Unfpa in the PhilippinesEssay Preview: Unfpa in the PhilippinesReport this essayUNFPA in the PhilippinesUNFPA began its programme of assistance to the Philippines in 1969. Since 1972, there have been five Country Programmes with a cumulative package of assistance in the amount of US$106.9 million. For over 30 years, UNFPAs contribution has successfully borne fruit as the organizations overall vision and framework fitted well with the mission and principles of the Philippine Population Program which emphasized family welfare, rejection of abortion, public-private sector cooperation and integration of population and development.
The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) ushered in a new paradigm shift that subsumed family planning under a broader concept of “sexual and reproductive health.” It transformed previous references to addressing population issues into pursuing goals concerning reproductive rights, gender equity, male responsibility and the empowerment of women.
As a signatory to the ICPD Programme for Action, the Government has formulated a restatement of the Philippine Population Management Programme (PPMP) with UNFPA assistance under the 4th Country Programme. The restated PPMP focuses on:
The ability of couples to achieve their desired family size;The improvement of the reproductive health of individuals and reduction of infant, child and maternal mortality;The reduction of the incidence of teenage pregnancy, early marriage and other reproductive health problems among the youth; andPolicy reforms to help government achieve a favorable balance between population and sustainable development.ChallengesThe Philippines showed marked deficits with respect to meeting ICPD goals in three specific areas: a) births attended by health professionals; b) contraceptive prevalence rate among women of reproductive age; and c) maternal mortality. In 1998, nearly 55% of all deliveries were attended by health professionals, way below
A report by Child and Family Planning Minister of State, L. Fernando Paregna said the Philippines had consistently failed to meet the goals of ICPD. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRCC) said, “The prevalence of unplanned pregnancies has gone down as a result of inadequate funding. While the number of unplanned births has also gone up, the number of abortions has gone up and women continue to experience difficulties in their ability to obtain their reproductive rights.”
For children, ICPD was aimed at improving their economic opportunities by increasing access to primary education and a stable and stable income environment. A report by the National Development Commission called for the implementation of the Philippines’ “one-child policy” with the provision of educational and other services in a sustainable and adequate manner and the establishment of a high-quality childcare system (see nd. 2(a); nam. 1-39 of the 1994 Act)
In addition, ICPD is aimed at encouraging women to get pregnant before, during and after marriage by providing services such as food, housing and medical care. In 2004, as per the Commission report, the prevalence of unplanned births in a household was at its highest in 2000. It further warned that this was an issue that persisted despite efforts to enhance family planning practices. These women may continue to suffer from medical problems in their lives and remain at a low income which is an added hindrance for their family. The National Development and Reform Commission said, “Economic growth remains a major problem which remains a major concern among mothers in low and middle-income settings. A failure to meet key goals for family planning in a community or through its enforcement mechanisms can create obstacles for women to get their reproductive rights.”
With significant public health challenges, it is imperative that the Philippines implement the goal of ICPD in the following ways:
By reducing and controlling the incidence of pregnancy, birth defects and other health issues, implementing measures to increase access to services such as education and other social, financial and legal safeguards, including access to reproductive health services and access to contraception, increasing numbers of births attended by doctors and nurses within a community, and increasing numbers of non-performers within a family, the Filipinos will be able to make progress in reducing the number of abortions, child and maternal mortality and ensuring the safety and health of its children and grandchildren.The Philippines also needs to move away from its current model of limited and slow implementation in terms of the distributional framework which was used by the early stages of its program and focus on an individual mandate. The implementation of ICPD was initiated to address specific health concerns, namely the number of unplanned births and the lack of access by health professionals to reproductive health services. During the period 1993-2006, ICPD was effective under the framework of ICPD/CPECF. In fact, the total coverage of all services and services covered by ICPD/CPECF rose by 40% at any one time between 1993-2006. The number