A NURSE a young mother, and a woman who recently gave birth—what do they have in common?
The three are among a number of rural women who have decided to take charge of their personal and family’s well-being by attending a family planning session in Malaybalay, Bukidnon initiated by the Department of Health (DOH)-Northern Mindanao. The event is part of a nationwide campaign implementing the RH Law or The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, which seeks to narrow the gap in knowledge and services especially among sectors and areas that need them the most.
In the Philippines alone, about 114 mothers die in every 100,000 live births and 13 babies die out of 1,000 live births, according to a report of the Asian Development Bank based on the latest available data. Access to proper reproductive health methods (both natural and modern) is crucial and can spell life or death for vulnerable groups which is why the full implementation of the RH Law including family planning is designated a priority program by the National Government.
Ivet Mulo from Kitaotao town decided to space her pregnancies when she conceived her second child less than a year after a Caesarean delivery. She voluntarily received a modern contraceptive during the forum. Her case highlights another considerable benefit of family planning: it helps women recover better after every pregnancy and supports the mother and her partner in spacing births, ideally at least three years apart.
The timing of the family planning seminar could not have been better for mother of three, government-employed nurse Avril Mellisa Bughaw, 36, of Malaybalay City. The World Health Organization reveals that women with more than four babies are at an increased risk of mortality. By opting for a modern contraceptive which was administered during the session, Bughaw decided to prioritize her own health and the future of her family.
The key to family planning is informed and voluntary choice: “With support from the DOH, women of reproductive age have the information that they need to plan their family according to their belief and circumstances, and choose among legally and medically acceptable family planning methods,” explains Kibawe Municipal Health Officer Dr. Helen Rose Tulog to the Bukidnon women.
Norma Panaraag is a resident of Barangay Kasig-ot, Don Carlos town. The 20-year-old mother of a two-year old boy wanted to space future pregnancies so she and her husband can provide better financial support for their current child. She availed of a free progestin subdermal implant provided by the DOH during the session, a type of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARC) that prevents pregnancy up to 3 years, at the end of which or anytime it is discontinued her fertility resumes. Panaraag said that the subdermal implant is her contraceptive of choice until she decides to get pregnant again once her eldest child reaches the age of five.
The dream of a better life for oneself and for loved ones is at the heart of the family planning program. By providing a platform such as the family planning seminar, as well as health centers where individuals and couples can learn about reproductive health and obtain various methods of contraception, the local government of Bukidnon, with support from stakeholders, is making significant contributions toward improved maternal and infant health—and keeping the dream of Filipino families alive. (PR)