Fitch & Kristel
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News Issue 1, Year 10 / April 2013 ALFI is a multi-sectoral organization committed to foster and defend the sanctity of marriage, to promote family solidarity, and to protect life at all stages of development. INSIDE: FITCH & Another Life Issue Life is a Gift KRISTEL by Atty. Maria Concepcion S. Nochhe A Few Good Men and Women itch Ratings, a major credit rating agencycy Fin the world, announced a Philippinene excelledexcelled at school.school. To her,her, studyingstudying was a Modesty Aside credit rating upgrade. According to thehe meansmeans ““toto cope with life’s worries” and it Thoughts and tips statement, it is a seal of good housekeepingg waswas hherer bbeaconeacon ofof llightight — herher hhope.ope. for parents on imparting and a resounding vote of confidence in thee Many hhaveave weigweighedhed in on Kristel’sKristel’s ddeatheath a virtue that has become Philippine economy. easy to overlook andand a bandwagonbandwagon ofof fifinger-pointingnger-pointing hhasas With the upgrade, Fitch says that we cann ensued.ensued. Experts,Experts, however,however, havehave cautionecautionedd Elections 2013: expect an increase in investment inflow whichch againstagainst a ‘‘cause-and-effect’cause-and-effect’ simplistic A Political Exercise, translates into more funds for social services,vices, virtuousvirtuous approachapproach becausebecause not one factorfactor couldcould infrastructure and other long-term investmentsstments bebe pinpointedpinpointed to hhaveave ddrivenriven KristeKristell A Moral Choice cyclecycle ooff ggrowth,rowth, for economic development. Fitch credits thee strongstrong empowermentempowerment andand to endend hherer llife.ife. But fforor tthehe myriamyriadd remittance inflow from overseas foreign wworkersorkers inclusivenessinclusiveness that wiwillll ofof reasons tthathat coucouldld havehave broughtbrought and the strong domestic demand, as one ooff tthehe redoundredound to the benefitbenefit of of KristelKristel to ddespondency,espondency, one tthinghing Our Constitution main drivers for the improved rating. FilipinosFilipinos across aallll sectors ofof isis certain: The“ meaningless”“meaningless” lives lives of disturbeddisturbed young peoppeoplele willwill not President Benigno Aquino III was euphorichoric at society.”society.” recognizes the right gain “meaning”“meaning” when they commit the positive news and said: “It is one amongg manmanyy of all citizens to KristelKristel was a 1616-year-year ooldld freshmanfreshman at suicidesuicide to drivedrive homehome a ppoint.oint. other positive developments that demonstratesnstrates thethe UniversityUniversity ofof thethe PhilippinesPhilippines ManiManila.la. quality education and the reclamation of our national pride. Truly,ly, whatwhat SheShe tooktook herher llifeife aftafterer s hesheh adhadt oto fil filee a lea avleavee I am not readyready to jjumpump into the mandates that the was once known as the perennial laggard offAi Asia is i offb absence dduring the h middle ddlfh of her second d bandwagon,bandwagon but I am moved. moved Kristel’s Kristel’s highest budgetary taking off, and is accelerating towards its goal of an semester for failure to pay her tuition fees. death is a biting commentary on the state equitably progressive society.” The amount involved was a paltry sum of affairs in Philippine society. priority be assigned He lost no time in enumerating the consequent of Php6,377. It was reported that Kristel The case of Kristel has brought to the fore to education. benefits to the country which he said would foster “a devoted her childhood to learning and she continued on page 2... Nourishing SC Issues the ‘Love and Bliss’ Status Quo Ante Order by Nicole Bautista 7KH6XSUHPH&RXUWKDVFRQVROLGDWHGWKHSHWLWLRQVÀOHGWKDW question the constitutionality of R.A. No. 10354 or popularly known ove and bliss—no groom- or bride-to-be that tendency to fall into a contraceptive mindset as the Reproductive Health Law. ever considers doing without these two by taking the focus from the widely-accepted On March 19, 2013, by a vote of 10-5, the Supreme Court issued important things in The Life After The Big family planning idea of controlling births and a Status Quo Ante Order (SQAO) “effective immediately and for a L period of one hundred twenty (120) days, requiring the parties to Day. But more often than not, when a marriage returning it to the actual ultimate end of every observe the status quo prevailing before the issuance of Republic is built upon the superficial, love and bliss tend family planning endeavor: that of enriching the Act No. 10354.” to quickly peter out and eventually get zapped to relationship between husband and wife. The 10 justices who voted for the issuance of the SQAO are As- oblivion after the so-called honeymoon phase. But first, what is Porsuelo NFP? It is a method sociate Justices Teresita De Castro, Arturo T. Brion, Diosdado M. How can love and bliss last when they are hinged of Natural Family Planning that originated in Peralta, Lucas P. Bersamin, Roberto A. Abad, Martin Villarama, Jr., upon those fleeting feelings that come with Malaybalay, Bukidnon through the efforts of Jose P. Perez, Jose C. Mendoza, Bienvenido L. Reyes, and Presbit- ero J. Velasco, Jr. Those who voted against are Chief Justice Maria the trappings of dream weddings (and dream Felicidad Cuel Porsuelo, a midwife, a mother honeymoons)? And why is there hardly such a Lourdes P. A. Sereno, Associate Justices Antonio T. Carpio, Mariano of five, and the pioneer of NFP education in C. del Castillo, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, and Marvic M. V. F. Leonen. thing as “dream large family”? the Philippines. Together with her husband Eli, $PRWLRQIRUUHFRQVLGHUDWLRQRIWKH64$2ZDVÀOHGEXWWKHVDLG Nang Piling—as she is fondly called—developed motion was denied. ...what makes this method a method for natural family planning and taught Associate Justice Marvic Leonen wrote a dissenting opinion to such a “breath of fresh air” it to married couples in the grassroots level the issuance of the SQAO. Associate Justice Arturo Brion, on the is the emphasis on values beginning 1966. other hand, wrote a concurring opinion and reply to the dissenting opinion. that the husband and wife History details Nang Piling’s humble yet scientific process in setting down the rules for the The Supreme Court likewise scheduled the oral arguments for acquire as they work their NFP method. She promoted the use of basal body the consolidated petitions before the court en banc on June 18, 2013. The oral arguments will help the Court determine if there are way through mastering the temperature, mucus, breastfeeding, and sympto- grounds to extend the SQAO beyond July 17, 2013 and will guide the art of understanding their thermal methods in helping the couple—not just Court on how to decide the petitions. the wife—understand the cycle of the woman’s What is a Status Quo Ante Order? shared fertility. body, and therefore predict the fertile and infertile A status quo ante order is in “the nature of a temporary restrain- periods. But what makes this method such a Perhaps this is why Linda Valenzona’s new ing order” (TRO) because it has the same effect, that is, the mainte- “breath of fresh air” is the emphasis on values that nance of the last, actual, peaceful and uncontested status that pre- family planning book, Gugma ug Kalipay: The the husband and wife acquire as they work their cedes the controversy. The status which the TRO seeks to maintain Porsuelo NFP Way, feels like a breath of fresh air. way through mastering the art of understanding LVWKDWZKLFKH[LVWVDWWKHWLPHRIWKHÀOLQJRIWKHFDVHZKLFKLVWKDW The process of family planning has long been their shared fertility. which existed prior to the issuance of the assailed RH Law which has associated with birth control and prevention, yet to be implemented. With the SQAO, it is as if there is no RH Law. The Porsuelo way brings out values like leading many married couples to associate 8QGHUWKHODZWKHLVVXDQFHRID64$2RU752PD\EHMXVWLÀHG having more children with heightened financial communication, patience, self control, and if the applicant is able to show the presence of the following condi- challenges, fewer luxuries, and disordered homes. teamwork as couples go through the process of tions: (a) that the right to be protected exists prima facie; (b) that the If they are not careful, even users of natural family mastering the method in the workshops. The act sought to be enjoined is violative of that right; and (c) that there is an urgent and paramount necessity for the writ to prevent serious planning methods may fall into that trap known as discipline involved in carrying out the NFP-related tasks (for example, taking the temperature, noting damage. With the issuance of the SQAO, the Supreme Court has the “contraceptive mentality.” As the author notes, favourably considered the existence of such conditions. the Porsuelo Natural Family Planning removes down the quality of continued on page 2... FITCH & KRISTEL continued from p.1 what we know has ailed this country for years. Education has been in the backburner and is hardly considered to be a major tool for our progress. Yet, our Constitution recognizes the right of all citizens to quality education and mandates that the highest budgetary priority be assigned to education. Fitch has acknowledged the value of our human resources — our overseas foreign workers for their remittances and our local population for the strong consumer demand. Would it not make better sense for our government to empower our people through education? Wouldn’t government resources be better spent in providing quality and affordable education to every Filipino? Wouldn’t the billions be better spent to ensure that education is made accessible to every Filipino including those in the remotest villages of our country? And would it not also make our society more caring and sensitive if you and I reach out to a Kristel to make sure a dream is kept alive? Education empowers people and contributes greatly to economic growth. We probably do not realize how much is lost in terms of peso value from lack of or inadequate education.