The Day of the Purple Ribbon — A Secular Success

The Day of the Purple Ribbon will be remembered for different reasons.

Some will remember the strong political statements made by RH champions, especially the call of former President Ramos for President Aquino to prioritize the RH Bill.

Others will remember the music, ranging from Noel Cabangon’s hearty original, “Ako’y Isang Mabuting Pilipino,” to Lea Salonga’s heavenly — yes, heavenly — rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”

Still others will remember it for the camaraderie: spending an afternoon remembering the journey we started, celebrating the progress we’ve made, and pledging to continue until the RH bill becomes law.

One person will remember it for this.

But what I’ll never forget about the Day of the Purple Ribbon is how secular it was. There was no opening or closing prayer. The pledge to support the RH bill, which could have easily included a line to ask for help from a higher power, was a pledge that even an atheist could recite with complete conviction. Grace was not said before the meal — at least not publicly.

And that’s the point. I’m sure most of the people there were Catholics who did say Grace before their meal, Catholics who attend mass every Sunday and who pray regularly for the passage of the RH bill.

As the majority in attendance they could have assumed that everyone else shared the same beliefs they did. But they didn’t. And that’s what secularism is about: focusing on the things you can publicly agree on and keeping personal practices and beliefs private.

The event organizers knew that what the people shared was support for the RH Bill, and that is what they made the event about — nothing more nothing less. For the RH Bill to pass, the government needs to practice secularism; RH Advocates are showing them how.

Compare this with priests who ask parishioners to kneel for a final prayer, not knowing that somewhere before the final Amen they’ll ask God to block the RH Bill — regardless of whether they support it.

And so it went that even without religious pledges or public prayers, the Day of the Purple Ribbon was a success. I’m sure even the Catholics there would agree.

Except maybe for this one Pro-Lifer who came uninvited. We recognized each other from the recent Anti-RH lecture at SM Megamall. He greeted us with a smile and said that he came with an “open mind.”

But after hearing Noel Cabangon’s song reach a secular stanza — which came after a torrent of secular and pro-RH statements — he left. I could almost see steam coming out of his ears.

It’s a good thing, too. If he’d stayed longer, Lea’s “Imagine” would have blown his mind wide open.

UPDATE: If you have anything against the picture I used above, I hope Ken’s reply below puts things in the proper context:

Thought I’d drop by to dispel a few assumptions. First off gendermatters, the person you so casually dismiss as “cleavage” has a name- she’s Mocha Uson, a committed and vocal advocate of the RH Bill who has been supporting the cause for longer than I have. In fact over the course of the campaign she’s been among the first and most generous of artists in volunteering her time, expertise and celebrity.

Catrina, we shared a table during the event and when the pins were being given out she asked me to pin one on her and pose for a picture while doing so. The picture is from her phone, and was put up on both her blog and group’s fb page along with banners promoting the RH bill. I’ve spoken to her before and since and in a time when a lot of people in the entertainment industry decline openly supporting the bill for fear of losing sponsors or future gigs, she happens to have the courage to aggressively promote the bill in her own way.

28 comments

  1. Im pro life po..at naniniwala ako para sa magandang kinabukasan at kaginahawaan ng bagong henerasyon..hindi ang dumami pa ang papulasyon at pahirapan sa nakakalason na lipunan..maraming direksyon at paraan..ngunit tila bagang binubulagan sila ng tapa-ohong naka suot sa kanila isipan..sa nag mamanipulang lumalatigo..sana hayaan na lang nilang gawing karapatan ang eto..

    ..I want to join one of your future rallies to show support..when is the next rally?…

  2. Good day and mabuhay to all Filipino Thinkers! I would like to request Purple ribbons for distribution here in the province of Bukidnon. I assure you I have started an awareness campaign here in my own ways. I need your support!

  3. The text was fine. But the image of ken and cleavage ruined the whole thing. You may be freethinkers but this is sexual objectification, pure and simple, red.I would lose ken's photo.

    • hindi dapat ikahiya ang katawan ng babae. ika nga… if you've got it, then flaunt it!

      kailangan pa ba nating bumalik sa panahon ni Maria Clara na kung saan ang mga Padre Damaso ang namumuno sa moralidad ng mga tao?

    • in all seriousness though, I have some questions in the spirit of discussion:

      sexual objectification done by who? The photographer? Was it really his/her intention? Did he/she ask the subject to wear something that will show off her cleavage?

      Or are you saying it's Red doing the sexual objectification for choosing the picture? Was that his intention? Or was his intention to inject some humor by poking fun at ken?

      Finally, assuming that the subject herself chose it, is it really so wrong to take a picture of a woman wearing a revealing outfit if:

      A.) she chose it herself and
      B.) she chose to wear it to a public event knowing that there would be photographers snapping away?

      Of course we can also assume the opposite: she was told to wear it. hmmm…. how likely is that?

      • I agree with Gendermatters. You are all standing up for something important but the picture demeans and diminishes your understanding of your cause and stand on the Women's Rights issue. It will definitely be used as ammo and portrays Ken, a member/leader and representative of Freethinkers as someone who is just riding the waves of these causes for some personal/selfish "fun".

        Her choice and right to wearing whatever she wants is separate from the fact that Ken approached her in this manner/for the purpose of this picture being shot this way and then posting it in this light, with "Red" choosing it to caption it the way he did. What was his intention for this exactly?

        • Why are you asking what his intentions were when you seem to know everything about why that picture is there?

          • You're obviously not him. But explain to me how you are "receiving" this picture. Is it just an inside joke to you? Is it "ironic"? What message does it give off to you? And do you think others can easily and will easily understand the cause of the RH Bill if they see something like this on this page?

            This is partly why important issues like the RH Bill don't get the right exposure or support.

          • Well, it looks like you have this all figured out. No need for anyone to explain then.

        • Thought I’d drop by to dispel a few assumptions. First off gendermatters, the person you so casually dismiss as “cleavage” has a name- she’s Mocha Uson, a committed and vocal advocate of the RH Bill who has been supporting the cause for longer than I have. In fact over the course of the campaign she’s been among the first and most generous of artists in volunteering her time, expertise and celebrity.

          Catrina, we shared a table during the event and when the pins were being given out she asked me to pin one on her and pose for a picture while doing so. The picture is from her phone, and was put up on both her blog and group’s fb page along with banners promoting the RH bill. I’ve spoken to her before and since and in a time when a lot of people in the entertainment industry decline openly supporting the bill for fear of losing sponsors or future gigs, she happens to have the courage to aggressively promote the bill in her own way.

          Frankly I’m disappointed that the two of you jumped straight for the stereotype on this one. I suppose it means we’ve got a lot of work left to do on these issues, even among those on our side.

          • I'm a straight girl, and even I would've had a grin as wide as yours if I had been the one pinning that ribbon. LOL. I'm glad I live in a country where women have the freedom to decide for themselves what to wear, whether it's a burka or a low-cut dress. And we can admire them for both their courage to stand up for their rights and their figure.

  4. The thing that separates the parties (and causes much squabbling between them) is the fact one is open to discussion while the other is open to persistence. Pr-RH people only want that the Anti-RH people hear them out and share their objective of combing out the issues that actually matter in the RH bill and actually coming to a conclusion rather than mud slinging forth from one camp and then never getting anywhere

  5. san nakakakuha ng ganyang mga sticker? sana merong namimigay ng ganyang mga sticker, hanap kayo ng magdodonate ng malaking pera para magproduce ng marami pang sticker at material for RH bill.

    • They usually give stickers/materials at the pro-RH rallies and other events. So attend those and you'll not only get stickers, you'll get to help in a significant way, too 🙂

  6. @redtani: sure thing, if school obligations permit thee. =)
    how glad i am to be able to communicate with actual human beings here. i've been reading FF for haven't done much but nod in agreement:D

  7. I second the motion. =))

    We define the good here as the utilitarian good, as our constitution is based upon. And hell, this bill if passed, will surely fulfill that definition. All of their so-called solutions and alternatives haven't done much–correction, haven't done anything–to promote the greater good.

    Problema kasi sa kanila they jump to conclusions without checking the facts first. They call themselves Pro-Life advocates. Some do because they got this crazy notion that RHB permits abortion.

    The rest violently shake their heads against it because they believe utilizing contraceptives "stops"/"Kills" life, steers natural phenomena from its supposed course. Logic naman. How would you kill/ draw life out from that which does not exist. You cannot even refer to the Nothing without acknowledging its existence, which it does not possess. Meaning this sentence referring to it does not exist as well. =)))

    Anyway, kuya (can I call you kuya?), I assume you were there earlier. Regret not being able to meet you three.

  8. I heard Tuesday (Was it Tuesday? Haha.) call out "Filipino Freethinkers" and I scanned the room for you guys. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet you. Lesson learned: Upgrade socializing skills, be more of a stalker than I already am. 🙂

    And you're right by the way. I remember someone in my table saying "Nice pa nga tayo e. Una, ang mga Pro RH Bill ay di namemersonal, kesa sa kabila na may good vs evil effect pa. Saka tayo, general. RH Bill lang yung point, we don't discriminate."

    • That's true. But you know, sometimes I just think that we should let the anti-RH guys continue to frame the discussion as good versus evil. Soon the fact that we are the good ones will blow right in their faces.

    • I'm sure we'll meet next time, Beatrice 🙂 Why don't you attend our next meetup? The details will be posted on the site early next week.

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