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Monday, April 25, 2005
City's population growth rate way below nat'l stats
* Arroyo administration's population policy based on the principle of responsible parenthood
ILOILO City's population growth rate is 1.7 percent, way below the national target of 1.9 percent.
The Philippine growth rate is now pegged at 2.3 percent and the government is trying to bring it down to 1.9 percent.
According to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her administration's population policy starts with the Constitution, based on the principle of responsible parenthood.
What the government is advocating, she said, is that responsible parenthood means the couple should space their children that would help the health of the baby, the mother, the relationship between the couple and that of the whole family.
Thus, the underlying reason for all these, the President clarified is good health.
She pointed out her administration does not focus on the issue whether population is good or bad for development, but simply on the health of the mother, the baby and the family.
How the couple plans to implement their decision to space their family as responsible parent depends on their religion and culture, President Arroyo said.
As a Catholic, the President said she personally advocates natural family planning method but she said she could not force couples to do the same, for as long as they do not violate any law, which means no abortion.
Health services have been devolved to the local government units per provision of the Local Government Code of l991.
Reproductive health services is part of health service services thus, it is now the local government units that will determine the advocacy strategy for reproduction health services in their respective areas.
In a survey by the Social Weather Station, only 30 percent of all Filipino couples practice any form of family planning, either through artificial or natural means.
Of the 70 percent that did not use any method, the Department of Health said 30 percent had "no notion" at all or were considered "ignorant" of family planning.
These information, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said, demand that the present population program needs to incorporate basic information on gender and sexuality as foundational knowledge for responsible parenthood and family planning.
(April 25, 2005 issue)
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