October 13, 2009, Manila -- When Sylvia Pabustan went to a Manila City health clinic seeking family planning services, she was told that the clinic could not give her family planning supplies because “If someone from Manila City Hall found out, [the clinic] would be reprimanded.” When Ms. Pabustan, whose name has been changed for confidentiality, went to a private clinic, she was told the same thing. Another woman, Alia Banyana, whose name has also been changed, reported that when she went to Ospital ng Maynila, she was told that they would not provide tubal ligation because they are “Pro-Life.” Ms. Pabustan and Ms. Banyanas’ stories were only a few of the many collected by EnGendeRights, WomenLEAD, and KAKAMMPI and SAMAKANA-Gabriela during community visits in Manila in 2008 and 2009.

October 13, 2009, Manila — On March 27, 2009, the Philippine-based Task Force CEDAW Inquiry led by EnGendeRights and WomenLead,[i] the Center for Reproductive Rights[ii] and International Women’s Rights Action Watch, Asia-Pacific (IWRAW-AP),[iii] submitted a request to six United Nations Special Rapporteurs (UNSRs) requesting for an Urgent Appeal to be transmitted to the Philippine government and seeking a fact-finding country visit to investigate reproductive rights violations related to Manila City Executive Order 003 (“EO 003”).[iv] The goal in submitting the request was to draw the UNSRs attention to the grave violations perpetrated in Manila City by the Philippine government against women and their families.

August 25, 2006, United Nations, New York -- The United Nations Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) issued its Advance Unedited Concluding Comments on its recently-concluded review of the Philippine government’s report held during its 36th Session from August 7-25.

EnGendeRights, represented by Atty. Clara Rita A. Padilla, presented highlights on their Shadow Report last Monday, August 14, before the Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) during its 36th Session in New York. The Shadow Report was drafted in collaboration with the Center for Reproductive Rights, Reproductive Rights Resource Group Philippines (3RG-Phils.), and Health and Development Initiatives Institute,independent non-governmental organizations.

Through this letter, the Philippine-based Task Force CEDAW Inquiry (Task Force) consisting of seventeen (17) members (EnGendeRights (co-convenor), WomenLEAD (co-convenor); Alternative Law Groups (ALG); Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP); Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP); Health Action Information Network (HAIN); Health & Development Initiatives Institute, Inc. (HDII); Institute for Social Studies and Action, Philippines (ISSA); Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak ng Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino, Inc (KAKAMMPI); Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD); Population Services

Quezon City, February 18, 2009 – We call on the candidates for the national, congressional, and local elections to uphold reproductive rights and make reproductive health part of their program of action providing the necessary budget for RH information and supplies.