A two-day Regional Population Congress organized by the Commission on Population here gathered 172 officers to discuss and strengthen the country’s population management program.
DAVAO CITY, Philippines— A two-day Regional Population Congress organized by the Commission on Population here gathered 172 officers to discuss and strengthen the country’s population management program.
Ma. Linadores Delicana, POPCOM 11 officer-in-charge regional director, in a statement on Wednesday, said the congress aims “to reinforce the population and development program and foster camaraderie among population officers, workers and partners.
“More so that the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law is included in the 10-point socio-economic agenda of President Rodrigo R. Duterte,” she added.
Held at Pinnacle Hotel on July 20-21, this year’s Regional Population Congress is anchored on the theme: “Empowering Filipino Families towards Achieving Zero Unmet Needs”.
POPCOM Executive Director Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III, in his message during the opening program, pointed out the importance of the pro-active role of POPCOM to the lead agency Department of Health in the implementation of the Executive Order No. 12.
EO 12, which was signed by the President on Jan. 9 this year, is also known as “Attaining and Sustaining Zero Unmet Need for Modern Family Planning, through the Strict Implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act”
Perez said that EO No. 12 seeks to accelerate and sustain the reduction of unmet need for modern family planning methods and enable women of reproductive age (15-49 year old) and couples to achieve their desired number, timing and spacing of children in the context of informed choice and responsible parenthood.
At present, DOH’s public health associates, midwives, nurses, barangay health workers, population workers and the civil society organizations were mobilized to profile and refer women with unmet need for modern FP to health stations.
Perez also introduced the two proposed bills supportive to the Adolescent Health and Development Program component of the Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP). These bills are
The Local Population Development Act of 2016 and the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2017.
“The two enabling bills aims to establish and operate mandatory population offices to ensure the effective population management strategies and measures to address the population development in the locality including increasing teenage pregnancy and high unintended pregnancies,” she said.(davaotoday.com)
