IN A SOLEMN BUT WELL
ATTENDED AND MEANINGFUL CEREMONY HELD ON DECEMBER 19,
2006, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 10, THE COMMISSION ON POPULATION
10, AND THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CAGAYAN DE ORO THROUGH THE
CATHOLIC WOMEN’S LEAGUE INKED THE FIRST TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT
OF SUCH KIND IN THE COUNTRY.
THE THREE GROUPS HAVE
BANDED TOGETHER TO JOINTLY PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT THE
NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING (NFP) PROGRAM IN THE NORTHERN
MINDANAO REGION WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE
OF CAGAYAN DE ORO.
THE ACTIVITY WAS ATTENDED
BY HIGH RANKING OFFICIALS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,
THE COMMISSION ON POPULATION, AND THE ARCHDIOCESE OF
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY.
IN HIS SPEECH, HIS EXCELLENCY
BISHOP ANTONIO J. LEDESMA WELCOMED THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT
IN THE PROGRAM AS HE DEFINED THE STAND OF THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH ON THE ISSUE OF LIMITING/SPACING THE NUMBER OF
CHILDREN AND THE MEANING OF RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD.
THE BISHOP PRESENTED
FOUR (4) REASONS WHY HE ENCOURAGED THE CATHOLIC WOMEN’S
LEAGUE AND SOME PARISH PRIESTS TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED
IN THIS KIND OF PROGRAM: 1) NFP IS A NEW NATIONAL POLICY
OF PRES. GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO; IT HAS A CLEAR DIRECTION
WHICH ALLOWS ONLY THE PROMOTION OF NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING
METHODS; 2) THERE IS A SHARING OF RESOURCES – THE TRAINING
MANUALS, TRAINORS; VALUE FORMATION LESSONS OF THE ARCHDIOCESE
ARE BEING USED IN THE TRAINING OF TRAINERS IN THE FIELD.;
3) THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT EXPLICITLY ARTICULATES
THE PROVISION OF ABSOLUTE NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING INFORMATION
DISSEMINATION TO COUPLES AND NO COMBINATION OF ARTIFICIAL
CONTRACEPTIVES.; 4) NFP IS SEEN AS A DISTINCT AND SEPARATE
PROGRAM, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH WHAT USED TO BE THE
CAFETERIA APPROACH IN PROMOTING FAMILY PLANNING. BISHOP
LEDESMA CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT THE NEW NFP PROGRAM
NOW IS A GOOD NEWS THAT IS WORTH SHARING TO EVERYONE.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
UNDERSECRETARY, DR. ETHELYN P. NIETO, LIKEWISE EXPRESSED
HER ENTHUSIASM AND SUPPORT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM IN THE REGION. SHE
ALSO MENTIONED THAT FUNDS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THIS
PURPOSE.
POPCOM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
TOMAS M. OSIAS EXPLAINED THE RESPONSIBLE PARENTING MOVEMENT
(RPM) OF THE COMMISSION ON POPULATION AS THE VEHICLE
FOR PROMOTING NFP AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL.
THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE MOVEMENT IS TO EMPOWER FILIPINO
FAMILIES; TO MAKE COUPLES AWARE OF THEIR BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES
AS PARENTS AND AWAKEN THEIR SENSE OF COMMITMENT TOWARDS
THEIR FAMILY, NEIGHBORS, COMMUNITY, SOCIETY AND THE
NATION AS A WHOLE.
THE RESPONSIBLE PARENTING
MOVEMENT, THROUGH COUPLES’ CLASSES, HOPES TO ORIENT
ABOUT 4.2 MILLION COUPLES ON NFP BY THE YEAR 2010.
IN THE SAME FORA, THE
NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING RESOURCE CENTER AND TELEPHONE
HOTLINE WERE ALSO INTRODUCED. THE RESOURCE CENTER IS
A REPOSITORY OF NFP HANDBOOKS, MANUALS, JOURNALS, AND
THE LIKE WHILE THE HOTLINE REFERS TO A DEDICATED PHONE
LINE TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE CLIENTS ON INFORMATION
ABOUT THE VARIOUS NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING METHODS. THE
HOTLINE IS BEING MANNED BY A STAFF TRAINED ON NFP AND
COULD BE REACHED AT TEL. NO. 855-4455 FROM MONDAY TO
FRIDAY, 8:00 AM TO 5:00 PM. THE RESOURCE CENTER AND
HOTLINE ARE LODGED AT THE REGIONAL POPULATION OFFICE,
AT DR. J.V. SERIÑA ST., CARMEN, CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY.
(By: Litalits)
