Risa's 2nd try for the Senate/ Milk formula at evacuation centers

She’s one of the most visible figures in the political and social landscape, cutting a striking figure with a colorful “alampay” (shawl) slung on a shoulder, being quoted in the papers for comments on issues, her picture showing her at functions in Malacanang. Our women in media group having made it a point to meet and know the thinking of candidates in the 2013 senatorial race, we had for dinner at XO bistro in Makati Risa Hontiveros, the chair of Akbayan Party and articulate co-sponsor of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill in the 15th Congress.

Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, 46, is running for the second time for a seat in the Senate, her first try having been in the 2010 election which she lost by a mere 900,000 votes to get the 12th seat (that’s now occupied by Sen. Teofisto Guingona Jr.) She told us she’s more ready and prepared to slug it out the second time around.

She has legislative experience qualifying her for a senatorial job. She was a House Representative twice (2004-2010) under the banner of the Akbayan Party, and managed, despite her oppositionist stance, to push for the passage of two of the bills that she principally authored: the Cheaper Medicines law, which aims to lower the cost of essential medicines, and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) Law, which give farmers the chance to own the land they are tilling.

Risa’s political militancy started at the age of 15, when she joined protest allies and spoke against the Bataan Nuclear Plant, US military bases in the country, and disarmament. At St. Scholastica’s College, hotbed of student activism inspired by the college president, fearless Sister Mary John Mananzan, OSB, she was, “of course, very anti-Marcos.” It did not come as a surprise to her comrades, that she would join Akbayan Citizens Action Party, whose rallying cry, she said, is active citizenship, meaning letting citizens know their rights and responsibilities in society, and whose ideology is democracy and social justice. It’s no wonder, then, that she agreed to be a guest candidate of the Liberal Party in the 2013 election campaign, the LP’s and Akbayan’s advocacies being the same — human rights, civil liberties, and respect for the law.

At the Ateneo de Manila University where she graduated cum laude with a degree in AB Social sciences, she was an active leader in the student government. While still in school, she joined the broadcast industry and in a short time, became a co-host and segment producer for a number of television shows. Her performance brought her the Golden Dove for Best Female Newscaster award from the Kapisanan ng Mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).

In 2001, she received the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Peace Advocacy and was one of the 1,000 women across the world who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. At the age of 22, she became the secretary general of the Coalition for Peace, and eventually became part of the Government Panel for Peace talks.

Blessed with good looks, Risa belongs to the Hontiveros, Miraflores, Acevedo and Pardo clans of Aklan and Capiz on her father’s side. On her mother’s side she is related to the Suasas of Cavite and the Navarros of Mindoro. She met her husband, Rafael Baraquel, a Philippine Military Academy cadet from Albay through the mail. He had seen her picture in her school yearbook, and wrote her long, long letters, which eventually led to romance and marriage. Rafael was from Camarines Sur and Albay. After graduation, he joined the Philippine National Police, and was a lieutenant colonel when, unfortunately, he passed away in 2005 due to a severe asthma attack, leaving Risa custody of their four children, Kiko, Issa, Ianna and Sinta. Recalling her happy marriage, Risa said she and her husband had different ideologies, but he never disapproved of her activities.

Risa is pretty and glamorous, and quite friendly. She is a talented singer. When she was 13, she played one of the Von Trapp children in Repertory Philippines’ production of the “Sound of Music” with Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson and Raymond Lauchengco. At our dinner, she willingly obliged us by singing “All I Ask of You,” a number from “Phantom of the Opera.”

A nature lover, she is a licensed scuba diver. She does yoga, avoids soda and dark meat, and does not smoke. What does she do during her free time? Go to mass with her children (which is every Sunday), the movies, and bookstores.

Risa said she and her colleagues are working for the passage of the RH bill right now. The anti-RH senators, she said, are doing everything they can to stop the passage of the bill. After the RH bill issue is resolved, working for the approval of a divorce bill is in the next agenda. Again, we imagine  anti-RH legislators to be actively opposed to having a divorce law in the country.  

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 This column has sided with breastfeeding advocates in not allowing the watering down of the present Milk Code which calls for full breastfeeding for babies ages zero to six months old. In the interest of fairness, however, it is putting out the position of two non-government organizations asking for the amendment of the provision in Executive Order 51 (or “Milk Code of 1988”) to allow milk companies to give donations of substitute milk in evacuation centers in times of emergency.

The amendment is being pushed by Corazon “Baby” del Mundo, chair of Women Involved in National Building (WIN) and Kayang Kaya ni Misis president Au Macatunao. Both were guests at a recent Bulong Pulungan sa Sofitel media forum.

WIN is an advocacy group founded 25 years ago with around 5,000 representatives from the private sector and in government as members. KKM is an NGO based in Malabon-Navotas and has members from 35 barangays.

Del Mundo said WIN believes that donations of milk and milk products in disaster -stricken areas and only during calamities should be allowed but regulated by the Department of Health.

“There must be a balance between ensuring the health of infants and toddlers in evacuation centers versus risks of sickness and infection from contaminated water used in the preparation of milk for bottle feeding,” Del Mundo said. Which is why donating companies, when allowed, should bring with their donations, bottles of safe mineral water which mothers, or health workers in the evacuation centers, can mix themselves. “On the question of milk companies’ taking advantage of the emergency situations to advertise their product, then let’s have stickers covering the names of the companies and products,” she said.

While WIN, she said, supports exclusive breastfeeding from 0-12 months, “ mothers must also be given the much needed information on nutritious complementary feeding choices when breastfeeding is not possible. Proper education on nutritious options are important to making informed choices for mothers. “

KKM, Au’s organization, is made up of mothers whose husbands are mostly dependent on fishing. When there are typhoons, the men cannot go out fishing, some are lucky enough to drive tricycles, while the wives are busy selling cooked food and meryenda to tide them over. “We and our husbands are for family planning,” Au said. “We can’t afford to have too many children.”?

Au and Baby expressed the view that companies must set up lactating rooms for nursing employees. It is not practical nor advisable for mothers to bring their infants and toddlers to the workplace in order to breastfeed. Also, breast pumps, coolers and other equipment needed to express and store milk are quite expensive. Plus, some mothers do not produce enough milk, while some are too stressed from work or physically unable to sustain prolonged breastfeeding.

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