THE Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) 7 celebrated on July 27, 2020, the sixth birthday of six children who were included in the agency’s 100 millionth symbolic babies in Central Visayas.
Popcom 7 Director Bruce Ragas and Assistant Director Darlynn S. Remolino celebrated the children’s birthdays. They are Paul James Gregory Intes from Sogod, Cebu; Kyle Olindang from Pinamungajan, Cebu; Necon Callao from Tayasan, Negros Oriental; a child from San Jose, Negros Oriental; Julie Ann Mae Astronomo from Barangay Bonbon, Calape, Bohol; and Ivan Maurice Gamalo from Siquijor.
The Popcom 7 has continued its tradition of monitoring the status of the children’s health and well-being in coordination with the population officers in the region.
When the Philippine population reached 100 million on July 27, 2014, the Popcom central office identified babies born between 12:01 to 1:00 in the morning.
The Popcom regional offices have been following up on the health status of their respective symbolic 100 millionth babies since their birth. This is to determine the type of support in terms of nutrition, education and health services, among others, that still need to be extended to the symbolic babies and their respective families in the coming years, the Popcom reported in its website.
The Popcom central office reported last year: “With some 100,981,437 Filipinos, based on the 2015 Census of Population, the Philippine population has been consistently growing since the 1970s. The population issue the country is facing serves as an institutional reality check which calls for the involvement of everyone in the society.”
This year’s theme to celebrate the occasion is “Bigyang Halaga ang Bawat Pinoy sa Pag unlad, Ngayon at Bukas: Sa Kanyang Ika-Anim na Taon Siguraduhin ang Kanyang Kalusugan at Edukasyon (Give Value to Every Pinoy in Progress, Now and Tomorrow: In their Sixth Birthday Secure their Health and Education).”
The Popcom 7 has been coordinating with population officers to monitor the health status and well-being of the children. The population officers are Nena Arche (Sogod, Cebu); Bernadette Atil (Pinamungajan, Cebu); Dr. Mirasol Zuniega (Tayasan, Negros Oriental); Vera Villaflores and Nicolas Rey Aguilar (San Jose, Negros Oriental); Virginia Cubelo (Calape, Bohol); and Hilmer Ongue (Siquijor).
Some of these children had already attended day care centers last year prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Last year, the occasion was celebrated with a press conference held in Cebu City with Cebu-based children Paul James and Kyle (then five years old) and a gift-giving activity in the presence of representatives from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., the Department of Health, the Nutrition Center of the Philippines, some partners and representatives from local government units. In Bohol, Julie Ann was given a birthday treat at McDo in Tubigon together with the Popcom 7’s Michael Pacios and Calape, Bohol Population Officer Virginia Cubelo.