” — Women’scoordinator, a lay leader (fromComVal FGD)

Given the circumstances behind rape,victims, particularly women, should beaccompanied and assisted. A participantcalled for a special church ministry on it,specifically:

“Agreement that there is a ministryfor this, because women victims ofmarital rape cannot tell a priest.”—a nun (from Manila FGD)

“May batas tayo RA 9262. Wealready have a law on this. Ano angibig sabihin ng iwanan ang husband?Kapag may binugbog physically, iwankaagad at pumunta sa punongbarangay for barangay protection.Only the punong bgy and the boardcan issue it. (We already have thelaw, RA 9262. You just don’t leaveyour husband. If you get beaten,leave the house and go straight tothe v il lage chief and seek abarangay protection. Only thevillage chief and the board canissue it.)”—a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)



“Sa tingin ko gamitin ang legal remediesbago niya iwanan. Steps iyon to assertyour right, ang understanding ko rito.Usually ang reality, kapag binugboguuwi na sa kamag-anak. Ang sa akin,iwanan mo pero kasuhan mo. Aalis langang situation, hindi pa yung haharapinyung violent sitwasyon. Iiwanan totally,hindi dapat ganoon. Iwanan mo perokasuhan mo muna. (I still believe thatwe should use all legal remediesbefore leaving a husband. Stepsshould include asserting your right.The way I understood it, most batteredwomen would rather go to theirrelatives. For me, I would leave thehusband but I would f ile a caseagainst him. Leaving is not thesolution in addressing violence. Youshould leave but f ile a complaintagainst your husband.)”—a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

“Step 1, leave the husband for safetyto protect self . Kasi bugbog ka,mamatay ka diyan. (First step is to leaveyour husband for your own safety.)”—a married priest (from Legazpi FGD)

Despite the abuses, some would not go to theextent of separating from the husband.

“Sabi sa Scriptures, what God has puttogether, let no man put asunder. Kasikapag kinasal, yung contract ay hindirenewable every year. Lifetime yan.Yung iwanan ay violation ng marriagevows. (According to the Scriptures,what God has put together, let no manput asunder. When you get married,your contract is not renewable everyyear. That is a lifetime commitment.Leaving the spouse is a violation ofmarriage vows.)” —a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

The best way to protect women from abuse isto empower them, and to sensitize men to berespectful of women. As the intervention forwomen and men has evolved, some paticipantssaid that hopefully, the Church would alsoevolve:

“May experience din ako sa district,yung women and development. yungmga progressive na areas . Hindieconomically empowered ang mgakababaihan. Unintended conse-quences of women empowermentprojects. Lalaki na ang naging focus atkinalaban ng mga babae. The menreacted negatively to WID [women indevelopment] . Hindi pa kas i noongender sensitivity. Puro women lang

(I have an experience in mydistrict. . .about women anddevelopment implementation inprogressive areas where thewomen did not becomeeconomically empowered. Theunintended consequences ofwomen empowerment projects,the men became the enemies. Ofcourse, the men reactednegataively against women indevelopment. There was nogender sensitivity then, womenonly.)”—a former seminarian (fromLegazpi FGD)

“Nangyari rin iyan, inuna angorganizing ng women. Pero lateron, in-organize na rin ang lalaki.Totoo rin naman kapag kinalabanni misis ang lalaki, problema iyan.Tthere should be male involve-ment. Things evolve and sanaklaro, ang Church ay mag-evolvedin (It also happened before. Theystarted organizing women but lateron, they also organized themenfolk. It is true that when thewife threatens the husband, itbecomes a problem. There shouldbe male involvement. Thingsshould evolve as the Churchevolves.)” —a married priest (fromLegazpi FGD)

“Noong high school ako, women’sliberation iyan. Tapos, lumabannaman sila para sa equal rights.Tapos ngayon nag-evolve na riniyan gender sensitivity. Hindi naexclusive yan sa women. (When Iwas in high school we called itwomen’s liberaton. Then itevolved to equal rights advocacy.I suppose it also evolved intogender sensitivity. And that is notexclusive to women.)”—a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

On Protecting Girl-children

Many participants recognized thevulnerabilities of girl-children to genderdiscrimination, poverty, and the disregardfor their well-being:

“For me, though I agree with thestatement, there are children whoeven more vulnerable, such asthose with disabilit ies. (Perpe-trators) aren’t educated, but morethan this, poverty puts the girl-child in situations of risk.” —anun (from Manila FGD)




“In some families, the adults are notreally concerned for the children. Ihandled a family case involv ingchildren from ages 9 to 11; a girlwas abused by her father. He hadvices like drinking and smoking.When her father got home drunk,he would rape her because hermother was working as househelpin Manila. His father’s family didn’tbother to check her situation untilshe was raped by her father. Ihelped during the prosecution ofthe father. I then placed the girl inBalay Kasilungan, a DSWD shelter.I was the witness dur ing thehearing. In coastal and rural areaschildren are vulnerable to rape.” —BHW, lay person (from Davao FGD)

Some of the practical problems attributed topoverty are the lack of adequate living spaces,and the giving to children of monetary bribesby relatives, said the participants:

“The difference where I’m from isthere is a lot of space. But in smallareas with little space, the childrenare at risk.” —a nun (from ManilaFGD)

“True, because of poverty entirefamilies live in a single room.”—anun (from Manila FGD)

“We have cases in the barangaylevel. A factor in this is that thehouse is small and the privacy ofthe children from any member of thefamily is limited. Another one is thatthe child is g iven money byrelatives. Protection of children isan important issue and can be doneonly by stronger laws.”—FP trainer,a lay leader (from ComVal FGD)

Other participants also realize that childrenin general, whether girls or LGBTs, arevulnerable and are in need of protection. Theystressed:

“Not just a girl but each child, suchas LBGT, because LBGT childrenare often bullied and abused. Soeveryone who can be regarded asweak by others needs protection.”—a nun (from Manila FGD)

Early marriage and early sexual encountersharm children, said a participant. They alsoneed protection from being victims of incest,

said other participants. Still others cited theabsence of parental guidance and theproliferation of cybersex as contributingfactors to the lack of protection.

“Early marriage or early intercourseby a child is very destructive. Earlypregnancy is physically,biologically, emotionally andmentally damaging because the girlis not ready for this.”—a nun (fromTagaytay FGD)

“I always tell my friends separatedfrom their husbands or those whoare widowed to think twice aboutmarrying again if they have girlchildren, and to be very careful inleaving their children with theirfathers.”—a theology student (fromTagaytay FGD)

“I am involved with a group lookingafter girls who are v ictims ofincest. One cause is the absenceof one or both parents workingabroad. Another is the role ofcybersex, especially in socialmedia. We have to do somethingbecause it is very destructive.”—apriest (from Tagaytay FGD)

One effective means to prevent child abuseis to break the silence. A nun explained:

“The crucial person regardingchild abuse is the mother. We’revery happy that there are manyauthorized interventions. The bestis to have the community break thesilence around the case, to visitthe family so that they are remindedthat there is no secret anymore. Ifyou can get an adult to support thechild by believing in her, that isthe most important. (There is)dif f iculty of trauma processingamong streetchildren: it’s a verycomplex and woudl need multi-disciplinary approach.” —a nun(from Tagaytay FGD)

Other participants pointed out the need forawareness and education and for economicupliftment of families. They urged that evenat an early age, children, particularly girls,should be trained to protect themselves frombeing sexually abused:

“It’s all about power. Dynamics ofpower. Children should beeducated.”—women’s coordinator,a lay leader (from ComVal FGD)


“The response of the municipalgovernment is to have a livelihoodprogram.” —FP trainer, a lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

“We advise our daughters ‘wag maki-barkada sa kung sino-s ino, badinfluence. Suerte ako at ang mga bataay hindi gala. (I tell my daughters tochoose their friends carefully. I amlucky that my children are not theadventurous type.)”—BHW, lay person(from Davao FGD)

The participants shared stories on incest.Some pointed out interventions to preventoccurrences and penalize perpetuators. Theyalso shared how political armed groups like theNew People’s Army (NPA) show their sense ofsexual and reproductive justice by killingperpetuators.

“I tell them about body parts and thefew who can touch their bodies. Akolang. Di puede ang papa, lolo, lola, tito,kuya. Di rin puede tumabi sa lalaki, evenmale relatives. (I tell them that onlythey can touch their bodies: not eventheir father, grandfather, uncles,older brother. They are also notallowed to sleep beside male relatives.They can play outside but not withboys and balay-balay at anak-anak(playing house or making children).Pag di nakita (if I can’t see them) in 5minutes I follow them up. They arealways under my watchful eye.”—BHW, lay person (from Davao FGD)

“My daughters are separated fromsons and other male members. Whileschooling, we monitor their time ingoing home and other act iv it ies,especially girls.” —BHW, lay person(from Davao FGD)

“Dumarami ang incidences kasi maynagre-report na ngayon. They must beprotected. Sa farflung farms, walangdivision ang mga bahay. According toauthorities, may increase of incestbecause of increase in reporting. Maykaso sa Masbate, yung tatay ay binarilng NPA kasi sa incest. 2 years na inabusoang anak. Hindi military asset kundinire-rape, 60 years old ang tatay. 2-daysago, yung tatay binaril ng NPA dahil saincestuous relationship. Nagsumbongyung anak. 5-7 years old yung bata.Incest also happened to my neighbor.Government official ang tatay (Thereis an increase in the reporting ofsuch cases. They should be protected.In far-flung farms, houses have nopartitions and there is no privacy.Authorities noted the increase in

reports on incest. In Masbate, afather was killed by NPA becausehe abused his 2-year old daughter.That was the first time that theNPA intervened not for political-military purposes but forpunishing a perpetrator of incest.It also happened to my neighbor.The child was about 5 to 7 yearsold.)”—a former seminarian (fromLegazpi FGD)

“Sa streetchildren, 3 kinuha ngmadre, kasi incest victims, LegazpiCity squatters area. May mgabatang lalaki rin na inaabuso.Nangyayari iyan sa may UCPB. Walaang nanay. (A nun took 3 streetchildren who were incestvictims. There were also boys whowere abused. These kids have nomothers.)”—a former nun (fromLegazpi FGD)

Some of the participants cited incest as abiological imprint among animals, and addedthat as society evolves, rules and normspreserve peace and order. However, somemen still treat wives and children asproperty. Their views:

“Speculation ko lang, angpagkapareho natin sa mga hayop ba,animals, biolog ical. Walangdistinction. Yung nanay, sa mgadogs, puede sige pa. The fathertreats the daughter as propertypero baka there is a desire toprocreate. (I am speculating thatlike animals, these perpetratorsmake no distinction. Fathers treattheir daughters as properties andprobably, like animals, they desireto procreate.)” —a married priest(from Legazpi FGD)

“May animals naturally, theyprevent inbreeding , kas ihumihina…. Halimbawa ang lions,kung lumaki na ang cubs, aalis nasa pride. (Animals naturallyprevent inbreeding because itweakens the gene pool. Forexample, male l ions leave thepride when they mature toprevent inbreeding.)”—a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

“Ang thinking ang gumagawa ngincest at rape, kadalasan ay walangalam sa batas—kung sa iba, masmalaki ang accountability. Hindi saloob ng pamilya. Greater in numbersiguro ang cases sa mga squatters.(In my opinion, those who areguilty of incest and rape probably



do not know the law. For those whodo, the accountability is grave.There must be a greater number ofcases among the squatters.)” —aformer seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)

Ordination of Women in theCatholic Church

The Catholic Church, while respecting thecontributions of women, has long resistedgiving them leadership roles. There arefeminists who challenge this theology andwould want ordination to be opened to all.

Some of the participants claimed that if theChurch would truly follow Christ’s teachingsof respecting equality for all humankind, thenit should provide equal opportunities to all,regardless of gender.

“I think priesthood is as much a callfor women as it is for men. Thereare many gifts in the Church, and Ibelieve in the equality of men andwomen. Even Paul did not separategifts as belonging to only men oronly to women. They are availableto all. Men are priests only becausethey have penises. That’s not whatpriesthood is about. It’s very sad thatin the Church, we make choiceslike this. It colors everything. Asacrament is not anymore limitedto the seven. We now understandit is any act where God ispresent.”—a nun (from Manila FGD)

“I believe that it’s the encounterwith the liv ing God, especiallythrough charity and faith, wherewe are called. I do believe that somewomen have the call to be priests. Iwonder if this would be possiblewithin our lifetime. It depends onthe person. In terms of gifts, onemay be called to the priestlyministry, kingly ministry. What’simpor tant is that we bring theloving God closer to the people.Building the kingdom of God - that’sthe main mission. The mission isenriched by the variety of giftsacross the community.”—a nun (fromManila FGD)

“If a woman has the gift, she shouldnot be prevented from beingordained.”—a nun (from ManilaFGD)

The status where only men are ordainedreflects continued discrimination againstwomen, some participants pointed out. Theyshowed the role of Catholicism in promotingsuch discrimination with these words:

“The only gender inequality I canfeel is that women can neverbecome priests, making me feelthat women seem to be less thanmen so they can never be that.” —a theology student (from TagaytayFGD)

“But it’s the church that is treatingwomen as second-class citizens.We don’t even have women priests.Even Jesus is a man. Apostles aremen. What’s wrong with thewomen? The Church said that it’snatural because Jesus is a man.Why can’t women be heads of thefamily? Or priests? I’m not anti-Catholic.” —women’s coordinator,a lay leader (from ComVal FGD)

“We have female priestesses. Wehave babaylan. There were womenpriests, priestesses, who did therituals. They led in performing therituals in the forest. Women didthe planting, men gathered food(sud-ha/viands, wild pigs, f ish,using arrow made from limestone,etc. Women were not onlypriestesses but also healers. Inour seminar I learned that theSpaniards were responsible for ourconversion to Catholicism and thatbecause of this, everythingchanged. . . . We wereChristianized to be subordinates.However , we should not besubordinates; we should be equalwith men. Women can doeverything as men do. I am 60 yearsold but I still gather and cut wood.I do carpentry work, etc. I am alsoa barangay health worker and afrustrated nurse. As long as I amable, I do what I can for the serviceof humankind.” —BHW, lay person(from Davao FGD)

“Patriarchy was brought by theSpaniards. We did not have thatbefore. We had babaylans. In theBible, men are privileged.” —BHW,lay person (from Davao FGD)

“There were also priestesses inolden times.”—a nun (from CebuFGD)

The participants admitted that priesthood isnot for everyone, but they would still like the



opportunity for it to be available for those whowant:

“Even if it would be offered, I wouldrefuse priesthood because I do notwant to be t ied down with theSacraments, which are not liberating.Thus, they cannot do pastoral work,which is more a way to express thecaring of the Church. I admire theFranciscans because they are notpriests but are brothers.” —a nun(from Manila FGD)

“I am struck by the statement thatwomen need to be priests. I wouldrather say that the Church needswomen to be priests. Personally Iwould not want to be a priest, but Iwould respect and encourage thosewho would be priests, because theybring so much of wisdom to it. Thereare so many priest-less communities.Women priest would bring so muchunderstanding at the ground level andthe parish. So many have confessedto us their sins, but we cannotconfirm that their sins have beenheard and forgiven. It is very painfulbecause I love the Church.” —a nun(from Tagaytay FGD)

“I am a feminist but I am not aimingto become a priest. I can practicefemininity without being a priest. Wealso have a vocation and anapostolate. The parish priest wasthreatened with our presence. Andso, instead of recognizing our capacityto contribute to the welfare of theparish, they were threatened andresorted to conflict. So we didn’t haveany choice but to pull out our sistersfrom apostolic and ministry work.Our superior told the parish priestthat we were there to serve, not tocompete and replace him. We wantto help the parish. Sometimes thepriests felt overpowered by us. Butthat is not what I understand aboutfeminism. In feminism, I can sharethe capacity to build a communitywithout being overpowering. Itcannot be denied in history thatwomen were second-class citizens.Team work turns into conflict. I amglad that Pope Francis is upholdingwomen’s dignity. Hopefully hesurvives and lives longer to createchanges in the church.”—a nun (fromCebu FGD)

“If it is a gift of the Holy Spirit, it willendure. There were women ordainedin a synagogue.” —a former nun(from Cebu FGD)

“I would want it for myself.” —a nun(from Cebu FGD)

“Others: not for them.” —a nun(from Cebu FGD)

“OK naman siguro. Nakita ko saibang may pari sila, one of myfriends. (It’s ok because I’ve seenit in other religions, like one ofmy friends.)” —a lay leader (fromCebu FGD)

“Ayaw ko maging pari but othersmight. (I don’t want to be a priestbut others might.)”—a nun (fromCebu FGD)

Some respondents suggested a revisiting ofthe concept of priesthood and thinking of itnot as power but more of a service. Theyalso cited cases where priests are notavailable for sacraments that need to beperformed like forgiveness/absolution ofsins, baptism, etc.

“Women think of power asservice, very different from menwho think of it as domination. Foreither women or men, or LBGT,the real importance is theencounter with God.” —a nun(from Manila FGD)

“(Women) They confess to womennuns who do not have power forabsolution, I feel naghihinayang onconfession (It’s regrettable).”—aformer nun (from Cebu FGD)

“I don’t know if a faculty to secureforgiveness from God is reallyneeded, although that is thedoctrine of the Church. Is itnecessary to have a sacrament tobe forgiven by God? Speciallythose who are not Catholics? Arethey not being given forgivenessby God?”—a nun (from Cebu FGD)

“Anyone can provide ExtremeUnction, especially in emergencysituations, as long as he or sheis baptized. Even if you are asinner and no matter how sinfulyou are. It is the last breath of adying person.” —a nun (from CebuFGD)

“We are brought up as we believe.Kung hindi tayo exposed, weremain closed. Di tayo tatanggapkahit gaano pa kabuti ang ideas. (Weare brought up as we believe. Ifwe are not exposed, we remainclosed. We will not accept an ideagiven to us no matter how goodthe idea is. )”—a nun (fromCebuFGD)



Church leaders also have to recognize thatthere are now more women in the Churchwho are willing to serve, a participantsuggested:

“After a ll the Church is full ofwomen. . . Every time Bishop Palma(of Archdiocese of Cebu) calls thereligious men, very few attend. Butwhen it’s religious women, it’s afully-packed venue.”—a nun (fromCebu FGD)

The Roman Catholic Church does not ordainwomen. Its Christian counterpart churchesdo. A participant said that in New Zealandand Kenya, women can be ordained as priestsand bishops – which, according to Biblicalscholars, was practiced in the early days ofChristianity.

“I have met an ordained womanbishop in New Zealand; womenpriests in Kenya; amongProtestants. Is it merely cultural? Ithink we should also explore whysome women do not like women tobe ordained priests.”—a priest (fromTagaytay FGD)

“The issue is (about) powerrelationsp between women and menin the Church. That is where thetheological perspective comes from.This is why the Protestants see noimpediment to the ordination ofwomen, because it all boils down tothe physicality of men and women.Bible scholars believe that womencan be ordained and used to beordained as deacons and priests inthe early days of the Church.However, it ’s not a question ofpriesthood or power, but a questionof ministry and charism. Thecharism cannot be silenced. Are wetrying to silence the charism ofspirit? That is the question thatmust be answered.”—a former nun(from Tagaytay FGD)

“Was it Benedict? There werewomen ordained as priests. Therewas st rong opposition. There isalready a woman bishop … all ofthem were excommunicated by PopeBenedict.” —a nun (from Cebu FGD)

“(I attended the) Women’sOrdination Conference . . . ErinHines. I went to the women’sordination in Chicago. I also joined

the conference. Most of them werelay women and some were religiouswomen. The first women priestand women bishop were ordainedby an active bishop; hence it wasvalid and linked with apostolicsuccession. The identity of thebishop is secret so that he will notbe removed as Chair and beexcommunicated. All thedocuments he signed are hiddenin the Vatican. I don’t know howtrue. . . . Since theexcommunication papers were notsigned, then they were notexcommunicated. They wereasking and they had strong clout.I do not agree with theirconfrontative way of women’sordination. It is not a power. Weare changing the priesthood, frompower to service, not have a headon col lision with institut ionalpower. Not prophetic. I agree withother women. Just let it flow butwe should not stop. If it’s a gift ofthe Holy Spirit, it will endure.”—aformer nun (from Cebu FGD)

If the Church truly promotes equality, thenwomen should be given leadership positions,including ordination, a number of lay personssaid. Their reasons:

“It’s about women, perception aboutlife as women, our understanding,our pagkatingog, pagkababae bilangbahagi ng pamilya (voice and aswomen members of society). We canalso lead in the Church if giventhe chance. If men are notavailable, women should be giventhe chance. This is my point ofv iew.” —BHW, lay person (fromDavao FGD)

“Women have the capability to leadin the Church. Husgan gyud angmga babae. Women have strength.”—BHW, lay person (from DavaoFGD)

“Isip ng mga babayi kung kaya ngmga lalaki na mag-lead sa simbahan,kaya pud din ng mga babae. Ang mgababae ay maraming alam. (If men canlead in the Church, women alsocan. Women know so manythings.)”—BHW, lay person (fromDavao FGD)

“For me, are there power relations?Puede naman ang mga babae to leadin the Church (Women are strong,therefore, women can lead in theChurch).” —a lay person (fromDavao FGD)



“We should not let only men lead.Women can also lead.”—a lay person(from Davao FGD)

Not all women are comfortable with the idea ofwomen priests, it turned out during the FGDs.The reasons given were as follows:

“I work with both sisters and priestsand I am satisfied with the status quo.If they are called to that, that’s ok,because we do other things also. Eachhas her own responsibility.” a layleader (from Tagaytay FGD)

“Siguro hindi aabot sa kasingdami nglalaki na gustong maging pari. I don’tthink we will reach a point when thenumber of women who want tobecome priests will be the same asmen. We (women) have our own roleto play and it’s bigger.” —a lay student(from Tagaytay FGD)

“When we take a vow, it’s not abouttradition; we all have our own rolesto play. We have norms and traditionsof the family but if we become too rigidabout the norms, then the family willnot survive. …We should look at itnot only with Scripture but also withtradition, and accept the teaching ofthe Church.”—a lay student (fromTagaytay FGD)

“In the religious aspect , what Ilearned from religious education fromAteneo, perhaps, Perhaps, kulang patalaga, maingon kahibok (we still lacksomething), like action even amongwomen Religious. In media, there arestill many who can hardly supportthe active participation of women aslay leaders because there are stillwomen who believe that they shouldreally serve their husbands insteadof serving the Church. They alwaysmade excuses like “I will cook foodfor my husband, prepare the table,etc.” However, it should be equal.” —a male lay formator/person (fromDavao FGD)

Some participants acknowledged thatpromotion of equality in Church and societywould require massive education, strongsupport systems and collective action from theground, including the role of the laity inpushing for equality, women empowerment andother reforms in the Church.

“If we think of a religious aspect,then we should begin with lay

leaders, for whose action Churchleaders are just waiting. As layleaders, we should reallystrengthen our claim of equality.The strong force should becoming from the bottom and notfrom the top. If we can do thisslowly, then women will not betotally discriminated anymoreand will be accepted by society.Massive information is needed.There is discrimination even inthe Bible, as its phrasesdiscriminate women. Doubleburden of women. . . even if theywork outside they still dodomestic chores like cooking,preparing coffee. There shouldbe equal work, and men shouldhelp. This was somethingdiscussed among women’sgroups. This should change. Wesupport that change. Prayershelp but we also need action. Wecannot deny that most of theactions are being done by thelaity. There should be equalityeven in work and responsibility.In poli t ics we have womenpresidents; hence, we have someacceptance by society of womenleaders. We just need moreinformation.” —a male layformator/person (from DavaoFGD)

“Among Christians, there arealready women pastors. Theyalso study about leading thechurch and taking on leadershiproles. Hence, with regardswomen priests…yes, possible.There are nuns who are able tolead. Women are involved ingiving Communion like at SanPedro. Women can also beordained as priests because wehave laws on equality and we areable to achieve what we wereshouting in the streets before.”—women’s coordinator , a layleader (from ComVal FGD)

“In general, it’s really difficult.Traditions will slowly vanish.For example, it’s lisod (difficult)for Church leaders. Asians arealso discriminated—we have fewAsian pope nominees! Majorityare dominated by EuropeanCardinals.”—a male lay formator/person (from Davao FGD)

“For me, there is a patriarchalsystem. In Davao, I belong to thewomen’s group which made theWomen’s Code and worked andadvocated it for 14 years. Womenin Davao have contributed a lotfor women’s empowerment. But



we still have so much to do. Womenhave to strugg le so much todemand their rights. I have beenlong in this advocacy, since 1989… marching for our rights in thestreets. I also had to struggle withmy husband. At 5pm, I should behome as he demanded, being agood woman. We don’t havediscussions on being goodproviders, which is expected ofhusbands. But now we have morePNB (“palaging nasa bahay,” alwaysat home) husbands—those who failto provide for their families and yetexpect their wives to fulfill theirdomestic roles. Can the husbandprovide all the needs of his family?However through seminars,women are slowly being aware oftheir rights. Through seminars andadvocacy, some women knowalready their rights and work tohave economic power for thefamily. Many women are nowworking outside their homes. Moreleaders are also women.”—Women’s Coordinator, a lay leader(from ComVal FGD)

Advocating for women’s equality would alsoneed the involvement of menfolk, theparticipants stressed with these words:

“In a patriarchal system, you marryaccording to your life….Men shouldbe taught that women are not maidsand prostitutes in the evening. Ireally blamed my father before hedied because my husband didn’thelp me and because he said thatmy husband would be responsiblefor our economic survival. It didn’thappen.”—women’s coordinator, alay leader (from ComVal FGD)

“It is true that women can be priests.But there is a problem within theCatholic Church. They should workon it. Lihok nila dija (They said thatsince) Christ is male, then onlymen could be priests. In ourprayers, Our Father…. Mahitabongretreat sa mga pari, sa Zamboanga,kaming mga Mindanaoans, taga-Mindanao iyan by certain gestures.Hindi postura (It happened whenthere was a retreat among priestsin Zamboanga, we from Mindanaohave certain beliefs, gestures andbehaviors.)”—a male ay formator/person (from Davao FGD)

Some participants said that the issue ofwomen’s ordination smacks of clericalism:

“These issues on ordination ofwomen, para sa akin lang…smacksof clericalism in the Church. As ifelite ang pari. Regardless kungbabae o lalaki, hindi dapat itonggawing issue. Kasi, kinu-considerang ordained as elite. Kaya kungbabae ka, di ka puede sapriesthood kasi second class citizenka. Kasi yan ang pagtingin. Kungtinatanggap ng simbahan na maygender equality, especially yungdignity ng priesthood, then itshould be. (For me, these issueson women ordination... smacksof clericalism in the church.This is elitist and elevates theposition of the priest. Gendershould not be an issue. Since theyview the ordained as elite, theyprohibit women from priesthoodbecause women are second classcit izens. If the Church trulybelieves in gender equality andin the dignity of priesthood, itshould allow women to beordained.)”—a married priest

(from Legazpi FGD)

“(I am in favor) Yes, hindi namandapat gender-biased ang ministry.Kung ako pari na puedeng mag-baptize ng bata, puede rin angbabae. Sa hospital ang femalenurse puedeng mag-baptize in theevent of imminent death… anyCatholic present can do this (Theministry is not gender-biased. Awoman can baptize a child, justlike the priest. In a hospital, thefemale nurse can bapt ize theinfant in case of imminent death.Any Catholic can do this. )”—aformer seminarian (from LegazpiFGD)

“Ayon sa doktrina, kaya nga(According to the doctrine) Christis priest, king, prophet. Once weare baptized, we share the 3ministries of Jesus Christ. Aspriests, we can baptize. Asbaptized Catholics, we canbaptize when there is a dangerof imminent death or a danger ofbeing unbaptized.”—a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

“However, baptism isinstitutionalized na sa mga pari innormal times. The church is afeudal organization headed bymales.” —a former seminarian(from Legazpi FGD)

“I believe that there will come atime that women will be priests.Because a long time ago, hindinatin matanggap na magtrabahoang babae (before we cannot



accept the fact that women also work).We have accepted nowadays womenpresidents, which was unthinkablelong time ago. Time will comemagbabago ang mentality ng Catholics(Cathol ics will change theirmindset).”—a married priest (fromLegazpi FGD)

One participant said that bishops who ordainwomen should be excommunicated:

“The bishops should beexcommunicated. Before the eyes ofthe Vatican, that ordination isinvalid. Kahit nasa active service payung bishop. Sino ang isa-sanctionkung wala na sa serbisyo. (Because thebishop is still in active service, whowill then sanction him)?”—a formerseminarian (from Legazpi FGD)

On Celibacy

Generally, the participants accept the vow ofcelibacy among priests – a vow which wasquestioned by the association of marriedpriests:

“In our case, lumabas kami nagpakasalsa civil. Ipso facto excommunicated.

But ang definition sa canon lawng celibacy is “not married”. Ibigsabihin kahit may babae ka, mayanak ka pero hindi ka nagpakasal,you are still “celibate”! Ganoon yan.Kaya maraming pari na hindilumalabas kahit may mga babae silasa bawa’t parokya, may mga anaksa bawa’t parokya…. Celibate butnot chaste . Sino ngayon angnangunguna lumabag sa karapatanng bata? The moment he is born,he has the right to have a family,to have a mother. To have afather. Anong ginagawa nitong mgababae? …. Kalibugan ng priest, hetransgresses. (In our case, I leftthe priesthood because I gotmarried in civil rites. Ipso factoexcommunicated. But accordingto canon law definition, celibacyis “not married”! This means thateven if you have sexual relationswith a woman, and even if youbore chidren but did not getmarried, you are still ‘celibate’!That is the reason why a lot ofpriests do not leave the parisheven if they have girlfriends inevery parish. This is hogwash!Who then is the first to violatethe r ight of the child? Themoment the child is born, he hasthe right to have a family; to havea mother, to have a father. Whatdo these priests do to theirwomen? It ’s pure lust!)”—a married priest (from LegazpiFGD)



To engage the Roman Catholic Churchon sexual and reproductive health and rights(SRHR) issues or even on sexuality and genderconcerns, one has to understand where theopposition is coming from—the structureitself, the teachings and traditions, or both.

This study was the humble attempt ofCatholics for Reproductive Health (C4RH) tounderstand these issues and concerns. It wasalso the concretization of a hope fordiscussions and clarifications, if not dialogue,on these concerns. It was, thirdly, arecognition of the weak catecheticaleducation of Catholics — one focused ontraditions and rituals, memorization ofprayers, and obedience to God through Hisrepresentatives on earth (i.e., the clergy).

SUMMARY ANDRECOMMENDATIONS

The first part of the research dealtwith the Roman Catholic Church in thePhilippines in terms of ecclesiasticaldivisions, the nature of clergy, men andwomen religious, bishops, laity, FilipinoCatholic population, and Church-mandatedprograms and services.

The second part reviewed theliterature after C4RH searched fortheoretical and ethical frameworks from theprogressive Catholic perspective by which tounderstand SRHR.

The third part presented a surveyamong priests, nuns, lay leaders and laymembers. The findings were supplementedby focused group discussions attended bymost of those who had answered thequestionnaire.

The Roman Catholic Church in thePhilippines is divided into ecclesiasticalareas: 16 archdioceses, 58 dioceses, 7apostolic vicariates, and 5 prelatures. Inaddition, there are the Military Ordinariateof the Philippines, the Chinese-FilipinoCatholic Apostolate in the Philippines, thePrelature of the Holy Cross and the Opus Dei.

These ecclesiastical divisions do notnecessarily match the civil or politicaldivisions observed by the government. Thisis because many of the ecclesiastical areashad been organized before the present-daydemarcation lines between geographical-political regions were defined by the civilgovernment.

The Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines:Structure, People, and Programs

An ecclesiastical division does notreflect the authority of one over the other.This means that an archdiocese does not“lord it over” dioceses, vicariates, andprelatures. Being an archdiocese simplymeans that the ecclesiastical division wascreated before the dioceses, hence thearchdioceses are sometimes called“Metropolitan” Archdioceses, Greek termfor mother-churches. However, a priest’sbeing assigned to archdioceses seems tohave some bearing in terms ofpromotions. For instance, four out of theeight Filipinos appointed as cardinals werearchbishops of Manila prior to theirappointment.

Ecclesiastical Divisions


Clergy

A diocese is headed by a bishop who istasked to be the steward of the faithful. Thebishop also oversees the priests within hisjurisdiction.

A priest can become a bishop if he hasreceived Episcopal consecration. Onceconsecrated, a bishop has additionalsacramental powers that include ordainingpriests and deacons as well as other bishops.When a bishop becomes a cardinal, there isno sacramental change and as such, acardinal is also a bishop or archbishop.

The clergy or clerics forms half of theChristian faithful community. The other halfis the laity or lay people. Clergy refers todeacons, priests, bishops and cardinals orthose who have received their Holy Ordersthrough ordination.

Lay people are the non-ordained. Beingnon-ordained themselves, the nuns belong tothe laity. Whether ordained or non-ordained,all members of the faithful share in Christ’s“priestly, prophetic, and kingly” missions byvirtue of their baptism

A member of the clergy may bediocesan or a member of a rel igiouscongregation. The diocesan clergy aregoverned directly by the local ordinary or thebishop, while the religious clergy are governedby their major superiors and overseen by thereligious ordinary assigned to them by thelocal bishops’ conference.

It should be noted that the power ofgovernance in the Church resides in the all-male Catholic clergy. The pope, who is thesupreme pontiff, is a member of the clergy andis the bishop of Rome, where the Vatican islocated. The bishops hold the teaching,preaching and shepherding authority in thechurch and they delegate this authority topriests and deacons who are ordained by thelaying on of hands.

Every cleric must be incardinated orattached to a diocese or a Religious instituteor congregation. All clerics have a superior,and their superior not only can tell them whatto do, but he is also responsible for theirwelfare.

Incardination is a foundationalrelationship between a bishop and hispriests. And when it concerns a priest’sministry, the bishop decides where a clericwill be assigned in dialogue with the priestconcerned. The bishop assigns the clergyof his diocese to particular roles, and priestsundertake those assignments in obedience.

Obedience, however, does not mean“blind obedience.” It should happen withina dialogue or in a discernment context. Bothbishop and priest are exercising obediencebecause they consider what the Churchneeds at a particular time and place.

A priest does not make his owndecision about where and how he willexercise his priestly ministry but he canhave a say on the roles he will take,depending on how he perce ives hiscapacities and gifts. However, in reality thepriest depends on his local bishop forassignment to either “poor” or “rich” parishand such wealth could considerably affectthe lifestyle of the parish priest.

Deacons are not yet priests but theyalready have the vow of celibacy. Unlikepriests, deacons cannot celebrate Mass,administer Confirmation or Penance, oranoint the sick. They can, however, baptize,marry (if delegated by the pastor to do so),preach (including the homily at Mass), andcarry out all other sacramental/ministerialactions that do not specifically requirepriestly ordination.

There are also priests calledMonsignors. They receive this honorary titleafter faithfully serving a diocese. They getno extra powers, except that of position ofprominence.

In 2012, almost 25% of the totalpriests working in the Philippines belongedto the Religious orders.

Religious Congregations

Religious congregations are foundedby individuals called to ministry andmission through the inspiration of the Spiritof God. Congregations of women religioushave members called nuns and sisters

SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATIONS


admitted through the profession of vows.Men who join Religious congregations arecalled brothers, deacons or priests.

Sometimes congregations haveassociate members who are lay.

Some congregations have membersof just one gender. Others have mixedgender and even mixed lives - clergy, nunsor sisters and lay.

Religious congregations haveautonomy in governance but are under theoversight of either the Vatican or the localordinary (bishop). The heads of religiouscongregations belong to the Association ofMajor Religious Superiors of the Philippines(AMRSP)-Men and Women. Since membersof the Religious congregations are bound byobedience to their superiors, who in turnreport directly to the Vatican, the positionof the AMRSP as regards the CatholicBishops Conference of the Philippines(CBCP) may become very interesting.

In 2012, there were 119 menReligious congregations and 192 womenReligious congregations in the Philippines.Many of these Religious congregations areinvolved in the management of schools,hospitals and other care institutions likeorphanages, homes for the elderly, and evenhavens for abused women and children.

Historically also, Religiouscongregations led in the missions to pavethe way for the establishment ofecclesiastical areas. In the Philippines itwas the friars (Dominicans, Franciscans,and Augustinians) and the Jesuits who werethe first to convert the natives intoCatholicism.

Congregations also established thefirst seminaries of the country. To date, theDominicans (Order of Preachers) continueto operate the University of Santo Tomas(UST), called the royal, loyal, pontifical andCatholic university. UST is the oldestuniversity in the Philippines and the seconduniversity in the world granted the formaltitle, “The Pontifical University” and to becalled “The Catholic University of thePhilippines”.

Laity

Lay people are the non-clericalmembers of the Church, and include thenon-ordained Religious nuns, sisters andbrothers. They are an essential part of theChurch, being called the People of God andthe Body of Christ.

Like the clergy, the laity posses the“kingly, prophetic, and priestly” missions ofChrist by virtue of their baptism. While thereshould be no hierarchy between the laity andthe clergy, the teachings and traditionsembolden the clergy to receive “higher class”and “sacred hierarchy” through ordination.

A quick look at church operationswould reveal that majority of church workersbelong to the laity, and that these laymembers are mostly women. Among theReligious congregations, it is the nuns whodo most of the pastoral and missionary work.

These observations were validated inthe survey and focused group discussions ofthis study. As such, many of the “taongsimbahan” (church people) felt that most ofthe clergy have stayed too long in thecomforts of the convents and pulpits that theyhave lost touch with the faithful and withthe realities and the everyday lives of theirparishioners.

In the Philippines, Catholicsrepresent nearly 80% of the total population.While there was a slight decrease of 0.74%in the Catholics-to-population ratio from2010 (79.21%) to 2012 (78.63%), there was amarked decrease (5.06%) in the number ofpriests from 2010 to 2012. This furtherincreased the priest-Catholics ratio of1:8,182 in 2010 to 1:8,426 in 2012.

These figures do not consider theactual number of priests assigned only toparticular parishes. Also, these figures placethe burden on priests by challenging themto do more pastoral work in order to makethe Church closer to the people and morerelevant to the current times. It does nothelp that recruitment to the Religious lifeseems to encounter many difficulties thesedays.



There is clamor for more layparticipation not only in the implementationof Church programs but also in decision-making processes. This challenge becomesmore relevant in the light of the new prioritiesof the Church in the country. In the CBCP July9, 2012 Pastoral Letter on the Era of NewEvangelization, the Church shall embark on anine-year journey until 2021, the Jubilee Year.

The CBCP has outlined nine pastoralpriorities: Integral Faith Formation (2013); theLaity (2014); the Poor (2015); the Eucharist; andthe Family (2016); the Parish as a Communionof Communities (2017); the Clergy and theReligious (2018); the Youth (2019); Ecumenismand Inter-Religious Dialogue (2020); and Missioad gentes (2021).

Lay empowerment has been one of thefoundations of the Second Vatican Council(Vatican II) and the inspiration for the creationof pastoral programs, social actions initiatives,and church-mandated organizations.

In the Philippines, the largest laymovements are home-grown: El Shaddai, AlayKapwa (Lenten Campaign), Couples for Christand its offspring organizations (Singles forChrist, Youth for Christ, and Kids for Christ,Handmaids of the Lord and Servants of theLord), the Brotherhood of Christian

Businessmen and Professionals, and theStudent Catholic Action.

The country has also been fertileground for the formation of progressivecommunity-based faith communities likethe Basic Christian Communities with acommunity organizing approach (BCC-CO)or the Gagmayonong Kristiyanong Katilingban(GKK) that started in the southern part(Mindanao) and later grew like wildfire intothe central (Visayas) and northern parts(Luzon). These BCC-COs were initiated andled by the laity.

The militancy of BCC-COs grew sothat even the Church hierarchy felt thatthey needed to take a more ‘active’ role inthem. Hence, in the late 1980s and in theearly ‘90s came their conversion into BECsor basic ecclesial communities. In theformer, the leadership was collective anddemocratic and could go to a lay person whilein the latter, the organization is attachedto and led by the priest or bishop.

The BCC-CO or GKK is very muchalive in the minds and hearts of people inMindanao, where it all began. The Churchcan reflect on the experiences of these smallChristian communities, and maintain itsrelevance to the lives of the people.

The review of literature focused ongender, sexuality and reproductive healthissues in relation with the position of theRoman Catholic Church in the Philippines. Thechapter looked into

Historical development of humandignity and human rights discourse

Human in the image and likeness ofGod (Imago Dei)

Ethical frameworks that can assist thedialogue and understanding on sexualand reproductive health and rights(SRHR) issues

Studies made on the perceptions andpositions of the clergy, religious and layleaders on SRHR, sexuality and gender

Current perceptions on churchteachings on SRHR, sexuality and

Review of Related Literature

gender from different sides of thedominant conservative and fromfeminist readings and analysis

The literature review showed thatthe discussion on SRHR could revolvearound the concept of human dignity fromthe Christian ethical-moral perspectives.On the other hand, there are legal-ethicalideas of human rights and gender equality;coming from various legal instruments asenshrined in the Constitution, current lawsand policies, and international instruments.

Feminism and progressiveChristian lenses could also be used tounderstand SRHR because they provide are-reading of traditionally conservativeinterpretations of Christian teachings. From



these viewpoints, women’s rights for dignity,freedom and development can be understood,and the improvement of their lives will be

The data gathered were by no meansrepresentative of the country’s “taongsimbahan” or church people. The morevaluable data came from the qualitativeinputs – namely, the interviews and thefocused group discussions (FGDs). Theresearchers were also gathered together forvalidation and reflection.

Gathering information—particularlyfrom the priests and nuns—was moredifficult than anticipated. The RH issue hadbecome so contentious that it divided eventhe so-called people of God. On manyoccasions, the researchers observed thechanges in reactions among priests andnuns when asked about RH and other itemsin the questionnaire. Many priests and nunsrefused to discuss the issue nor share theiropinions about the church’s resistance.

However, from data collated andanalyzed, the following can still be observed:

There is room for discussion andclarification on what constitutesconscience and how it is formed.

There are so many misconceptionsand myths about reproductive healthamong those who oppose it. Theglaring lack of information can begleaned from their perception thatRH leads to abortion and is thereforeimmoral, evil, and sinful.

Adherence to the institutionalposition is very strong among thepriests in this study, but thereseems to be some openness amongthe nuns, lay leaders and laymembers.

Perceptions and Positions on SRHR

understood as not the selfish interest of onegroup of people but as a matter which willredound to the betterment of humanity andits environment.

Respondents

The respondents were “taongsimbahan” or church people who were clergy(priests), nuns and lay persons. The lay werecategorized into two: lay leaders whoperformed leadership and management roles(e.g., catechists and officers) and lay personswho were active members of churchorganizations.

There were 88 survey respondentscoming from the three major island groupsin the country. These respondents wereeither interviewed or participated in the sixfocused group discussions in Antipolo,Manila, Tagaytay, Davao, Nabunturan, andCebu cities. Majority of the respondents werelay leaders (47%), followed by nuns (24%), laypersons (18%), and lastly, the clergy (11%).

Perceptions and Opinions

The respondents were asked for theirpersonal opinions and positions on majorissues:

Sex, gender, and sexuality

Sexual and reproductive health rights

Family planning, contraception, andreproductive health

Respondents were asked to respondwhether they “strongly agree”, “agree”, “don’tknow”, “disagree”, “strongly disagree” withstatements on the above issues. The “NA”portion was provided for those who did notwish to respond, and a category of additionalremarks was for respondents wishing toexpound on their positions.




No. STATEMENT Affirmative Don’t Know Negative

Partly Agree/Partly

Disagree

No Answer Additional Remarks or Suggestions

A. Personal Views on Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

1

The humanbody is abeautifulcreation. It isnot shameful toexplore andtouch one’sbody, even themost privateand intimateparts.

Most of thenuns (81%)Most of the laymembers (76%)Majority of thelay leaders(68%)Some of thepriests (30%)

Some of thepriests (30%)

Some of thepriests(10%)

Many affirmed that the body is abeautiful creation and a sacredtemple of God, and therefore hasto be respected as part of humandignity. However, others expressedwords of caution against thepossible abuse and perceivednegative intention of self-exploration and -touching. Theyinsisted that the body should bekept private and sacred.

2

It is OK to beattractedromantically tothe same sex.

Majority of thenuns (43%)

Most of the laymembers (81%)Most of the layleaders (78%)Majority of thepriests (70%)Some of thenuns (48%)

Some said that sexual attraction isdifferent from sexual relationship.Among the reasons given for a negative opinion on same-sex attraction was the notion that homosexuality is not normal and that a man and a woman, while different, complement and are made for each other. Some lay leaders also mentioned that same-sex attraction and relationship are sinful and disobedient of God.Others insisted that they shouldnot judge but should emphasizethe humanity of every humanbeing.

3

It is acceptableto have aromantic orsexualrelationshipwith the samesex: woman towoman or manto man.

Some of thenuns (24%)

Most of the layleaders (81%)Majority of thelay members(75%)Majority of thepriests (70%)Majority of thenuns (62%)

Some priests(30%)

Like same-sex attraction, same-sex relationship was perceived as not normal, destructive of identities and not resulting in good. Not only is homosexual relationship sinful but also unpleasant.

Some nuns provided different views. They tended to be more accepting.

4

Sex should onlybe done if youare married.

Most of the layleaders (80%)Most of the laymembers (76%)Most of thenuns (76%)Half of thepriests (50%)


Some saw sex as not for pleasurebut for procreation, and marriageas sacred just as the body issacred. However, they alsorecognize the realities ofpremarital sex.




Partly Agree/Partly

Disagree



5

Marriage is onlybetween a manand a woman. It iswrong for awoman to marryanother woman ora man to anotherman.

Most of the laymembers (82%)Most of the layleaders (78%)Most of the nuns(76%)Some of the clergy(40%)

Some of the clergy(30%)


Some who supported the statement citedtheir adherence to natural law and currentteachings of the church. Others citedcultural considerations.Those who agreed with the statementcommented that marriage is for love andprocreation. Some equated marriage withfamily, and family with children.

6

Young people needto understandtheir sexuality.Sexualityeducation shouldbe madecompulsory foradolescents.

Most of the nuns(90%)Most of the laymembers (88%)Majority of the layleaders (68%)Some priests(20%)



Most of the respondents felt that sexualityeducation should follow Church teachingson morality. Respondents also wantedsexuality education to cover life skills,psycho-sexual aspects, values formation,self-identity and confidence-building, andto come from competent educators withthe guidance of parents.

7

Decent women donot look for safeand satisfying sexlife from theirpartners.

Some of the layleaders (41%)Some of the priests(30%)

Majority of thenuns (72%)Majority of the laymembers (56%)Some of the layleaders (39%)

Some (40%) ofpriests

Many of the respondents seemed toassume that the sexually active womanwere married and as such, their commentshad references to marriage. Those whodisagreed and strongly disagreed with thestatement explained that marriage alsohas a unitive function where love andrespect should be present between acouple. Safe and satisfying sex life wasseen as a right, as well as a woman’s rightto protect herself and her health. On theother hand, those who agreed with thestatement prescribed standards ofconduct for women, such as looking forspiritual satisfaction rather than forphysical gratification, and being prim andproper.

8

Greater morality isneeded in lawsrelated to sexualand reproductivehealth in mycountry.

Most of the laymembers (94%)Most of the nuns(81%)Most of the layleaders (81%)Majority of thepriests (60%)

The reasons for the concurrence weremixed. Some were concerned that theSRH law would lead to abortion, artificialcontraceptives, sex for pleasure, and eventeenage pregnancies. Others felt that thislaw could help develop a higher sense ofmorality for the good of society and theenvironment, but clarified that suchmorality should be based on informedconscience.




Partly Agree/Partly

Disagree



9

Greater opennessin society aboutsex and sexualitymay requiresome adjusting to,but overall it isbetter foreveryone.

Most of the laymembers (88%)Most of nuns(81%)Majority of layleaders (66%)

Half of the priests(50%)

Those who concurred believe thatopenness is important in education andawareness of oneself for people to makeinformed decisions. But half of the clergydid not want greater openness about sexand sexuality. They would rather bediscreet and avoid lustfulness.

10

If celibacy is not adogma, then apriest may bemarried.

Half of the laymembers (50%)Some of the nuns(48%)Some of the layleaders (31%)

Some ofthe layleaders(20%)

Majority of thepriests (60%)Some of the layleaders (37%)

Some of the lay leaders (12%)

Many of the additional comments came from the clergy and nuns. Some viewed celibacy not as a dogma but as a form of discipline. A nun recalled that it was not an original teaching of the Catholic Church but was introduced to protect Church property against inheritance claims by the offspring and wives of married clergy. Others pointed out that having married priests would complicate things because it is against the norm and is distracting. Others thought that marriage for priests would be a good opportunity for them to understand family life and to be similar to other religions that allow married priests

11

If men and womenare equal, thenthere should alsobe women priests.

Majority of thenuns (52%)Some of the laymembers (38%)

Majority of thepriests (60%)Majority of the layleaders (53%)Some of the laymembers (38%)

Some with negative opinions cited Pope John Paul II’s decision against women priests - that men are more decisive and that voting against women priests follows the natural order of things. Many of the nuns felt that priesthoodshould not be defined by gender but byvocation, abilities and the principle ofgender equality and fairness.



Partly Agree/Partly

Disagree


B. Personal Views about Sexual and Reproductive Health

1

Marriage is forlife. Youcannot divorceyour spouseeven whenthere isviolence andabuse or lovehas been lost.


Most of the lay members (82%)Majority of the nuns (62%)Majorityof the lay leaders (56%)

10% of the priests

Those who believed that marriage is for life, especially if true love and real marriage existed between the couple, would like to uphold the sacrament and vow.

Unfortunately, some married individuals, mostly women, are trapped in abusive and violent marriages, other respondents clearly pointed out. In such cases, the victims’ dignity is violated. When violence and abuse are present and love is lost, some respondents advised women to leave and not endure unnecessary miseries.

Some acknowledged that legal remedies are available to those who really want to leave their abusive relationships. These were legal separation, annulment, and voiding of their marriage. Divorce was not yet an option because the country does not have a divorce law.

2

Founding afamily is theprimarypurpose ofmarriage andsex. Oneshould not getmarried orhave sex ifthere’s no planof havingchildren.

Half of the priests (50%)Some of the lay members (44%)Some of the nuns (43%)Some of the lay leaders (40%)

Majority of the nuns (57%)Majority of the lay members (56%)Some of the lay leaders (46%)

Half of the priests (50%)

Some commented that marriage is for love and procreation. Others equated marriage with family, and family with children.

However, some clarified that Catholic teachings on marriage are not limited to sex and procreation but also cover service, mutual development, love and respect.

Others insisted that there are more important considerations for getting married, like the level of maturity of the couple and their relationship, love and respect, and plans for the future. There are also practical considerations like family planning and responsible parenthood so that parents can provide for their children, or love and companionship when establishing a family is not an option,

3

There ismarital rape. Ifthe wife saysno to sex andthe husbandstill forceshimself onher, it’s rape.

Most of the nuns (95%)Most of the lay members (94%)Most of the lay leaders (83%)Majority of the priests (60%)

Rape is seen as a violation of a woman’s right and an absence of dialogue and of respect for the other person’s dignity and privacy.





Partly Agree/Partly

Disagree



4

Parents bearthe primaryresponsibilityfor educatingtheir childrenabout sex.

Most of the nuns (90%)Most of the lay members (94%)Most of the lay leaders (78%)Majority of the priests (60%)

Parents are perceived as the first teachers of their children as they model how life should be lived. However, some pointed out the parent’s lack of training in discussing sex with their children. To provide better sexuality education, parents should be educated or could be supplemented by schools.

5

A womanshould not usecontraceptionunless herpartneragrees.

Half of the lay members (50%)Some of the lay leaders (42%)Some of the priests (30%)

Majority of the nuns (62%)Half of the lay members (50%)Some of the lay leaders (44%)

Some of the priests (40%)

Comments were mixed. Thosewho agreed believed thatcontraception is wrong, and thatsex should be avoided unlessabsolutely necessary and has thepartner’s consent.

Those who disagreed recognizedunequal power relations betweena man and a woman, andprinciples of freedom, rights,autonomy and protection relatedto health. In the end, it is still thewoman who gets pregnant andgives birth.

6

Abortion ismoral onlyunder seriouscircumstancesand case-to-case basis.

Majority of the nuns (62%)Majority of the lay leaders (51%) Some of the lay members (38%)

Majority of the priests (60%)Majority of the lay members (56%)Some of the lay leaders (34%)

Those who answered negatively against the statement were emphatic that abortion is never moral because it is murder and against the Church. It is still the lesser evil if the life of the mother is at stake.

Others have shown some openness towards abortion in certain serious situations. There are also cultural considerations regarding abortion.

7

Abortion ismoral andacceptable fora wide rangeof reasons.

Most of the lay members (82%)Majority of the nuns (72%)Majority of the lay leaders (61%)Majority of the priests (60%)

Some insisted that abortion iscriminal and is never moral. Butothers seemed ambivalent aboutit, and would need moreinformation on the circumstancesof the abortion.




Partly Agree/Partly

Disagree



8

I support theliberalization ofmy country'sabortion law likedecriminalization,but I wish morewomen usedcontraception anddid not needabortion.

Majority of the lay members (51%)

Majority of the priests (70%)Majority of the nuns (62%)Majority of the lay leaders (53%)

Some equated contraception with abortion, and contraceptives with harm. Others would rather have contraception than abortion. By decriminalizing abortion, there is no need to resort to illegal methods. The best way to address the issue is education and information to motivate people to become responsible.

9

I should advocatepublicly for moresensible sexualand reproductivehealth rights andlaws in mycountry.

Most of the lay members (88%)Majority of the nuns (62%)Majority of the lay leaders (58%)

Majority of the priests (60%)

Some suspected the RH law as a euphemism for abortion and contraception. Others felt that there are already laws that must just be properly implemented, and that sexual and reproductive concerns are private and should not be discussed publicly.However, others saw the potential of a SRHR law for providing women and youth with information that can protect them.

10

Condoms shouldbe allowed toprevent the spreadof HIV infection.

Majority of the lay members (63%)Nearly half of the lay leaders (49%)Some of the nuns (47%)


The priests thought that condoms are not safe and are therefore not the solution.Others felt that the best prevention is abstinence. Some had many questions about condoms and their uses.Those who agreed felt that the condom can protect the health and life of users to a certain degree. Education about it should be advocated and strengthened.

11

Condoms shouldbe allowed as afamily planningmethod or topreventpregnancy.

Majority of the lay members (63%)Some of the lay leaders (42%)

Majority of the priests (70%)Some of the lay leaders (47%)Some of the nuns (43%)

Those who did not want condoms as a family planning method insisted that the couples either use natural family planning (NFP) or other means, or abstain from sex. Condoms were seen as unsafe and encouraging pre-marital sex.Some see the value of condoms in helping couples plan their families.




Partly Agree/Partly

Disagree


C. Personal Views on Family Planning, Contraception, and Reproductive Health

1

Thegovernmenthas aresponsibilityto make familyplanningaccessible andfree of chargeto those whoneed it,especially thepoor.

Most of the lay members (81%)Majority of the nuns (67%)Majority of the lay leaders (53%)


Many were concerned that artificial birth control is harmful to women and their families. Couples should value the sacredness of marriage and sex, and attend the Pre-Cana seminars before getting married. Others equated artificial contraception with abortion, and therefore, against Catholic teachings. Still others felt that the poor should not be used as an excuse for spreading contraception. Others insisted on the use of NFP and on the privacy of these matters.Some tied corruption with the contraceptive program of the government. Still, others believed that the RH Law provides information and services on all methods, and would thus encourage couples and women to decide which method to use. In fact, they asked the Church to provide free RH services so that couples, particularly the poor, can plan their families.

2

There shouldbe acomprehensivelaw onreproductivehealth.

Most of the lay members (94%)Most of the lay leaders (78%)Majority of the nuns (67%)

Half of the priests (50%)

According to the priests, there are already laws on health which must just be properly implemented.And if there would be an RH law, it would be acceptable as long as it is not contrary to the teachings of the Church and is respectful of the lives of women and the unborn.For those who agreed that there should be a comprehensive RH law, it is necessary for the health of the many and for preventing abortion.

3

RA 10354 orResponsibleParenthoodandReproductiveHealth (RPRH)Law should beimplemented.

Most of the lay members (82%)Some of the lay leaders (46%)Some of the nuns (43%)


Opposition viewed the RH Law not as the solution, and said that funds for it would be better used for educational services. Respondents also expressed apprehensions about the readiness of the government and the people for such law, and about the lack of information. Again, others believed that the law contains abortion provisions. But on the whole, respondents believed that its implementation would be good for everyone, particularly the youth, and that it is necessary if evaluation would be done.



Partly Agree/Partly

Disagree



4

The Churchshould beprovidingmeans toaddress thefamilyplanning gap.

Most of the nuns (95%)Most of the lay leaders (83%)Most of the lay members (76%)Majority of the priests (60%)

Those who agreed qualified that the Church should promote natural family planning. Some suggested that NFP should be a ministry or even have clinics. Others felt that it would then be the Church’s contribution to people’s welfare as well as the proof of openness to dialogue and alternatives. But still, there could be confusion about family planning and contraception in general because of the belief that the Church is totally against these.

5

Medicalproviders likedoctors,nurses,midwives, etc.have a right torefuse toprovide orrefer servicesthat violatetheir personalconscience.

Majority of the nuns (67%)Majority of the lay members (63%)Majority of the lay leaders (61%)Half of the priests (50%)

Those who agreed believed that following one’s conscience is inherent human law. Others thought that doctors have different ways of dealing with their patients. Still others felt that a patient needs to be informed by their doctors, and that medical ethics should be strengthened.

Responsibility also calls for referrals for couples who are neutral; they should not be involved or denied information as they decide. Also, government employees should follow policy, or choose the alternative of referral.

6

Contraceptionis immoralandintrinsicallyevil.

Majority of the nuns (67%)Majority of the lay leaders (51%)

Majority of the priests (60%)Majority of the lay members (56%)

Participants who agreed claimed that artificial contraception kills and is against Church teachings.However, others did not agree that contraception is a sin and said that morality is not a doctrine. There are also practical considerations like health and responsible use, they said.

7

Contraceptives cause abortion.

Majority of the priests (60%)Some of the nuns (47%)Some of the lay leaders (37%)

Majority of the lay members (56%)Some of the lay leaders (37%)

Those who believed that contraceptives are abortifacientdreaded the worst effects on the unborn. They would rather use NFP.





Partly Agree/Partly

Disagree



8

Contraception iscorruption.

Majority of the priests (60%)Some of the nuns (48%)Some of the lay leaders (44%)

Half of the lay members (50%)

Those who believed this statement said that providing contraception would pave the way for more corruption in the government, especially when big money is involved.

Some would rather see a direct relationship before making a judgment. They said that it depends on one’s conscience and its context. Others called the statement sweeping, inflammatory, and disinformation.

9

Sex education willencouragepromiscuityamong youngpeople.

Majority of the priests (60%)Some of the lay leaders (46%)

Majority of the lay members (75%)Majority of the nuns (57%)

Unless sexuality education is done properly, the possibility of promiscuity always looms, many said. Others, however, expressed outrage and disbelief at this statement, and said that if schools gave no sex educations, the youth can access information outside.

10

The RPRH Lawhas a populationcontrol agenda bycontrolling thepoor from havingchildren.

Majority of the priests (60%)Some of the nuns ((48%)Majority of the lay leaders (54%)Some of the lay members (44%)

Some of the lay members (37%)

Those who concurred felt that poverty should not be equated with overpopulation. They attributed to this population control agenda the possibility of a demographic winter.

Some were suspicious of the government. But others realized that the law would benefit everyone and has no population agenda.

11

The RPRH Lawshould respect theteachings of theCatholic Churchbecause majorityof Filipinos areCatholic.

Majority of the lay leaders (75%)Majority of the lay members (56%)Half of the priests (50%)Some of the nuns (38%)

Some of the priests (40%)Some of the nuns (48%)

Those who agreed felt that it is right to follow God’s will by not supporting the RH law.

Others felt that the RH law in fact recognizes all religions and how people have different points of views.

There were calls for dialogue and openness between the Church and the State, and for immersion by Church leaders in the people so as to gain greater understanding and possible work for reforms on sexuality and morality.


In summarizing the answers, thefollowing categories were made:

Most= 75% and above

Majority= 51% to 74%

Half= 50%

Some = below 50%

The survey answers were latervalidated and further clarified during thefocused group discussions (FGDs). Duringeach FGD, the participants were asked toshare their understanding and opinions onthe following:

Feminism , equality, and womenempowerment

Violence against women andchildren

Rape, including marital rape andincest

RPRH Law

Homosexuality / Same-sexrelationship

Divorce

Women’s ordination in the CatholicChurch

Abortion

On Feminism, Equality, and WomenEmpowerment

Some participants equated feminismwith equality among men and women. Inparticular, the nuns described it as liberatingand comforting for women,. They specificallymentioned eco-feminism as a concept thatthey could embrace, because feminism is allabout equality and taking care of God’screation—men, women and theenvironment—who all have a role to play.

The nuns believed that when peopleare baptized, they receive gifts which includedignity and equality. They said that ifChristian communities were true to theirnature and would grow in faith, they wouldaccord men and women equal rights andprivileges.

Some participants also describedfeminism as very personal, as a way of life,as an expression of inner being, and as away of encouraging respect and flexibility.

The participants rooted the conceptof equality on the beliefs that God createdmen and women in His image and likenessand that God is in every person. They citedScripture, especially the Creation Story, forits concepts of equality and valuing of women,especially if a feminist lens is used.

Feminism was also perceived asevolving, based on culture and the changingneeds of people. Some of the participants saidfeminism was strongly propelled by themovement for basic women’s rights, byassertions for strong personal autonomy, andby care of the environment.

Promoting women’s rights wouldrequire a critical look at culture andtraditions. Women should be taken seriouslyand be encouraged to raise their voices.

Other thoughts on the matter:

Women experience inequalitiesat many levels.

Women and their bodies have beenWomen and men are expected tobehave in certain ways. Womenare socialized into domestic rolesand are discouraged fromattending schools and fromgetting educated.

There was little investment onwomen’s development becausethey were expected to stay athome. However, their domesticityis seen as a concept brought bythe Spanish colonizers.

The empowerment of womenshould include economicindependence.Their indepen-



dence and confidence are boosted bytheir capacity to earn.

As women learn to adapt and survive,they learn of their potentials. Byasking questions and engaging thestatus quo, women are slowlyfinding their voices. The seeminglychanging tides at the Vatican are acause for optimism.

On the RPRH Law

Many saw the RPRH Law as anopportunity for dialogue within and outside ofthe Church, and called for open-mindednessand sensitivity to the plight of the poor. Otherswould rather focus on the sacred quality of lifeand on a couple’s responsibility, rather thanon contraceptives.

Some affirmed that the decision to usecontraceptives is for the couple to make. Assuch, the decision should be respected as it isa moral act.

Those who support the RP/RH Law wereemphatic on the need to plan their familiesand provide for their children. They emphasizedthe need to educate people, including Churchpeople, on reproductive health and sexuality.

Some believed that the RPRH Law wouldhelp prevent unwanted pregnancies, abortionand poverty. The Church should also engagein educating families, parents and youth.

Some participants expressed their lackof information about RH. They wanted to beclarified why RH and contraception are seenby religious leaders as anti-family and anti-life.

However, a few stil l saw RH andcontraception as harmful and sinful. To resolvethe conflict within, they follow the teachingsof the Church on these matters. Some of thosewho object to RH are service providers and maybecome a problem for the government shouldthe RPRH Law comes into full swing. Thecontradictions between two opposing conceptsare truly felt by Catholics, particularly thosein the health service provision.

There were also participants whothought that the need for contraceptiveswas born out of a need to control population.Others are still wary of the “conspiracy”among big corporations with the ultimatepurpose of generating huge profits.

In the long-drawn debate, RH hasbeen equated with contraception and evenabortion. In the process, the issue gotmuddled, and beneficial provisions of theRPRH Law ignored.

In addition to immorality andsinfulness, the charges against artificialcontraception include its going againsthuman nature. The pressure to follow theChurch position on RH and contraceptionis not confined to just the pulpit but alsoextends to other Church facilities likefunding institutions.

Given the resistance of leaders of theChurch which has alienated many of itsmembers, Catholic RH advocates encounterdifficulties in their advocacy. Some pointedout that the RH Law respects people’spositions on contraception but still providesservices for those who ask.

To facilitate understanding andbuilding of bridges between the Church andthe State positions on RH, a commonlanguage must be adopted, and humilitymust mark the dialogue between bothcamps, said many participants.

On Contraception

At the core of the contraceptionissue is the value for life and its quality notonly for a woman but also for her family.Some women use contraceptives not onlyto prevent pregnancies but also to protectthemselves from STD.

Many women participantsunderstood that contraception preventsfertilization, without which there is no lifeinside the woman’s womb and therefore, noabortion. Some also saw the difficulties ofusing only the natural methods.



For some, contraception is not a sin,especially if it involves the woman’s life andthe welfare of her family. Some gavetestimonies how they were enabled btycontraceptives to space their children andprovide quality time to themselves and to theirfamilies.

Sometimes it is not just women whowant contraception but also men, said theparticipants.

To be consistent with Churchteachings, some still opt for NFP. Others,however, contend that NFP goes againsthuman nature.

Women’s control over their bodies isnot just an issue of controlling their fertilityand deciding when to have children. Somewomen also wanted to exercise their right topleasure and the right to manage theirfertility.

Others believed that sex is anexpression of love and that pleasure is anatural outcome of sex between two lovingindividuals.

On Divorce

Divorce is seen as a way out of anabusive and unhappy relationship. Some ofthe participants said that it takes courage fora woman to decide to leave such arelationship and to assert her rights. Inaddition, there is always the stigmaassociated with divorce.

On Abortion

Many participants expressed theirdiscomfort with the issue of abortion. Somefelt that abortion is wrong and should beavoided as much as possible.

Others recognized that abortion maybe allowed in certain difficult circumstanceslike saving the mother’s life and health. Insuch cases, women’s decision should always

be respected. However, since abortion is notlegal, what proliferate are unsafe andclandestine abortions - procedures which putwomen’s lives at risk.

Women who go through abortion feelshame and guilt. To atone, some leaveaborted fetuses at church doors.

Abortion is happening, someparticipants pointed out. As such, it isimportant to understand the issue, withholdjudgment, provide counselling, give support,and respect a woman’s decision on it.

On Women’s Autonomy

The idea that women own their bodiesseems to contradict the teaching that ourlives and our bodies are “on loan” from God.Some participants had difficultiesreconciling themselves with the possibilitythat people, women in particular, can decidefor their bodies.

On Homosexuality

During the FGDs, there surfaced anumber of negative ideas abouthomosexuality. One was the perception thathomosexuality is related to pedophilia.Another was that homosexuality happens inexclusive same-sex institutions.

What is needed is to prevent sexualabuses, said the participants, even as theystill see homosexuality as a sin and as aperversion. Religious congregationsmaintain that they do not accepthomosexuals.

Some participants seemeduncomfortable with the LGBT’s policyadvocacy for respect. Others wereuncomfortable with same-sex relationships,including marriage. Some said marriage isa sacred sacrament reserved for uniting aman and a woman.

There are practical considerations ina same-sex relationship and even in



marriage like childrearing and propertyrelations. Later perhaps, views on what a familyis could change but at the moment, the notionof calling a same-sex relationship with childrenas a family caused discomfort in some of theparticipants.

In the course of the debate there arosea call for people to put themselves in the shoesof people who want to be recognized that they,too, are children of God deserving happiness,rights and privileges like those in heterosexualrelationships.

Since it is not a norm, homosexualityis frowned upon. However, by affirmingunderstanding and love for fellowmen andrespect for human dignity, many participantschanged their behavior and attitude towardsLGBTs.

Some recalled how socialization moldspeople into certain roles and ways of thinking.Often, children are socialized into specific typesof work and even behavior based on sex. Thosechildren who do not conform are considereddifferent. However, some participants observedthat culture is changing, following the needsof society. For example, gender roles andexpectations are slowly being equalized inschools.

On Violence against Women

In all the focused group discussionsconducted, the participants displayed morepassion talking about violence against womenthan about other issues. Some even sharedpersonal experiences or the struggles of womenthey know. When asked whether women shouldleave when they get abused by husbands, manyfelt the suffering women go through.

The complexity of the situation ofwomen in abusive relationship should bethoroughly understood, the participants urged.Some admitted that while there are alreadylaws that protect women and children againstviolence, many beneficiaries do not benefitbecause of a lack of information.

On Rape and Marital Rape

There was a consensus that rape isa violation of a person’s dignity, whether ithappens within or outside of a relationship.However, the current attitude towards rapeworks to the disadvantage of a victim in thathe or she may be deterred from publiclyseeking justice because of the stigmaattached to rape.

Women rape victims have to endureso much pain much and often suffer insilence. They accept their fate eitherbecause that is what society expects orbecause they are concerned with the effectson their children of speaking out andasserting their rights.

Marital rape is violence againstwomen. It can happen during a cycle ofviolence. There are already legal and socialinterventions for women in abusiverelations but despite such remedies, womenmay not totally heal nor survive, togetherwith their children.

Given the circumstances behindrape, victims, particularly women, shouldbe accompanied and assisted. Despite theabuses, some women may not go to theextent of separating from their husbands.In the case of sexual abuses by the clergy,some participants called for a specialministry.

The best way to protect women fromabuses is to empower them and to sensitizemen to respect women. Interventions forwomen and men have evolved over time,and some participants expressed hopes forthe Church to similarly evolve.

On Protecting Girl-children

Many participants recognized thatthe vulnerabilities of girl-children includegender discrimination, poverty, and lack ofregard for the well-being of children. Theyalso attributed to poverty such practicalproblems as the lack of adequate living



spaces and the need for monetary bribes.Others realized that children in general,whether girls or LGBTs, are vulnerable andneed protection.

Some of the participants said that earlymarriage and early sexual encounters areharmful to children. So is incest, from whichchildren should be protected. Some pointedto the absence of parental guidance and theproliferation of cybersex as contributingfactors.

The participants also proposedmeasures to prevent child abuse, and someidentified breaking the silence as one of themost effective. Others pointed out the needfor awareness and education, and foreconomic upliftment of families. Even at anearly age, children, particularly girls, shouldbe trained to protect themselves from beingsexually abused.

On Ordination of Women in the CatholicChurch

While respecting the contributions ofwomen, the Catholic Church has long resistedgiving them leadership roles, said some of theparticipants. Some claimed that if the Churchwould truly follow Christ’s teachings onequality for all, then it should also provideequal opportunities to all, regardless ofgender. Thus, some feminists wantordination to be for all.

The Roman Catholic Church does notordain women, and some participants saidthis smacks of clericalism. However, its otherChristian counterpart churches, however, do.Women can be ordained as priests andbishops in New Zealand and Kenya. Biblicalscholars believed this was practiced in theearly days of Christianity.

Some participants pointed out the roleof Catholicism in promoting discriminationagainst women, and gave as an example thecurrent status where only men are ordainedpriests. The participants admitted thatpriesthood is not for everyone but would likeit to be available for those who do want to bepriests.

There were those who called for arevisiting of the concept of priesthood towardthinking of it not as power but as service.They also cited cases when priests are notavailable to perform the sacraments offorgiveness/absolution of sins, baptism andothers.

Some participants acknowledged thatpromoting equality in church and societywould require massive education, strongsupport systems, collective action from theground, and the involvement of the laity andof men in pushing for equality and womenempowerment.

On Celibacy

Generally, the respondents said theyaccept the vow of celibacy among priests.However, the association of married priestsquestioned this vow.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings, the following steps arerecommended:

Share and disseminate tostakeholders, duty bearers,concerned citizens and potentialallies the findings of the research.Stress how these findings presentand represent evidenced-basedinformation on the knowledge levels,opinions, views, attitudes andmisconceptions of Church leadersand workers, both lay and clergy.Thus, these findings have a worthwhich cannot be denied, discounted,or dismissed.

Conduct similar research in thefuture, and increase the number ofrespondents to include more priestsand nuns who are as articulate as thepresent set or are more willing todisclose the ir stand on the



statements used in the original study toenable across-the-board comparisonswith acceptable validity.

Explore going nationwide with the studyby means of a more rigorous choice ofsample sites to cover cities, provincialcapitals and local government unitsbecoming prominent for a number ofreasons: good practices in governance,business primacy, investment magnets,diversification of crops, environmentalawareness and action, multi-sectoralcooperation for the public good, faith-based community action, etc.

Further process the qualitative data intouseful material for advocacy andeducation work. Stress that theresponses in the survey and in thefocused group discussions offer in goodfaith two things: food for thought as wellas indicators for action to be explored onthe part of the Church hierarchy and thepeople of God.

Plan and implement a multi-mediacampaign that will reach out to allconcerned sectors nationally, regionallyand sub-regionally. Supplement face-to-face and media-based communicationwith kits of take-home materials on thefindings for various audiences.

Supplement the take-home kits on theresearch results with monographs on theprincipled dissent by practicing Catholicfrom the stand of the Church on a numberof issues—the beginnings of life; thenuances of contraception and abortion;the wisdom of denying the Sacramentsto public figures and citizens who take aprochoice stand; the circumstancesleading to actual excommunication; theusefulness of condoms for preventingHIV; the limits of natural family planningas form of contraception acceptable toand endorsed by the Church; and thescientific truth to the assertion thathormonal contraception could damagewomen’s health.

Using a progressive Catholic perspectiveand analysis, clarify misconceptions andmyths about reproductive health andfamily planning, male involvement in allaspects of reproductive health, gender,

sexuality, same-sex relationships,youth-specific sexuality issues.

Continue to ally with faith-basedchampions who risk censure frompeers and superiors to speak out onreproductive health issues.Recognize the risks they take andexpress the gratitude of thecommunity for their courage. Bringthem to the attention of the generalpublic in a way that is responsiblejournalism and that eschewssensationalism even as they put aface to dissent.

Plan and implement a specialcampaign to engage the clergy andthe Religious of the Catholic Church.Prepare for dialogues, conversationsand small group discussions thatestablish the common good as a basisfor exploring issues and actionstoward human dignity, freedom, anddevelopment. Use a common-groundframework for discussions andactions on caring for all sectorsinvolved in reproductive healthissues.

Highlight developments in theimplementation of the ReproductiveHealth Law. Celebrate itsmilestones with appropriate andinnovative activities. Honorcourageous leaders and workers whoadvocate and promote the spirit ofthe law. Gather data and evidencethat prove the need for amendments,if needed. Alert the public to changeswarranted in the field, based on theassessment of health workers andleaders int he government and inthe private sector.



ENDNOTES1 SWS 1st Quarter 2013 survey on poverty as retrieved

from http://www.sws.org.ph/pr20130426.htm

2 Retrieved from http://www.nscb.gov.ph/secstat/d_popn.asp.

3 Retrieved from http://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/POP.pdf

4 Retrieved from http://www.census.gov.ph/sites/de f au l t / f i l e s /a t t ach men t s/ i r d/q u i c ks t a t /January2013.pdf

5 Retrieved from http://www.census.gov .ph/content/unmet-need-family-planning-remains-high-results-2011-family-health-survey

6 Retrieved from http://www.nscb.gov.ph/poverty/defaultnew.asp

7 2011 Family Health Survey as retrieved from http://w w w . do h . gov . ph/c on t e n t /sp eech - hea l t h -secretary-enrique-t-ona-md-message-be-delivered-during-launch-national.html

8 Retrieved from http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/opinion/9743-day-of-reckoning-at-the-batasan

9 Retrieved from http://www.census.gov .ph/content/death-among-children-under-five-years-age-continues-decline-results-2011-family-health

10 2013 NDHS results as retrieved from http://census.gov.ph/content/one-ten-young-filipino-women-age-15-19-already-mother-or-pregnant-first-child-f inal-results. National Demographic andHealth Survey (NDHS) collected on fertility,mortality, migration, family planning, and maternaland child health designed to provide helpful inputsto policy formulation and to monitoring activitiesand researches related to health and familyplanning of both the government and privatesectors.

11 The 2008 NDHS is a nationally representativesurvey of almost 14,000 households and 14,000women 15-49, conducted f rom August 7 toSeptember 27, 2008. The 2008 NDHS is the ninthin a series of demographic surveys undertaken bythe National Statistics Office at five-year intervalssince 1968. NSO defines TFR is defined as thenumber of births a woman would have, on average,

at the end of her reproduct ive years if sheexperienced the current prevailing birth ratesamong women age 15-49 as retrieved from http://census . g ov . ph/ar t i c l e/one - t h r ee -b i r t h s -philippines-unplanned

12 2008 Study of Guttmacher Institute and theUniversity of the Philippines PopulationInstitute as retrieved from http://w w w . gu t t ma ch er . o r g/ pu bs /2 00 6/ 08 /0 8/PhilippinesUPIA.pdf

13 Retrieved from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/476453/one-fil ipino-gets-hiv-v irus-every-1-5-hours-group-says

14 Retrieved from http://www.doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/NEC_HIV_June-AIDSreg2013.pdf

15 Retrieved from http://www.cbcpnews.com/cbcpnews/?p=9989

16 http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/299965/news/nat ion/supreme-cour t-stops-implementation-of-rh-law-for-120-days

17 Copy of the Pre-Oral Argument Session for June6, 2013, 2 p.m.

18 Then President of the CBCP, Bishop NereoOdchimar, “clarified that the Church does notrecognize the “Catholics for Reproductive Health”as a genuine Catholic association or organizationin accordance with Canon Law. Any Catholic whofreely identifies himself or herself with this groupgravely errs.” The Pastoral Letter was read in omanCatholic dioceses. As retrieved from http://cbcpforlife.com/?p=434

C4RH responded by saying it never claimed it isa church-mandated organization or accredited bythe Catholic Church and that it does not needrecognition from any canonical bodies. As a non-government organization (NGO), the “appreciationof its members and fellow Catholics who believethat RH is a right is more than enough. In fact, arecognition among our peers is the bestrecognition of all.” It went on to remind thebishops that they should encourage morediscussion to unite the faithful in reflection anddiscernment. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/notes/172324612823712/

19 RA 10354 Sections 4.p and q.


2 0 h t t p : / / w w w . u n i c e f . o r g / g e n d e r / f i l e s /Overarching_2Pager_Web.pdf

21 Ibid.

22 Retrieved from http://cbcpforlife.com/?p=434

23 The 2012-2013 Catholic Directory of the Philippines.Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 2012.

24 These are the books and writings that contain thebasic laws of the one, holy, catholic and apostolicchurch. Local and Ecumenical Councils havepromulgated canons since the earliest days of thechurch. This definition was retrieved from http://metropolitanarchdiocese.com/terms-definitions.html

25 http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P1C.HTM

26 http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P1E.HTM

27 Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 4, line871 as retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015 /__P2A.htm; Also from http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-be lieve/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/OEBPS/18-paragraph19.xhtml#note1513

28 http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PT.HTM

29 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/p.htm

30 Cathy Caridi, J.C.L. “Bishops, Archbishops, andCardinals,” Canon Law Made Easy: Church Law forNormal People . Retrieved online from http://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2009/12 /17/ bishops-archbishops-and-cardinals/

31 Columkille Regan, C.P. “Two kinds of priests,” 1996-2004 Passionist Missionaries of Union City, NJ, USAretrieved online at http://www.cptryon.org/ask/ask/2kinds.html.

32 Canon Law 274.2 as re trieved from http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PY.HTM

33 Columkille Regan, C.P. “Two kinds of priests,” 1996-2004 Passionist Missionaries of Union City, NJ, USAretrieved online at http://www.cptryon.org/ask/ask/2kinds.html.

34 Canon Law 375-377 as retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1D.HTM;and Canon Law 381 as retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1E.HTM

35 Canon Law 403-404 as retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1F.HTM

36 Hamrlik, Kathryn Reyes, “The Principle ofSubsidiarity and Catholic Ecclesiology:Implications for the Laity” (2011). Dissertations.Paper 276. As re trieve d from http://e c o m m o n s . l u c . e d u / c g i /viewcontent.cgi?article=1275&context=luc_diss

37 Gray, Philip C. L. “That They May All Be One”:The Principle of Collegiality as retrieved fromh t t p : / / w w w . c a t h o l i c c a n o n l a w . c o m /collegiality.pdf

38 Cathy Caridi, J.C.L. “What can and can’t a deacondo?” Canon Law Made Easy: Church Law forNormal People. Retrieved online from http://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2013/09/26/what-can-and-cant-a-deacon-do/

39 David J. Stagaman, Authority in the Church,Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press,1999, 19-33.

40 Cathy Caridi, J.C.L. “Clerical IncardinationPriests for Life, Part I,” Canon Law Made Easy:Church Law for Normal People. Retrieved onlinefrom http://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2012/11 /21/clerical-incardination-priests-for-life-part-i/

41 Ibid.

42 Catechism of The Catholic Church, op. cit.

43 Cathy Caridi, J.C.L. “Bishops, Archbishops, andCardinals,” op. cit.

44 “What is a Monsignor?” Ask A Catholic, PassionistMissionaries of Union City, NJ, USA. Retrievedfrom http://www.cptryon.org/ask/ask/monsig.html.

45 See paragraph line 879, paragraph 4, Article 9,Chapter 3, Section 2, Part 1 of the Catechism ofthe Catholic Church on http://www.vatican.va/a r c h i v e / c c c _ c s s / a r c h i v e / c a t e c h i s m /p123a9p4.htm



48 Cathy Caridi, J.C.L. “Bishops, Archbishops, andCardinals,” op. cit.

49 See http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/p ius_ x i i /e nc yc l ica ls/ doc ume n ts/ h f_ p -x i i _ e n c _ 2 9 0 6 1 9 4 3 _ m y s t i c i - c o r p o r i s -christi_en.html

50 See http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p4.htm or (Pius XII,Discourse, Feb 20, 1946)

51 See http://www.ceap.org.ph/cms/SchoolMem.aspx

ENDNOTES


52 See http://ceap.org.ph/upload/download/201210/17131424594_1.pdf

53 Emma-Kate Symons. “Preacher Power,” The WallStreet Journal, May 14, 2010. Retrieved onlineat http://online .wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704635204575241740134677222.

54 Lebech, Mette (2009). On the Problem of HumanDignity as retrieved from http://c o r e . k m i . o p e n . a c . u k / d o w n l o a d / p d f /11525082.pdf

55 Aguas, Jove Jim. (2009). The Notions of theHuman Person and Human Dignity in Aquinas andWojtyla. KRITIKE, 3:1, p.40-60. Retrieved fromw w w . k r i t i k e . o r g / j o u r n a l / i s s u e _ 5 /aguas_june2009.pdf

56 Clark, Mary T. “Plotinus, Augustine, Aquinas,K.Wojtyla on Person and Ego” As retrieved fromhttps://www.bu.e du/wcp/Papers/PPer/PPerClar.htm

57 Clark, Mary T. (Ed, 2000). An Aquinas Reader.New York: Fordham University Press, p. 177as read fromhttp://books.google.com.ph/books?id=ewatnJktQHYC&pg=PA177&dq=an+hypostasis+distinguished+by+dignity+by+clark&hl=en&sa=X&ei=o5x3VJ3zIee4mAWl_oL4CA&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=an% 20hypostas is% 20dis tingu ishe d%20by%20dignity%20by%20clark&f=false

58 English Encyclopedia accessed at http://www.encyclo.co.uk

59 Francese, Christopher. (2007). Ancient Rome inso Many Words. New York: Hippocrene Books,Inc., p. 127 as accesse d from http://books.google.com.phbooks?id=gl5T47CvuDsC&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&dq=d ign itas+in+roman+empire&source=bl&ots=GSVKshRyAT&sig=Uvc_c_Q9NrsYC0mi2bX97UhV9MQ&hl=ceb&sa=X&ei=XKl3VLu3JuK5mAWVtYH4Bg&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=dignitas%20in%20roman%20empire&f =false

60 Donnely, Jack. (2013). Universal Human Rightsin Theory and Practice. New York: CornellUniversity Press, p. 123 as accessed from http://books.google.com.phbooks?id=3gVCY1P7e4MC&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=%22virtuous+life+in+accord+with+nature+and+reason%22+cicero&source=bl&ots=rWZJc8GRaI&sig=tOCDDrOle0gH04aTO340bGjPYQw&hl=ceb&s=X&ei=Nq13VInqC8b4mAXUj4KgDg&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAgv=one page&q=%22virtuous% 20life %20in%20accord%20with%20nature %20and%20reason%22%20cicero&f=false

61 Sensen, Oliver. (2011). Kant on Human Dignity.Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, p. 155. As Accessedfrom https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=

GxpMfpTIUJMC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false and at https://books.google.com.phbooks?id=GxpMfpTIUJMC&pg=PA155&lpg=PA155&dq=But+it+is+essential+to+every+inquiry+about+duty+that+we+keep+before+our+ eyes+how+far+superior+man+is+by+nature+to+cattle+and+other+beasts:&source=bl&ots=zWK9ATebxp&sig=R3JJ1lUE7DI_0lkiKKypAgvvI&hl=ceb&sa=X&ei=kAyVVKzkDNSgugSdsoGoCg&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=But%20it%20is%20essential%20to%20every%20inquiry%20about%20duty%20that%20we%20keep%20before%20our%20eyes%20how%20far%20superior%20man%20is%20by%20nature%20to%20cattle%20and%20other% 20beasts%3A&f=false

62 O’Callaghan, John P. (2007). Imago Dei: A TestCase for St. Thomas’s Augustinianism. InDauphinais, Michael, Barry David, and MatthewLevering (Eds.). Aquinas the Augustinian (pp.100-144). The Catholic University of America Press asaccessed from http://books.google .com.ph/b o o k s ? i d = r K G z 2 R 0 G i I IC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

63 Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. Retrievedfrom http://www.basilica.org/pages/ebooks/S t . % 2 0 T h o m a s % 2 0 A q u i n a s -Summa%20Theologica.pdf

64 Mejos, Dean Edward A. (2007). Against Alienation:Karol Wojtyla’s Theory of Participation . Retrievedfrom http://www.kritike.org/journal/issue_1/mejos_june2007.pdf

65 Text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rightscan be accessed from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a1

66 Donnelley, op. cit.

67 Kant, Immanuel. (1996) The Metaphysics of Morals.(Translated and Edited by Mary Gregor). New York:Cambridge University Press. as accessed fromh t t p : / / b o o k s . g o o g l e . c o m . p h /b o o k s ? i d = G c E m A A A AQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

68 Kant, Immanuel. (1983). Perpetual Peace and OtherEssays on Politics, History, and Moral Practice.(Translated by Ted Humphrey). Indianapolis:Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., p. 72. Asaccessed from http://books.google .com.ph/b o o k s ? i d = e 8 A a r O L TngEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

69 Millennium Development Project. (2005). Retrievedfrom http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/UNMP_QA_SRH.pdf

70 See Beijing Platform for Action as accessed fromhttp://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/health.htm and also from http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/be ijing/pdf/BDPfA%20E.pdf

ENDNOTES


82 Proceedings of the 2003 C Southeast AsiaMeeting on Women, “Responding to theChallenges of Christian Women in Asia” heldat the Good Shepherd Spiritual Centre,Antipolo, Philippines on 26th January to 1stFebruary, 2003.

83 Federation of Asian Bishops. Southeast AsiaMeeting on Women “Responding to theChallenges of Christian Women in Asia,” GoodShepherd Spiritual Centre , Antipolo,Philippines, 26th January to 1st February,2003. Retrieved from http://www.fabc.org/o f f i ce s/o la i ty/Wome n% 27s% 20docs/SEAMOW%20I%20FS.pdf

84 Farley, Margaret A. (2007). Just Love: AFramework for Christian Sexual Ethics. NewYork: Continuum.

85 Ibid.

86 Peracullo, Jeanne. (2012). A Filipino FeministPerspective on the Reproductive Health Bill. SDRCOccasional Paper Series No. 2, 2012-B. Manila:De la Salle University.

87 Mananzan, Mary John. (1993). RedefiningReligious Commitment Today, Women ReligiousNow: Impact of the Second Vatican Council onWomen Religious in the Philippines. Manila: St.Scholastica College-Institute of WomenStudies.

88 Esguerra, Virgilio; Madrid, Ma. Theresa Muego;Perlado, Erlinda C. (2007). Women, Householdsand Organizations: Touchstones for GenderDevelopment and Pastoral Work. Quezon City:Integrated Patoral Development Initiatives(IPDI) and Fastenopfer (SCLF).

89 Ledesma, Antonio J., SJ, DD. (2009, April30). Pastoral Guidelines and Core Values inNFP Promotion. Pastoral Companion Blogspot.Retrieve d from http://archbishopledesma.blogspot.com/2009/04/pastoral-guidelines-and-core-values-in.html

90 Caroll, John J. (2010). Neither Silver Bullet norVatican Roulette: Natural Family Planning in aWorking Class Community. Philippines: PCPDand JJC Institute on Church and SocialIssues, ADMU.

91 Philippine Center for Population andDevelopment (PCPD). (2010, August). Meetingthe Felt Needs of Couples in the Ipil PrelatureZamboanga Sibugay: An Assessment of the All-NFP Program. Philippines: PCPD.

92 Viehland, NJ. (2012, August 16). PhilippinesReproductive Health Bill Survives Catholic ‘PrayerPower’. National Catholic Reporter. Retrievedfrom http://ncronline.org/printpdf/31690and also fromhttp://ncronline.org/news/

71 Long, Scott. (2005). Anatomy of a Backlash: Sexualityand the “Cultural” War on Human Rights. Retrieved fromhttp://www.hrw.org/legacy/wr2k5/anatomy/anatomy.pdf

72 Address given on March 18, 2011, by ArchbishopFrancis Chullikatt, permanent observer of the HolySee to the United Nations, at the 55th session ofUNESCO’s Commission on the Status of Women.Accessed from http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/holy-see-on-redefining-gender and also from http:// w w w . a d 2 0 0 0 . c o m . a u / a r t i c l e s / 2 0 1 1 /jun2011p6_3533.html

73 United Nations. (2003). Participation of the Holy See inthe work of the United Nations. Available online ath t t p : / / w w w . u n . o r g / e n / g a / s e a r c h /view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/58/314&Lang=E. (Seealso U.N. General Assembly Resolution A/58/314Participation of the Holy See in the work of the UnitedNations accessed at http://www.holyseemission.org/about/participation-of-the-holy-see-in-the-un.aspx)

74 O’Leary, Dale. (1997). The Gender Agenda: RedefiningEquality. Lafayette, Louisiana: Vital Issues Press.

75 Book review as accessed from http://w w w . t h e f r e e l i b r a r y . c o m / Th e + G e n d e r +Agenda%3A+Redefining+equality.-a076472011

76 Case , Mary Anne . (2011). Afte r Gender theDestruction of Man: The Vatican’s Nightmare Visionof the Gender Agenda for Law. 31 Pace Law Review802. Available online at http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/plr/vol31/iss3/2 and alsoat http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/plr/vol31/iss3/2

77 Aquinas, op. cit.

78 Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to the Membersof the Roman Curia for the Traditional Exchange ofChristmas Greetings. (Clementine Hall, 22 December2008). Available at http://www.vatican.va/holy_ fa the r/be ne d ic t_x vi/spe e che s/2008/d e c e m b e r / d o c u m e n t s / h f _ b e n -xvi_spe_20081222_curia-romana_en.html

79 Ratzinger, Joseph with Vittorio Messori. (1985). TheRatzinger Report: An Exclusive Interview on the State ofthe Church. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, p. 95.Available at http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=bSZtm0DWz_cC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

80 Danguilen, Marilen. (1993). Making Choices in GoodFaith: A Challenge to the Catholic Church’s Teaching onSexuality and Contraception . Quezon City:Philippines: WomanHealth.

81 Guerrero, Sylvia H. Editor. (1999). Selected Readingson Health and Feminist Research: A Source Book.Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines: University Centerfor Women’s Studies, University of the Philippines.

ENDNOTES


global/philippines-reproductive-health-bill-survives-catholic-prayer-power

93 Tulali, Carlos. (2013). Bishops in Our Bedroom:Roman Catholic Church and the RH Bill in thePhilippines. PLCPD Policy Brief. Retrieved fromhttp://www.scribd.com/doc/28438163/Bishops-in-our-Bedroom-Roman-Catholic-Church-and-the-Reproductive-Health-Bill-in-the-Philippines#download.

94 Copy of Lumen Fidei as retrieved from http://w2 .va t ican .va /conte nt/ f rance sc o/e n/e n c y c l i c a l s / d o c u m e n t s / p a p a -francesco_20130629_enciclica-lumen-fidei.html

95 Paragraph 213 of Evangeii Gaudium as Retrievedfrom http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html

96 Copy of Evangeii Gaudium as Retrieved from http://w2.vat ican.va/conte nt/ france sco/e n/apost_ e xho rta t ion s/docume nts /papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html

97 Glatz, Carol. Pope Francis’ top 10 most quotablequotes of the year. Catholic News Service.Retrieved from http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1400862.htm

98 Stanglin, Doug. (2013). Pope seeks less focuson abortion, gays, contraception. USA Today(September 19, 2013). Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/09/19/pope-francis-abortion-gays-interview/2837495/

99 Stanglin, ibid.

101 Stanglin, op.cit.

102 Stanglin, op.cit.

103 Republic Act (RA) No. 10354 An Act Provingfor a National Policy on Responsible Parenthoodand Reproductive Health (RPRH)

104 Taken from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/287022/news/nionicam-approves-rh-bill-retains-safe-satisfying-sex

105 From http://alfi.org.ph/2012/12/a-cbcp-pastoral-letter-on-the-latest-decision-on-the-reproductive-health-bill/ and on http://cbcponline.net/v2/?p=6241

106 Taken from http://www.justice -and-healing.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Rape-FINAL.pdf

107 Taken from http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2011/07/27/man-gets-life-term-wifes-rape-169377

108 Taken from http://www.chanrobles.com/revisedpenalcodeofthephilippinesbook2.htm#.UszWptIW2Dk. The penalties for abortion inthe Revised Penal code could be found in Book2, Title 8, Chapter 1 (Destruction of Life), Section2 (Infanticide and Abortion), Article 256(Intentional Abortion, Article 257 (Unintentionalabortion), Article 258 (Abortion practiced by thewoman herself or her parents), and Article 259(Abortion practiced by a physician or midwifeand dispensing abortives) If convicted, they couldbe fined or meted with prision correccional in itsmedium and maximum periods.

109 Taken from https://www.guttmacher.org/p u b s / I B - u n i n t e n d e d - p r e g n a n c y -philippines.html

110 CDC. “Condoms and STDs: Factsheet for PubicHealth Personne l,” take n form http://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/latex.htm

111 AIDSMap. “Do Condoms Work?,” taken fromhttp://www.aidsmap.com/Do-condoms-work/page/1746203/#item1746197

112 http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3127299.html

113 AmfAR. Issue Brief, “The Effectiveness ofCondoms in Preventing HIV Transmission,” page1 taken from http://www.amfar.org/uploadedfiles/in_the_community/publications/condombrief.pdf

114 AmfAR. Issue Brief, “The Effectiveness ofCondoms in Preventing HIV Transmission,” page2 http://www.amfar.org/uploadedfiles/i n _ t h e _ c o m m u n i t y / p u b l i c a t i o n s /condombrief.pdf

115 http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/contraception-guide/Pages/male-condoms.aspx

ENDNOTES


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Transcripts from Focused Group Discussions(FGDs):

Tagaytay City

Cebu City

Compostela Valley

Davao City

Manila City

Legazpi City

Filled-up Questionnaires


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4RH

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