POPCOM on World Population Day: Family Planning is a human right

He added that FP is not all about having access to contraceptives “but also a human development as we empower them to make their choices.” (Shutterstock photo)

In celebration of the World Population Day (WPD) on Wednesday, July 11, Commission on Population (POPCOM) reiterated that family planning (FP) is a not just a choice but a human right.

“We recognize that access to FP information and services is a right that everyone is entitled to and we must work together so that nobody will be left behind. Investing in FB is investing in the health and rights of women and couples worldwide for them to be empowered and eventually achieve a better quality of life,” Juan Antonio Perez, Executive Director of POPCOM said in a statement.

He added that FP is not all about having access to contraceptives “but also a human development as we empower them to make their choices.”

According to Perez, the government is eyeing to fulfill its promise on the Republic Act (RA) 10354 or Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) law – which states the need to provide universal access to FP information and other services.

POPCOM also mentioned that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) 12 last year which sought to intensify and accelerate the “implementation of critical actions necessary to attain and sustain zero unmet need for modern family planning for all poor households by 2018 and beyond.”

In line with the Philippines joining the international community in celebration of WPD, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative Klaus Beck said, “When a woman can plan her family, she can plan her life. She can pursue more education, seek and keep better jobs, and contribute more to her family and her country with the benefits carrying over well into the future.”

“This is why it is crucial that we ensure a woman’s right to family planning,” he added.

The Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA’s) 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) revealed that from an average of three children, the fertility rate of women in the Philippines dropped to a 2.7, but teenage pregnancy remained high with nine percent of 15 to 19-year old women bearing children.