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2. Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP) 1.  Pre-Marriage Counseling’ s a half day orientation program for couples applying for marriage license.  It is designed to provide pre-marriage couples with a realistic view of what marriage is all about. The RPM is now on its Phase II.  The aim of the Responsible Parenting Movement Phase II is to socially and economically empower the couple for them to carry out their plans and aspirations for their families. The RPM Phase II is piloted in the Municipality of Tanay , Rizal in Region IV and in Marikina City in the National Capital Region (NCR). 2 To implement these strategies, what are the important activities of the PPMP at present? 2. Presently, the centrepiece of the RP-FP Program is the Responsible Parenting Movement (RPM).  The Responsible Parenting Movement is a program to organize and activate a group of parents who would want to take on responsible parenting as a way of life.  This idea is brought down to where it really matters – the more than 42,000 barangays nationwide.  These groups of parents are organized through an 8-hour seminar (called “classes”) at the community level.  They are called as such because the participants who are parents will undergo an orientation on concepts and values of responsible parenting and how to achieve them.  These groups of parents are the critical mass that will evolve into a movement.

3. 3. On the Adolescent Health and Development component, the  LEARNING PACKAGE FOR PARENT EDUCATION ON ADOLESCENT HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT (LPPED)  was developed to equip parents with the necessary knowledge on adolescent sexual and reproductive health concerns as well as skills on how to communicate these concerns to their adolescent children. The LPPED complements the training package for the youth and adolescent which is called “ Sexually Healthy and Personally Effective Adolescent” or SHAPE. 4. On the Population and Development (POPDEV) Integration Program, the “ Sourcebook on Designing and Implementing PHE Integrative Initiatives ”   was developed to highlight the population, health, and environmental ( PHE ) concerns which are among the crucial development issues that have to be addressed as we are now beginning to feel the interlink of these three concerns and their impact on our lives. 5. On Gender and Development, the  MAGNA CARTA OF WOMEN  mandates all government offices, including government-owned and controlled corporations and local government units to adopt  GENDER MAINSTREAMING  as a strategy for implementing the law and attaining its objectives.  In this area, the PPMP is adopting the  Men’s Responsibility on Gender and Development  or  MR GAD , which emphasizes the participation of males in the Gender and Development issues.  This is necessary because the male is the other half of the couple and without the participation of both partners, GAD issues cannot be easily resolved.

4. What are the constitutional bases of the Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning Program? The  Responsible Parenthood Program  is firmly anchored in the 1987 Constitution, especially in Article XV, Section 3.1 and Article II, Section 12. Article XV, Section 3.1  says that “The State shall defend the right of the spouses to found a family in accordance with their religious convictions and the demands of responsible parenthood.” Article II, Section 12  also says that “The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution.  It shall protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.  The natural and primary duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and development of moral character shall receive the support of the Government.”

5. What are the demographic targets of the PPMP for the period 2011-2015? As its contribution to the social and economic growth of the country, the population program aims to lower the population growth rate (PGR) from the present 2.04 (2007 Census) to 1.48 by 2015 and the total fertility rate (TFR) from 3.3 (2008 NDHS) to 2.4 by 2015.  This TFR is based on the desired number of children as expressed by Filipino women based on the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey. These objectives can be attained if the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) will increase from 50.7% in 2008 to 63% in 2015. These targets, if achieved, will open a window of opportunity or a “breathing space,” which the country can exploit to recover and regain its balance to attain its development goals.

6.   What is meant by Family Planning? POPCOM defines  Family Planning  as a program that enables parents to deliberately and responsibly decide the number and spacing of their children, by avoiding for the time being, or even for an indefinite period, a birth.  It is not a prognosis imposed on the parents but an expression of responsible parenting based on informed choices and decisions of couples to achieve their desired family size based on their social and economic capacity.

7. What is meant by Responsible Parenthood? Responsible Parenthood , as defined in the Directional Plan of POPCOM, is the will and ability of parents to respond to the needs and aspirations of the family and children.  It is a shared responsibility of the husband and the wife to determine and achieve the desired number, spacing, and timing of their children according to their own family life aspirations, taking into account psychological preparedness, health status, socio-cultural, and economic concerns.

8. What is the legal basis of the Philippine Population Program? The legal basis of the Philippine Population Program is Republic Act 6365, otherwise known as the “Population Act of 1971.”  It created the Commission on Population (POPCOM).  It was amended in 1972 by Presidential Decree No. 79. As mentioned in PD 79, the tandem of Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning is the basic program of the Philippine Population Program (PPP).  The PPP was later renamed the Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP).

9.   Why do we need a population program? Population must be recognized as a principal element in long-range planning, it the government is to achieve its economic goals and fulfill the aspirations of its people. Philippine Population Clock The Estimated Population as of Oct. 5, 2021 / 9:54:15 P.M. 111,579,130 Computation based from the 2020 Census of Population and Housing with 2020 and 2021 Mid-year Population Estimations of  109,329,101  and  111,108,342  respectively, derived from the 2020 Population count of  109,035,343  and 2015-2020 Population Growth Rate of  1.63  using Geometric Equation

10. The administration launched the National Program for Population and Family Planning as the government strengthened the socio-economic component of its population program by issuing Executive Order 71 in December 2018. This move has given prominence to the role of population and reproductive health in national and economic development. Meanwhile, the Department of Health has also issued the National Objectives for Health 2017-2022, which aims to achieve universal health care for adolescents, mothers, and persons living with HIV, among others.

11. Of the five (5) Key Result Areas monitored annually, there are many noteworthy improvements. Below are some of the highlights: KRA 1: Maternal, Newborn , Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) Although there have been hurdles encountered in the immunization program, other aspects of MNCHN saw notable progress: an increase in Skilled Birth Attendance (SBA) and Facility-Based Delivery (FBD). SBA went from 90 percent to 94 percent and FBD from 93 percent to 95 percent . Figures were from the 2017 and 2018 Field Health Service Information System (FHSIS), respectively. Communication activities to increase awareness on the benefits of vaccination and inform people on the risks of infectious diseases, particularly measles, were also conducted.

12. KRA 2: Family Planning Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate in family planning for both the public and private sector showed an increasing trend, from 52.89 percent to 56.67 percent , according to the 2017 and 2018 FHSIS . Demand generation activities such as Responsible Parenthood-Family Planning (RPFP) classes, Pre-marriage orientation and counselling sessions and  Kalalakihang Tapat sa Responsibilidad at Obligasyon sa Pamilya  (KATROPA), were able to reach more than 200,000 women of reproductive ages with unmet need for modern family planning (MFP). Of these, 85 percent were referred and served with MFP methods. Family Planning in the workplace, a new initiative by POPCOM, aims to integrate RPFP in human resource development programs of national government agencies.

13. KRA 3: Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority Civil Registration Service revealed that babies born to adolescent mothers declined from 203,085 in 2016 to 196,478 in 2017. However, globally, UNFPA reports that the Philippines ranks among countries with the worst performance in adolescent fertility. These figures prove that we still have a long way to go to equip and empower the young people of the country. KRA 4: Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/AIDS The increasing proportion of young people aged 15-24 infected with the virus has been alarming; from 13 percent between 1999 to 2008 to 29 percent between 2009 to 2018. Sexual contact remains to be the primary mode of transmission and has been so since 1984. Stigma and discrimination are still prevalent which makes it harder for individuals, particularly adolescents, to acquire screening services.

14. KRA 5: Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) In 2018, the World Economic Forum ranked the Philippines 8 th  among 149 countries in the Global Gender Gap. The country has narrowed the gender gap to 80 percent . Trends in reported VAW cases were seen to be decreasing, from 25,805 in 2017 to 18,974 cases in 2018, according to the DOH VAWC Registry System. POPCOM continues to support and work for the implementation of the RPRH Law and, with continued efforts and partnerships among stakeholders, particularly NEDA and DOH, we will soon address the many challenges faced in the implementation of the Law and fulfill our promise made to the women, youth and all Filipinos.