Gov't still pushes family planning despite birth rate drop

MANILA – The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) remained committed to pushing the practice of family planning amid a significant drop in registered birth rates in the previous years.

At the Bagong Pilipinas interview on Wednesday, CPD Deputy Executive Director Lolito Tacardon underscored the importance of family planning as the country celebrates Family Planning Month this August.

Tacardon cited various benefits of a well-planned, empowered families.

He said that aside from preventing risky pregnancies that often result in maternal deaths, well-planned pregnancies also result in healthier babies.

"Sa pamilya po syempre kapag ang mag-asawa at yung nanay at saka tatay ay nakayanang magplano ng pamilya (In families, of course, if the couple, the mother and the father, were able to plan their family), they have a better chance to provide for the needs of the members of the
family like health, education," he said.

A qualitative study commissioned by CPD in 2023 revealed that more couples decided not to have children when the global health crisis caused by the Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic emerged.

However, CPD said that even before the contagion, the Philippine Statistics Authority's Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) had disclosed that most of the country's regions were already displaying a downturn in the total number of registered births.

Based on May 1, 2020 data, the country's population was 109,035,343.
"The trend was observed as early as 2017 and 2018, when there was a decline in total registered live births from 1,700,618 to 1,668,120, then in 2019 at 1,673,923. The drop was more pronounced in 2020 as only 1,528,684 babies were born. The figure dipped further in 2021 to 1,364,739, but rebounded in 2022 at 1,455,393," the study showed.

CPD Executive Director Lisa Grace Bersales earlier said that they are monitoring whether said fertility behaviors have become the norm post-pandemic.

Meanwhile, despite the downtrend in registered births, the CPD noted the rise in adolescent pregnancies, particularly among 17 years old and below, and, worse, among very young girls – aged 10-14 years.

Records showed that in 2022, 10,826 births were recorded among adolescents aged 11 to 15 years- old, from the 8,913 recorded in 2021.
Also, 139,312 births were recorded among adolescents aged 16 to 19 years old in 2022, from 127,388 recorded in 2021.

The CPD said that these pregnancies not only represent statistical increases but also highlight profound social injustices that deny vulnerable girls the chance to pursue their dreams and aspirations.
As the country celebrates Family Planning Month with the theme "Panalo
ang Pamilyang Planado", the commission said family planning would improve the quality of lives of the people.

As the country aims to advance transformative social and economic development, the CPD said it would cooperate with other concerned government agencies like the Department of Health and the local government units to promote and create an enabling environment for every individual and couple by ensuring their capacity to fulfill their reproductive rights including the right to have their desired number, timing, and spacing of children. (PNA)