POPCOM meets Bishops for Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning

 On July 4, 2019, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) in collaboration with the Responsible Parenthood-All Natural Family Planning Network, Inc. will meet with Bishops of different denominations on Natural Family Planning (NFP) at the Pope Pius XII Center, United Nations Avenue, Manila from 4:00PM to 6:00PM.

With the support of church leaders for NFP, the method may have wider space for promotion, especially among church members who prefer to use the natural method of FP, which are more cost-friendly to the budget of the users. While NFP methods are more acceptable among many Filipinos, the intention to use any NFP method is at 0.3 percent of the population.

Current use of NFP is low, with Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) and Symptothermal method posting 0.1 percent each, while the rest of the NFP methods had less than 0.1 (2017 National Demographic and Health Survey). Although rather low, the computed demand for NFP has remained almost the same, from 18.2 percent in 2013 to 17.3 percent in 2017.1 Poor and less educated Filipino women and couples continue to have more children than they planned.

Women who are poor and with low educational attainment have at least two children more than they intended (2017 NDHS). One of the major reasons for unplanned pregnancies among poor women and couples is their lack of access to family planning information and services. Given this, the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law (RA 10354) promotes universal access to the widest range of family planning (FP) methods including natural and artificial methods.

Together with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Local Government Units (LGUs), POPCOM has been promoting modern natural Family Planning (NFP), also called Fertility Awareness-based methods. These are scientifically proven to be effective as they are based on changing body signals that indicate fertility. Standard Days, Lactational Amenorrhea, Basal Body Temperature, Cervical Mucus and Sympto-Thermal methods which have been mainstreamed by the DOH and LGUs. These methods do notrequire drugs or devices and can be used by Filipino couples to achieve their desired timing, spacing and number of children.

 Modern NFP does not include traditional and non-scientific methods such as withdrawal, calendar, and rhythm. In response to the current family planning situation, President Duterte mandated the intensified implementation of the National Program on Population and Family Planning (NPPFP) to expand the reach of the program including those in the workplace and marginalized sectors

This mandate also includes the promotion of all types of FP methods including modern NFP. As Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez III, Executive Director of POPCOM underscored, “POPCOM, DOH, the LGUs and other key institutional partners will continue to expand the choices of Filipino women and couples to plan their families and their lives.

The modern NFP methods are safe options that they can use for this purpose. These methods also promote shared responsibility among couples. These can also create a way for them to strengthen their bonding and relationship as a couple.” # 1 Figures computed by POPCOM from the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey CONTACT DETAILS: Information Management and Communications Division (IMCD) Telephone Nos.: (02) 531-6978; (02) 531-6897 Email Add: imcdmedia@gmail.com Website: ww.popcom.gov.ph

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