Life as our Sacred Responsibility: Archdiocese of Davao Culminates Pro-Life Month

The Pro-Life Month Celebration culminated with a Symposium on the Protection of Women and the Prevention of Abortion held at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Buhangin, Davao City on Sunday, February 22, 2026 wherein Family and Life Apostolate (FLA) and Pangulo sa Kristohanong Banay (PSKB) workers from different vicariates within the Diocese of Davao attended the said gathering.

FLA-PSKB Director, Rev. Fr. Orlando “Orly” A, Angelia inspired us with his welcoming, uplifting, and challenging messages. Fr. Orly emphasized that the presence of parents in our home is transformative and active; famous artificial intelligence or cutting-edge technology cannot replace the love and care of parents that our children received from us. Thus, role modeling is vital; what we do and act inspires and moves them, particularly when praying together as a family; connectedness remains and is active.

On the other hand, our resource speaker, Dr. Gilda Cunanan del Mar, a Pediatrician and Pro-Life Advocate, shared very distressing reasons why a woman had an abortion. The implications were lack of kindness and empathy for three reasons: the medical institution itself, which ostensibly has experts to assist a woman save a baby’s life but instead ends the life of a baby; second, the mother herself due to a lack of support from her husband and family; and third, the state, which continues to promote an anti-life mentality. These three reasons were painful and saddening since we neglected the fundamental basis of our mission as God’s co-creator, the graces we received from Him in exchange for monetary stability in order to have a quality of life and this would afflict them for the rest of their lives.

Dr. Del Mar believes that abortion is an extension of the contraceptive ideology, with the repercussions including practical atheism, unwanted child syndrome, and biotechnology implying that not all machines are accurate, instead that if we leave our trust to Him, anything is possible. We are both body and spirit, and we will return to Him pristine, bearing divine reckoning and relying on divine grace. And this would be a challenge for all of us as FLA-PSKB workers to continue our mission in safeguarding life at all costs and advocating for life as our societal sacrament or responsibility. To God be the glory! (Dinah Balante-Gonser | FLA/PSKB SMPRP, Buhangin)