CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Commission on Population (Popcom)-Central Luzon is set to celebrate the fourth birthday of the eight 100 Millionth Pinoys in Central Luzon on July 27.
The symbolic Pinoy event highlights the significance of the Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP) in pursuing national and local development.
With this year's theme "Sa Ika-apat na taon, Pagtataguyod sa Pangkalahatang Kapakanan ni baby," Popcom Regional Director Eleanor M. Cura stressed the importance of ensuring the child's well-being, as well as the family's ability to respond to the needs and aspirations of their children.
"Every child should grow up in a safe, loving and secure environment contributing further to a better foundation of family life," Cura said.
Popcom-Central Luzon is scheduled to visit the eight symbolic Pinoys coming from the seven provinces of Central Luzon and City of San Fernando, Pampanga.
During the visit, the symbolic Pinoys shall each receive a cash gift of P5,000 from Popcom.
Local government units will also conduct status monitoring of their respective symbolic Pinoys especially determining their health status. With this, it will help establish the type of support that still needs to be extended to the babies and their respective families in the coming years.
Popcom shall also collaborate with regional partner agencies in monitoring and mapping available government services that can be provided to ensure the total development of the symbolic Pinoys and their parents.
"This endeavor serves as a call to make every individual be born wanted and ensured of his/her basic needs and basic rights on social services such as health and education and achieve total development," Cura said.
On top of that, Cura said "the development of the eight symbolic Pinoys depends on the strong partnership of both regional agencies and local offices."
The search for the eight symbolic 100 Millionth Pinoys was based on the projections of the 2010 National Census by the Philippine Statistics Authority that the country reached its 100-million population on July 27, 2014 at 12:06 a.m.
There are 100 symbolic babies coming from all the regions in the Philippines and eight of them are from Central Luzon specifically from seven provinces and one city. All 100 symbolic babies were born on July 27, 2014 at 12:06 a.m. (Philippine Standard Time), or seconds/minutes later, certified by the attending birth attendant or doctor, through normal spontaneous delivery in a government-run health facility, which served as the criteria for their selection.