- Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
- Independent, Albay
- 04 June 2012
- LAGMAN RECOGNIZED AS
- GLOBAL RH CHAMPION
Rep. Edcel C. Lagman (Independent, Albay) was recently recognized by the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPFPD) as an International Legislative Champion for his indispensable role in advancing the enactment of a reproductive health law in the Philippines.
The award was conferred to Lagman in absentia by EPFPD President George Tsereteli on 25 May 2012 during the Fifth International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action (IPCI/ICPD) in Istanbul, Turkey.
Lagman is the first awardee of this global honor which is envisioned by EPFPD “as a concrete way to draw the attention of IPCI’s participants to the real champions that are at work in the Population and Development field” and to “recognize the individual actors from the political field who are being particularly outstanding in pushing the achievement of the ICPD agenda.”
In his speech, Tsereteli commended Lagman for being “an outspoken advocate of sexual and reproductive health rights in a very hostile environment, where religious forces within and around government have a huge influence on the most personal aspects of women’s reproductive health, rights and choices.”
He underscored that the award was to “honor the efforts of the author of the Reproductive Health Bill, who has tirelessly fought the variety of ways in which opposition forces have deliberately tried to impede, water down and block his efforts.”
A staunch and indefatigable advocate not only of reproductive health but also women’s rights, Lagman has often stressed that the ability to plan and space one’s children is a basic human right and neglecting the right to reproductive health is equivalent to compromising the wellbeing of women and children.
The award was received on behalf of Lagman by Rep. Raymond Palatino of Kabataan Partylist and Rep. Emmeline Aglipay of Diwa Partylist, fellow reproductive health advocates who represented the country in Istanbul.
President Benigno Aquino III has consistently committed to endorse to Congress the prioritization of the passage of the RH bill after the termination of the impeachment proceedings.