Abortion in the Philippines documentary (1 of 2): Agaw-Buhay (Fighting for Life)

A teen-aged girl gets pregnant from rape. A poor woman, bleeding from an abortion, collapses after being shunned by several hospitals.
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Despite legal and cultural prohibitions, over half a million women in the Philippines resort to abortion each year. These women do so under pain of being maligned, ostracized and physically harmed to the point of losing their lives. Why do so many assume so much risk? How much value does Philippine society put on women's lives? How should society respond, especially the health sector, which holds itself to healing all?

These issues are explained in this film which is based on the real-life stories of four women: a teenager, a poor single mother, an ailing pregnant woman, and a young struggling doctor. It captures their circumstances, their reasons, how they sought and had abortions, how they were treated by health personnel, and the tragic deaths of two. Thoughtful and challenging commentaries are provided by Prof. Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan, a professor of the UP College of Law; Dr. Junice L. D. Melgar, Executive Director of Likhaan (which researched the stories); Dr. "Nilda", an Obstetrician-Gynecologist who cared for two of the women; Prof. Mary Racelis, a professor of the Ateneo Department of Sociology and Anthropology; and Dr. Alberto Romualdez Jr., former Secretary of the Department of Health.

Agaw-Buhay (Fighting for Life) literally describes the tragic struggle of two women in the film. However, it also describes the life-threat of unsafe abortion to over 1,500 women who daily face risks due to what they deem as "desperate reasons." Finally, Agaw-Buhay is a plea for a sober and objective re-weighing by society of abortion and the true worth of women's lives.

CREDITS
PRODUCER: Likhaan Center for Women's Health, with assistance from the Guttmacher Institute • EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Nowell Cuanang and Joseph Conrad Rubio • DIRECTOR: Rember Gelera • WRITTEN BY: Nowell Cuanang • ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Cris Sto. Domingo • EDITORS: Ryan Guilas and Rico Salvan • PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Fritz Silorio • CAMERAMEN: Disney Carreon and Joe Carlo Morales • ASSISTANT CAMERAMAN: Jam Morales • TALENT COORDINATOR: Corazon Buenaventura • VOICE TALENT: Toni Pua • PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS: Andy del Rosario and Christine del Rosario
RESEARCH: Jocelyn C. Pacete and Shiela N. Conde
Filipino language with English subtitles
*** Family planning and reproductive health saves lives! ***

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

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[14jmshnt]

@1956warden Your a sick fuck you know that human life is not meaningless i do not agree with abortion unless there is a good meaning to it just keep your fucked up options to your self if you can not restrain your self post it to someone that actually cares!!!

[vgman94]

@1956warden (part 2) I'd give links to back it up, but I haven't found the article in a while. Also, wildlife is of EQUAL value, not higher value. They're only higher than fetuses, just as any person is above a fetus. Pagan? Another nutty religio-phobe. Try to understand that just because you were raised with Christianity, that does NOT make it a fact. Pagan religions could be truer than yours, just as Buddhist, Jewish or other religions could be. There are NO facts when it comes to religion.

[vgman94]

@1956warden It's you who has not kept with science. There are chemicals in the brain that sedate the fetus until birth most of the time, to prevent premature birth due to fetal movements. It's still never conscious until birth, even if your dubious claim is to be believed. Not if I wish to live. If I fight back, that's because I wish to live, just as any fish, cat or dog does. A fish isn't worthless. Salmon have been studied and shown to have differing personalities.

[1956warden]

@14jmshnt

It would make more sense to kill the mother and all of her immediate family. If human life is meaningless why not get the most bang for the buck?

[1956warden]

@sarge6925

Your logic is absurd. We should help the mother financially and arrange an adoption if that is her wish but committing murder and then try yo to justify it due to rape is insane.

The number of rapes leading to pregnancy is infinitesimal and the party of death uses it as a ruse, to create emotional responses to illogical augments they make.

Even if the offer was made to allow it in rape cases they would turn it down as they want abortion on demand in every case.

[1956warden]

@AsianMeatBunBoy

I wish you would keep your pagan anti-God religion out of it.

What about the babies choice? You are scientifically retarded.Most miscarriages are caused by the woman rejecting the child because they failed to produce the enzyme that prevents that . The baby is a separate human being, a new person.

Even atheistic scientist understand it is a baby from the moment of conception, what else could it be, a monkey perhaps?

[1956warden]

@vgman94

Apparently you have not kept up with science, babies feel pain much earlier than believed but that is irrelevant. If I find you 'inconvenient: and find a painless way to kill you am I therefore justified?

It is not a thing , from the instant of conception it is a new person, a human being, not a fish.

Who are you to decide what income justifies life? A person with great wealth may not justify yours.

If wildlife is of greater value than us why not kill yourself?

[1956warden]

@Rinsuki

Mothers suffer for the mistake, fathers as well , we should tell them what they have have done and tell them of the one who gave His life to pay the penalty for them and offer them our love and forgiveness as well.

[1956warden]

@Rinsuki

What you think, or what I think is irrelevant, only what God says. God says it is the shedding of innocent blood and rich or poor that does not change.

The baby is not part of the woman's body , it is a new person.

I'm poor so I will kill my child ? I think you are a person who was taught what to think, not how to.

[1956warden]

@CysticJI24

There is forgiveness in Jesus Christ , even for the murder of an infant. Christians should offer love and forgiveness to these women just as we received it for our sins.