ROLES OF POPCOM
Policy Formulation and Plan Development
POPCOM as Secretariat will spearhead the development and preparation of population policies and operation plans in consultation
with various stakeholders like, GOs, NGOs, LGUs, media, women, youth (both in and out of school) and legislators.
Advocacy and Communication
POPCOM will lead for the call for GOs, LGUs, private sector; civic organization and civil society to assist parents achieve their
desired number and spacing of children. Likewise, it will spearhead the development of a communication and advocacy plan including
core messages on Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning.
Data and Information Management
POPCOM will serve as clearing house and information resource center on population and family planning and will provide coordinated
direction to participating agencies in the development of their plans and programs.
Generation, Programming and Mobilization of Resources for Population
POPCOM will prepare a “Population Investment Plan” to guide actions on the generation, programming, mobilization, matching and
tracking resources for population activities.
POPULATION POLICY OBJECTIVES
Achieved desired family size.
Improve Reproductive Health of Individuals
Reduce incidence of teenage pregnancy and early marriages and other Adolescent
Reproductive Health problems.
Contribute to policies for achievement of favorable balances between population
distribution, economic activities and environment.
Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP)
Goal:
To contribute to the overall goal of the government of achieving sustainable development and better quality of life for all
Filipinos by creating an enabling environment that will facilitate attainment of desired population and reproductive goals.
Objectives:
Achieved desired family size
Improve Reproductive Health of Individuals
Reduce incidence of teenage pregnancy and early marriages and other
Adolescent Reproductive Health problems.
Contribute to policies for achievement of favorable balances between
population distribution, economic activities and environment.
Components of the Population Management Program:
Reproductive Health and Family Planning – is one of the major components of the Philippine Population Management Program that addressed the issues and concerns related to responsible parenthood and family planning. It is a program that provides information
and serves to both men and women so that they can achieve their desired family size. It aims to provide an integrated quality RH/FP package
in all hospitals and health clinic service facilities in order to contribute to the:
Reduction of Infant and Pre Natal mortality Rate;
Attainment of desired fertility rate;
Increase of contraceptive prevalence rate.
RH/FP specific strategies include those that will improve access to quality RH/FP services; will improve organizational delivery; capability
building; logistics systems; financial sustainability; communications; MIS; strengthen partnership with NGO’s.
Reproductive Health (RH) – is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and process.
Reproductive Health Care – is defined as the constellation of methods, techniques and services that contribute to reproductive health and well-being by preventing and solving.
Ten (10) Elements of Reproductive Health
Family Planning.
Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition.
Prevention and management of abortion complications.
Prevention and treatment of Reproductive tract infections.
(RTI’s) including sexually transmitted disease (STD’s), human immune deficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency virus syndrome (AIDS).
Breast and reproductive tract cancers and other gynecological conditions.
Adolescent reproductive health.
Education and counseling on sexuality and sexual health.
Men’s reproductive health.
Violence Against Women (VAW)
Prevention and Treatment of infertility and sexual disorders.
Responsible Parenting Movement (RPM) – is one of the innovation of the RH/FP program that ensures an aggressive grassroots campaign. It is in response to the directive of the President for the Department of Health and the Commission on Population to formulate and carry out an aggressive and systematic strategy to promote responsible parenting and natural family planning.
RPM is conceived to empower Filipino Families through responsible parenting by:
Making couples aware of their responsibilities as parent, awakening in them sense of responsibility and commitment towards their family, neighbors, community, society and nation as a whole.
Considering responsible parenthood as a way of life towards the attainment of sustainable human development.
It aim to establish the organizational structure that will create the critical mass of parents who will join the movement for responsible parenting.
Natural Family Planning
To give emphasis in the promotion of natural family planning services and to give better option for users of traditional methods to shift to scientific NFP.
To reduce the unmet need for family planning services.
Fear of side effects and other health reasons
Husband objection
Culture, tradition and religious beliefs
Availability, accessibility and affordability of FP services
To promote NFP method that are cost effective.
What are the different Natural Family Planning Methods?
1. Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
It is the temperature at rest after at least three hours of continuous sleep. It is based on the woman’s menstrual cycle. It entails the daily taking and recording of the woman’s temperature during the ovulation period. An ovulation thermometer is used in taking the daily temperature of a woman. It is ideal for couples who wish to space children in a natural way. No drugs, injections, devices, operations are used and inexpensive but effective.
2. Cervical Mucus Method (CMM)
It has been scientifically tested throughout the world and is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is as effective as the other modern methods of family planning when properly used. The observation of changes in the cervical mucus of a woman can help her determine when she is fertile or infertile.
She can tell this because the mucus changes in color, amount and the way it feels. Just any other NFP method, the CMM helps woman become aware of her body and her own fertility.
3. Sympto-Thermal Method (STM)
It combines the observations made of the cervical mucus, temperature records and other signs of ovulation to determine the fertile and infertile phases. It combines the technology of the cervical mucus method with that of the basal body temperature method. It is known to be 99% effective.
4. Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
It is temporary introductory method of family planning based on the physiological temporary infertility experienced by fully breastfeeding women. Exclusive or fully breastfeeding, no other liquid or solid food is given to infant except breast milk. Feeding interval should not exceed four (4) hours during the day and six (6) hours at night. It has been proven to be more that 98% effective if woman meets the three (3) criteria:
- Menstruation has not yet returned
- Fully or almost fully breastfeeding
- Baby is six (6) months old or below
5. Standard Days Method (SDM)
It is a modern scientific method of family planning based on the woman’s menstrual cycle. It identifies days 8-19 as the woman’s fertile period. This fertility awareness based method works for women with menstrual cycles between 26-32 days.
It makes use of “Cycle Beads” which represents a woman’s menstrual cycle. SDM is natural. It helps a woman understand her fertility. No charting, calculation and calendar tracking.
Adolescents Health and Youth Development
Adolescents Health and Youth Development (AHYD)
AHYD support adolescent program aim at providing information that will help them understand their sexuality, develop the right values in them, help them make responsible decisions and prepare them for responsible adulthood and parenthood. It has also accorded priority in the reduction of the incidence of teenage pregnancies, incidence of early marriages and the incidence of other reproductive health problems.
Three young age groups according to priority in terms of their reproductive health and youth development needs;
10 - 14 - Pre – Child Bearing Age
15 - 24 - Reproductive Age
25 - 30 - Young Adult and Marrying Age