The DOH Mimaropa is strengthening its campaign for the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Program’s (RPRH) Family Planning program. Dr. Mathew Medrano, coordinator of the Department of Health (DOH)-MIMAROPA, said over “Kapihan sa PIA” on August 2, said that focus is in synch with the Family Planning Month this August, whereas the DOH moves to advocate its tag line “Ang pamilyang planado, panalo” and its campaign for #FPTryMo.

“This is very timely because August is what we call the family planning month. For the DOH, ang ating tag line ay ‘Pamilyang Planado, Panalo.’

So meron tayong #FPtryMo,” Medrano said. He said that the promotion for Family Planning is strengthened to provide the unmet needs of each family in the region.

Medrano explained that unmet needs is when women of reproductive age need or want to use family planning method but is not yet using any method.

“Tuloy tuloy ang promotion natin, kasi marami po tayong unmet needs sa MIMAROPA. Basically ang unmet needs po ay women of reproductive age, sya ay 10-19 years old na gusto gumamit ng pang modernong paraan ng pagpaplano ng Pamilya pero wala pang ginagamit,” Medrano explained. He also said that according to the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) over 20% of women have unmet needs.

“So ibig sabihin 20% ng kakabaihan dito sa MIMAROPA ay nangangailangan ng method ng pagpaplano ng pamilya pero walang ginagamit,” he added. Medrano explained that the RPRH is not forcing women to use contraceptives, instead usage of Family Planning methods should always be voluntary, as he also stressed out that information of family planning user is also essential upon its usage of the method.

“For the familly planning kasi ang weapon din talaga natin ay information. With the RPRH, tayo ay hindi namimilit sa kababaihan na gumamit, dapat voluntarism. Dapat bibigyan din sila ng tamang impormasyon,” he said.

Medrano explained that the DOH is also doubling its effort to debunk misconception and myth about family planning through continous search for unmet needs of families through designating Human Resource for Health (HRH) to conduct massive information drive on municipalities and its enforcement with each and every Local Government Units (LGU). “Ang number one kasi talagang way para sagutin ang mga myths and misconception is more on education talaga. We have deployed human resource for health, para matulungan ang ating munisipyo, para mag hanap ng unmet needs at para mag correct din ng myths and misconceptions,” Medrano said.

He also said that the RPRH also focuses on adolescent health and is also due to the increasing cases of teenage pregnancy in the province and in the region as a whole.

“Isa sa mga concern ng RPRH ay ang adolescent health, alam nating matunog sya kasi meron tayong mga teeange pregnancy,” Medrano said.

Medrano also mentioned that the DepEd is now setting its guidelines for the curriculum on Sexual Education among students. He explained that this is also an advantage to strengthen the campaign more through the involvement of the schools. However, he said that this sex education should be age appropriate, development appropriate and should fit other more qualification based on DepEd’s guidelines.

“Isa sa mga concern ng RPRH ay ang adolescent health, alam nating matunog sya kasi meron tayong mga teeange pregnancy,” Medrano stated. While Medrano defended that the RPRH does not promote abortion for the RPRH Law indicates that abortion is illegal and only tolerates abortion management.

“Part din ng element yung proscription of abortion, prospcription meaning siya yung opposite ng prescription, sinasabi kasi nila is ang RPRH ay abortion yan, hindi po, kasi nakalagay nga sa batas ng RPRH na ang abortion ay illegal, pero meron kasing induced and non-induced abortion.

Part ng batas natin ang management of abortion but not prescription of abortion,” he explained. Medrano said that because of the RPRH’s Family planning, the “wanted fertility rate” or number of children per family has improved its data. “Nung 2013 two ang ating wanted fertility rate. Nang dahil sa RPRH Law natin ay bumaba na siya, 1973 ay 6 ang fertility rate natin at ang latest data ay 2013, ay 2.7, so maganda na ang binaba niya although hindi pa siya bumababa hanggang 2,” he said.