CBCP: No Need for Divorce, Make Annulment Cheaper Instead

The House of Representatives (HOR) Committee of Family and Population recently approved a consolidated proposal to introduce divorce in the country. For the first time, a divorce law would be tackled in the plenary hall of the Congress. But the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which is vehemently opposed to legalizing divorce, suggested that lawmakers should focus on making the annulment process more affordable for Filipinos. 

"Do something about our annulment process of today," Rev. Fr Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of CBCP's
permanent committee on public affairs, said, referring to making the annulment process less expensive, in an interview with Bawal Ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie. "Tell these unscrupulous lawyers 'wag silang magcha-charge ng kalahating milyon. It's anti-poor," he added. 

Fr. Secillano stressed the current Family Code already has provisions for discontinuing marriage: legal separation, annulment, and declaration of nullity of marriage. "Tatlo na ho 'yan eh. So ngayon nagdadagdag pa sila. Hindi pa ba enough ito?" Secillano said, referring to divorce.

But Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, one of the lead authors of the bill, defended the proposal. "'Yung annulment tungkol to sa grounds existing at the time of the marriage. Hindi kino-cover nito 'yung mas maraming causes which happen after the marriage," he said in the same interview. (gmanetwork.com)

Measles outbreak in Negros Oriental

The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) of Negros Oriental confirmed a measles outbreak in seven towns in the province. The news comes after other towns — first in Davao City, then in Zamboanga, and just recently in Taguig City — also declared a measles outbreak just this year alone.

The affected towns in Negros Occidental are Bacong, Dumaguete City, Mabinay, San Jose, Santa Catalina, Siaton and Valencia, IPHO's Dr. Leilan Estacion told ABS-CBN News. The health office is still in the process of verifying four allegedly measles-related deaths in the area. 

The Department of Health (DOH) has appealed to parents to have their kids immunized against measles, which is highly contagious. Those not vaccinated are the most vulnerable. The measles vaccine, which has been available for 40 years and has been proven to be safe, effective, and is affordable, is the best way to protect against measles. For the 2018 childhood immunization schedule, click here. (abs-cbn.com)

Senate okays bill on baby's nutrition for the first 1,000 days

On the third and final reading, the Senate plenary approved Senate Bill No. 1537, also known as the Healthy Nanay and Bulilit Act. It seeks to establish a maternal and child health care program for the first 1,000 days of a newborn baby. If enacted into law, the fight against malnutrition will be a "top priority of both the national and the local government," Senator Risa Hontiveros told GMA News.

Sen. Hontiveros said good nutrition, which is crucial to a child's physical and cognitive development, is a worthy investment. Senator Grace Poe added that proper nutrition is one step towards giving kids a head start in life. 

The approved proposed bill also strengthens Executive Order No. 51 or the Milk Code, Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009. Some of its provisions include providing nutritional supplements for mom and baby and free vaccinations of children. (gmanetwork.com) 

Recall alert: Graco Table2Table 6-in-1 high chairs

The baby gear manufacturer voluntarily recalled nearly 40,000 high chairs due to reports of children falling over while seated due to the chair's leg snapping out of position. Five of the 38 totals reports said it resulted in injuries (mostly bumps and bruises) to the child.  

The Graco Table2Table 6-in-1 Highchair transforms into a booster seat and then into a toddler chair and table set. "The rear leg(s) can pivot, posing a potential fall hazard to the child," read Graco's statement. Affected high chairs include those with model number 1969721 and a manufacturing date between June 4, 2016 through September 28, 2017. (popsugar.com)

Does having C-section affect your baby's weight?

A new study by researchers from the University of Alberta looked at nearly a thousand mom and infant pairs. The study showed that children born via C-section are three times more likely to become overweight by the time they're age 1 and 3. The risk that the baby will grow up overweight increases by five times when the mother is also obese.  

"What our study showed is that both the type of infant delivery, vaginal birth versus cesarean section birth, and changes in gut bacteria are also involved," said lead author Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj. It isn't the first study linking obesity with C-section deliveries; research in 2016 on more than 22,000 adults also turned up the same results. 

Previous research indicated that the type of delivery influences an infant's gut microbiome. Children who've entered the world through a "belly birth" may have a higher risk of developing conditions other than obesity, such as asthma, and allergies because they were not exposed to strains of bacteria from the mother's gut and birth canal during childbirth. (inqurer.net)

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