Speaking Out about Reproductive Health
Office of the President of the Philippines
President P-Noy wants to hear from you. You can leave comments for the President at: WWW.PRESIDENT.GOV.PH
Click on the “CONTACT US” button at the top right of the screen
Be sure to fill in your Name, Contact No., Email Address, the subject you are writing about, and your comments in the designated spaces, because they are all required in order to leave a message.
At the bottom left, you will see two words printed in wavy letters. You must type them into the space provided – this insures that only people, not machines, send messages.
When finished, be sure to click the “Submit” button, and wait for an acknowledgement.
Batasan Pambansa
It isn’t difficult speaking with a Senator or your Representative. They want to hear from voters, and will respect your views even if they might not agree with them. However, because they can’t talk to everyone, unless you know them personally or represent an organization with a large number of members, they may be unable to speak to you. In that case, you can speak to a member of their staff and ask them to take note of what you have to say, and add it to the information the Representative or Senator considers when deciding about a bill. Sometimes it is easier, and possibly more effective in communicating your views, to write a letter or send an email.
Contact information for members of the House of Representatives:
Address: Honorable ________full name_____________
House of Representatives
Quezon City
Salutation: Dear Representative ____family name_____,
Telephone: 931-5001
Ask the operator who answers to connect you to your Representative’s office
Or, follow the procedure for Email, but look for your Representative’s direct line telephone number.
Email: Go to the website of the House of Representatives, www.congress.gov.ph
Click on the “Members” button at the upper left corner of the screen,
Click on the name of your Representative,
Click on the “Send Email” button just above the list of committees
Contact information for members of the Senate of the Philippines:
Address: Senator ________full name_______________
Senate of the Philippines
GSIS Bldg., Financial Center
Roxas Blvd., Pasay City
Salutation: Dear Senator _______family name_____,
Telephone: Trunk Lines: (632) 552-6601 to 99
Ask the operator who answers to connect you to your Representative’s office
Or, follow the procedure for Email, but look for your Senator’s direct line telephone number.
Email: Go to the website of the Senate of the Philippines, www.senate.gov.ph
Click on “Contact Info” at the bottom of the screen, right side
Scroll down the list of Senators
Click on the appropriate email link
The Media
Contact Information for some of the major newspapers in the NCR is listed here. You can find the information for other papers you read by looking on their editorial page, or sometimes at the Letters to the Editor section.
Letters Editor
The Philippine Daily Inquirer
P.O. Box 2353,
Makati Central Post Office, 1263
Makati City, Philippines.
Email: feedback@inquirer.com.ph
Editorial Fax: (02) 897-4793 or 94
Letters Editor
The Philippine STAR
R. Oca, Jr. and Railroad Sts.,
Port Area, Manila, Philippines 1016
Email: feedback@philstar.net.ph
Tel. (632) 527-7901 (trunkline)
Call to confirm email address/fax no.
When writing letters to the editor, it is better to write in response to a specific story or stories than to write concerning an issue which has not been covered recently in the paper. Mention those stories in your letter.
Many newspaper columnists list their personal email address at the end of their column. They want to hear from you.
For those in the NCR, ABS-CBN accepts feedback at this email: web_feedback@abs-cbn.com
Other TV and Radio networks may have feedback addresses listed on their websites.
Tips for writing letters to government officials or to media
Keep your letter short – in today’s busy world, few have the time to read long letters. Don’t mention too many points – keep it to one or two. Mention specifics, not just opinions. Be sure to include your name and address on the letter and the envelope. Neither officials nor media will consider letters that do not identify the sender clearly. Put the current date on your letter, and be sure to sign it.
Additional tips for letters to government officials
Ask the official to oppose Reproductive Health because of the damage it will do to Filipino families and society, and especially to young people, without really helping anyone. Mention some of the evils that have resulted from countries adopting Reproductive Health.
Additional tips for letters to media
State that you are opposed to Reproductive Health, for the reasons listed above. Letters to media usually require inclusion of the phone number of the writer, if you hope to have the letter published, but your address and phone will not normally be printed with the letter. To make sure, look at other letters printed in the publication
Sample Letter to a Public Official
September 11, 2010
Dear Rep. ___________, or Dear Sen. ____________,
I urge you to oppose the Reproductive Health proposal now in Congress. Reproductive Health includes mass distribution of contraceptives, paid for by our taxes, many of which can and do sometimes take the lives of defenseless human beings in the earliest stages of development. This is a truly evil thing to do, and our government and people should have no part of it.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address
Sample Letter to the Media
September 11, 2010
Dear Rep. ___________, or Dear Sen. ____________,
I am writing in response to the statement about Reproductive Health by ______________ reported in __name of paper________ on ______date______. This statement does not give a complete picture of Reproductive Health. Reproductive Health includes mass distribution of contraceptives, paid for by our taxes, many of which can and do sometimes take the lives of defenseless human beings in the earliest stages of development. This is a truly evil thing to do, and our government and people should have no part of it.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address
It is better to write your own letter in your own words – these samples are primarily examples of how to write a letter.
