THE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) 7 will support the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) 7 in its effort to implement programs that go beyond responsible parenthood and family planning.

Neda 7 Director Efren Carreon gave this assurance to CPD 7 Director Bruce Ragas, who paid a courtesy call on Neda 7 weeks after President Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) 71 renaming the Commission on Population to CPD.

Under EO 71, the CPD is reverted to being an attached agency of the Neda.

The CPD is also tasked to “formulate and adopt coherent, integrated, and comprehensive long-term plans, programs, and recommendations on population as it relates to economic and social development consistent with and implementing the population policy, including undertaking a national program of family planning which respect the religious beliefs and values of our citizens.”

Ragas said their focus now is to come up with programs, activities and projects (PAPs) that will reach the demographic dividend, which is attained through the transition that takes place when birth and mortality rates decline, and the government is spending less on the needs of the youngest and oldest age groups in the country. This allows a country to use its resources for investment in economic development and family welfare.

Attaining the demographic dividend is an added chapter to the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and Regional Development Plan (RDP). Both plans spell out key challenges and corresponding strategies to ensure that the demographic dividend is optimized and the economy’s potential growth is reached.

Carreon and Ragas agreed there is a need for them to collaborate to define the CPD’s priority action agenda for 2019 and beyond, and identify strategies, especially on localizing the concept of population and development.

Some of the actions include the linking of PAPs with the strategies laid out in the PDP and RDP, and cascading these to others; coming up with a budget to fund the CPD’s additional requirements; and soliciting feedback from stakeholders.

Carreon told Ragas to let CPD become an active partner of the Regional Development Council. (S)