Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...

target group. In Metro Manila, for example,women listen to television <strong>and</strong> radio programmeswhere medical resource persons discuss commonproblems <strong>and</strong> respond to questions from <strong>the</strong>audience.4. Research must be cont<strong>in</strong>ually undertaken to assess <strong>the</strong>effectiveness <strong>and</strong> responsiveness of FP programmes,especially to <strong>the</strong> most marg<strong>in</strong>alized groups, <strong>and</strong><strong>the</strong>ir impact on o<strong>the</strong>r social <strong>in</strong>dicators, such aspoverty, employment, gender equality, migration <strong>and</strong>environment, among o<strong>the</strong>rs. Research can <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>the</strong>follow<strong>in</strong>g:(a) The National Statistics Office must be supported<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g surveys on <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Plann<strong>in</strong>g</strong> use<strong>and</strong> its l<strong>in</strong>kage to o<strong>the</strong>r health <strong>in</strong>dicators, especiallymaternal mortality, maternal health <strong>and</strong> access tohealth care services.(b) The Commission on Population (POPCOM)must streng<strong>the</strong>n its m<strong>and</strong>ate of monitor<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>demographic impact of FP, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g its l<strong>in</strong>kageto <strong>the</strong> social <strong>and</strong> physical environment. It can alsoassist <strong>the</strong> Department of Health <strong>in</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<strong>the</strong> contraceptive management <strong>in</strong>formationsystem, contraceptive procurement, storage <strong>and</strong>distribution.5. F<strong>in</strong>ancial resources must be mobilized, especially bynational government, to meet <strong>the</strong> large unmet needthat accrued from a decade of neglect <strong>and</strong> which affectspoor <strong>and</strong> disadvantaged groups <strong>the</strong> most. The follow<strong>in</strong>gsources must be mobilized:(a) Congress needs to allocate a significant budgetto cover for commodities, <strong>the</strong> reestablishmentof a centralized procurement, warehous<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong>distribution centre <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Department of Health,<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> cascaded tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g of enough FP providers.(b) PhilHealth needs to improve its system <strong>and</strong> makeits benefits, particularly on IUD <strong>in</strong>sertion <strong>and</strong>bilateral tubal ligation, more accessible to local FPpractitioners <strong>and</strong> RHU facilities.(c) Private companies must do <strong>the</strong>ir share <strong>in</strong> operat<strong>in</strong>gFP/RH cl<strong>in</strong>ics with functional services for <strong>the</strong>iremployees accord<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> labour law.6. The right to family plann<strong>in</strong>g, which is enshr<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>ternational as well as national laws (e.g. <strong>the</strong> Philipp<strong>in</strong>econstitution of 1987), must be actively wielded <strong>in</strong>defense of disadvantaged citizens <strong>and</strong> aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong>derogation by powerful <strong>in</strong>stitutions such as <strong>the</strong> Catholichierarchy. To <strong>in</strong>sure <strong>the</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>ued preservation of thishuman right, <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g steps are necessary:(a) The passage of a reproductive health law, whichhas been stalled <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Philipp<strong>in</strong>e Congress for atleast n<strong>in</strong>e years, would <strong>in</strong>stitutionalize <strong>the</strong> rightsbased<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>tegrated health approach to FP,<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g several FP provisions, such as deliveryof all modern FP methods, subsidized provision ofsurgical sterilization for <strong>the</strong> poor, <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>tegrationof FP among o<strong>the</strong>r subjects <strong>in</strong> secondary schools<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> classification of contraceptives as “essentialmedic<strong>in</strong>es” to ensure susta<strong>in</strong>ed procurement.(b) The cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g cultivation of a social movement onreproductive health with a strong focus on FP <strong>and</strong>which ga<strong>the</strong>rs toge<strong>the</strong>r a broad base of constituents– RH practitioners <strong>and</strong> advocates; government,non-government <strong>and</strong> private sectors; professionals<strong>and</strong> grass-roots communities is <strong>in</strong>strumentalnot only for advanc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> RH bill but also foreducat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> empower<strong>in</strong>g people to control <strong>the</strong>irfertility <strong>and</strong> to enshr<strong>in</strong>e this entitlement <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>country's laws, policies <strong>and</strong> programmes.AppendixSurveysUnless o<strong>the</strong>rwise specified, <strong>the</strong> Philipp<strong>in</strong>e surveyscommonly referred to as (year) NDHS <strong>in</strong> this reportrefer to <strong>the</strong> 1993, 1998, 2003 <strong>and</strong> 2008 (National)Demographic <strong>and</strong> Health Surveys jo<strong>in</strong>tly published by<strong>the</strong> National Statistics Office (Philipp<strong>in</strong>es) <strong>and</strong> Macro<strong>International</strong>/ORC Macro/ICF Macro of <strong>the</strong> DHSMeasures Project. These are available at http://www.measuredhs.com/countries/country_ma<strong>in</strong>.cfm?ctry_id=34&c=Philipp<strong>in</strong>es.1993 NDSNational Statistics Office (NSO) <strong>and</strong> Macro <strong>International</strong>Inc. (MI). 1994. National Demographic Survey 1993.Calverton, Maryl<strong>and</strong>: NSO <strong>and</strong> MI.1998 NDHSNational Statistics Office, Department of Health <strong>and</strong>Macro <strong>International</strong> Inc. 1999. National Demographic<strong>and</strong> Health Survey 1998. Manila: NSO <strong>and</strong> MI.2003 NDHSNational Statistics Office, <strong>and</strong> ORC Macro. 2004. NationalDemographic <strong>and</strong> Health Survey 2003. Calverton,Maryl<strong>and</strong>: NSO <strong>and</strong> ORC Macro.2008 NDHS321