CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Commission on Population and Development is pushing family planning among couples as the quarantine restrictions imposed in Central Luzon powered a boom in lockdown babies.
Popcom regional director Lourdes Nacionales stressed that the quarantine classifications have disrupted the public’s access to family planning services and led to tales of unwanted pregnancies.
“We somewhat struggled, especially our major partners in the local government units as their priorities are now focused on Covid-19 mitigation efforts, and the rollout of the vaccines,” she said.
A study conducted in July by the University of the Philippines Population Institute and United Nations Population Fund expects that about 1.8 million babies are to be born this year, and unintended pregnancies might bring this up by 751,000 to as many as 2.56 million.
Despite the restrictions, Popcom ensures that couples can avail themselves of any natural, modern, or artificial family planning method for free in the rural health units in their respective localities.
“All children born in this world should be planned and wanted by their parents, so that their parents can give them a promising future ahead,” Nacionales stressed.
The director ensured that demand generation activities are conducted to provide the right information to couples, individuals, and even to the youth towards the prevention of unintended pregnancies.
In addition, Nacionales pressed that investing in the quality of the population equates to development as most unexpected pregnancies are from low-income families who are dependent on the government for their social needs.
“If we invest as early as now in couples, provide them information, or give them their family planning needs… we will have in the near future a quality population from couples who have the number of children they desire, and who have the ability to supply for their necessities,” she said.
The official called upon the stakeholders, local chief executives, media, and other advocates to strengthen information, education, and communication campaigns and advocacies to aid the government’s family planning initiatives.
Also, Nacionales emphasized the need for men or women, couples, or individuals alike to achieve their target number of offspring for the fulfillment of their visions in life.
“Abortion is never an option. It is not a family planning method. Abortion is immoral, and is illegal,” she emphasized.
The National Demographic and Health Survey 2018 showed that women aged 15-49 years old in urban regions like Central Luzon prefer to have only two offspring, but give birth to a third.
This means , Nacionales said, that on the average, there is one unplanned child in every family. — Jag Lyra D. Costamero/PIA-3
