As candidates parade their way to May with campaign promises, two women follow with hope for reproductive rights, yet uncertainty still looms.
ONE WOMAN, Mia*, walks a path shaped by a pain few can comprehend: an abortion she once risked her life to obtain—one for which countless others have died. Another, Ann*, a midwife, carries the weight of every birth she has assisted and every life she could not save.
Though their journeys differ, both women navigate the fragile space between abstention and neutrality, united in advancing reproductive rights in the country.
Jagged little pill
Mia was only 18 years old when she found out she was impregnated by an ex-boyfriend twice her age.
Reflecting on the isolation she felt during her pregnancy, Mia said, “As a growing teenager, [it’s] like no one can understand you.” She believed that she had been having safe sex and felt unprepared for a pregnancy she knew would exact a heavy holistic toll.
In hindsight, she realized that this uncertainty she felt was rooted in the painful realization that she was carrying the child of someone she would later understand had groomed her.
Amid her dilemma, it was her ex-boyfriend who found and transacted with a backdoor abortion pill seller who sold a pill commonly used for ulcers. Following cryptic instructions, with no aftercare, Mia endured the pain and bleeding without medication—fearing that they would interfere with the pill’s effectiveness.
As painful as it was, Mia did not regret her decision as she remains hesitant to bear children given the current socio-economic climate. Her experience reaffirmed her personal belief that there should be no ‘qualified’ stance on a woman’s own bodily autonomy.
Beyond conversations on abortion access, Mia hopes for broader reforms in reproductive healthcare. Living with other health issues, she has grown critical of what she describes as a for-profit healthcare model, especially after encountering providers who dismissed her comorbidities.
Birthing pains
Many women like Mia seek reproductive healthcare in birthing homes, as these centers provide affordable care. However, midwives face legal restrictions on who they are allowed to serve, such as those seeking an abortion or post-abortion care. Still, registered midwife Ann does what she can within her means or refers the patients to larger or specialized centers.
According to Ann, a multitude of factors lead women to decide to terminate their pregnancy: being a student, families pressuring them to abort, or simply being unprepared—emotionally or financially—for the weight of motherhood.
As a midwife, Ann can only listen and try to dissuade them from the decision to terminate. “Walang mali ‘yung baby (the baby did nothing wrong),” she says, underscoring her religious beliefs. Yet, she recognizes that the ultimate choice is up to the mother—prompting Ann to set aside her personal beliefs and withhold judgment.
“Bilang midwife, wala kaming stance diyan—nasa may katawan kasi ‘yan. At kung sakali na gusto nila ipa-terminate, wala na kaming magagawa (As midwives, we don’t have a say in that because it’s their body. If they wish to terminate, we can’t do anything anymore),” she says.
Ann believes that reproductive healthcare in the Philippines should prioritize maternal care above profit. She recalls stories of past patients who were denied essential healthcare because they lacked insurance.
Thus, as the midterm polls near, Ann only hopes that reproductive healthcare policy changes will encompass unconditionally free consultations, free hospital care, and better overall consideration of public health.
Alternative avenues
Within present reproductive healthcare policy, post-abortion complications mandate professional care under the 2012 Reproductive Health Law. This was further developed through the 2016 Post-abortion Care Policy, co-drafted by EnGendeRights Executive Director Atty. Clara Padilla. However, many of its progressive provisions were omitted in 2018, emphasizing instead the illegality of abortion which impedes patients from seeking it and healthcare workers from being required to provide aftercare.
Stressing its urgency, Atty. Padilla urges the public to hold midterm election candidates accountable by making personal stories heard, engaging in civic action, and pushing for overdue reform. For women like Mia and Ann, their experiences with the system’s bureaucracy and priority on profit exacerbate the already difficult journey of pregnancy.
“We will not be able to pass these laws without the clear support of civil society. It’s not just the Congress we are addressing. We are addressing the general public […] [as politicians] will not pass a law without clear public support,” Atty. Padilla states.
As faith in the system erodes, these women and countless others are not just demanding healthcare; they are demanding dignity. They envision a future where safety and support are not privileges, but basic human rights—freely given and exercised by all.
*Editor’s Note: The interviewee’s name has been withheld upon their request to protect their identity and privacy.
