The Rainbow Blog Philippines

Philstar reports Villar and de los Reyes have signed onto the Catholic Church's right-wing reactionary anti-RH bill petition that includes opposing young-adult sex-ed and "homosexual unions." 2 presidential bets vow to block RH bill By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star) MANILA, Philippines - Two presidential candidates, Nacionalista Party (NP) bet Sen. Manuel Villar and Ang Kapatiran Party’s John Carlos de los Reyes vowed yesterday to block the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. Villar and De los Reyes along with several senatorial candidates signed the “Covenant for Life” pushed by the Catholic Church and pledged to oppose the RH bill and any legislation “that will ultimately pave the way for divorce, euthanasia, abortion, tyrannical population control and homosexual unions.” The senatorial candidates who signed the agreement at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila yesterday included former senator Francisco Tatad of the Pwersa ng Masang Pi...

It's official. I'm off to India around the second week of May to attend the Regional Institute on Sexuality, Society and Culture sponsored by New Delhi-based NGO Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues (TARSHI). You can view their website here . The Regional Institute is one of TARSHI's programmes and is on its fifth year. Each year beginning 2004, TARSHI has put out a call for participants from South and Southeast Asia, 20 of whom, after a nomination, application and selection process, are brought together to go through eight days of learning and discussion with a focus on sexuality, gender and reproductive health. The topics that participants tackle include the relationship between sexuality and gender, sexuality and sexual and reproductive health, sexuality and pleasure, sexuality and rights, issues in sex work, sexuality and popular culture/representation. It should go without saying that I am ecstatic over the prospect of taking part in this year's Reg...