PopCom: 8 million married Filipino women avail modern family planning methods

MANILA, Philippines — About eight million women of reproductive age (WRA) used family planning services in the Philippines as of 2019, the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) announced on Wednesday.

The 2019 Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law Report saw a two-fold increase from four million WRAs who opted to use modern family methods during the enactment of the law in 2012.

According to the report, the modern contraceptive prevalence rate among women reached 58 percent or around 7.8 million women. The figures almost reached the 60 percent to 65 percent target of the Philippine Development Plan for 2017 to 2022.

The study also emphasized that the increase in the number of family planning clients averted 2.8 million unintended pregnancies. Around 669,000 unsafe abortions and 1,470 maternal deaths were also prevented.

Juan Antonio Perez III, PopCom’s executive director, said the improvement was a result of the family planning programs and services carried out by local government units (LGUs).

He also lauded local-based doctors, nurses, midwives, population officers, barangay health, and population volunteers in health centers/service delivery networks for serving as “enablers.”

“Without these partners and their facilities, the goals and provisions on family planning based on the RPRH Law would otherwise be ineffective,” Perez said.

Based on the Family Planning Spending Assessment study, about P1.9 billion was used nationwide for family planning in 2019. This was funded by municipalities, cities, and provinces after providing 63 percent, 26 percent, and 11 percent respectively of its total expenditures.

To further improve the enforcement of RPRH Law, PopCom assisted LGUs by providing funding, technical assistance, information, and other services.

“LGUs’ undertakings and participation in family planning programs have a positive impact on a household’s income, as one with an ideal size of about two to three children will have sufficient financial resources to provide for every member such as food, shelter, education for the kids. A well-provided family therefore contributes to poverty amelioration,” Perez said.

“In a macroeconomic view, it contributes to overall national development, where families do not have to always rely on the government to provide for their everyday necessities; thus, funds can be allocated for other basic services, he added.

Significant achievements

The latest report also discovered developments in the number of postpartum visits last year. From 57 percent in 2018, it increased to 62 percent. The number of women who received antenatal care also climbed from 53 percent to 58 percent.

“The DOH also revealed an increase in the usage of maternal health-care services such as antenatal care, postpartum visits, facility-based delivery and skilled-birth attendance in the past five years,” the report indicated.

“Local health facilities have been upgraded and managed by a total of 22,730 health professionals by end of 2019,” it added.

Around 10,287 out of 12,778 newly diagnosed cases have also registered for anti-retroviral treatment programs provided in DOH-designated treatment hubs.

LGUs established 153 social hygiene clinics across the country. These clinics will provide health care, including HIV prevention, testing and treatment services, primarily to heavily affected populations.

More maternal care and other necessary health services were also made accessible for adolescent mothers. However, the report also noted an increase in the cases of young adolescent pregnancies in the 10-14 age group.

“Advocacy on ASRH in 2019 has reached a total of 351,362 adolescents,” the report stated.

“LGUs have also supported programs by hosting ASRH learning sessions, demand-generation activities, POPCOM-led health-summits and youth camps, classes, as well as talks and lectures vital in tackling early child births and repeat incidences,” it added.

Meanwhile, more areas have shown support for the elimination of violence against women and children (VAWC). About 127 or 87 percent of 145 cities and 1,237 or 83 percent of 1,489 municipalities created their Local Committees on Antitrafficking and VAWCs in 2019. A similar version on the said committees was also formed in 57 or 70 percent of the 81 provinces.

JPV