MANILA, Oct. 30, 2013 – A support system like pregnancy crisis counselling could spell all the difference for troubled teens, a pro-life organization said.
“Sometimes these women have no one or nowhere to turn to, not even their parents or friends. We would like to tell these women that we are always here for them,” AJ Perez, editor in chief of FYI, the official publication of Pro Life Philippines Foundation, said in an interview.
Adoption, better than abortion
According to Perez, who also heads the pro-life group Filipinos for Life, because of the stress of an unplanned pregnancy, it is easy for women to “fail to see the big picture”, focusing instead on the hopelessness of their situation.
Perez noted how even the body language of the women who go to the centers for counselling — a few of whom he has met — communicates the anxiety of people who “have no one to turn to.”
Aside from the counselling services, the group facilitates maternity home referral or the process of having babies from unplanned pregnancies put up for adoption to help rule out the option of undergoing abortion.
From January to September of this year, some 1, 259 counselees have gone to the four Pro-Life Philippines counselling centers in the country.
About 188 women have gone to the Legarda, Manila office; 494 to the St. Gerard Family Life Center in Baclaran; 169 to the Baguio office; and 408 to the San Juan de Dios center in Quiapo.
Talks on NFP, bullying, family issues
To respond to the need for education and information, Pro-Life Philippines also offers talks on human sexuality, Natural Family Planning, chastity, bullying and other family and home life issues to organizations, schools and parishes.
Other programs offered by Pro-Life Philippines include education and training (EDTRA); and research, information, organizing, networking, advocacy (RIONA)
For more information, interested parties may contact (02) 733-7027 ; telefax (02) 734-9425; and through 0919-2337783.
Inquiries through email may be sent to life@prolife.org.ph or prolifephil@gmail.com. The group’s website is www.prolife.org.ph [Nirva’ana Ella Delacruz]
