LEGAZPI CITY (PIA) — The Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) Bicol reiterated that the unintended pregnancy in the Philippines might increase if couples drop out from family planning practices.
Lourdes P. Nacionales, POPCOM-5 regional director, said that there is an estimated 100,000 women nationwide who might have unintended pregnancy in the midst of community quarantine.
“So, we never stop providing Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning (RPFP) services to the public. Our population officers and health care workers in the region are conducting house-to-house visit to provide the people with their RPFP needs,” she explained.
Nacionales also emphasized that they are redistributing family planning commodities in some Rural Health Units (RHUs) to ensure enough supply of contraceptives such as pills, condoms, injectables and the like.
“We make sure that the RPFP services, especially the provision of family planning commodities reaches even those in the far flung areas,” she added.
She also stated that Filipino couples can achieve their desired timing, spacing and number of children through the different methods of family planning—modern or traditional.
Filipino couples can choose a family planning method based on their physical preparedness, life aspirations, and physical, social and economic capacities.
On the other hand, Nacionales also urges the parents to guide their children when it comes to internet usage and other media platforms to protect their kids from online sexual exploitation.
“The online sexual abuse prevention is also included in our modules or information materials being distributed to the households. Nevertheless, parents must know how to communicate effectively with the adolescents and with their children,” she said. (PIA5/CEB/POPCOM)