Pages

Monday, August 22, 2011

The Philippines: Preserving a Culture of Life

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
 – John 10:10

Don't miss this documentary! See it on EWTN:
August 23 at 3:30 AM
August 25 at 1:30 PM
August 26 at 9:00 PM
(All times EST. The documentary is 28 minutes long.)
Learn more at www.hli.org/thephilippines.


“The Philippines: Preserving a Culture of Life” Documentary Debuts on EWTN This Week
(HLI - Human Life International)

As debate over the anti-life Reproductive Health (RH) Bill heats up in the Philippine legislature, a new documentary highlighting the fight for life in the Philippines is set to air on Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).

The short documentary film “The Philippines: Preserving a Culture of Life,” produced by Human Life International (HLI), underscores one of the most dramatic social and political struggles for life and family in the world. The film is already in heavy rotation on EWTN in the Philippines, and will debut in the United States and Canada on Tuesday, August 23.

This powerful pro-life documentary airs on EWTN in America and Canada on August 23 at 3:30 AM, then runs again on August 25 at 1:30 PM and August 26 at 9:00 PM. All times EST.

The program, shot in cinematic widescreen format, captures stunning scenes and heartfelt interviews with Filipino pro-lifers leading the charge against the RH Bill including Archbishop of Cebu Jose Palma, Philippine Congressman Dr. Anthony Golez, HLI Philippines Director Dr. Rene Bullecer and Dr. Ligaya Acosta, a former pro-abortion Philippine Department of Health manager who is now HLI’s Regional Director for Asia and Oceania.

“Right now, proponents of the anti-life RH Bill are still a few votes short of achieving their deadly goal,” said Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carambula, interim president of HLI. “Our wish is that this documentary will inspire not only Filipinos, but pro-lifers around the world, to stand with our brothers and sisters in the Philippines against the culture of death.”

“It is profoundly inspiring to hear everyday Filipinos, as well as leaders from the political realm and the Catholic Church talk about how they have fought off this intrusive, anti-life and anti-family bill in its different forms for twelve years,” said Stephen Phelan, executive producer of the documentary and director of communications for HLI.

“It is in some ways reminiscent of the struggle over health care in [the United States] – a detached political elite continues to force through a bill that the people have said time and again that they don’t want,” said Phelan. “The bill’s backers use deceptive language, they are funded by hundreds of millions of dollars from outside the Philippines, and they are attempting to attack and divide the Catholic Church.”

“Everyone must understand what is going on in the Philippines, and how we are all bound in the struggle for life and family,” Phelan added.

HLI is currently working with Filipino pro-life organizations such as CBCP for Life and Filipinos for Life to spread the word about opposition to the RH Bill, and to promote the new documentary.

HLI is also hosting a contest on Facebook where pro-lifers are invited to leave a brief prayer for the Philippines or a note of encouragement for a chance to win a free DVD copy of the documentary.

To learn more about the film and the situation in the Philippines, visit www.hli.org/thephilippines.

7 comments:

  1. I recorded EWTN at 3:30AM last night, but they didn't show the documentary about the Philippines. The next scheduled showing is for Thursday at 1:30PM. I hope to see it then.

    The show last night that was broadcast at 3:30AM was about Fatima. I had seen it before, but it had a special significance for me this time because I had been thinking about Fatima as a result of yesterday being the feast day of the Queenship of Mary. I was very impressed with how this was instituted by Pope Pius XII to re-consecrate the world annually to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And Pius XII specifically noted that this was related to Our Lady of Fatima's request.

    Venerable Lucy, Blessed Jacinta, Blessed Francisco, pray for us.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Michael. I saw the documentary a few days ago. It strengthened me for the upcoming battle we will have to face in the next months! Esp. important for me was the revelation of how foreign lobby/aid groups work.

    ReplyDelete
  3. M. Thank you for your comment. I will be watching this documentary tomorrow. I have posted comments on other Catholic sites to get other people watching as well. I always mention in my comments that this is a very important issue for Americans because it is through the US government that a lot of these "reproductive health" projects are funded.

    Some of the money comes from USAID and some comes from UN related groups which receive their funds and political direction from the US. There are also US based foundations that are involved like Rockefeller, Ford and the Bill Gates foundation.

    I ran into an example of this recently. It is a group called EngenderHealth. They used to be called the Sterilization League for Human Betterment. They were founded by eugenicists just like Planned Parenthood. They had a program in the Philippines called the PRISM project which was funded by USAID. They claim to be providing "maternal and child health care services" but really they are just setting up a network of clinics which can eventually be used to distribute contraception, do sterilizations and eventually abortions.
    EngenderHealth in the Philippines

    Also, economic foreign aid is sometimes made dependent on a country implementing a "family planning" system. Most of the time this "foreign aid" is just a loan for the country to buy US products. Which is a whole other issue. And the local company that gets the benefits of the foreign aid is in partnership with the corrupt politicians that pass the required legislation.

    Pope Benedict XVI has been getting more and more vocal about the political and economic corruption that leads to poverty. Even if the population were reduced, they would still be poor under the current corrupt world economic system. They use hunger as a weapon to control population which is what is happening in Somalia right now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Exactly! I recently watched two debates on the two major networks here in the Philippines. When one of the speakers on the anti-RH bill side brought up the issue of money going to US manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies the opposing side simply said something to the effect of "Well, in any project, you will enter into a contract with a supplier..." Thus, evading the issue of intent on the part of the foreign groups and whether this spending will contribute to making a better national economy.

    Thank you for spreading the info! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear M. I just finished watching the documentary. It is beautiful and explains the issues very well. We are praying for you. I know the Philippines has been targeted by the eugenics movement for a long time. Thank God for the bishops, the priests and all of the Catholic Filipino people that have stood "firm in the faith". (Col 2:7. That was the motto from WYD2011.)

    God bless all of you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you very much, Michael! You can expect our prayers for your own struggle against the culture of death there!

    God bless too!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you M. We certainly need your prayers. Please ask Christ to have mercy on us as our Lady of Fatima requested.

    ReplyDelete