May 28, 2018, was World Menstruation Health Day. With half of the 106 million Filipinos living with monthly menstruation, one can assume, that this is no longer a cause for shaming, bullying, and stigma. However, many Filipino women and children still live with deficient menstrual hygiene information, limited access to toilets, taxes on affordable sanitary products, and scarcity of basic clean water.
On top of these, they also receive in abundance, are outdated passed-on information and behaviors about menstruation hygiene, still taught to this day. Not following the traditional rituals are perceived to result in comical and sad consequences such as illness, interruptions to or increases in menstrual flow, cramps, and insanity.
This unhealthy behavior is the main reason the Menstrual Hygiene Day was created.
The Philippine Commission on Women, in partnership with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Modess and DDB Group Philippines, held a forum entitled “From Womb to Tomb: Forum on Women’s Health” last May 28 at PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila.
From Left to Right: Honey M. Castro, Chief Corporate Affairs and Information Resource Management Division of Philippine Commission on Women, Dr. Zenaida R. Sarmiento, Vice President for Student Affairs and Services of Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Jessica Marie Bodo, Assistant Brand Manager of Modess, Anna Chua-Norbert, Chief Culture Officer of DDB Group Philippines, Ms. Emmeline Verzosa, Executive Director III of Philippine Commission on Women