Leap of Faith: Going Full-time for Safe and Satisfying Sex

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. I have finally pursued my calling. I have shed my teacher-y facade and gone into a world where vaginas, condoms, and penises dominate. I am now a full time sex worker... and I work with kids! Yum.

Don't worry, I haven't gone into pedophile prostitution, but I have to admit the situation now is quite orgasmic. Last week, I submitted my application to the Foundation for Adolescent Development. I applied for the position of Program Manager (yes, makapal ang mukha ko) hoping against hope that I'll be called in for an interview despite the overwhelming number of people who I believe are more qualified for the job. Imagine my utter bewilderment when I was called in for an interview a few days letter. Imagine, again, how stupefied I was upon learning that I got the position.

So here I am, finally, after months of saying it but never quite meaning it: I am officially a full time advocate of sexual and reproductive health and right. What's more, I work for and with the young ones - adolescents to be exact -, which is an absolute privilege. I am also quite lucky to be working with one of the most prominent names in reproductive and sexual health and rights advocacy, my boss Alvin Dakis, and my oh-so-awesome partner Erick Bernardo. My baptism of fire started on the last week of May and my first official brush with the wonderful world of adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights came last Tuesday. 

I represented the Foundation for Adolescent Development in a forum called Defining the Best Interest of the Child and the RH Law which was held at the Quezon City Hall last Tuesday. It was organized by the NAPC Youth and Children Sectoral Council, WomanHealth Philippines, Save the Children, Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights and the Office of Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte. I was privileged enough to be able to sit down with some  the members of the Active Youth Participation (AYP) members and talked about the Reproductive Health Law. Several interesting points came up. 

One of the issue that discussed heatedly was the limitations of reproductive and sexual health services offered by the government to minors. The RH Law specifies that minors cannot receive RH services from  health centers, unless they are given explicit consent by their parents and guardian. The kids thought this would hinder rather than better the access of the young people to better reproductive health. They can always go to a clinic, but really, which kid has that much money these days?

The kids believe that the written consent requirement is difficult to achieve because a significant percentage of parents do not want their children to know or to talk about sex even if it is with a professional health worker. Understandable. After all, if you're 15 and you come up to a parent and say, "Hey mom/dad, can you like write me a consent letter? Coz I really wanna know how a condom works", you'd probably get a slap on the face plus at least three hours of lecture on the immorality of sex for your troubles. 

It's sad that a majority of the Filipino people still don't want to admit that if kids can't get straight answers from their parents (and proper authorities) then the next big step is looking through the Internet and pornography, which are great for techniques and positions, but not quality instructional material for safe sex. And their boyfriends and girlfriends aren't exactly resource speakers on the matter.

I don't know much about private high schools (as I'm a legit government-educated kid during my HS days), but in public highs you'd be lucky if your teacher in Health is not very squeamish, hypocritical, and the overly-conservative. You might actually get some decent sex ed, even if it's just a minuscule part of the class. One of the girls I got to speak with, Ma-Rose, related a story of one such lesson. Her Health teacher had allowed them to speak and ask about sex, and despite laughing about the topic, she said the class actually learned about it. When their adviser found out about the oh-so-energetic lesson, the class got a metaphorical whip on the butt for being more active when it comes to sex ed than Math class. 

Algebra is important, I know, but I'm pretty sure that learning to prevent unwanted pregnancy, keeping oneself safe from HIV/AIDS and other STIs, and simply learning about the changes our bodies undergo during puberty and no less important. The teacher got pissed because the students liked and enjoyed talking about sex. This is as hypocritical as Sotto saying that the Filipino culture is conservative when half-naked women gyrate to novelty songs in that overly-reincarnated noontime show that really needs to die already. But I digress. The point: many parents don't want their kids to learn about sex, even from legit sources like teachers and health care professionals, probably because of some irrational ideology that is akin to Sotto's myopic perceptions of the Filipino culture. 

This is why upon asking for suggestions, the group recommended that parents also be educated in the realities of reproductive and sexual health and rights. 

And that is, of course, another issue - education. The earlier sharing of one of the AYP members brings to light how sex ed was touched in Health class before the mandate on sex ed. Ma-Rose said that sometimes, they would be tested on things that were not even discussed inside the classroom. She felt that the teachers failed to give ample information on the topic. Thank goodness for the RH Law - at least sex ed won't just be about the novelty of saying puke and titi. Also, the young people added that although it is fun to laugh at sex talk, it is also not that helpful because of too much joking around. Content AND delivery matters.

Which brings us back to HOW the Filipino people talk about sex. I can rant about this all day that I'd start to sound like another Philippine Health Bloggers Society member Raimskie. We have lived for so long in a society that either cringes upon hearing about what's between a human person's legs and as a result we shut up about everything related to it. Which is utterly codswallop given that we sexualize almost everything - from kids' toys like Bratz to TV ads for liquor and roof leak seals. 

The young ones have spoken: They WANT to know what's going on with their body. They BELIEVE the importance of knowing about sexual health and rights. They NEED comprehensive adolescent reproductive and sexual health services.

Now what? 

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On a side note, I'd like to invite everyone to be a member of the Foundation for Adolescent Development's Junior Board program. Train under the best board of trustees of FAD, get the latest know-how on adolescent reproductive and sexual health, have opportunities for scholarships to conferences here and abroad, and advocate for your peers.

The Foundation for Adolescent Development (FAD) is a not-for-profit, non-government organization established in 1988 catering to a very specific clientele: Filipino adolescents and young adults aged 13-24 years old who may be in school, in the community, in the workplace, including difficult situations such as the street.

Be the present of today's reproductive and sexual health and rights advocacy! Join the Foundation for Adolescent Development's Junior Board. See details below. Good luck, leaders and advocates!

AMUMA Editorial: For We are Fire

A/N: This editorial was supposed to be published in the Amuma, a magazine that is planned by the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates. As editor-in-chief, I was the one who wrote this article. This piece might not be published soon, but since it only seems fitting, I am sharing this in my blog anyway. Please note that despite being Amuma's editorial(which means the collective opinion of the staff), I was the one who wrote this and it is now published in my blog. Thus, it may no longer represent the insight of Amuma's editors and writers. 

Perfection is a myth and many times in an organization’s, there will be those who will take note of a group’s imperfections and believe themselves capable of augmenting them. An organization with this kind of members – those rooted in both idealism and reality – is possibly meant for great things, simply because the people within it will never settle for mediocrity.

The Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates is such an organization. We have seen our young group blaze through the opposition of many, in order to fight for what we believe in and for the people we advocate for. Our voices have been heard, and what we have to say has gotten across. In our three years f existence, AYNLA continues to prove that it is as much talk as it is action.

Nevertheless, it is not without faults, and the national election is proof of this. The fact that our members participated enthusiastically, as voters or candidates, is an indication that they have been trained to not overlook wrongdoings and to strive for betterment through both words and actions. It sends a message to our leaders: Do not be complacent. We are watching you.

The organization welcomes this. It recognizes everyone’s ability to contribute to the organization’s goals. However, two things may inevitably stem from this: either a call for action that will benefit the organization or a mindless struggle for power that may lead to the destruction of our group.

The latter has happened to many other organizations. Often in the name of change, many potential leaders become blinded by their quest for power. The resulting action is below them: in the struggle to take control, their professionalism is eclipsed by greed and arrogance.

There shall always be the struggle for power. There will always be people who seek reform. The Alliance welcomes this. It is a sign that everyone is empowered.

The Alliance burns with the drive of advocacy, but its leaders (for, in AYNLA, no one is just a member) are faced with this dilemma: shall we direct our fire to our goals, or direct it to ourselves?

You decide.

Dibuho 2013: Roles of Modern Nurses and the Gapuz Exchange

Hey Readers!

I'm finally launching the Dibuho Project! This means give-aways, reader's participation, and bragging rights to come! 

What got me going was this little exchange with Mr. Ray Gapuz, owner of the oh-so-famous R.A. Gapuz Review Center. Here are a couple of screen shots:

I will say two things: (1) I studied at that review center and I believe we were taught that comprehension is essential to passing the Nursing board exam and (2) I passed the Nursing board exam, so if I lacked comprehension, it must mean that I got my license out of pure luck. Woah.

This exchange got me thinking on the role of the nurse in the modern times, and since I'd really love to know what people think, I decided it would be good to make this topic Codswallop's first dibuho. 

I'm going to be giving away a bunch of stuff, including a free BLS or Heartsaver training, 50% off ACLS training, and 35% off EMT-B training, all from our good buddies at HealthCare Advantage Training Institute. For those who'd love to have the BLS and ACLS, then you'd be much happier to know that these courses are American Heart Association certified. Talk about going international. Also, the EMT-B program is a licensure training which is TESDA accredited. I've seen the HCAI facility, questioned their people with my usual mataray-eyebrows, and am satisfied enough to say that their training is well worth your time (I fell in love with the simulation-ambulance!). Interested parties can check them out here.

All that gift cards and freebies plus this amazing piece of literature by Bob Ong are yours by just giving me insights on what you think the role of the nurse will be. Pretty good deal, if you think about it. 

Here's how to win. It's as easy as pie:

1. Like Codswallop's official Facebook page.

2. PM Codswallop your name, contact details, and answer to the question below.

3. Post your answer in the comment section of this blogpost as well.

4. My fave answer will get freebies galore, and I'll get in touch with the guy or the gal with the most awesome response for the prices.

Ready, reader? Express your dibuho now!

Love from,

Janina ^_^

More Than the Character, the Issue

Roughly a week after digital uprising catalyzed by Cynthia Villar’s controversial TV interview where she inadvertently made use of the term “Room Nurses”, the senatoriable sat down with the officers and members of the Philippine Health Bloggers Society.

This is her side of the story, albeit not verbatim.:

The question Winnie Monsod gave was regarding the closing down of nursing schools roughly 5 years ago. Mrs. Villar stated that she acted to intercede between CHED and the Nursing schools that are foreclosure out of concern for the students who would be displace should these learning facilities be really closed. Her answer was rooted on her business sense – that what you invest on should have some form of profit. In this case, the senatoriable believes that those who may not be able to continue their education because their schools will be closed down should still have opportunities for employment. She believed that those who may be displaced should these schools be closed may still be “room nurses”. In this context, she was not talking about BSN graduates or Registered Nurses, but undergrads. Thus, her use of the words, “hindi naman gaanong kagalingan”. She said that a person who has received a BSN has better competencies than undergraduates, but that these “room nurses” can still earn a living. The term “room nurse” was not an insult, but a statement of a fact.

From left to right: Yours truly, with PHBS Chairman Nr. Alvin Dakis,
meeting with Mrs. Cynthia Villar

Before you guys run after me with pitchforks and burn me like Inquisition-crazed Catholics of the Dark Ages, I just want to clarify - this is a report of what occurred during the meeting and not in any way a defense for Mrs. Villar. Should you find her explanation acceptable or not is up to you.

Of Questions

These events have led to a massive wave of reaction in social networking sites. Statuses, memes, and tweets showed the fury of hundreds of nurses here and abroad. Many proclaimed that they will not vote for her in the coming elections, and many invoked the power of potassium chloride to permanently shut the senatoriable up.

I have a simple principle: You may call a spade a space, and thus refer to a person as an idiot should said person be a legit idiot. Let us admit it. It was a bad move for the senatoriable. Or bad editing on the part of the TV station. Overall, it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. 

But what good does it do, really? Sure, the pictures are funny, the name-calling’s hilarious, the Senora Santibanez memes are unforgettable, but do they solve issues?

The question of what Mrs. Villar can do to pacify our collectively (butt)hurt pride as professionals is not THE question, or if it is, it pales in comparison to what is really important. THE question is what WE can do to ensure that our profession will never be at the business end of insults, intended or otherwise, ever again.

I mean, if Mrs. Villar were to go down on her knees, beg for forgiveness (she did already, sans the kneeling), take up BS Nursing like she tweeted, and donate money to nurses, would it solve our problem?

I think we know the answer to that.

Let me just say, “Dude, it’s your Facebook account, and Cybercrime is on TRO. You can do whatever the hell you like.” But if we seriously divert this much energy to trying to solve our real problems, we’d probably be a lot closer to the solution than we are today.

These are the stuff we should really be concerned with:

Question: Why did nurses react so violently to Mrs. Villar’s proclamations? I mean seriously, KCl injections are like the epitome of violence.

Answer: Because we’re tired of our profession being looked down on.

Question: WHY is the nursing profession being looked down on?

Answer: Several reasons: because nurses have been stereotyped as doctor’s assistance since the beginning of time; because in the Philippines, if you’re a hospital nurse and you’re earning PHP8,000 per month, you’d be so thankful you’d kiss any imaginary god’s feet; because we are unemployed, underemployed, employed in jobs that we’re not even supposed to do, and there was a time we needed to pay and kiss arse to even be considered as volunteers; because we have been stereotyped as an unpatriotic selfish bunch that would give an arm and a leg just to get out of this self-proclaimed godforsaken country and go to better places, preferably with white-skinned citizens; because the quality of nurses we are producing is dropping at an alarming rate, as shown by the decline of Nursing Licensure Exam passers; because people don’t seem to see just how important a nurse is in the health care system – that Philippine health care would perish without us. Lots and lots of factors, really.

Question: What do WE do about these reasons then? That’s right, not the government. WE.

FUNNY! And the Hello Kitty Cap is cute.
 How does this solve unemployment again?

Your move, Nurse. 

Janina Santos is the Founding President of the Philippine Health Bloggers Society. She is also Secretary of Publications and Media Relations and Corporate Treasurer of the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates International, Inc. However, this is her personal blog and does not, in any way, reflect the official statement of the organizations regarding this issue.

What Advocacy Taught Me

There are many misconceptions about advocates. Kesho, aktibista daw kame (partially true), mahilig daw kame magrally (it’s kind of fun, actually), marami daw kameng pera at sikat (paminsan-minsan, oo, sikat, but mapera? Where the heck did that come from?).

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about us, and about the definition of advocacy, so let me define that last bit for you:

Advocacy is waking up at 4AM in the morning, taking and paying for a cab so you can get to a meeting place on time, and using your brains and your hands to actually accomplish something for what you believe in – despite coming and being at work (that actually pays you) until 9 in the evening.

Advocacy is rushing through flooded streets, amidst rain, and despite pissed off parents to the most important event of your organization.

But that’s okay. In my short time as an advocate (I’ve only pursued it for a little over a year), I’ve come to feel that, for someone like me who doesn’t have a lot of money, and who’s not necessarily the best in my field, there is still so much to do.

 In advocacy, I found selfless purpose.

Advocacy is also a lot of work– so much work that you barely have time to catch your breath – but there is also so many things learn. And here are some of the stuff I picked up along the way.

That, damn it, my parents were right all along!

They said I can be a nurse AND whatever else I want to be (which is to write and share my thoughts, to make use of my considerable English skills, and to be a modern Gabriela Silang for women everywhere!). Well, here I am: nurse advocate, English educator, and self-proclaimed revolutionary heroine for women (operative word is "self-proclaimed")

         That hating my course is stupid.

If you’ve read my post A Change of Heart, you’ll know that I wasn’t much of an enthusiast for my degree before, and I used to have a “who the hell cares” attitude toward whoever I thought was stupid enough to pursue the same path as I did. Hell, I didn't want to be a doctor's servant! I didn't know nurses are NEVER that; I didn't know that we can be leaders, educators, change makers.

But being an advocate, and being able to meet all the amazing nurses that broke the barriers of definition, has given me more than enough insight to come to respect the people in my profession.

         That fighting for what you believe in is more effective as a group.

I’ve learned how to network, to talk to different people, and to come out of my shell as a schizoid chick and mingle. I’m quite glad to be part of the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates, who, more than colleagues, turned out to be really cool people to hang out with. I’m more confident in going all revolutionary and blatant in saying what I want to say, simply because I know they’ve got my back.

Tip! If you’re really an advocate, my friend, then KNOW that you won’t succeed alone.

       That we can teach how to put on a condom and how to use pills, be funny about it, but not  break down to hysterical fits of maniacal laughter.

For demonstrations and/or advice for contraceptive use, kindly leave a message.

That advocacy is fun.

It’s certainly no-nonsense, but working with like-minded people, enriching yourself as a person, and the just the thought of being able to do something that is selfless are a different kind of high.

       That I have the capacity to be so much more than I am.

Because you can never be an advocate if you succumb to weakness and mediocrity. Only those who can rise about their own expectations and perceived limits can truly speak for others.

What about you? What have you learned from advocacy?#