COTABATO CITY—The Department of Health (DOH) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is maximizing the use of radio, which it said remained the most potent information tool, for its massive campaign on family planning.
The campaign, dubbed “May Plano Ako, Kaya Mo Ring Magplano,” was launched here Tuesday seeking to reach people in far-flung villages in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, according to regional health secretary Kadil Sinolinding Jr.
“We can’t wait for the enactment of the controversial Reproductive Health Bill while people in the ARMM continue to multiply,” Sinolinding said, explaining the massive radio campaign.
The National Statistics Office, in its seven-year periodic survey (2000- 2007), said ARMM posted a population growth rate of 5.46 percent, nearly triple that of the national average of 2.04 percent.
“ARMM’s rapid population growth to 4.1 million from 2.8 million in 2000 is alarming,” Sinolinding said.
But Sinolinding said while authorities were urging parents to be responsible by limiting the size of their families, the radio campaign was not aimed at coercing them into family planning.
“This is not government coercion. They can freely choose. But the bottom line is to be able to build strong and healthy families,” he said.
Sinolinding said authorities thought of using radio in the campaign because it has a wider reach.
“It’s easily accessible to the poor, radio will be the most convenient medium of communication for the program,” he said.
He said print and visual media, like TV, could also be tapped later, depending on the availability of funds.Charlie C. Señase, Inquirer Mindanao