Manila, Philippines - Advocates of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill would now be known by the purple ribbon stickers in their homes.
Pro-RH bill Zone One Tondo Organization (ZOTO) and Catholics for RH (C4RH) have started going house-to-house to explain the benefits of the RH Bill.
They would then put purple ribbon stickers in the homes of RH bill supporters.
Their goal is to fill the streets with purple colored ribbons.
Benjamin de Leon, Forum for Family Planning and Development (The Forum) president, said after the successful launch a few weeks ago, they would spread the message to Filipinos, particularly those affected by the RH situation.
“We don’t just attach stickers in their homes, we explain and listen to what they have to say,” he said.
Fr. Melvin Castro, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life executive secretary, did not object to the latest gimmick of RH bill advocates.
“They are free to do that,” he said. “We live in a democracy. On our part, we’ve been doing it, i.e. going to grassroots since sometime ago.”
Calookan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, CBCP-Public Affairs Committee chairman, said he is also not opposed to the house-to-house campaign.
“That is their way,” he said.
Members of ZOTO and C4RH observed during their visit to Navotas that many residents supported their cause and allowed purple ribbon stickers to be placed in their houses.
The problem of poverty also affected the residents, they added.
Studies conducted by the Asian Development Bank and the National Statistics Office reportedly showed that poverty incidence increases when the size of the family increases.
Luz Frances Chua, C4RH national coordinator, said majority of Filipino parents and would-be parents would like to be able to have their desired family size in order to provide a better life for their families, especially their children.
“Our other problem with the anti-RH group is that they make it all about contraceptives,” she said.
“RH is so much more than this but they can’t argue beyond the contraceptives issue because they know that the bill will truly improve health and well-being.”
De Leon said they are also going to the provinces to promote the RH bill.
“I also don’t mind if people start wearing purple to mass on Sundays,” he said. “In fact, it would be better.”
Advocates would also be launching other projects like the Wear-Purple-Tuesday for ordinary people to show their support for the RH bill.