President Duterte wishes to make modern family planning more accessible to poor Filipinos.
It will enable access to modern family planning
Despite the Supreme Court TRO (temporary restraining order) against some provisions of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health law (RPRH), Duterte signs an executive order that will intensify and enable access to modern family planning, most especially for poor Filipinos.
The executive order reads, “This Order aims to intensify and accelerate the implementation of critical actions necessary and sustain ‘zero unmet need for modern family planning’ for all poor households by 2018, and all of Filipinos thereafter, within the context of the [RH] Law and its implementing rules.”
Additionally, one of the strategies outlined in the EO is to conduct a comprehensive review of couples and individuals who are in need of family planning.
It will help the country meet the poverty reduction target
National Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Pernia shares, “There is a plan in the next six months for local governments to go out in the field, to do house-to-house visits, identify those in need of family planning, [and work] with all these agencies.”
He also adds that if implemented properly, the RH law will help the country meet the poverty reduction target.
Population control has been deemed as one of the ways that poverty can be reduced in the country, as the lack of availability when it comes to family planning methods have resulted in overpopulation which has been connected to poverty.
Additionally, the Department of Education has also been asked to implement a “gender sensitive and rights-based” sexuality education in school.
Health Secretary Dr. Paulyn Ubial said that she was very happy to learn that the EO had been signed as it would enable the Department of Health to provide the necessary reproductive services that poor Filipino families require.
Go to the next page to learn more about the importance of family planning.
Why is family planning important?
Family planning, whether through natural means or through the use of artificial contraceptives, is very important for families. Family planning lets parents choose how big they want their family to be as well as when they would want to have kids.
Here are some benefits that family planning has:
- Family planning can reduce the risk of pregnancy-related risks in women.
- Family planning can reduce infant mortality since parents can prevent closely spaced pregnancies as well as ill-timed pregnancies and births.
- Family planning helps empower women in that they can have the option to pursue their goals in life and avoid an unexpected pregnancy.
- Family planning lets parents invest more in each child. It lets parents control the number of children that they wish to have, thereby making sure that parents can invest more time and finances into their kids instead of it being spread out with a lot of children.
- Family planning also slows down population growth and allows for more sustainable development and has positive impacts on our economy as well as our environment.
Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net, cnnphilippines.com, who.int
READ: Duterte: Expand family planning and limit children to three per family
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