Anti-life forces are steadily gaining ground in the Philippines. Despite a constitutional provision mandating the protection of the unborn from the moment of conception, population control programs utilizing methodologies that clearly violate this constitutional provision are widely implemented. And with the enactment of the Local Government Code (Republic Act 7160), population programs have been decentralized and devolved to the thousands of local government units at the level of the province (75), municipality/city (about 1,400) and the barangay or country (about 42,000). The same law allows local government units to contract loans from foreign funding agencies. And very sadly, many local government units who availed themselves of foreign loans are now implementing population control programs as part of the conditions for the loan. This development makes it very, very difficult for Pro-Life Philippines to monitor and effectively oppose government programs dealing on population control.
To make matters worse, a dearth of resources hampers pro-lifers’ capacity to effectively counter the anti-life forces. Because of lack of resources, we cannot effectively conduct research, advocacy and disseminate pro-life information to the public. On the other hand, the well-funded anti-life forces have voluminous researches (distorted to favor their agenda. of course) to manipulate the public, buy extensive media coverage to shape an anti-life public opinion and lobby (bribe) government officials to enact laws and implement programs and services that are clearly against life. In essence, anti-life forces are monopolizing media, academe and the government.
The anti-life forces’ campaign in the Senate and Congress is stepping up. As of now, there are a reported 132 anti-life bills introduced in the Senate and Congress. Some of these bills are for the legalization of divorce, abortion, euthanasia, and homosexual marriage. And presently being de-liberated at this time is the bill on divorce simultaneously filed by Senator Rodolfo Biazon in the Senate and Congresswoman Bellailor Angara Castillo in the Lower House. If not countered, the anti-life forces will soon succeed in shaping a counter-Catholic and counter-pro-life culture in the Philippines, the bastion of Catholicism in Asia.
One of the principal reasons why anti-life forces are especially targeting us is because we are Catholics. And obstinate Catholics we are, for despite massive efforts to control our fertility, we continue to be defiant and still show an above-replacement fertility rate. They are angry at us for the ultimate effect is we are becoming a major supplier of workers to nations that are facing demographic collapse and thereby helping their economies and social security systems to remain afloat. We know that the sinking of the social security system will hasten the acceptance of euthanasia.
Pro-Life Philippines dreads the day when anti-life forces succeed in their satanic agenda to subvert our country, the center of Catholicism in Asia and major source of priests, nuns and missionaries deployed to many parts of the world.
The spirit of Pro-Life Philippines to light for life is willing but its flesh is weak, owing to its lack of resources to flex its muscle in the fields of research, advocacy, and information dissemination. These are the areas that we believe are the decisive battleground in shaping public opinion and culture to remain pro-life. If we lose in these fields of battle, we certainly lose the war.
Pro-Life Philippines Foundation, Inc. was founded in 1975 as a result of a series of lectures by Fr. Paul Marx, OSB in the Philippines in 1974. Fr. Marx talked on the evils of contraception that will lead to abortion. He incited his audiences to counter this attack on life. Many responded to the call and Pro-Life Philippines was born. For the last 25 years or so, Pro-Life Philippines Foundation, Inc. has been working with the marginalized sector providing education and training, lobbying and advocacy, natural family planning, pregnancy counseling, family counseling for couples, providing shelters for pregnant women or children in troubled relationships and others.
Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS is the National Coordinator for Pro-Life Philippines in Manila
