New Projects
RH Advocacy Project | E-Health Research | Cheaper Medicine Campaign
Reproductive Health Advocacy Project
In 2005, HAIN signed a project with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation which intends to enhance the capacity of NGOs and other advocates to promote population and reproductive health issues. Entitled “Enhancing Communication Strategies of NGOs Working on Population Issues in the Philippines”, the project also aims to develop effective capacity in information exchange, analysis and utilization among organizations working on population issues.
The project is aligned with HAIN’s mission to contribute to the empowerment of people and communities by making available and accessible objective, accurate and timely information on health and health-related issues, which includes family planning and reproductive health. In doing this task, HAIN takes an anthropologic approach to illustrate how culture, gender, socio-economic conditions and religious influences factor in on population concerns. HAIN also implements the project by transforming information into local knowledge and into more targeted and strategic message delivery. Another strategy is by integrating the issue of family planning in the context of whole reproductive health perspective, broader health concern and rights-based approach.
Specifically, this project intends to
1. Identify and monitor the prevailing climate for communications, by mapping and analyzing the current media and advocacy environment
2. Increase visibility of FP/RH issues in the work and advocacy of the community health networks
3. Increase the capacity of advocates to counter and use religious/Catholic teaching and theology to support the use and promotion of FP/RH
4. Support effective and timely responses to emerging and pressing population issues
5. Improve skills among advocates in strategic communications and develop-in-country capacity
This project includes the following activities – workshops on Religion, Gender and Sexuality; Strategic Communications; Integrating Family Planning into Community-Based Health Programs. The project also entailed media monitoring of RH issues as well as development of IEC materials.
In 2008, Packard Foundation extended its support through the second phase of the project. Due to end in March 2010, the second phase of the project aims to enhance the reproductive health situation in the Philippines through capacity development and advocacy
This will address two things: (a) The need for a strong, well-informed, evidence-base and strong voice to consistently advocate for RH in various platforms; (b) The need to enhance the ability of population/RH NGOs and health workers to effectively manage their programs and deliver services to meet population/RH needs and demands.
In order to effectively influence the future of population/RH situation in the country, significant progress should be made in the following arenas: (a) Training and Advocacy; (b) Effectiveness of population/RH programs; and (c) Effectiveness of service delivery (FP, clinic, etc.).
The following were the main achievements of the project:
A. Mapping and Media Monitoring
The project’s research component aims to identify and monitor the prevailing climate for communications, by mapping and analyzing the current media and advocacy environment. Looking at the different perspectives and activities of various stakeholders involved and influential to population issues, this research also looked at the social, cultural and political factors that influence the public’s perception and practice on family planning and reproductive health.
This research has placed special focus on family planning but still touches on general reproductive health concerns. It is hoped that this research would help us identify the links that can be made and what strategies we can employ across different sectors, contexts and places, as well as identifying any gaps in population advocacy work which need support or development
The research also collected relevant documents and materials that are being used or generated by various stakeholders. Examples of materials that were collected are IEC resources, researches, press releases, newspaper clippings and other relevant materials.
Entitled “Claiming Grounds and Spaces for Reproductive Health Advocacy: RH Mapping in the Philippines,” this research paper encompasses pronounced grounds and spaces claimed by RH advocates from pro and anti groups especially those that were propagated in all forms of media. The role of media is crucial and at the same time essential for one reason — it sets agenda.
B. Strategic Communications Workshop: The Smart Chart Approach
The workshop trained the participants to plan for and use strategic communications to advance their program goals. Through the use of the Smart Chart, the workshop trained the participants to use a systematic and effective communications approach in reproductive health advocacy.
The Strategic communication workshop aims to build RH organizations’ capacity to plan for and use strategic communications to advance their program goals. This workshop adopts the Smart Chart Approach which was originally developed by the Spitfire Strategies in the US.
HAIN is offering this interactive training workshop as part of our ongoing commitment to promote effective education and advocacy on population and reproductive health issues in the Philippines. Over the two-day workshop, participants learn how to use the “Smart Chart” to enrich their communications approach.
Since 2006, HAIN has trained about 200 reproductive health advocates with this tool to help them advance their program goals.
In 2008, HAIN spearheaded two workshops on Smart Chart Training of Trainers to advance strategic communications capability of Smart Chart enthusiasts. The first one was held for Filipino Smart Chart trainers. Nine participants who have already undergone Smart Chart training were selected to attend this peer learning activity. The training aimed to ensure that reproductive health advocates are not only able to successfully use the Smart Chart but are also able to train their colleagues to use the tool to develop strong communications programs.
The international training intended to foster greater use of strategic tools like the Smart Chart and other communications best practices done in the Philippines. It also aimed to confer the challenges that the trainers face when conducting Smart Chart trainings and build their capacity to address those gaps and become solid trainers for their organizations.
HAIN leads the Smart Chart project in the Philippines. Similar health NGOs also lead the project in Pakistan (Rozan) and India (Population Foundation of India).
The meeting also facilitated sharing of experiences using the Smart Chart, as well as lessons learned from trainings of master trainers. This meeting was also conducted in collaboration with the Communications Leadership Institute.
With skills to make the rhetoric real and relevant to target audiences, reproductive health advocates are now able to communicate family planning and other reproductive health issues with a sharper communication tool to help transform words into action. Indeed, the Smart Chart Approach to strategic communication planning has sparked what could be a communication wildfire.
C. Integrating FP and RH in the Advocacy of Community–Based Health Workers
HAIN conducted a workshop on gender, sexuality and family planning for the Community-based Health Program (CBHP) partners. There are numerous CBHPs in the Philippines, dating back to the 1970s and pioneered the introduction of innovative and participatory processes in primary health care. Many of these programs are affiliated with Roman Catholic parishes or diocesan programs and, in many cases, are the only source of health care for communities.
The workshop emphasizes family planning as one of the primary health needs at the community level. The training also introduces CBHP members to the concepts of sexual and reproductive health to contextualize family planning in the broader reproductive health and development issues. Integrating reproductive health components to CBHPs will lead to a more holistic approach in addressing problems pertaining to child and women’s health, and also strengthen men’s involvement to reproductive health issues.
From the meetings we have conducted with the CBHP training alumni, it shows that discussions on gender, reproductive rights and family planning were the most remembered part of the training. These topics have helped the participants in facilitating community education in their community organizing work and in enhancing men’s awareness of reproductive rights in the light of women’s issues.
The learning in the training have helped in the community campaigns and education, counseling, facilitating referrals, networking or engaging governance and in the technical intricacies of handling or facilitating training sessions.
D. Religion, Gender and Sexuality
In the Philippines, the Roman Catholic Church pose as a major block in population and reproductive health work, particularly in developing policies in support to these causes. Since 2005, HAIN had conducted series of workshops on Religion, Gender and Sexuality which aims to give the participants some tools for discernment to make informed decisions about gender and sexuality-related issues, including family planning, abortion, and homosexuality. The workshop also serves as venue for RH advocates to be able to reconcile their personal faith with their work.
At the end of the workshop, participants were expected to:
1. Understand that religions are not monolithic, that there are varying views and positions among officials, clergy and laity.
2. Understand the social and historical circumstances that shape official Catholic Church policies on gender and sexuality.
3. Understand how Catholic dogma shapes powerful ideologies around gender and sexuality, and how these affect laws and other policies in the secular sphere.
4. Understand how scriptures are used, sometimes oppressively and sometimes in a liberating way, to justify certain views about gender and sexuality.
5. Understand aspects of moral theology and ethics in the way they relate to gender and sexuality.
6. Apply knowledge acquired from the workshop to personal and professional concerns.
As we moved on to the second phase, HAIN realized the need to stimulate interest for further work in the area of religion and sexuality. As such, for 2009, HAIN will conduct workshops on Level 2 course of RGS. The participants will be selected from the roster of RGS graduates from 2005-2008. The course will cover more in-depth discussions on Church official teaching, moral theology and specific church debates on RH. This will be a training-of-trainors type wherein the participants will learn skills on how to educate their own communities on RGS issues. A module will be developed that would provide RH advocates discussion handles and tools for navigating RGS issues.
D.2. Catholic for RH Speak Out Movement
Many of the RGS graduates have informally echoed the RGS ideas to their co-workers or network partners. In most cases, the graduates have integrated the learning and materials in their RH and gender advocacy work. Some of the academicians have also shared to their students the films on RGS that HAIN distributed during the workshop.
In 2007, An informal network of sexual and reproductive health advocates, academicians and activists have initiated a new round of conversations around religion and reproductive health, spirituality and sexuality. The group is now called Catholics for RH Speak Out Movement (initially called Catholic Voices). This was a collaboration of some NGOs such as HAIN, Womenlead, PLCPD and the Leadership Development Program for Mobilizing Reproductive Health (IIE-LDM).
As a first initiative of the group into this foray, we conducted a forum last February 19, 2007 to coincide with the traditional “Month of Love”. This initial offering aimed to explore and surface diverse Catholic experiences of sexual awakening and identity formation and all the attendant feelings, issues, barriers, celebrations and oppressions that come with it.
Entitled, “Puso, Puson at Pananampalataya”, resource persons talked about their respective sexual awakening and how their Catholic upbringing influenced and affected this process. Speakers at the forum were Dr. Margie Holmes (a well known sexuality psychologist); Danton Remoto (a gay rights activist) and Sis. Helen Graham (a Maryknoll nun). The same forum was also held in Cebu City and Davao City.
In 2008, HAIN has conducted and co-organized various forums related to RGS issues to deepen the understanding among advocates on the interrelationship of religion issues to reproductive health concerns. Among these were discussions on the Ethico-Theological Perspectives on Church’ Objection to Contraceptives, and the forum on Queer Theology.
D.3 Study Tour in Mexico City, Mexico
Together with the Institute for International Education-Leadership Development for Mobilizing Reproductive Health (IIE-LDM), HAIN organized a study tour in Mexico City to acquaint RH advocates with the various players in Mexico’s reproductive health movement. The tour aimed to look at how policymakers, implementers, civil society and even young people work together to advance RH programs despite challenges raised by a conservative government and Catholic opposition.
Another objective of the tour was to dialogue with Catholic RH advocates to understand how they were seeking space in the public sphere for an enlightened discussion on the interlinked issues of human rights and reproductive rights, faith and morals, values and the law.
Among Filipino RH advocates, the strong and unyielding opposition raised by the Catholic hierarchy has become a barrier to the creation of a favorable public opinion environment. The Philippines and Mexico have some things in common such as the Catholicism of the majority of the population, as well as a history of Spanish colonialism. However, a glaring difference is the status of national family planning and reproductive health programs. While RH in the Philippines has been neglected, the family planning program of Mexico has been one of the programs with the most experience since it was established in the 1970s. Today, Mexico boasts of 70 percent contraceptive coverage for women of reproductive age compared to 45 percent in the Philippines.
In Mexico, family planning is a national policy and therefore it is mandatory and must be enforced in all the states. There is separation of church and state in Mexico which means the church cannot interfere in national government policies.
The group was composed of one legislator, two media practitioners, a law professor and NGO workers. They have visited different organizations which include the Catolicas por el Derecho a Decidir, Grupo de Informacion en Reproduccion Elegida, Red de Jovenes Catolicos por el Derecho a Decidir, National Alliance for the Right to Decide, UNFPA-Mexico, Commission on Human Rights, Ministry of Health, Observatorio Eclesial, and the Asamblea Legislativa del Distrito Federal – IV Legislatura.
Right after the trip, the learning from the tour was shared to the media community which was organized by The Forum, an NGO that advocates RH issues to the members of mass media. Several articles were also written by the media person delegate and published them in her newspaper column.
E. Operations Research Workshop
In 2008, HAIN organized the 14th Training Course on Research Methods for Reproductive and Sexual Health. This aimed to build research capabilities of the participants to enable them to strengthen their programs on sexual and reproductive health by enhancing their skills on problem formulation, ethics, data gathering, data analysis and presentation, both on qualitative and quantitative methods.
The training endeavors to be grounded on both theory and practice, delivering the fundamentals of research in a comprehensive manner. A two-way learning approach was also used to elicit the rich experiences of the participants coming from varied and diverse fields of work and relate them to mainstream research trends.
F. Antipolo City Community Project
HAIN adopted Antipolo City for its community project. A Memorandum of Agreement has been signed between HAIN and the City government of Antipolo.
A community needs assessment was conducted to determine the training needs of their community health workers so that HAIN can design a training module that would best fit the community. HAIN conducted a survey among 669 respondents in 8 barangays, 10 key informant interviews and 5 focus group discussions among community members and various stakeholders of Antipolo.
This research aims to deliver baseline information on the knowledge, attitude, practice and behavior towards RH and primary health care of Antipolo residents of reproductive age (15-49 years old). The study also looked at the social, economic and political environmental factors which affect the lives of these people. The data will serve as a guide for programme implementors in designing sexual health promotion and intervention projects of the Antipolo LGU.
G. RH Advocacy in the Media
This project aimed to scale up the efforts of RH advocates in utilizing the media for more effective advocacy. With support from the IFPLP-Packard, and held in collaboration with IIE-LDM and The Forum, two activities were conducted – one among media practitioners and another among information officers of NGOs.
G.1 With Media Practitioners
In August, a forum entitled, “A Different View of Reproductive Health, Population and Development: A Media Training” was held in Intramuros, Manila. This was attended by 18 media practitioners from the National Capital Region.
The walking tour of historic Intramuros facilitated by Carlos Celdran gives participants a glance of the historic past. Mr. Celdran, who is very vocal about his support of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill toured the participants around Intramuros’ stunning structures and provided a humorous analysis of Philippine art, culture and society from pre-Hispanic Manila until the present. It stressed the many influences that created Manila to what it is today. It also provided a glimpse of how the Filipinos’ minds were shaped by the Catholicism, by the Americans, the Japanese, and how the natives reacted.
After the tour, a discussion forum was held in a nearby restaurant. Entitled, “Voices from Within: Concerned Catholics Supporting Reproductive Health: A panel discussion featuring concerned Catholics who are also supportive of Reproductive Health and the Reproductive Health Bill”, it was graced by Ms. Sunita Mukherjee (UNFPA country representative); Dr. Ernesto Pernia of the School of Economics at the University of the Philippines; Dr. Azucena Suplido of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Philippine General Hospital; and Dr. Alberto G. Romualdez, Vice President of The Forum and Dean of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Graduate School of Nursing.
It also served as venue for a soft launching of “Catholics for RH Speak Out” Movement with Ms. Liza Macuja-Elizalde who cut the ribbon. Ms. Macuja-Elizalde, a prima ballerina, graced the event and delivered a brief speech staying that she is an educated Filipina, she has a family and a career, and she believes in the cause.
G.2 With NGO Information officers
The second workshop was titled “News for a Change: RH Advocates’ Training-Workshop on Writing for Media.” Twenty RH advocates from Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao joined the training. This training aimed to sharpen advocacy messages on RH and to strengthen advocates’ skills on writing for media.
The workshop also started with a “Walking Tour” in Intramuros.
In the afternoon, a forum provided discussions on how the country’s past policies and programs influence the present RH situation and advocacy and a general overview of the present situation of RH
Writing for media was the focus of the second day’s training-workshop. Resource speakers were acclaimed journalists from VERA Files. Discussions here included the different forms of media: print, television, radio, and Internet; the people working behind news reporting; what makes news newsworthy; and the audience. Participants also learned preparing press releases, press statement and media advisory.
At the end of the workshop, the group decided to create a group blogsite where they would post RH articles and updates from their work. The group is now using the space of www.pinoyRH.blogspot.com to post stories and articles.
H. Development of IEC Materials
The Religion, Gender and Sexuality Advocacy Guidebook (Coming Soon)
This book aims to contribute to the work of Catholic RH advocates as they bridge the gaps between their personal faith and the work they do—through a series of exercises on real-life situations that require advocates to effectively communicate with facts, composure and with their faith in place.
Primary Health Care Approach to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights [Download}
The PHC approach has provided the shift in perspective from a medicalized and biomedical framework to a more sociopolitical-cultural and biopsychosocial approach to health. It is on these premises that the focus on sexual and reproductive health should not be on population control or sex act itself (as is the direction of the current debate), but on population as it relates to poverty, environment, education and other social issues. The campaign for the recognition of sexual and reproductive health and rights should be seen in the over all pursuit of human rights, including the right to health and the right to development. These rights can only be attained if we struggle against unequal and unjust social, economic and political structures which are the root causes of poverty, ill health, and underdevelopment. HAIN hopes that that material will provide our readers this perspective.
Breaking Through the Noise: An Introduction to the Spitfire Smart Chart II
This manual is an adaptation of the Spitfire Smart Chart as embodied in the training workshops conducted by HAIN in 2006. The manual cites communication experiences and examples that are specific to Philippine context. The Smart Chart approach to Strategic Communication developed by the Spitfire Strategies, Inc. is one simple tool that can help organizations/institutions develop a sharp, coherent and effective communication plan.
Websites and Listserves
HAIN has also continued maintaining four websites (HAIN, hain-news, pinoyRH, sexuality and religion). The listserve of RGS continues to be an active discussion board among training alumni. The websites and listserve provide information about the activities of the project, updates on RH situation, and provide new lists of related materials on RGS and strategic communications. Most of our workshop participants have joined and actively posting articles and exchange views in the listserve. We have received good feedbacks from other people who have viewed the postings in the websites.
I. RH Advocacy
HAIN was elected as Chair of Public Information and Education Committee of the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) and has been actively involved in various campaigns related to the advocacy for the passage on the RH Bill in the House of Representatives as well as the passage of local RH codes in different cities and provinces. HAIN has also been in the forefront of activities to promote RH awareness to the general public.
HAIN representative to the RHAN has drafted press release statements, co-organized the World Population Day week-long celebration and other press conferences, helped drafted the implementing rules and regulations of the Quezon City RH Ordinance, and participated in various mobilizations to gather support for the signature campaign drive for the RH Bill.
In 2007, HAIN Resource Center staff. Emilyne de Vera, participated in a workshop called “Regional eHealth Research Network Workshop” organized by the Angeles University Foundation (Philippines) in collaboration with Aga Khan University in Pakistan. The workshop aimed to provide opportunities for e-health researchers from developing countries in Asia to collaborate in the development of a regional research network, organize ideas for conducting research, and share their experiences in e-health.
HAIN collaborated in the development of two project proposals (Mainstreaming eHealth in the PHC setting and Disability) wherein we partnered with organizations from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Pakistan.
Representatives of the different organizations met again in Kula Lumpur, Malaysia in December for another workshop which aimed to provide opportunities for PANACeA researchers to present the progress in the needs-assessment phase and discuss the proposals.
In 2008, representatives of Aga Khan University (AKU) in Pakistan, the over-all coordinator of PANACEA network project visited their partner organizations in the Philippines .
Dr. Hammad Durrani, Ms. Saira Nigar and Dr. Zahid Ali Fahim met project leaders to discuss updates on activities, availability and utilization of resources. HAIN is one of the AKU partners in the Philippines for its two projects here: mainstreaming E-health among the visually challenged group and in primary health care setting.
Also in August 2008, Emilyne joined the Panacea team in a networking visit in India, Indonesia and Pakistan to meet all research partners and visit the actual field sites to strengthen relationships, observe on-the-ground situation, and share ideas and learning.
The problem of high prices and unaffordability of medicines continues to be a chronic, complicated burden of Filipinos, despited two decades of the existence of a National Drug Policy and related laws, such as the Generics Act. With the crafting and signing of a new piece of legislation meant to make medicines more affordable and accessible, there is renewed interest in the issue of medicines for the public and for other stakeholders.The Advocacy on Access to Affordable and Quality Essential Medicines Project is a one-year national campaign headed by HAIN with support from Health Action International. Its main objective is to increase public awareness and engagement on the issues of access to affordable and quality medicines. Through this project we endeavor to develop and initiate concerted efforts toward the vision of universal access to low-cost, safe essential drugs under the principle of rational drug use.
The specific objectives of the project are the following:
1. educate members of the health sector (doctors, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, health students) and communities about Republic Act 9502 (Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008) and other laws and policies related to medicines, such as the National Drug Policy, the Generics Act, and the Pharmacy Law
2. strengthen alliances and linkages among stakeholders for collective actions in addressing issues on access to affordable medicines
3. mobilize these stakeholders to actively demand transparency and accountability in the implementation of laws related to medicines
4. improve the monitoring and documentation of drug prices and trade practices on pricing, promotion and advertising as related to originator brands to generics
5. develop a generics-based alternative reference of drug information
Other related project/activities:
Advocacy Workshop on Rational Drug Use and Medicine Pricing
Health Action International (HAI), a global network working on issues related to access to medicine and their rational use in collaboration with the Health HAIN conducted an advocacy planning workshop last February 12-14, 2008 at the Fersal Place Hotel, Quezon City. The three-day event covered lecture presentations on medicine pricing, overview on the salient provisions of Cheaper Medicine Act of 2007, Government’s intervention and NGOs sharing of experiences and advocacy work. It was attended by 28 Metro Manila representatives and 3 regional participants from various organizations (non-government organizations, academe and people’s organization) that gathered for discussions and workshop sessions on current concerns, developments and advocacy on affordability, availability and safety of drugs in the Philippines.Access to Low Cost Medicines Workshop
The Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) sponsored a civil society skills-building workshop on improving access to low cost medicine. The workshop was held at the Meralco Management Leadership and Development Center (MMLDC) in Antipolo City last June 3 to 10, 2008. Twenty-three representatives from Peru, Kyrgyztan, Jordan and the Philippines broke down cultural barriers and country differences as they worked at identifying strategies toward the common goal of improving access to low cost quality medicines for their respective citizens. is workshop actually dovetailed a similar activity held in Uganda, February of this year that had similar objectives, basically, to equip civil society organizations with knowledge and skills to promote greater transparency, accountability and efficiency on the issue of access to medicines in the pilot countries that included the Philippines. The workshop is part of a two-year programme by the MeTA in promoting a “multi-stakeholder approach towards increasing transparency around the regulation, selection, procurement, sale, distribution and use of medicines in developing countries, thereby strengthening governance, encouraging responsible business practices and ultimately improving access to medicines, especially for the poor.