3 years ago, 26 freethinkers met for the first time in Shangri-la Starbucks to talk about reason, science, and secularism. Since then, we’ve been pretty busy:

• We’ve spread freethought on social media through Twitter (over 3,000 followers), Facebook (over 3,000 group members and almost 10,000 fans), and our website, which has almost a thousand posts, has been viewed more than half a million times, and has won the overall prize at the recent Globe Tatt Awards. (And don’t forget our forum, Tumblr, and YouTube pages, too.)
• We’ve presented the freethinker’s perspective — on secularism, skepticism, and the RH Bill — through our appearances and interviews on AM and FM radio; and both local and foreign TV.
• We’ve hosted more than a hundred events — meetups, forums, a film fest, and an excommunication party — in Metro Manila and Davao; and in our university chapters in UP Diliman, UP Manila, and DLSU.
• We’ve helped educate students on freethought and secularism, giving interviews and answering questions for homework and research papers; delivering talks and participating in panel discussions; and providing a forum for learning and discussion through our university chapters.
• We’ve become advocates and activists, mobilizing creative demonstrations for causes we believe in: fighting for the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill and refuting irrational arguments against it; walking (and running) with our LGBT allies and distracting the bigots who bother them; reminding people to guard their freedom of speech from opponents who cry blasphemy and call for censorship.

And we don’t intend to stop. Just this January, we’ve presented at the World Debate Forum in Ateneo, lectured at UP Diliman and Philippine Science High School, and guested on Bottomline with Boy Abunda. (The episode will air this Saturday (Feb. 4) at 11:45PM on ABSCBN, with a replay on Sunday at 1 PM on ANC.)

To celebrate all this, we’re organizing our third forum, tentatively titled “Filipino Freethinkers Turns Three.” It will be held on March 3, 2012, a Saturday, and will probably be a whole-day event. Be sure to save the date; details will soon follow.

If you want to celebrate in advance, the best way to do so is to attend our meetup this weekend, the first of many we’ll have in our fourth year.

3 years ago

Location: Starbucks, Anson’s (across The Podium), ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City (Google map)
Date: Saturday, November 19, 2011
Time: 2:30pm – 5:30pm

RSVP on Facebook

This Saturday’s meetup, we’ll be discussing the following topics:

1) Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is seeking medical treatment abroad, causing questions of the right of a citizen to travel.

2) At the recent National Youth Day held by members of the Catholic Church, Fr. Falvie Feldas said that the Church was losing influence among the youth in the information age, and encouraged the remaining faithful youth to go online. Is his claim about the youth becoming less involved with the Church correct? What does this mean for society?

3) United Colors of Benneton came out with its new Unhate ad campaign featuring world leaders kissing, including the pope kissing an imam. Does it go too far? Or not far enough?

Here are their corresponding links, for your reference:

• Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Right to Travel
• Is the Church losing influence over the youth?
• New Benneton Ad Campaign

After the meetup we go for dinner and beer drinking at Congo Grill (see map). If you’re not a meetup regular and can’t make it for the meetup but would like to go for the post meetup, please indicate on a post in the wall or comment so we can contact you.

Got questions about the meetup? Contact us at 0927 323 3532

• Newbies are welcome.
• Look for the FF sign (or the group of smart, sexy people).
• There is no required age, religion, philosophy, or IQ level.
• Discussions are informal yet intelligent (most of the time).
• You don’t have to talk; you can just sit in and listen.
• You don’t have to buy anything from Starbucks.

Location: Starbucks, Anson’s (across The Podium), ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City (Google map)
Date: Saturday, November 5, 2011
Time: 2:30pm – 5:30pm

RSVP on Facebook

This Saturday’s meetup, we’re having a toast for Christopher Hitchens as part of the Hitchens video project! We’ll also be discussing the following topics:

1) The population as the human species total hits 7 billion. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

2) There’s trouble in the psychology community with a noted scientist being found out to be a fraud.

3) Back here at home, a Pinoy Big Brother contestant is apparently an atheist—we’ll be discussing religion in Pinoy TV.

Here are their corresponding links, for your reference:

• A Toast for Christopher Hitchens
• Population Hits 7 Billion
• Data Forgery in Science
• Religion in Pinoy TV

After the meetup we go for dinner and beer drinking at Congo Grill (see map). If you’re not a meetup regular and can’t make it for the meetup but would like to go for the post meetup, please indicate on a post in the wall or comment so we can contact you.

Got questions about the meetup? Contact us at 0927 323 3532

• Newbies are welcome.
• Look for the FF sign (or the group of smart, sexy people).
• There is no required age, religion, philosophy, or IQ level.
• Discussions are informal yet intelligent (most of the time).
• You don’t have to talk; you can just sit in and listen.
• You don’t have to buy anything from Starbucks.

We’ve come a long way since we started on February 1, 2009. In around 3 months, Filipino Freethinkers will be 3 years old. We’ve done a lot to promote reason, science, and secularism. We want to do even more, so we’re asking for your help.

We’re getting organized — or at least more organized — and we’ll be re-aligning our goals and strategy to get better results. But before we can talk about new goals and better results, let’s review what we’ve achieved so far.

Here are some highlights:

1. We’ve spread freethought on social media through Twitter (almost 3,000 followers), Facebook (almost 3,000 group members and over 8,000 fans), and our website, which has almost a thousand posts, has been viewed more than half a million times, and has won the overall prize at the recent Globe Tatt Awards. (And don’t forget our forum, Tumblr, and YouTube pages, too.)
2. We’ve presented the freethinker’s perspective — on secularism, skepticism, and the RH Bill — through our appearances and interviews on AM and FM radio; and both local and foreign TV.
3. We’ve hosted more than a hundred events — meetups, forums, a film fest, and an excommunication party — in Metro Manila and Davao; and in our university chapters in UP Diliman, UP Manila, and DLSU.
4. We’ve helped educate students on freethought and secularism, giving interviews and answering questions for homework and research papers; delivering talks and participating in panel discussions; and providing a forum for learning and discussion through our university chapters.
5. We’ve become advocates and activists, mobilizing creative demonstrations for causes we believe in: fighting for the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill and refuting irrational arguments against it; walking (and running) with our LGBT allies and distracting the bigots who bother them; reminding people to guard their freedom of speech from opponents who cry blasphemy and call for censorship.

We achieved all this keeping our original vision and mission in mind:

Vision:

Long-term: Freethinkers can live in a Philippines free from all forms of violence, discrimination, and prejudice, their rights and freedoms fully protected by a government in which their opinions are fairly and adequately represented.

Short-term: Freethinkers can easily get in touch with fellow freethinkers to enjoy online and offline activities wherever they live and whatever their cultural or socioeconomic background.

Mission:

PROMOTION: Promote freethought, science, and reason online (websites, blogs, wikis, and forums) and offline (magazine, radio, and TV) with a positive, non-adversarial approach.
PUBLISHING: Publish materials for freethinkers such as newsletters (monthly), magazines (quarterly), and books (yearly).
EDUCATION: Create a freethought library where freethinkers can donate, lend, and borrow books, movies, and other freethought media.
EVENTS: Sponsor and organize events for freethinkers such as meetups, forums, talks, workshops, and film showings.
FINANCE: Raise money for the above purposes through donations, grants, membership fees (maybe when we’re formal), and merchandise sales.

You’ll notice that result 5 (advocacy and activism) was not part of our original vision and mission. Should we revise the vision – mission so that it’s included? Are there other goals and objectives you’d like to see in there? Or are there goals and objectives you don’t want FF to be involved in?

We’ll discuss all this and more at a general assembly we’re planning this November. Before then, let us know what you think by contacting us or leaving a comment below.

Thank you so much for all your support, and we welcome you to become even more involved in FF. With so much irrationality and bigotry in our country, we need all the help we can get.

RSVP on Facebook

We’re having our meetup on a Sunday this week in Pasig City at the Starbucks in Anson’s. We’ll be discussing the new taxes that are looming for residents in Quezon City. The city will be using the tax hike to help squatters find new homes. Also, there’s a new archbishop in town and the Philippine Daily Inquirer is complaining that people don’t care. Do you care? A tragic accident left a 2 year old girl dying on the street as 19 passersby ignore her. Saving her could have meant paying for her full recovery. What would you have done?

• Quezon City socialized housing tax hike
• There’s a new Manila archbishop, do you care? Inquirer thinks you should!
• Would you help a dying stranger if it risked paying for their full recovery?

After the meetup we go for dinner and beer drinking at Congo Grill (see map). If you’re not a meetup regular and can’t make it for the meetup but would like to go for the post meetup, please indicate on a post in the wall or comment so we can contact you.

Got questions about the meetup? Contact us at 0927 323 3532

• Newbies are welcome.
• Look for the FF sign (or the group of smart, sexy people).
• There is no required age, religion, philosophy, or IQ level.
• Discussions are informal yet intelligent (most of the time).
• You don’t have to talk; you can just sit in and listen.
• You don’t have to buy anything from Starbucks.

Location: Starbucks, Anson’s (Across The Podium), ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City (Google map)
Date: Saturday, October 8, 2011
Time: 2:30pm – 5:30pm

RSVP on Facebook

We’re back in Pasig at the Starbucks in Anson’s for this Saturday’s meetup. Technology visionary Steve Jobs died this week, while the protests at Wall Street in New York rage on. Teachers’ Day was also just this past week; tell us some stories about your favorite and not-so-favorite teachers and how they changed how you think.

Discussion Topics:
- Occupy Wall Street
- Blasphemy Day Contest
- Teachers’ Day: Stories About Your Teachers
- Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

After the meetup we go for dinner and beer drinking at Congo Grill (see map). If you’re not a meetup regular and can’t make it for the meetup but would like to go for the post meetup, please indicate on a post in the wall or comment so we can contact you.

Got questions about the meetup? Contact us at 0927 323 3532

* Newbies are welcome.
* Look for the FF sign (or the group of smart, sexy people).
* There is no required age, religion, philosophy, or IQ level.
* Discussions are informal yet intelligent (most of the time).
* You don’t have to talk; you can just sit in and listen.
* You don’t have to buy anything from Starbucks.

Carl Sagan once had to argue for the inclusion of visible light cameras on the Voyager spacecraft. It was deemed by NASA as wasteful since they’d only be able to record that narrow band of light visible to humans. But Sagan insisted on it. He knew that the images it would take would inspire a new generation of scientists to make even greater discoveries.

The endeavor of popularizing science is definitely a daunting one. Our culture has made science look cold and unromantic. Even science undergrads regularly call out any application of scientific reasoning to everyday events as nosebleed-inducing.

It is this sad culture of anti-intellectualism that projects like the Mind Museum aim to correct.

Finishing construction at Bonifacio Global City early next year, the Mind Museum will have 250 exhibits and five galleries, each specializing in a field of science—from the origins of the universe to the technology of one of its inhabitants.

We at Filipino Freethinkers support the vision of the Mind Museum to promote science among the general public. Because of this, we have sponsored an element on their Periodic Table Exhibit—element 87, Francium.  Like a freethinker in a Catholic country, Francium is one of the rarest naturally-occurring elements and, like the Filipino Freethinkers, has virtually no commercial application. Plus, we [Fr]eethinkers liked having [Fr] to ourselves, Breaking Bad style.

Help build The Mind Museum and sponsor some of the exhibits. Apart from the Periodic Table Exhibit, donors can also sponsor stars and even galaxies. Help inspire the next generation of scientists and freethinkers.

(Images from Mind Museum and Wikipedia)

Location: Starbucks on Tomas Morato (Google map)

Date: Sunday, July 17, 2011

Time: 2:30pm – 5:30pm

RSVP on Facebook

Discussion Topics

1. Are zoos ethical?
2. The Senate’s reaction to the PCSO investigation
3. The validity/effectiveness of public protest
4. Elevator action: Feminism, sexism, and everything in between

After the meetup we go for dinner and beer drinking at a nearby location. Text the number below if you’re catching up. If you’re not a meetup regular and can’t make it for the meetup but would like to go for the post meetup, please indicate on a post in the wall or comment so we can contact you.

Got questions about the meetup? Contact us at 0927 323 3532

* Newbies are welcome.
* Look for the FF sign (or the group of smart, sexy people).
* There is no required age, religion, philosophy, or IQ level.
* Discussions are informal yet intelligent (most of the time).
* You don’t have to talk; you can just sit in and listen.
* You don’t have to buy anything from Starbucks Tomas Morato.

After we had posted our response to their initial demands in this previous article, Defensores Fidei sent the following email.

Sir,

While the forum was open to the public, the event and consequently any lectures or material therein are our sole property. While we did not give due warning to anyone recording the event, we did not authorize any of them to be posted publicly either. The right to deny this permission lies solely at our discretion and not yours. Your organization was not given any permission to post them in your website. It is unfortunate that you would prefer to elevate this into a legal matter rather than accede to our demand. As such, I am writing you once again to ask you to consider your position.

Sincerely,

Ricardo Boncan
Secretary”

What follows is our official response.

Dear Sir,

After careful consideration of your demands to take down videos and transcripts from the “Women Speak: Medical and Legal Truths about the RH Bill” symposium held last 30 April 2011, we must, once again, respectfully refuse. We have consulted our legal team at length about this matter and we believe that the information we had posted on our website, with the proper attribution to its source, does not constitute copyright infringement.

Like you, we only seek to spread the “truths” about the RH bill — all versions of it and to make them available to everyone, so that they will have the tools necessary to make an independent and informed choice. We believe that this freedom of information is essential for our democracy, especially for our country, famed for the People Power Revolution that successfully overthrew the repressive Marcos regime. This freedom of information should apply to any issue of public concern, whether it be social, political, or economic, and is a necessary ingredient in our continuous quest to become a politically mature and informed citizenry.

Once again, for the reasons stated above, we cannot take down the transcripts and videos that your organization had publicly shared during the symposium, for the sake of providing said information openly and freely to the public, like you had intended.

Sincerely,

Red Tani
President, Filipino Freethinkers

Kenneth Keng
RH Advocacy Director, Filipino Freethinkers

and

The Editorial Staff of filipinofreethinkers.org

What follows is our editorial staff’s response to a letter sent to us from the Chairman of the Defensores Fidei Foundation demanding that we take down our video recordings of their public event ‘Women Speak Out: The Medical And Legal Truths About The RH Bill’.

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your letter and its accompanying concern. Kindly allow us to note however that your organization’s event was advertised as free and open to the public. We attended it openly, identifying ourselves as being from the Filipino Freethinkers through our tshirts before the event, giving our names and organization during the open forum segment, and later in conversations with other attendees and the lecturers themselves after the event. We went intending to listen to other people’s opinions and evaluate information that your lecturers presented as factual during both their presentations and as indicated in the title of the event itself. During the event we were recording openly and in full view, along with several others in attendance.

Our members conducted themselves in this manner not for profit but in the interest of providing the public with information. Given freedom of the press and mass media to disseminate matters of public concern, of which the Reproductive Health Bill is surely one, it is our belief that we are not violating the law but are in fact doing a service to the Filipino people by duly providing them with information on both sides of the current RH controversy.

It is for these reasons that after having given due consideration to your concerns and consulting with our legal team, we are respectfully refusing to give in to your demands.

Allow us here to reiterate our ongoing stance that there remains a need to continue a respectful and fact-based discussion on the RH Bill. We at Filipino Freethinkers believe that keeping an open, honest discussion on RH and other matters of public policy benefits both sides.

We therefore wish to ask your good organization to help all involved in public policy issues to arrive at, as you put it in the title of your event, the real ‘Truths’. We would like to ask that Defensores Fidei do its part to propagate discussion rather than end it by resorting to threats.

Sincerely,

Red Tani
President, Filipino Freethinkers

and

The Editorial Staff of filipinofreethinkers.org

Original Letter From Defensores Fidei:

Dear Sir,

It has been brought to our attention that  transcripts and videos of “Women Speak: Medical and Legal Truths about the RH Bill”, a symposium organized by Defensores Fidei and the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord at SM Megamall on April 30, 2011, have been posted at the website of your organization (at http://filipinofreethinkers.org/2011/05/02/tastebuds-tsunamis-and-the-thorough-twisting-of-truth-a-recap-of-the-anti-rh-forum-at-sm-megamall-1-of-2-parts/ and related links) without the permission of the lecturers and the event organizers.

Please be reminded that according to Article 172 (c) of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, “lectures, sermons, addresses, dissertations prepared for oral delivery, whether or not reduced in writing or other material form” are works protected by copyright, and pursuant to Section 177 of the same Code, only the copyright holder has the right to carry out, authorize, or prevent the reproduction,  publication , or communication of the work to the public.  Anyone who would violate such rights would incur civil, administrative, and criminal liabilities.

Thus, formal demand is hereby made on your organization to remove the aforementioned transcripts and videos from your website, and to refrain from further unauthorized publication of the said materials on your website.  Should you fail to heed our just demand, our organization will be constrained to take the proper legal actions to protect our rights.

For your guidance.

Sincerely,

Gerry Castro
Chairman
Defensores Fidei Foundation

Starting from a handful of people who (figuratively) killed sacred cows at (relatively) civilized Starbucks meetups, the Filipino Freethinkers have evolved into something far greater, but what that something was had yet to be pinned down. Thus, the First Filipino Freethinkers General Assembly was called last April 2 to address FF’s current state, what the group wanted it to become, and how the group would steer it in the right direction.

Our registration booth!

We were pleasantly surprised to find several newbies and second-timers in attendance, such as Angeli, Brian, Tim, Christina, Vin and Coli, whose fresh perspectives certainly helped the old fogeys amongst us see the group in a clearer light.

One misconception they brought up was that FF was composed solely of atheists; in truth, FF is a really mixed bag, composed of different people with varying beliefs. What truly brings our motley crew together is a shared passion for reason, science, and secularism.

Second-timer Angeli flanked by (German-trained early bird) Brian, and Tim

Cristina flanked by Direk Pepe and Papa Red

Red recapping the FF’s milestones

FF President Red pointed out how far the group had come since the very first meetup in February 2009. When before meetup turnouts blew hot and cold, we now have a solid 30-40 members per session, which always includes a number of first-timers. Our online presence has been growing stronger and stronger as well; our Facebook members, for instance, have tripled in number in just one year.

The group watches a video clip from FF’s Women’s Day performance

Most importantly, FF has become exponentially busy outside of coffee shops and cyberspace. From the Manila Cathedral “exorcism,” to the Excommunication Party, to the LGBT Pride March, the group has taken a more active stand for freethought, and has found like-minded individuals and organizations to collaborate with in a variety of projects.

Ken displays the illustrated plans for the Women’s Day performance

Recently, FF has been particularly occupied in the fight to pass the RH Bill, especially in tandem with fellow groups in the Reproductive Health Advocates Network (RHAN). In just the past few months, the group has taken part in several pro-RH endeavors, such as the Memorial March for Mothers, the aforementioned Women’s Day March, and the demonstration during the Ayala Alabang ordinance hearing; and has also attended pertinent hearings at the House of Representatives.

Members from the FF university chapters

The group itself has also been branching out into university and provincial chapters. FF-UP Diliman is an official organization on campus, and FF-UP Manila is gunning for accreditation as well. Freethinkers from other universities are also making efforts to band together, and members in Davao and other provinces have also been holding their own meetups.

Outgoing FF-UP Diliman President Garrick, and his sticky-eyed successor, Cy

Direk Pepe (auteur of high-brow cinema), giving his two cents

Once everyone was up to speed, the strategy planning commenced, with members discussing what they would like FF to become, and what the group needed to do to achieve these goals. In the end, the group’s objectives remained the same–to be purveyors of reason, science, and secularism; to strive for a society where freethought is a normal, accepted, and widely practiced notion–while its means to do so have become more pro-active than ever before. While discourse is still an intrinsic aspect of the group, honest-to-goodness action and advocacy now holds immense importance as well, and hopefully, FF will be able to make a greater impact on its environment in the near future.

Ken, whiteboard fetishist, shows off the day’s notes

Comments? Suggestions?

Attendees scribbled thoughts and suggestions down throughout the assembly, and also signed up for committees for particular causes such as LGBT rights, the RH Bill’s passage, and better education.

Members chow down on chips post-assembly (with plenty of Marty’s to go around for the vegans and pescies)

The assembly was adjourned soon after, and members got into the requisite mingling and getting annihilated by Red and Tin on Wii Tetris.

Liz, Coli, Reighben, and Wes

Global News Network’s Buddy Cunanan (3rd from left) chats with FF’s online kahuna Jeiel

All in all, the first Filipino Freethinkers General Assembly generated plenty of valuable ideas and riled members up for the group’s future. FF has achieved quite a lot in a short amount of time, and it is up to all of us to ride on this momentum and steer the group towards bigger, more awesome opportunities for freethought in the Philippines.

They first ask, “So anong ginagawa niyo sa Filipino Freethinkers?” (“What do you do in Filipino Freethinkers?”) The second most-asked question is, “What is a freethinker?”

A lot of my friends have actually been getting curious ever since last year’s disadventures got substantial media attention and a fair share of ‘likes’ on Facebook. While the second question may be answered by a quick trip to Wikipedia, the first question is not so easy. It’s what most people ask me first when they hear about my affiliation with FF, and I’m not always sure how to answer them.

I could describe the bimonthly meetups, with the debates and the ethics and the nerdiness and the general debauchery that follows. I also eventually have to disclose that FF is made up of atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and progressive theists. Responses have been pretty accepting and non-violent so far, but sometimes I hold my breath for a tiny fraction of a second, bracing for a torrent of hate and condemnation for my lack of belief. Other times I feel naughty for saying it, as if I had just uttered the name of an indie band that nobody should ever know about, except me. I guess I like the idea of atheists being so rare in this country, it’s doubtful that they exist at all. Maybe I just like being compared to unicorns and dragons.

Left: The Unicorn is in Captivity and No Longer Dead. From The Hunt of the Unicorn, 1494 – 1505. Right: Chinese Azure dragon.

But we do exist. I think it’s time other people realize that too, especially in UP Diliman. While there are a variety of student organizations in UP catering to almost every major belief system, there isn’t one for those without beliefs.

FF-UP Diliman is barely a year old, but we’ve already co-organized a film festival; put up posters both tasteful and incendiary around campus; guested on the Psych O’clock Habit radio show on DZUP; and marched at the Lantern Parade as, well, Green Lanterns.

This year we’re giving a shout out to our fellow freethinkers lurking around in UP.

Modeled after the 2008 billboard campaign of American Humanist Association and Freethought Action.

FF-UPD’s February membership drive is for those who’ve felt a little lonely in their non-belief. It’s also for those who have been scoffed at, laughed at, sneered at, and wide-eyed-mouth-agape stared at. For those who have lost their friends as a result of losing their faith, and miss the fellowship. Or for those just looking for a group of like-minded people to hang out with.

You are not alone. You can hang out with us!

What’s that? You were asking where the posters are in UP? How can you miss the huge tarps at the University Avenue and near Vinzons Hall?

Wait. That’s right, they’re not there anymore. Probably stolen – happens a lot, apparently.

Oble welcoming a sunset, or wringing his hands at what happened. (Photo by dyordz @ Flickr)

Don’t worry, iskolars. We will not be silenced! We’ll put up new ones soon. Meanwhile, you can check out our Facebook group for the latest news and updates. See you around campus!

Meanwhile, I can only wish the people who stole the tarp for use in their makeshift homes give it a long, hard look. They could also be feeling a little lonely.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to Twin-Skies for finding the what looks to be the original petition, which looks even more disingenuous than the forwarded email below. Commenters who claim to be from University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action (UPSCA) have come forward to disavow the petition. We would like to clarify that the Filipino Freethinkers site has not made any claim that the petition originated from UPSCA, only that it was forwarded by a UPSCA member. We recognize that some commenters have connected UPSCA to the petition but we do not exercise editorial control on comments.

Author’s Note: The author claims full personal responsibility for the confusion regarding the origin of this petition. Although the author knew well that the petition was not an initiative of UPSCA, he failed nonetheless in correcting other members of the Forum when they made the mistake of attributing it to the said campus organization. As a result, the author removed the name of the aforementioned organization in the introductory part of this article.

“As faculty members, students and alumni of the University of the Philippines, we state here the bases of our objection to the Reproductive Health bills (HB 96 and its related bills) that are being deliberated under your supervision.

Given the secular background of UP education, we put forward arguments from reason, to wit:

1. Population is not an obstacle to development. The bills assume that a nation’s population hinders its development that is why it pushes for the promotion of a two-children policy, massive distribution of contraceptives, sex education (to acquaint young people of contraception), and sterilization, all of which using taxpayers’ money.  However, as early as 1966, Nobel Prize winner Simon Kuznets’ research has shown that there is insignificant empirical association between population growth rates and output per capita (economic growth). Rather, it is the rate at which technology grows and the ability of the population to employ these new technologies efficiently and widely that permit economic progress. Kuznets saw that the basic obstacles to economic growth arise from the limited capabilities of the institutions (political, social, legal, cultural, economic) to adjust.  He argued instead that a more rapid population growth, if properly managed, will promote economic development through a positive impact on the society’s state of knowledge. His findings have been confirmed by similar studies by the US National Research Council (1986), the UN Population Fund Consultative Meeting of Economists (1992), Eric Hanusek and Ludger Wömmann (2007), among others.
2. The government has to channel limited funds to jobs creation and education. The latest report of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) entitled Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2010 notes that the “middle class has increased rapidly in size and purchasing power as strong economic growth in the past two decades has helped reduce poverty significantly and lift previously poor households into the middle class.”  Two factors were reported to drive the creation and sustenance of a middle class: a) stable, secure, well-paid jobs with good benefits, and b) higher education. And so, why not create more bills that will strengthen these two factors instead of channeling our limited funds to contraception and sex education?
3. Fertility rates in the Philippines are progressively decreasing. Our Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has declined by more than 50% in less than 50 years: from an average rate of 7 in 1960 to an average rate of 3.1 in 2008.  Our TFR is expected to reach the replacement level of 2.1 in 2025 without massive government intervention like the passing of a population control or RH bill. The passing of an RH bill will only accelerate this.  The latest November issue of The Economist entitled “Japan’s burden” spells out the effects of an aging population and it would be foolhardy for us as a nation to push ourselves deliberately towards that direction. In 2004, Joseph Chamie, Director of the UN Population Division, reported that 60 countries have TFR below 2.1 which means that they will eventually experience decline and aging.  He asserted that the efforts of these countries to raise fertility rates will not be enough to bring them back to replacement levels. Many of these countries are now asking their people to have more children. Why then are our legislators thinking of cutting down our best asset, our people? Should this push through, future generations of Filipinos will be forced to pay for the mistake of government’s intervention to manipulate a decrease in our population and suffer its ill effects as already experienced by other countries.
4. The government has to channel limited resources to address the leading causes of death. In the latest available Mortality Country Fact Sheet (2006) of the World Health Organization on the Philippines, the following were listed as the main causes of death: lower respiratory tract infections, ischaemic heart disease, tuberculosis, hypertensive heart disease, perinatal conditions, cerebrovascular disease, violence, diarrhoeal diseases, diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Can we not channel our limited resources towards curbing these diseases—and violence—instead of using them for contraception and sterilization?
5. Condoms are not a wise investment. We have the lowest incidence of HIV cases after Bangladesh in the ADB report mentioned above, whereas Thailand, which has been regarded as the model in condom promotion, has the highest. European epidemiologist Dr. Jokin de Irala refer to “risk-compensation” as the reason for higher HIV-AIDS incidences when condoms are promoted.  Moreover, human papillomavirus (HPV), by far the most common STD and a risk factor for cervical cancer among other diseases, is not prevented by condoms. HPV spreads through skin to skin contact, unlike AIDS, and condoms cannot cover all possible infected skin—a fact that is not commonly known. Why spend millions to buy condoms when they are shown to increase incidences of STDs? A government-sponsored nationwide condom distribution will only fatten the pockets of condom manufacturers.
6. Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs) have been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Group 1 carcinogens. OCP use has been associated with an increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer in general (an increment of 19%) and across various patterns of OCP use, with the highest risk observed among those who use OCPs for 4 or more years before their first pregnancy (an increment of 52%), according to a 2006 meta-analysis of over 34 studies dating back to the 1980s.  Corroborating these data was the landmark 2002 randomized controlled trial by the Women Health’s Initiative which pointed to a 26% higher risk of breast cancer for post-menopausal women who had received hormone treatment in addition to 41% more risk of cerebrovascular disease, 29% more risk of myocardial infarction, and 112% more risk of pulmonary embolism. Another study by Moreno et al. in Lancet also points to an increased risk of cervical cancer with OCP use. And lastly, OCPs have also been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, especially venous thrombosis and ischemic stroke. Will our government legislate a bill that will use taxpayers’ money to further expose women to all these risks?

Our main argument boils down to this: that it is the State’s duty to order society by promoting the well-being of its citizens. Thus, it is a disservice to legislate what constitutes harm to its people. We pointed but a few of the studies showing the harmful effects of contraception to society, the family, the youth and women’s health.  While it is true that the State cannot stop people from using contraception, since they may personally choose to expose themselves to its risks, it is not the State’s job to facilitate access to what is harmful.

What the state should do is to craft laws that prevent people from harming themselves or more positively phrased, help them develop themselves and society.  We submit that legislators have to dump the contentious and flawed Reproductive Health bills and to pass more bills strengthening the Filipino family, protecting its citizens against the risks of contraception, defending the scientific fact that conception begins at fertilization, providing essential medicines for the main causes of death, making quality education more accessible to Filipinos, and providing more jobs.

For the love of our country,

If you are a graduate or student of any of the campuses of the UP System and would like to join us in forwarding the good cause of our nation as what we have always learned from our alma mater, kindly provide the following data and send them to <up.rhresearch@gmail.com>.

For teachers and alumni:

Full Name

Course/s Finished in UP (Year of Graduation), College, UP Campus
For those with degrees from other schools, please indicate degree, school, address of school

Sample:
Juan de la Cruz
BS Political Science (1975), CSSP, UP Diliman
PhD in Rocket Science (1990), MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts

For students:

Full Name
Course and Year (in Roman Numeral, e.g., BS Biology IV), College, UP Campus

Sample:
Juana de la Torre
BA Psychology III, CAS, UPLB

Please don’t forget to send your information at <up.rhresearch@gmail.com> and ask all your other friends from UP to do the same. Should you need more data about the position paper, please send a request through the same email address.

Feel free to pass this position paper to all your friends who are students or alumni of any of the UP campuses.”

The so-called “position” of UP regarding the RH Bill debate is a blatant misrepresentation of the UP community’s stand on this issue. This uncalled for declaration of UP’s “stand” is unjustified to say the least and is even shamefully dishonest. For one, I am a UP alumnus, but I am a staunch supporter of the important legislation, and I know many UP alumni and teachers who support the bill. For us, this declaration of UP’s “stand” on the RH Bill is a disgusting misuse of the name of the University of the Philippines by those who are desperate to give credence to their cause.

Not even the UP President, the Board of Regents or any of its campus Chancellors can declare an “official position” for UP on this sensitive issue. If UP is an institution that values intellectual freedom, it must know that its faculty, students and alumni will take different and often conflicting sides on any issue. Hence, the University of the Philippine must never take an “official” stand on the RH Bill.

And I believe that it has not taken an official side, and that this petition containing UP’s so-called “position” on the RH Bill is a shameless misuse of the name of the University of the Philippines.

I personally find this misrepresentation insulting, for it excludes me from the UP community. I demand that the name of UP in the petition be removed and that members of the UP community who oppose the RH Bill must be clear that their stand is not the stand of “members, students and alumni of the University of the Philippines” but only the stand of some organizations within the UP community.

Pecier Carpena Decierdo

UP Diliman Alumnus, Student number 2005-55311

Graduate of BS Physics, Batch 2010

Filipino Freethinkers — UPD is co-presenting the Cinemalaya 2010 Entry Two Funerals with UP Cineastes’ Studio in partnership with UP Film Institute and in cooperation with Cultural Center of the Philippines and Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. The screening will be on Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 7:30 PM, at the Cine Adarna at University of the Philippines Diliman (where the past FF Film Fest was held).

Two Funerals is a black comedy involving a mother trying to recover the remains of her daughter after a funeral parlor mix-up also sends her family a stranger’s corpse. It was directed by Gil M. Portes and stars Tessie Tomas, Xian Lim, Jeffrey Quizon, Robert Arevalo, Benjie Felipe, and Mon Confiado. Gil M. Portes won the Director’s Showcase in the Audience Choice portion of the Cinemalaya 2010 Awards. Two Funerals also won for Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Special Jury Prize, and for Best Director.

Two Funerals Trailer

Tickets are P80 each. Email ffupdiliman@gmail.com to reserve tickets and to arrange for picking the tickets up before or at the event itself. Tickets will also be sold at this next FF July 25 Meetup at Shangri-La.

See you at the movies!