Red Turnip tackles deafness, virtual reality in new season
Posted on June 29, 2016 By NICKKY FAUSTINE P. DE GUZMAN
KICKING OFF Red Turnip Theater’s fourth season is the offbeat comedy-drama,Tribes, about a deaf man trying to find his place in the world while dealing with his loquacious anti-sign language family. The season will end with a sci-fi thriller, The Nether, that tackles identity in a world of virtual reality.
Tribes will run from Aug. 4 to Sept. 4 at the Power Mac Spotlight Center at the Circuit Makati.
Not surprisingly, the production uses a lot of sign language, and will include subtitles for those who do not sign, said director Topper Fabregas at a press launch on June 21. He said 40% of the show would be subtitled.
Red Turnip co-founder Rem Zamora added they will have special shows dedicated to the deaf community. The dates are yet to be announced.
“In addition to that, we’re also excited to see how there may be added or other nuances to the actors’ performances with them knowing they’re playing to a deaf audience,” he said.
“There are not enough productions in the Philippines [that are deaf-friendly],” said Mr. Fabregas, who noted that the representation in Tribes would be spot-on, thanks to teacher and advocate John Baliza, whom they hired to teach the cast members Filipino sign language.
Mr. Baliza, who teaches Deaf Education and Applied Studies at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (CSB), was with Myra Medrana, a deaf trainer from CSB’s Silent Steps deaf students dance group, during the press launch. According to Ms. Medrana (with Mr. Baliza translating) there is no universal sign language, with sign differing between nations and cultures. For instance, a raised middle finger means brother in Japanese Sign Language, but in both American and Filipino Sign Languages, it is an expletive.
Tribes, written by Nina Raine, premiered at the Royal Court Theater in London in 2010 and has since had productions in New York, Los Angeles, and Minnesota. Red Turnip’s production would be “very Filipino,” said Mr. Fabregas.
“Red Turnip has always made sure to make each play feel immediate to anyone who enters our space, and rooted in the culture we live in. Tribes is going to be Pinoy. The material may have been published abroad, but once it is interpreted by the actors and given voice by the artistic team, it becomes Filipino.”
He added that the local production would follow the original Tribes, but it would be a “sharper comedy, more piping, more real, and with inside jokes” the Pinoy audience could relate.
“Tribes is funny -- until it hits you,” said one of the cast members, Teroy Guzman.
Also in the cast are Kalil Amonte, Angela Padilla, Cris Pasturan, Dolly de Leon, and Thea Yrastorza.
THE NETHER
Red Turnip’s season will end with The Nether which will be presented in March next year at Circuit Makati. Like Tribes, the finale explores the idea of identity.
The Nether is about a virtual world, where anyone can log in, create an account, and choose an online identity. The virtual world acts as a powerful and convenient conduit for people to create an online identity that is different from their offline character. When a young detective uncovers a “disturbing brand of entertainment” online, it triggers the conflict between technology and identity.
The play’s director, Ana Abad Santos, anticipates that the challenge would be the space in theater and how she would treat it as a believable sci-fi thriller.
“The story is about pedophilia, it’s [a show with] values thrown out the window,” said Ms. Santos, “but it is [the marriage of] history and future.
“In the end, it is a love story that satisfies our need to feel loved and alive.” -- Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
Although stressed is “desserts” spelled backward, according to health experts, even too much sweets is stressing. Apparently, stress also has correlation with glutathione.
Glutathione is commercially associated as skin whitening. It comes as an oral pill or an injectable liquid. But this substance, often called the body’s “master antioxidant,” is more than just a whitening agent. Too little glutathione reserves in our system cause stress, fatigue, ageing, and diseases.
“Glutathione is naturally found in the body. Our liver makes 90% of the glutathione,” said Dr. Stanley A. Chua of BioBalance Wellness Institute, a wellness hub in Mandaluyong that offers an Oxidative Stress 2.0 test.
According to Genova Diagnostics, a US-based laboratory that does the test for BioBalance, the Oxidative Stress 2.0 test is a nutritional examination that “utilizes a blood sample in order to evaluate the body’s oxidative stress status and antioxidant reserve.” The aim of the test is to assess how much we are stressed or are prone to being stressed.
While glutathione is also found in fruits and vegetable, what is important in all this is the liver. The healthier the liver, the more glutathione in the body. As someone who avoids alcohol, only consuming water, iced tea, and, sometimes, fruit juice, I was confident that I would ace my Oxidative Stress 2.0 test. But I was wrong.
I was asked to fast for eight to 12 hours before they took a blood sample, which was then sent to the lad. After two weeks, the test results were in.
“Do you smoke and drink alcohol?” Dr. Chua asked before he let me see my test results. He also asked if I sleep for eight hours, exercise, eat right, and get enough sun.
I said I don’t smoke, I hate the sun, and the only exercise I do is when I make a mad dash to make it on time to work events or school. Does that count?
“Ah!” was all he said.
The Oxidative Stress test result is shown as a bar graph with results in red (bad), yellow (borderline), and green (good). My test results were a mixture of both good and bad.
Dr. Chua said that while he expects Millennials to hit results at green (good) levels precisely because we are still young and active. But, ironically, an unhealthy lifestyle can get in the way: excessive clubbing and drinking, and sometimes, drug abuse. Millennial’s ideas that “sleep is for the weak” and YOLO “you only live once” also do not help.
My results showed I am stressed and not healthy — and perhaps I represent the majority of Millennials in their 20s and early 30s.
Although my body makes enough substances like cysteine, cystine, and sulphate at green (good) levels to protect me from stress, my glutathione, which is the body’s major antioxidant, was worrisome.
Dr. Chua said that while my glutathione level is still at green, it was very near the borderline, I don’t have enough reserves of glutathione in my body to push it at the safer green level, because “it compensates for the lack of SOD (superoxide dismutase) in your body.”
According to the results, my SOD is at the red (bad) level.
SOD is an enzyme found in every cell in the body which catalyzes the destruction of free radicals that damage cells, causing causes age-related diseases and cancer. Dr. Chua said iron and copper deficiencies, among others, can impair SOD production.
He said the following could trigger my low level of SODs: not enough sleep/iron deficiency; consumption of too much processed food; too many sweets (I told Dr. Chua that I can skip the main course but not the dessert); and not enough rest.
The manifestations of a person stressed at the cellular level are: dry skin, faster ageing, low energy, falling hair, and being prone to the flu, coughs, and colds.
“Remember that the body has to fight stress in[side] and out. It should lay a better foundation, and not a band-aid solution alone,” said Dr. Chua.
ON COSMETIC GLUTATHIONE
So, does it mean that people who inject or drink glutathione for the purpose of skin whitening are generally healthier? Dr. Chua said no.
“Glutathione takers are not necessarily healthier,” he said.
He emphasized that what was important is the “liver.”
“It depends if the liver is functioning well.”
He clarified that oral glutathione “does not work as much as people hope.” He said it is not well absorbed by the body, with only 20% of the pill absorbed by the body.
While glutathione consumption can result in whiter skin, he added that “The side effect of glutathione is it attacks the blood vessels. Maputi ka nga, may ugat ka namang maitim. (You may be whiter but you have may have a blackened blood vessels.)”
HEALTHY RECOMMENDATIONS
Dr. Chua gave me multivitamins to take in the morning and evening to help me de-stress at the cellular level and to boost my glutathione production, and chromium in the morning to regulate my sugar cravings. They are available at BioBalance.
“Supplements are neither meal substitutes nor a standalone recommendation. They just augment what’s missing,” he emphasized.
There is another option to supplements. He recommends consuming two servings each of fruits and vegetables that fall under the rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). This way, I can have an ample supply of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in my body. “The darker the vegetable, the better,” he said.
Apparently, my occasional brisk walks and short sprints to work or school do not help, he said, because my glutathione result is almost at yellow and my OSD is at red.
He recommends running as fast as you can for three minutes a day.
He also advocates that people get their daily dose of vitamin D to regulate calcium absorption and for maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, and protect against type one diabetes, cancer, and sclerosis.
His original recommendation was that I sunbathe at noon, but acknowledging that skin cancer is a risk in the long run, he said people can get their vitamin D supply at two hours after sunrise, which is around nine in the morning. For white skinned people, he said 15 minutes of exposure is enough, while for people with darker skin, 30 minutes of sunbathing is recommended.
The Oxidative Stress 2.0 test costs P26,000. A three-month supplement package costs P11,721 while a six month supplement package costs P19,535.
In a country that worships white flawless skin, the Philippines is a big runway for peacocking: show off your porcelain skin in skimpy garments and get admiration. Those with less than perfect skin are left hiding in the shadows.
Photos courtesy of Pamela Velasco
“Unpredictable and irritating, psoriasis is one of the most baffling and persistent of skin disorders,” says the disease description onWebMD.com. “It’s characterized by skin cells that multiply up to 10 times faster than normal. As underlying cells reach the skin’s surface and die, their sheer volume causes raised, red plaques covered with white scales. Psoriasis typically occurs on the knees, elbows, and scalp, and it can also affect the torso, palms, and soles of the feet.”
The damage caused by the incurable auto-immune disease is beyond cosmetic. In the face of society’s judgment, a victim can suffer crippling blows to his self- esteem.
“We are vilified,” said Josef de Guzman, his voice almost trembling.
Psoriasis cut short his booming career as a sales and marketing professional in 1996. While he could initially cover his psoriasis with long sleeves, the condition also affected his hands and nails. He said that whenever he’d do presentations or offer a handshake, people would stare at his hands. So he quit because he was ashamed. He lived a reclusive life for a long time.
Eventually he decided to focus on working as an advocate for sufferers of the disease, and went on to conduct other campaigns on cervical cancer, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and hemophilia, among others.
In 2005, he started Psoriasis Philippines (PsorPhil), an online support group which has attracted 5,000 members, with the goal of giving encouragement to its members while educating the wider public on what psoriasis is.
“Imagine if you have a small pimple on your face. Ayaw mo na lumabas kasi nakakahiya (You do not want to go outside because it’s embarrassing.) Multiply that one blemish into 1,000 more pimples — that is how we feel.”
He, and the rest of the PsorPhil members, cannot overemphasize that like any ordinary pimple, psoriasis is not contagious.
“We’ve put too much premium on people with flawless skin. We put them on a pedestal. But what are we trying to tell people with psoriasis?”
Photos courtesy of Pamela Velasco
If a person with flawless skin is beautiful, the corollary is that a person with psoriasis is ugly.
Pamela Velasco, 24, fit the profile of society’s standard of pretty: white and flawless skin, tall, long hair. She’d join beauty contents and wanted to be a model. Then everything went wrong.
“I was only 13 years old, a first year high school student, when one day I woke up with a body covered with flakes and white and pink spots.Parang gumuho mundo ko. (My world seemed to collapse.) I used to join school pageants. That time I knew what I wanted, I wanted to be a model, a beauty queen. I loved to act and dance. I wanted to be a newscaster just because I wanted to see myself on TV,” she toldBusinessWorld in an e-mail interview.
Mr. De Guzman and Ms. Velasco suffered emotional breakdowns.
“After learning I have this lifelong condition, my self-confidence went down to zero. I became lazy and tired of life. I tend to hide as long as I could. I was physically, emotionally, and mentally damaged. I used to cry at night or super yuko na lang ako ‘pag dadaan sa iba. (I hunch down when I passed by other people). Ang tagal kong na-depressed at na-stressed, umiiyak at nagtatago lang. (For a long time I was depressed, stressed, and crying. I hid.) Sometimes I even refused to attend school.Hindi siya mabilis tanggapin. (Accepting it was not easy),” said Ms. Velasco.
According to an Italian study by dermatologists Esposito, Saraceno, Maccarone, and Chimenti, psoriasis has psychosocial co-morbidities like anxiety, poor self-esteem, depression, sexual dysfunction, and suicidal ideation.
“It hurts physically, emotionally, and mentally,” said Ms. Velasco, who is a PsorPhil member.
Mr. De Guzman said that sometimes he wanted to “vanish.”
Both said they can tolerate the physical pain of the condition, but not its psychological torment.
Pamela Velasco has not given up on her dream of becoming a model despite her psoriasis. — Photos courtesy of Pamela Velasco
They appeal to people’s humanity: “Please tell the world we are not contagious.”
CONTROLLABLE CONDITION
“The treatment depends on each patient,” said Maria Deanna Santos-Ramiscal, photodermatology head at St. Luke’s Medical Center, Bonifacio Global City, in a press conference on May 31.
PsorPhil, the Philippine Dermatological Society, Novartis Healthcare Philippines, and the Philippine Rheumatology Association (PRA) signed a memorandum of agreement during the event with the aim of increasing public awareness of the disease.
Dr. Ramiscal said 20% to 30% of the world population experiences psoriasis, usually on the scalp, elbow, knees, and areas prone to trauma. She said that approximately two million Filipinos are suffering from psoriasis, but 60% of them won’t receive treatment.
Treatments are expensive. Topical creams, which last for about a week, costs P2,000 or more. Another option in the market: secukinumab biologics. The drug inhibits IL-17A, a protein that causes the excess scaling of the skin. Dr. Ramiscal said patients have shown improvements of up to 90% after several weeks of injections with the drug, which is US Food and Drug Administration-approved. It’s a more effective psoriasis management option. But the doctors demurred from giving an idea on how much it cost, saying it depends on the doctors and hospitals.
Arthritis, as well as heart disease, diabetes, and depression, are often suffered simultaneously with psoriasis.
There are several types of psoriasis, the most common being plaque psoriasis which is characterized by thick and extensive skin lesion which are itchy and painful. According to WebMD, psoriasis can also be associated with psoriatic arthritis, which leads to pain and swelling in the joints.
“Up to 10% of Asians with psoriasis are diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, a specific form of arthritis that is particularly painful and debilitating and can lead to joint damage,” said Dr. Heizel Reyes, PRA president.
Mr. De Guzman mentioned he has a friend with psoriatic arthritis who broke his fingers after crumpling a piece of paper.
The Web site of PsorPhil, a support group for psoriasis sufferers in the Philippines. — Photos courtesy of Pamela Velasco
Patients undergo cycles of remissions and flare-ups over a lifetime. An episode can be caused by a variety of factors that include emotional stress and infections. “Most doctors believe such external stressors serve as triggers for an inherited defect in immune function,” says WebMD.
The doctors at the press conference emphasized case-to-case treatment. “There’s no one-size-fits-all in managing psoriasis,” they said.
A MATTER OF ACCEPTANCE
Since the world has not yet found the cure for it, people with psoriasis are left to simply deal with it.
“Matagal din talaga bago ko siya natanggap. (It took me a while before I accepted it),” said Ms. Velasco.
“Acceptance is the key. ‘Pag natanggap mo na si psoriasis, tanggap mo ng habang buhay mo siya kasama, mas gagaan ang buhay living with it.” (Once you’ve accepted that psoriasis will be part of your life, it will make living with it easier.)
She said she started living a healthier lifestyle. She exercises and sticks to a gluten-free diet. It also helps to have support: a family member, a friend, or people suffering from the same disease.
“I have learned the art of dedma (ignoring). Nowadays whenever I go out, wherever I am, I always keep my head up. I stand tall and proud. Sometimes I smile at people looking curiously at my skin. I am now confidently beautiful with my psoriasis. I did not stop performing, I was able to achieve my dream of joining beauty pageants and modeling gigs.”
She said she does not conceal her psoriasis with foundation or concealer. She likes her skin bare.
“I believe I can now handle discrimination. I am now a fighter.”
But more than them accepting that their battle with psoriasis will be life-long, it’s society’s acceptance that would make it a little more bearable. The world has not yet found a cure, but perhaps, our understanding brings them a step closer to healing.
WHILE aware that health is wealth, in pursuit of worldly wealth we sacrifice our wellness, thinking that perhaps money can buy anything including fitness. But it can’t. Not really.
www.nurturewellnessvillage.com
With the goal of helping one become a better, healthier, and happier you, the Global Wellness Day organization celebrates Wellness Day annually on June 11.
The movement started in Turkey in 2012, and the campaign has now reached 73 countries including the Philippines. It has a seven-step manifesto: walk for an hour, drink more water, do not use plastic bottles, eat organic food, have a family dinner, do a good deed, and sleep at 10 p.m.
Rest and recreation, like visiting a wellness center, also help, especially these days where everything is fast-paced and we are connected all day long.
“Massage is not just about beauty. It is a traditional therapeutic treatment used for centuries as a method of preventing sickness and promoting health in the world’s oldest medical systems, the traditional Chinese medicine and India’s Ayurvedic system,” health advocate Cathy Turvill told BusinessWorld in an e-mail.
She said massage lowers the level of cortisol, a stress hormone, “which is very deadly for the body when left unchecked.” Massage also increases the release of endorphins — the so-called happy hormones — “which promotes a positive outlook in life.”
www.nurturewellnessvillage.com
Ms. Turvill walks her talks. She eats healthy, exercises, and follows Global Wellness Day’s seven rules. When asked for health tips, she only had one word: CHOICES.
“It’s an acronym I developed, which stand for the pillars of health,” she said.
C: CHOOSE TO BE POSITIVE
She urges everyone to squeeze a 10-minute breathing exercise into their busy schedules which will help you “feel better and ready to take on the day’s challenges.” Think happy thoughts, she said. While doing this, take 10 deep and slow breaths.
H: HYDRATE AND HEALTHY EATING
She reiterates the global manifesto and adds a few more points: refrain from sugary and caffeinated drinks. “Consciously choose nutrient-rich foods like dark colored green vegetables and fresh fruits. Choose to eat fresh, boiled, steamed or baked foods. Avoid deep-fried, high salt, and sugary foods.”
O: OXYGENATE
While she encourages a weekly visit to the gym for yoga, pilates, and cardio exercises, simple movements like taking the stairs and walking are enough to oxygenate the body. Good blood and oxygen circulation in the body promote the metabolism and boost brain function, among many others.
www.nurturewellnessvillage.com
I: IMMUNE BOOST
Health advocates cannot overemphasize the importance of prevention over cure. Take your vitamins and minerals, she says, but it’s better to use natural health supplements like wheatgrass, which, according to studies, contains vitamins A, B, C, E, I, and K, minerals, and protein.
C: CLEANSE
If toxic environments — a smoke-filled room or polluted surroundings — are unavoidable, do deep breathing exercises, and do steam and sauna treatments to detoxify the body. Consume fresh fruits and vegetables to cleanse the body of toxins.
E: EMBRACE NATURAL HEALING
“Massage, acupuncture, charcoal wraps, juicing, and nutritional healing,” Ms. Turvill said, “are examples of therapies that do not use chemicals, but are proven effective.”
S: SLEEP AND SOCIALIZE
Contrary to the popular adage, sleep isn’t for the weak. Getting at least seven hours of sleep each night repairs, rejuvenates, and recharges the body. It also helps to “maintain a healthy circle of friends and family. And always pray to a higher being,” said Ms. Turvill.
Ms. Turvill is the owner of Nurture Wellness Village in Cavite, which was one of the local establishments which celebrated Global Wellness Day. Voted in 2010 as one of the 28 Most Relaxing Spas in Asia by CNN Go, the wellness destination offers weekends of peace, quiet, and health whole year round.
The wellness village promotes “ecotherapy,” or healing by and through nature with activities like “glamping”, outdoor tai qi gong (energy healing) exercise, and organic farm tours with opportunities for picking your own fresh herbs, among others.
Solar energy is expensive, unreliable, impractical, and uneconomic. These are some of the myths on solar power that Greenpeace wants to bust with its Solar Rooftop Challenge campaign, launched on June 15, which aims to educate and encourage society to ditch coal and switch to harnessing the power of the sun.
The campaign strategy includes a series of online videos starring TV personality Yam Concepcion as “Juana Solar” who debunks common misconceptions on solar power. Other celebrity advocates include Dingdong Dantes, Saab Magalona, Jasmine Curtis, Illac Diaz, and Jun Sabayton.
The video campaign also features successful stories of households, offices, and establishments that have installed rooftop solar panels, including a solar powered church in Atimonan, Quezon. All the videos are on view on Greenpeace social media accounts.
“The stories will show energy independence through solar energy. We will break the myths surrounding renewable energy and create a powerful testament on its practicality, cost effectiveness, and reliability to propel the Philippines to a future powered by clean and sustainable energy,” said Reuben Andrew A. Muni, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Philippines climate and energy campaigner.
Some say that solar energy is expensive. It used to. But like cellphones and other gadgets, the sky-high prices at the market fall eventually.
“[the] price drops year after year, more so in the coming years,” said Obet Verzola, the executive director of the Center for Renewable Electricity Strategies, an institution on renewable energy based in the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Mr. Verzola, an engineer, said a household can buy solar panels and have them installed at starting price of P115,000. This is enough to power lights, a television, and other appliance, except an airconditioner, which needs more power. They will get a return on investment in three to five years. The Pag-ibig Fund offers loans for solar panels, which have a life span of 20 to 25 years.
And when there is an increase in demand, the price will go down, said Mr. Verzola.
It started to rain hard during the event at Bonifacio High Street, and this served as a chance to clear up one of the misconceptions about solar power — that solar energy does not work at all when it rains. It does, albeit with an 80% drop in output. This means households and offices can still use their lights or TV, but not air conditioners.
Greanpeace is aiming for 100% renewable energy use in the Philippines by 2050.
Is solar energy practical? Here’s another story you may read: Here comes the sun
People’s eyes are now on Scarlet Snow. Her every move is documented and shared, whether her adventures at a baby play center or when she is simply just being cute. At the tender age of one year, the baby superstar has amassed hearts, followers, and likes on her very own Instagram account — @scarletsnowbelo — which currently has 121,000 fans (and counting).
Just in case you have been living under a rock, the cute little baby’s parents are beauty-doctor-to-the-stars Vicki Belo, 63, and cosmetic doctor/model/businessman Hayden Kho, 36. According to reports, baby Scarlet was conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) with a surrogate mother based in the United States.
“IVF is a test of potential to get good eggs,” Dr. Anthony Ancheta, an OB-GYN at the Medical City, Ortigas, told BusinessWorld in a phone interview. He does his IVF procedures at Victory IVF Lab in Makati.
A woman produces one egg in a month, which has a 10-15% chance of meeting with a sperm via intercourse, he said, resulting in a natural pregnancy. IVF, on the other hand, is a medical procedure wherein an egg cell is retrieved from the mother’s ovaries to be fertilized with the sperm cell of the father in a laboratory dish. The resulting embryo is implanted in either the mother’s uterus or that of a surrogate.
IVF AND SURROGACY IN PHL
Baby Scarlet Snow has not only captured hearts but also opened doors for discussing IVF and surrogacy issues in the Philippines.
“Thank you Belo for increasing the awareness about IVF,” said Dr. Ancheta. He sounded happy on the phone. He said that not many Filipino couples are aware that IVF procedures can be done locally, and with “apparatus that are at par abroad.”
There are six accredited IVF centers in the Philippines: one each in Cebu and Davao and four in Metro Manila (St. Luke’s Bonifacio Global City, Victory Lab Makati, the Kato Repro Biotech Center in Makati, and the Center for Reproductive Medicine Inc. in Pasig).
Yet, despite the free publicity for IVF, Dr. Ancheta sees a problem with Ms. Belo’s statement that “Scarlet Snow is 100% our daughter.”
“The claim is misleading. It gives false hopes to couples,” said Dr. Ancheta. “How old is Belo?” he asked.
At 63, the celebrity doctor is already in menopause, Dr. Ancheta implies.
“The magic number for women [to get pregnant easily] is 35 years old,” he pointed out.
Ms. Belo made the statement that Scarlet Snow is “100%” her biological daughter with Mr. Kho on ABS-CBN’s Bandila on May 18. An earlierPhilippine Star report had said that only Kho was the biological parent.
The quality of a woman’s egg cells diminishes once she hits 42, said Dr. Ancheta, and getting pregnant becomes more difficult. On average, Filipinas start to experience menopause — the end of menstrual cycle — in their late 40s, at around 47 or 48.
Dr. Ancheta doesn’t want couples to get the wrong message, he said. An IVF procedure can only do so much, and miracles are “next to impossible.”
He said the success rate of IVF depends on the age of the patients and on how healthy their egg cells and sperm cells are.
NOT A MAGIC BULLET
But being young doesn’t necessarily mean IVF will be a guaranteed success.
Camille Perez (not her real name) had IVF at St. Luke’s BGC last year. She was married two years ago and had a hard time conceiving a baby the natural way. Aged 24, her menstrual cycle is irregular. Her husband, who is 58, has a low sperm count.
As part of the IVF treatment, she had to go to the fertility clinic daily to have hormone injections in order to induce egg production.
“Ang hirap, lagi akong bloated tapos hindi pa din pala, parang ‘Honeyano ba ’yan!’ Hindi biro ang gastos kasi every time I visit, I have at least P20,000 with me, eh every day ’yun,” she told BusinessWorld. (It’s hard because I feel bloated all the time and I thought that I was pregnant — but I was not. I’m like, ‘Honey, what’s happening?’ And it’s not a joke to bring at least P20,000 every time I visit [the clinic], which is every day.)
The price for the procedure depends on the hospital and patient’s age. According to Dr. Ancheta, at Medical City, it may start at P300,000.
Ms. Perez’s IVF failed. But she said they’re willing to try again after a year or two. Or maybe adopt. But surrogacy is definitely out of the picture, she said.
BLAUSEN.COM STAFF. “BLAUSEN GALLERY 2014”. WIKIVERSITY JOURNAL OF MEDICINE.
Surrogacy, according to the Web site IVF Australia, “is a form of assisted reproductive technology where a woman (the surrogate) offers to carry a baby through pregnancy on behalf of another person or couple, and then return the baby to the intended parent(s) once it is born.”
It’s a procedure that is accepted in some countries like the United States. Belo and Kho’s baby was carried to term through a surrogate in the USA. Other countries like Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, and United Kingdom, allow surrogacy is allowed but the surrogate should not be paid or just have pregnancy-related expenses covered.
But surrogacy is not accepted in the Philippines.
According to Dr. Ancheta, the Philippine Society of Reproductive Medicine (PSRM) has decided that it’s unethical.
“PSRM is a governing body among medical experts. There are no legal rules about IVF in the Philippines, but under our ethical guideline, which is a consensus among our members, we prohibit surrogacy and IVF with donation, or using donor eggs or sperm,” he said.
There are no legal or commercial surrogacy treatments in the country he said, attributing it to culture and religion.
“Plus it’s open to abuse of both parties,” he said.
For instance, the surrogate mother may overcharge the biological parents or decide to keep the baby. Or, conversely, the parents may suddenly decide not to accept the baby, especially if it has birth defects. In a highly publicized case in Thailand, an Australian couple allegedly left a newborn baby with Down Syndrome with his poverty stricken Thai surrogate mother, while they took the healthy twin sister back to Australia with them. This prompted the Thai government to ban surrogacy in 2014, according to a story in The Jakarta Post.
Dr. Ancheta doesn’t see the legalization of IVF using donors or surrogacy in the Philippines any time soon. “In the future? There may be attempts, but there will be blockings [sic] because of our culture.”
OPTION: OBANDO
For those with faith, there’s another (cheaper) option for Filipino couples desperate to start a family: the Sayaw sa Obando.
The Obando fertility dance happens in May. Childless women, often with husbands in tow, flock to Obando, Bulacan to fervently pray and dance to the patron saints of fertility Paschal, Claire, and Our Lady of Salambao, in the hopes of bearing a child.
This tradition is deeply rooted in our culture and religion. Dr. Jose Rizal mentioned Sayaw sa Obando in his novel Noli Me Tangere, where his character Doña Pia Alba danced in Obando to conceive a Maria Clara.
One of the many hopeful women was Luzviminda Laluon, 53, from Laguna. She was 42 years old when she decided to pray for a miracle. “We thought of going to Obando. Wala namang mawawala (We’d lose nothing) if we try.” She said she had been trying to conceive a baby with his husband, Miguel, to no avail. A few months after a visit to Obando, she learned she was finally pregnant. The Laluons had a baby boy, Lemuel, now nine years old.
There is no science to explain Sayaw sa Obando, with couples believing subsequent conceptions are miracles.
Dr. Ancheta sees no problem with dancing at Obando. “Whatever works for you,” he said.
Starting a family takes a lot of preparation, he said.
“The money can be earned or borrowed,” he said, “but the mind-set and a good state of health are more important,” he said, especially of couples who want to try IVF. “They should be ready for a rollercoaster ride.”
