Likhaan Center for Women’s Health, Philippines a Likhaan Center for Women’s Health, Philippines National Report on Building New Constituencies for Women’s SRHR: Interlinkages Between Religion and SRHR NATIONAL REPORT CONTENTS Understanding Catholic Fundamentalism in the Published by: Acknowledgements ii Philippines: How conservative religious teachings on women, family and contraception are wielded to impede Likhaan Center for Women’s Health List of Acronyms iii the Reproductive Health Law and other reproductive 27 Ofelia St., Ofelia Subdivision, Barangay Bahay Toro, health policies Quezon City 1106, Philippines Executive Summary iv Telephone: +63 2 926-6230 and +63 2 454-3854 Likhaan Center for Women’s Health Fax: +63 2 926-6230 1. Introduction 1 Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women Email: [email protected] (ARROW) Website: www.likhaan.org 2. Profiling the Philippines: SRHR and Catholic Fundamentalism 4 Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women 3. Understanding the Interlinkages 8 2016 (ARROW) 1 & 2 Jalan Scott, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 4. Conclusions 27 Telephone: (603) 2273 9913/9914 Fax: (603) 2273 9916 5. Recommendations 28 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Email: [email protected] Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License. To Website: www.arrow.org.my 6. List of References 30 view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons. Facebook: The Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. for Women (ARROW) 7. Appendices 38 Twitter: @ARROW_Women Any part of the text of the publication may be photocopied, YouTube: youtube.com/user/ARROWomen reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, or adapted and translated to Production Team: meet local needs, for non-commercial and non-profit Writers: Junice L.D. Melgar (MD) and Jocelyn Carrera-Pacete purposes. However, the copyright for images used Reviewers: Esperanza Cabral (MD), Elizabeth Aguiling- remains with the respective copyright holders. All forms Pangalangan(LLM), Rina Jimenez-David and Mary Racelis of copies, reproductions, adaptations, and translations (PhD) through mechanical, electrical, or electronic means Copy Editor: Sharni Jayawardena should acknowledge ARROW as the source. A copy of the Layout Design: Pathum Ranaweera, Lionsbay Holdings (Pvt.) reproduction, adaptation, and/or translation should be sent Ltd., Sri Lanka to ARROW. In cases of commercial usage, ARROW must be Layout: Joshua Lotho contacted for permission at [email protected]. Cover Photo Credit: Likhaan Photobank b c Likhaan Center for Women’s Health, Philippines National Report on Building New Constituencies for Women’s SRHR: Interlinkages Between Religion and SRHR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LIST OF ACRONYMS This publication was produced as part of an initiative on ALFI Alliance for Life and the Family LGUs Local Government Units religious fundamentalism and sexual and reproductive health and rights being implemented in the Philippines ARMM Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao NFP Natural Family Planning by the Likhaan Center for Women’s Health, in partnership with and with the support of the Asian-Pacific Resource BFAD Bureau of Food and Drugs NGO Non-government Organization and Research Centre for Women (ARROW). This scoping study has been produced with the financial support of the CBCP Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the PopCom Commission on Population European Union (EU). The contents of this publication are Philippines the sole responsibility of Likhaan and can in no way be PSA Philippine Statistics Authority taken to reflect the views of ARROW and EU. CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women RA Republic Act CFC Couples for Christ RH Reproductive Health CFC-GMFI Couples for Christ Global Mission RHAN Reproductive Health Advocacy Network Foundation Inc. RHR Reproductive Health and Rights DOH Department of Health SRH Sexual and Reproductive Health GK Gawad Kalinga SRHR Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights HB House Bill TRO Temporary Restraining Order HLI Human Life International UN United Nations IUD Intrauterine Device US United States KII Key Informant Interviews VAW Violence Against Women LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender ii iii Likhaan Center for Women’s Health, Philippines National Report on Building New Constituencies for Women’s SRHR: Interlinkages Between Religion and SRHR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Catholic Church has established and sustained assert that teachings on RH are evil, more than a hundred These teachings on women stunt their growth and value significant power over Philippine politics and society in the respected Catholic university faculty members, among them only as mothers. The Catholic hierarchy’s power past—through Spanish rule from the 16 th century towards others, affirmed that Catholics could support RH in good dampens self-expression in some RH advocates, and the end of the 19th century, and in 1986 and 2001 during the conscience. Similar statements of support to the Bill came intimidates others. Some of these Catholic RH advocates ouster of two Presidents—until the present as manifested out from groups in other Catholic schools. Contrary to maintain their critical thinking and some have stopped in the country’s moral values, way of life and behavior in Fundamentalist Catholics ensuring obedience to the “natural going to church. Some use Family Planning as a matter of social and public activities. Conservative Catholic teachings law” as a Catholic duty, Progressive Catholics are exercising conscience. For these Catholic Progressives, the Church of instilled into state policies and governance deprive the dissent, which is included in the Catechism (doctrinal the Faithful is non-hierarchical and inclusive, open-minded enjoyment of basic human rights. The Philippines, in effect, manuals) of the Catholic Church and is deemed allowed on and not authoritarian. They believe in the importance of remains a Catholic state in practice despite being a secular non-infallible papal teachings, such as contraception and critical thinking among Catholics and that the Catholic state by proclamation. homosexuality. Catholic moral theology advises that in a Church should revisit its views on women, family and disputed moral issue, a Catholic may, in good conscience, marriage, including Sexual and Reproductive Health and This report focuses on both Catholic Fundamentalism and follow a position, even though it is espoused only by Rights (SRHR) and Violence Against Women. For Muslims, its opposition to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) a minority of reputable moral theologians (concept of the perceived challenges in the implementation of the RH policies, especially the Reproductive Health (RH) Law, probabilism). Law in their areas would be the lack of support for it, given and the alternative and more liberal views of Catholic that the Philippines is a Christian-dominated country with Progressives, including their strongest purveyors. Catholic Public health policies are affected by fundamentalist non-recognition of Muslim cultural practices, leading to Fundamentalism is defined as the use of the Catholic Catholic teachings, such as the 1987 Constitution which more deaths among mothers. Church’s political power to impose on and inject Catholic enshrines the protection of the unborn from the moment doctrines into state policies and governance. This report of conception and also declares the separation of Church The remaining challenges posed by Catholic is the result of a research on the Catholic Church’s official and State; the Natural Family Planning Only policy and Fundamentalism are the effects of Supreme Court teachings related to RH and rights and its personages/ banning of the emergency pill, Postinor, by the Department amendments to the RH Law that affect access to blocs; assessments of their impact on RH policies, of Health under President Arroyo’s administration; the contraceptive supplies and services, the continuing especially the RH Bill and Law, the Supreme Court decision banning of artificial contraceptives and condoms from prohibition against legal and safe abortion, and issues on the Law and its implications; and interviews with various 2000 to 2011 by local government officials in the executive stemming from actions by “pro-life” groups. Given pro-RH expert practitioners in their respective sector, and legislative branches based on “Pro-Life” values and these issues, this report recommends specific actions to including a Muslim academic who provided a counterpoint teachings; and the Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling on the “Pro- policymakers to ensure that SRHR are “respected, protected to the Catholic views. Life” challenge to the RH Law which altered the Law further and fulfilled,” and to RH advocates to push for SRHR policies to restrict contraceptive services to adolescents, allow the and programs in different areas and levels of governance, Fundamentalist Catholic teachings, believed to be requirement of spousal consent and expand the meaning of to counter moves by “pro-life” groups and at the same immutable and universal, limit a woman’s role to “abortifacient” and “conscientious objection.” time promote the progressive approach to understanding motherhood and family; confine sexual intimacy only to Catholic teachings. marriage and to result only in procreation; and subject Catholic fundamentalist teachings negatively affected young people to their parents’ decisions. Progressive women and their