Nearly 8 million Filipino women have availed of family planning as provided by the reproductive health law, according to a report, and this prevented 2.8 million unintended pregnancies through the use of contraceptives.
Based on the 2019 Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law Report, the number of women who made use of modern family planning methods doubled to about 8 million last year, from 4 million in 2012, when the measure was enacted. The increase was attributed to the programs and services activated by local governments.
The prevalence rate for contraceptive use among women reached 58 percent, about 7.8 million women, nearing to hit the 60 percent to 65 percent range set under the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022.
The report assessed 2.8 unwanted pregnancies and 669,000 unsafe abortions were prevented as a result of family planning use. Further, it averted the probable deaths of 1,470 mothers and infants due to maternal complications.
Juan Antonio A. Perez III, executive director at the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom), said local governments should be credited for the increased usage of family planning nationwide, as they are responsible for enforcing the programs and services and sending health workers on the ground level.
Proof to this, provinces, cities and municipalities last year spent around P1.9 billion to carry out measures mandated by the RPRH law. Broken down, municipalities used 63 percent of the total expenditures, while cities and provinces accounted for 26 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
Further, Perez said his agency extends funds to local governments, as well as assistance in the crafting of strategies, dissemination of information and delivery of services, as part of efforts to improve the implementation of the RPRH law.
Perez stressed the importance of involving the local government in the rollout of family planning programs and services. He explained it trickles down to the households in a way that it impacts on their income, as a family with just one to three children can allocate for their needs, whether it be food, shelter or education.
“A well-provided family, therefore, contributes to poverty amelioration,” Perez said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
“In a macroeconomic view, it contributes to overall national development, where families do not have to rely on the government to provide for their everyday necessities,” he concluded. “Thus, funds can be allocated for other basic services.”
Apart from the surge in contraceptive users, postpartum visits improved to 62 percent last year, from 57 percent in 2018, and for the same period antenatal care rate jumped to 58 percent, from 53 percent, according to the RPRH law report.
The report also indicated 10,287 of the 12,778 new HIV cases in the Philippines are enrolled in the Department of Health’s antiretroviral treatment programs. Likewise, localities helped put up across the country 153 social hygiene clinics that provide health care, including HIV prevention, testing and treatment, to most affected communities.