THE Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) has opened four warehouses for family planning (FP) commodities in the cities of Legazpi, Zamboanga, Davao and Cotabato.
In a news statement, Popcom said the warehouses will help augment the shortage of family planning products caused by the pandemic.
Popcom Executive Director and Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez III said the warehouses will ensure the availability of FP information and services in health facilities deemed crucial in preventing unplanned pregnancies among couples and individuals amid quarantine and lockdowns.
“It is important to note that the pandemic has threatened the availability and accessibility of FP commodities and services in public health facilities that may result in unplanned pregnancies and their negative consequences,” Perez said. “Our warehouses will be instrumental in helping generate and fulfill demand where they are needed, and when they are needed.”
Popcom said family planning supply hubs in Regions 5, 9, 11 and 12 will serve not only their communities but also neighboring regions through the expanded provision of FP commodities.
The facilities will ensure the needed supply of the said items within the regions and surrounding local government units, especially those from the grassroots level, as well as geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
Popcom Region 11 warehouse already started operations on August 12. Located inside the Southern Philippines Medical Center Compound along Dumanlas Friendship Road in Bajada, Davao City, the facility houses an FP and Wellness Clinic which provides free FP services, while currently fulfilling the FP requirements of nearby Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, or BARMM.
Meanwhile, the Popcom Region 5 Warehouse in Buraguis, Legazpi City, and Albay formally opened its doors on August 28. It has ample space to store fresh supplies of pills and subdermal implants, among others, and enables restocking as needed by rural health units in Bicol, Regions 7 (Central Visayas) and 8 (Eastern Visayas).
Popcom said the Region 9 Warehouse in Cabatangan, Zamboanga City, will be the regional hub for storage and distribution of FP supplies and commodities for the entire Zamboanga Peninsula, as well as the provinces of Misamis Occidental, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
The Region 12 warehouse/regional hub at the BARMM Compound in Cotabato City has been redistributing and repositioning FP commodities in four provinces and five cities of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos, or Soccsksargen.
“Through the warehouses, we are actively putting into action the storage, delivery and distribution of FP commodities in key areas mostly wanting of these, as evidenced by the monitoring reports generated by our population workers,” Perez said.
Earlier, the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said there could be a significant increase in the number of mothers dying from pregnancy, or childbirth, is expected to significantly increase during the pandemic, according to the preliminary study of the UPPI and UNFPA.
In a news statement, UNFPA said preliminary results of the study by UPPI and UNFPA showed the pandemic could increase the number of maternal deaths by 26 percent this year.
This means 670 maternal deaths will be added to the data from the 2019 level. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, around 2,600 women died annually due to complications from pregnancy, or childbirth.
In February, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said maternal deaths increased to 1,616 in 2018 compared to 1,484 in 2017, or a two-year high when maternal deaths reached 1,721 in 2015.