CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Commission on Population (Popcom) in Central Luzon is set to commemorate the Natural Family Planning (NFP) Month this May through a series of activities including the launching of a month-long media campaign.
Popcom-Central Luzon Regional Director Eleanor Cura states that the NFP month commemoration is pursuant to Department of Health Circular 50-A.
With the enactment and implementation of Republic Act 10354 (Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012) and the recently signed Executive Order 12, (Attaining and Sustaining Zero Unmet Need for Modern FP), a landmark legislation protecting the rights of everyone on responsible parenthood and reproductive health including access to family planning methods, it is vital that this monthly campaign and its objectives are revitalized.
Cura said that NFP is a shared responsibility among couples in the continuous observation and charting the body’s different natural signs or fertility indicators on each day of a woman’s menstrual cycle.
NFP comprises of methods: Basal Body Temperature, Cervical Mucus, Sympto-Thermal, Standard Days, and Lactational-Amenorrhea. These can be used by Filipino couples, who wish to practice family planning without using drugs, injections, device for insertions, or operations.
NFP can be used both for achieving fertile phases of the menstrual cycle and spacing, the infertile phases of the menstrual cycle of children.
"Based on the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), of the total women respondents who were using FP methods, 61.2 percent have been using any method. Of these respondents, 44.9 percent are using modern FP methods. Unfortunately, only 1 of the 44.9 percent of respondents use modern NFP methods (Standard Days and LAM)," Cura added.
"Like natin, natural" Campaign
Cura said that the "Like natin, natural" campaign aims to provide information to potential NFP users in order to increase demand generation for family planning.
"All videos also focus on the concept of shared responsibility; that the husband and wife will help each other to determine and achieve the desired timing, spacing and number of children according to their own family life aspirations, taking into account psychological preparedness, health status, and their socio-cultural and economic capacities" Cura said.
Cura also enjoins everyone "not only in the commemoration of the NFP month, but also in achieving a better region through the advocacy well-planned and empowered Filipino families.