PRO-LIFE Week Observance: DSWD steps up campaign for sanctity of human life

The Department of Social Welfare and Development is intensifying its promotion for the sanctity of human life, in time with the observance of Pro-Life Week.

The observance of Pro-Life Week, which carries this year’s theme “Life for the Future Generation to Come,” underscores the significance of the government’s campaign to promote the sanctity of human life, said Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral.

“The activities at our Crisis Intervention Units on the promotion of the sanctity and respect for life shall be linked with HELP hotlines managed by the local government units, non-government organizations, media, and other groups for emotionally-affected individuals, especially young people and unwed teenagers,” Cabral said.

Cabral, in her order, has called for the enforcement of various modules, which would address incidences of abortion around the country.

The DSWD will intensify its advocacy efforts by sustaining continuing information, education and communication activities on child placement services, such as adoption, foster care, and legal guardianship, said Cabral.

Cabral said there is a need to implement and enrich modules on parent effectiveness, responsible parenthood, women welfare, youth welfare, the rights of the child, and other programs and services devolved to local governments for the promotion of the sanctity and respect for life.

The abortion rate, specifically in Central Visayas, has been on the rise for the past decade with at least 17 out of 1,000 women undergoing abortion, said a report on Monday from the Philippine News Agency.

The report, based on research papers by the U.S.-based sexually-related health research institute, Alan Guttmacher Institute, stated that, in 1994, an average of 11 cases per 1,000 women aged 15 to 49 went through abortion in the region, and this number has increased now to at least 17.

The Guttmacher study, which was focused on Visayas, showed that unintended pregnancy is the main cause of abortion, which has become a common option despite its being illegal in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

The Guttmacher report also found that nearly half of all pregnancies or 1.43 million of about 3.1 million pregnancies in the whole country are unintended, one-third of which ended in abortion.

“In the Visayas, 44 percent of all pregnancies are unintended,” the Guttmacher report said, adding that more than 9,000 women in the Visayas are hospitalized annually due to complications arising from induced abortions.

Secretary Cabral assured women, caught in this predicament, that DSWD facilities and workers could provide them advices and assistance to their plight.    — Jasmin R. Uy/RAE