Women rage for RH

To celebrate women’s month, Reproductive Health Advocacy Network is inviting men and women to join Women Rage for RH, a rally against gender discrimination for women’s empowerment tomorrow, March 30. The rally will be held from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Grounds, Quezon Avenue corner EDSA, Quezon City.

Dr. Junice l. D. Melgar, RHAN secretary general, says the gathering aims to unify women and women supporters on the central place of reproductive health and rights in women’s lives; creatively and collectively express outrage at the capture of health-policy-making by religious conservatives, and highlight the value of women’s lives and empowerment in nation-building.

The event will include an art exhibit showcasing Agnes Arellano’s sculptures on women’s bodies, booths/stations where participants can enjoy several means to creatively express their frustrations over the ongoing delays in the passage of the RH Bill, a ritual of commitment through dance, chants, noise-making, and a cultural program of poetry reading and performances by pro-RH artists and personalities.

For inquiries call Likhaan (9266230 or 4113151, or through mobile phones 0915-4079894 (Joy Salgado), 0916-6025203 (Ellen San Gabriel), or 0927-4250213 (Mina Tenorio).

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As the country gears up for graduation season, parents are surely looking forward to posting their children’s milestone achievement on various social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. And without a doubt, they’ll also be texting or emailing relatives and friends details of the occasion. Indeed, recording our memories has gone digital.

Times may have changed but the foundations of learning remain constant. Paving a smooth road to graduation would not be possible without the untiring support and caring environment that parents give their children. If certain values were not instilled from the beginning of their school experience, it is possible that graduation would not become a reality. Good habits in effectively learning lessons that are taught in and out of the classroom must be reinforced at an early age. Take it from Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a destiny.”

Numerous studies have shown that good nutrition is the most overlooked, yet vitally important, part of good academics. Because of this, a number of schools have looked into projects that promote healthy eating among their students. An example is a recent initiative that had private corporations and benefactors sponsoring a vegetable garden in selected public schools. The goal of this is to encourage the schoolchildren to become emotionally invested by growing their own food, thus inspiring them to eat more. That was also the thrust of Senator Ed Angara’s highly successful “Oh My Gulay” (OMG) project that was launched early last year and drew nationwide support.

Similar causes like this help children realize the value of practicing healthy eating habits. This can affect their productivity levels for the rest of their lives. It is a fact that many of our countrymen subsist on instant or ready-to-eat pre-packed mealsm regardless of the nutritional value. Admittedly, cost is a determining factor for choice of food, but the long-term effects might just possibly be an expense that should not be ignored.

There have also been initiatives to improve awareness about vitamin supplementation, under the umbrella idea that “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”. Vitamin C has obviously taken the lead in this endeavor, considering that it is the most well-known immunity booster, with the added benefit of promoting the proper development of skin, bones, blood and teeth, as well as enhancing iron absorption.

Companies like GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have even made determined efforts to make vitamins more enjoyable for children (and even adults, I might add). I am told that GSK’s new ascorbic acid called Scott’s Vitamin C Pastilles was painstakingly engineered in order to create a taste that’s most acceptable to children. After all, it really is quite difficult to administer thick syrup or an odd-tasting pill to kids, much more to encourage them to make it a part of their daily routine. If you’ve tried Scott’s Pastilles (as I have), you’ll find that they’re so delicious that the challenge may be to stop the young ones – and yourself – from finishing an entire packet in one sitting. In a manner of speaking, therefore, a daily dose of vitamins (either from food and/or supplements) leads to a daily dose of possibilities. Once we instill the values of proper diet and nutrition to our children, their scholarly life can be properly supported. After all, someone once advised that “if the body is feeble, the mind will not be strong.” That man turned out to be quite a remarkable student, had quite a distinguished career, and ended up defining the history of a nation.

That definitely, is food for thought.

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My email: dominimt2000