By JENNY F. MANONGDO
Most Filipino families are receptive to the government’s family planning a campaign, a recent survey said.
About nine in ten or 96 percent of Filipinos believe that the door-to-door family planning campaign of the Department of Health (DoH) will help Filipino families, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey last December 2004.
The results were revealed yesterday during the launching of the DoH’s media campaign on the "Ligtas Buntis 2005." Two TV advertisements and one theme song were presented yesterday as tools to boost the campaign that seeks to inform Filipino families of safe pregnancy and achieving the desired family size.
The survey covered a total of 1,200 respondents nationwide and found out that 30 percent of Filipinos are currently using a family planning method.
Fourteen percent are using pills, four percent are using intra-uterine devices (IUD) and calendar rhythm methods, two percent use condoms, while three percent are using either withdrawal method, injectables, and ligation.
Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit theorized that out of the 70 percent who are not using any birth control method, 20 percent of them do not really know the methods at all. He adds that others may have used contraceptives before but have ceased using them for fear of side effects or they just got tired of using them.
The DoH will prioritize urban slums and barangays among the 25 percent poorest communities and communities of indigenous people in the campaign.
Dayrit emphasized that Ligtas Buntis will encompass all methods of birth control and will give couples a free hand to choose which method they are comfortable with.
He defined Ligtas Buntis as the freedom and responsibility of Filipinos to live a happy family life, free to plan the size of family, and choose methods according to religious beliefs.
"If you care to live your faith, then it is up to you. Feel free to follow your conscience, the government will provide for both natural and artificial methods."
He also said that the campaign shall focus on safe pregnancy to reduce maternal deaths and premature births. It will also give information to avoid unplanned pregnancy and teenage pregnancy.
Health workers will be doing the field work on February 21 and the campaign will run for four to six weeks.
The DoH teamed up with Local Government Units (LGUs) to implement the campaign in their respective localities.
