Esperanza Cabral: One hell of a lady!

For distributing condoms and trying to keep deadly HIV/AIDS cases from escalating, Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral is being pilloried by some bishops and pressured to resign from her job. The last time anybody advocated the use of condoms was during the time of Johnny Flavier. And when he ran for Senator, the late Cardinal Sin told Catholics to vote for “anybody but Flavier.” But that didn’t stick; he came out Number 2 during that election, which gives us an indication that many Filipinos really want leaders with a strong stand on population management and reproductive health. The latest SWS survey confirms that a majority of Catholics are for the Reproductive Health Bill.

Fortunately, Cabral is standing pat on the issue, saying the Philippines is a “democratic secular state” and not a religious state like Iran where clerics run the country. The revelation that the number of registered HIV cases has doubled to 4,400 since 2008 should be more than enough cause for alarm. Instead of demanding for her resignation, everyone should support the awareness campaign of the DOH.

Those who have known Cabral when she was director of the Philippine Heart Center say she is really a strong-willed lady who will not hesitate from implementing tough policies if she thinks they are the best options. A cardiologist by profession, she graduated from the UP College of Medicine and trained at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She has received numerous awards including the DOST’s Outstanding Young Scientist for Medicine, the first Dr. Jose Rizal award by the Philippine Medical Association and Outstanding Alumnus for Research by the UP College of Medicine, among others.

Cabral clarified that the distribution of condoms was for the purpose of preventing AIDS and not for family planning, but she did not mince words in admitting that the government’s family planning program has not been very successful with population growth “not coming down at the rate necessary to improve the socioeconomic status of the country.” While natural family planning can reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancies, she correctly points out that “it is not the best method” and that there are other, better methods for a couple to manage the number of their children and that they must have informed choice on what method suits them best. A major issue today that affects poverty, health and the environment is unmitigated population growth especially among the lower sectors of society. What is so wrong in encouraging people to refrain from having more children than they can afford to feed and take care of? Why should a couple keep having children only to see them die in the end because they don’t even have money for food much less for medicine when these kids get sick?

Cabral stressed the need for the country to fulfill its commitments as embodied in the government’s Medium-Term Development Plan and the UN Millennium Development Goal – and these are very much related to the reduction of infant and maternal death as well as the control of widespread chronic diseases like TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS. A report by the UN Millennium Campaign on the Millennium Development Goals said that the “high population growth rate is diluting the gains of economic growth. The larger the population a country has, the greater will be the pressure on basic social services and on natural resources,” adding that “more than one million babies are born every year” who would be “needing resources in the future such as healthcare, schooling, food, clothing and later on, employment.”

NGOs, women’s groups and leaders from various sectors have indicated their strong support for Cabral and are challenging presidential candidates to “do a Cabral” and give their clear stand on reproductive health. It’s been more than eight years since the first RH bill was filed in Congress, but to this date, it keeps getting “killed” because of strong lobbying and pressure from the Catholic Church. It’s rather disappointing that none of the candidates have had the nerve to come out strongly on the issue of population management and reproductive health. They talk about being crusaders against corruption and saving people from poverty – conveniently ignoring that a major obstacle in eradicating poverty is uncontrolled population growth especially among the lower classes of society. It is unfortunate that Noynoy Aquino and Gilbert Teodoro backtracked and withdrew their support for the RH bill when in fact the SWS said a majority of Catholics are for the RH Bill. This kind of turnaround is obviously borne out of political convenience. I think if there’s anyone who should run for president, it should be Esperanza Cabral. And pardon me, Ma’am – but you have the balls to stand up for what you really believe in – and you’re absolutely right. If not president, this one hell of a lady should be made DOH Secretary – for life!

* * *

A reader who asked for his name to be withheld emailed us more information in relation to our Feb. 25 column where we mentioned a near mid-air collision with an American pilot named Mike O’Farrell who was piloting a seaplane registered under Subic Seaplane Inc. According to our reader (who says he is a maintenance man), Subic Seaplane has for the last nine years “broken all the rules including takeoff at full speed beside a fueling dock” while fuel tankers (carrying 20-30 tons of flammable material) are unloading – thereby “endangering hundreds of lives.”

He also mentions O’Farrell’s illegal practices like fueling a plane, storing a fuel truck beside the plane and starting the engine in the hangar. “O’Farrell has crashed an aircraft in the USA and whenever this guy flies he is very abusive and arrogant to Filipinos. He would put ropes around a public boat ramp where he launches his plane and abuse anyone who tries to use it. He doesn’t own the ramp, SBMA does,” the sender said. No question – this arrogant over-aged pilot should be permanently barred from flying.

* * *

Email: [email protected]