THE REGIONAL OFFICE III

THE REGIONAL OFFICE III

The Regional Population Office (RPO) III was established in 1973 in San Fernando, Pampanga in response
to the population problems in Central Luzon.

In 1975-1977, the Commission introduced the Total Integrated Development Approach (TIDA) to
broaden program coverage. The Family Planning Program was then integrated with other development
activities such as the National Population and Family Planning Outreach Projects to bring the
necessary services closer to the people to remote barangays and simultaneous organized the population
offices in the six (6) provinces and four (4) cities.

POPCOM Region III become the central planning and coordinating body for all the population related
activities. It also involved in the integration of family planning program through
Information/Education/Communication (IEC); provide training of personnel in the medical and paramedical
profession, fieldworkers and managers and research; clinic/delivery services – distribution of
clinic/contraceptive supplies.

In 1973 to 1984 the Regional Population Office III rented & occupied the third floor of the Gopez Building
at V. Tiomico St., San Fernando, Pampanga. In 1985 POPCOM 3 moved to its new building located at
Diosdado Macapagal Regional Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando, Pampanga.

To date, POPCOM III is embarking on a massive coordination with both government and non-government
agencies and local government units through the provincial/city and municipal population offices in the
implementation of projects and activities on the Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP) in
Central Luzon.

PPLL MODULES
The POPDEV Planning at the Local Level (PPLL) Project was conceived in response to the clamor for
assistance in building the capability of local planners in development planning. This clamor was
brought about primarily by the implementation of the 1991 Local Government Code that mandates
Local Government Units (LGUs) to come up with a comprehensive local development plan.

The PPLL Project has three components, namely: institutional support, training, and
research/research utilization. It is a three-pronged strategy that has been tested and found effective
for over 15 years under two other POPDEV projects of NEDA -the Population and Development
Planning and Research (PDPR) Projects (1980-1989) and the Integrated Population and
Development Planning (IPDP) Project.
The main activity of the training component of the project is the development and conduct of
training program that will develop local planners' skills in development planning through the use of
the POPDEV planning approach. The training program, therefore, aims to enhance the
understanding and capability of local planners in selected pilot LGUs in using the POPDEV planning
approach to develop or improve their socioeconomic profile (SEP), situational analysis (SA), local
development plan (LDP) and local investment plan (LIP).

The PPLL Training program takes a modular approach interspersed with a practicum to enable the
local planners to work on their plan on-the-job. The program consists of four modules:

Module I : Basic Concepts of the POPDEV Planning Approach to Development Planning

Module I familiarizes the trainees with the POPDEV planning approach, its concept, tools, processes
and potential gains.

Module II : Improving Situational Analysis and the Local Socioeconomic Profile

Module II assists trainees in systematically analyzing their locality's situation based on correct and
relevant data and indicators derived from the SEP. Thus, Module II also helps trainees to develop a
good SEP since this is one of the most important bases of a good SA.

Module III : Improving the Formulation of a Local Development Plan Using the POPDEV
Planning Approach

After Module II, the trainees are given time (usually two months) to develop or improve their
respective SEPs and SA at their workplace. These outputs are then brought as inputs to Module III
which discusses the various components of a local development plan and shows trainees how to use
the POPDEV planning approach in developing a good LDP.

Module IV : Improving the Formulation of a Local Investment Program Using the

PODPEV Planning Approach

After Module III, the trainees again back to work to improve their LDP and to gather additional
information needed in Module IV. Module IV helps the trainess to develop a good investment
program based on their LDP. The module discusses ways of screening, assessing and prioritizing
programs and projects to be included in the LIP, as well as ways of identifying and mobilizing
financial resources, both internal and external.

Module IV is followed by another practicum, after which the trainees are again gathered together to
refine and make consistent their three outputs - SA, LDP and LIP. These outputs are then presented
to their local officials at the same gathering.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S CORNER

JUAN ANTONIO A. PEREZ III, MD, MPH

POPCOM supports President Duterte’s strong political will for RH

President Rodrigo Duterte pronounced strong political will to fully implement the
Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law as a component of the
national socio-economic agenda during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA). In
relation to this, he integrated the urgent attainment of zero unmet need for modern
family planning as a legacy of the Philippine Health Agenda.

HISTORY
1967

Seventeen heads of state including the Philippine President signed the United Nations
Declaration on Population which stressed: The Population problem must be recognized
as a principal element in long-range planning, if governments are to achieve their
economic goals and fulfill the aspirations of their people.

1970

The Philippine Population Program was officially launched through the Executive Order
No. 233. The Commission on Population (POPCOM) was mandated to serve as the
central coordinating and policy making body of the government in the field of population.

1971
Republic Act 6365, known as the Population Act of the Philippines was enacted into law
by Congress.

1972

Presidential Decree 79 was signed directing public and private sectors to undertake a
National Family Planning Program which respects the religious beliefs and values of
individuals.

1975

Presidential Decree 166 further strengthened the Program. It required the participation
of private organizations and individuals in the formulation and implementation of
population programs and policies.

1986

Executive Order No. 123 attached POPCOM to the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), as the planning and coordinating agency.

1987

Policy statement under the Aquino Administration was issued by the POPCOM Board
which states: "the ultimate goal of the Population Program is the improvement of the
quality of human life in a just and humane society... The achievement of this goal
requires a recognition of the close interrelationships among population, resources and
environmental factors."

1990

Executive Order No. 408, was issued placing POPCOM under the Office of the
President in order to "facilitate coordination of policies and programs relative to
population."

1991

Executive Order No. 476 was issued making POPCOM an attached agency of the
National Economic and Development Authority.

1993

Adoption of the Philippine Population Management Program and the Population,

Resources and Environment Framework by the Ramos Administration.

1999
The Estrada Administration reformulated the Philippine Population Management
Program with Responsible Parenthood as its lynchpin.

2003

On March 24, 2003, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order No.
188 attaching POPCOM to the Department of Health.

2005

In a Statement of Support, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo joined "the community of

nations in expressing support for the International Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD)."? The statement also reiterated the principles that guide the
Philippine government in the implementation of population program. These principles
are based on the four (4) pillars of Responsible Parenthood, Respect for Life, Birth
Spacing, and Informed Choice. Health services, including Reproductive Health services,
are devolved by the Local Government Code to the local government units. Local
Government Units have the responsibility of providing couples and individuals with
information and services to enable them to exercise Responsible Parenthood.

2006

On October 10, 2006, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued guidelines and

directive for the DOH, POPCOM, and local government units to take full charge of the
implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning Program. The
Responsible Parenthood and Natural Family Planning Program 's primary policy
objective is to promote natural family planning, birth spacing (three years birth spacing)
and breastfeeding which are good for the health of the mother, child, family, and
community. While LGUs can promote artificial family planning because of local
autonomy, the national government advocates natural family planning.

POPCOM LOGO
The Commission on Population (POPCOM) logo is a symbolic form of all types of people. The
adjoined loops connote interrelationship or togetherness, whether in connection with a family or with
individuals in a community Completing the logo is a circle enveloping the symbolic family or
community, signifying that the family and the individual in the community are the main focus of all

POPCOM's efforts.

CREED
POPCOM CREED
We value excellence through our performance and professionalism.

We will make POPCOM a world class center of excellence.

We will be pro-active and creative in programs and policy development, and in resolving
issues and problems, and serve as exemplary models for the organization.

Integrity will be POPCOM's cornerstone.

We will exercise transparency in all our dealings, and will abide by the government code
of ethics and standards, treat each employee with dignity and importance, and
demonstrate trust and respect for the other's integrity.

Discipline will be the hallmark for our work ethics.

We will demonstrate self discipline by being punctual and prompt, in attendance and
work assignments by complying with office rules and regulations, especially on proper
attire and office decorum, and by protecting office resources and ensuring its optimum
use.
We will strive for team excellence to be propelled by our strong sense of urgency and
total commitment to reach new heights and achieve breakthroughs.

We believe that an energized and empowered high performance team is pivotal to the
culture of excellence.

We will be a team player by being sensitive to other person's feeling and concerns,
accepting and seeking feedback and adopting participative and consultative processes.

Together, we will continue to grow and excel, as individual and as a team.

Together, we will make a difference.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The Commission on Population (POPCOM) is governed by a Board of Commissioners composed of

fourteen (14) members: eleven (11) from government and three (3) members representing the
private sector.

These are as follows:

Chairperson:

Secretary of Department of Health

Members:

The Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
Secretary of Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG)
Secretary of Department of Labor & Employment (DOLE)
Secretary of Department of Agriculture (DA)
Secretary of Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)
Secretary of Department of Education (DepED)
Secretary of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
Secretary of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
Secretary of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
Director of the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI)

Three Private Sector Representatives are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure, of the President of
the Philippines.
The POPCOM Board is tasked to set policies and directions for the country's population management
program.

POPCOM Secretariat
The POPCOM Secretariat is headed by an Executive Director III. He is supported by a Deputy
Executive Director, five (5) Division Chiefs, and 15 Regional Directors.

The Central Office

At the central office, national coordination, policy formulation, planning, advocacy and monitoring and
evaluation of the population program are done by the Office of the Executive Director, and the following
divisions:

A. Technical Divisions
1. Policy Analysis and Development Division (PADD)
2. Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PMED)
3. Information Management and Communications Division (IMCD)
B. Support Services Divisions
1. Administrative Division (ASD), and
2. Financial and Management Division (FMD)

Internal Audit Unit is an independent body that audit the internal operations of the Agency and directly
reporting to the Board of Commissioners.

The POPCOM Central Office is located at Welfareville Compound, Mandaluyong City.

Regional Operations
For regional operations, 15 regional population offices were established which include the following:

RPO I (Ilocos Region) - San Fernando, La Union

RPOII (Cagayan Valley) - Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
RPO III (Central Luzon) - San Fernando City, Pampanga
RPO IV ( Southern Tagalog) - Welfareville Compound, Mandaluyong City
RPO V (Bicol Region - Legaspi City
RPO VI ( Western Visayas) - Pavia, Iloilo
RPO VII (Central Visayas) - Banilad, Cebu City
RPO VIII (Eastern Visayas) - Palo, Leyte
RPO IX (Western Mindanao) - Zamboanga City
RPO X (Northern Mindanao) - Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City
RPO XI (Southern Mindanao) - Bajada, Davao City
RPO XII (Central Mindanao) - ARMM Complex, Cotabato City
Caraga Region - Butuan City
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) - Baguio City
National Capital Region - Welfareville Compound, Mandaluyong City

AHD MODULES
Adolescent Health and Development

Adolescent Health and Youth Development is a concern, which does not need justification. The
youth is the future. They are the hope of the nation.

Today, there are more young people than ever. Neglect of adolescents can lead to problems both
immediately and in the years ahead. Indeed, the quality of our youth today will shape the quality of
our nation tomorrow.

The world today offers adolescents both remarkable opportunities and serious risks to their health.
More than ever before, adolescents are able to attend school and benefit from technological
progress. Yet, adolescents of today are also more exposed to a growing number of diverse threats ,
than any other generation has been.

Earlier puberty and diminishing influence of family and traditional institutions, are exacerbating the
risks of early sexual involvement. Potentially harmful substances - alcohol and other drugs are now
more readily available to adolescents and threaten their health, both in the short and long term.
Violence inflicted by the young and on the young is a growing phenomenon. Sexually Transmitted
Infections (STI) is also on the increase among the young. Many more have become victims of
trafficking, hazardous environments, exploitation and sexual violence.

Parents, caregivers and youth development workers are faced with the daunting challenge of
helping adolescents anticipate and cope with the myriad changes happening to them. They also
have to prepare them to confront the threats and risks that they encounter in their passage to
adulthood.

Adolescents need to develop competencies for adaptive and positive behavior, so as to be able to
deal effectively with the demands and challenges of this transition stage. They also need to acquire
skills which will help them to chart their course and navigate their passage in this diverse and
changing world.

Adolescence is a gateway to the promotion of healthy lifestyles and positive personal attributes.
Many of the attitudes and behavioral patterns acquired during adolescence (such as gender
relations, sexual conduct, the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, life habits and dealing with
stress, pressure and conflicts ) will last a lifetime.

The Sexually Healthy and Personally Effective (SHAPE) training package is POPCOM's contribution to
national efforts to create an environment that will enable all young people to maximize their
potential. It is a part of a campaign to reach young hearts and minds and help them develop
capabilities to manage their future and become responsible citizens of tomorrow. It is a vehicle for
woking with families, communities and schools, in providing appropriate information and assistance
needed by adolescents for developing positive and responsible lifestyle choices and behavious.

Admittedly, no institution can single-handedly promote adolescent health and youth development
concerns. Thus, there is a need for synergy and collaboration among GO's, NGO's and LGUs.

The SHAPE training package is a vital tool as we move towards our shared goal of ensuring that
adolescents are able to acquire the information, build the skills, obtain the services, and live in a
safe and supportive environment that they need for their health and development.

You are most welcome to make full use of this training modules.

Adolescent Reproductive Health

Adolescence: A Time For Answers

Preview

The central task of adolescence is to find a workable answer to the question which has pre-occupied
humankind for many centuries and has been the subject of innumerable poems, novel and
autobiographies: "Who am I?".

The search for a sense of identity is most pronounced and obvious during adolescence. During
adolescent years, the young person is confronted with a host of physical , physiological,
psychological, sexual and knowledge changes as well as new and varied social, cognitive and
intellectual demands. Adolescents may at times feel like spectators observing their changing selves
or as one adolescent put it:

"Standing in front of the mirror

I'm wondering what that person is all about.
Odette de la Cruz, age 16."

This module is a labor of love for our own and all Filipino adolescents seeking answer to the age-old
question of "Who am I?". It is a love-filled walking through with them as they anxiously try to
integrate the rapid changes of body and mind into a gradually emerging sense of identity, uniquely
his/her own.

The walk through begins with the presentation of the inevitability of change, both physically and
personally and the accompanying fears, worries and difficulties spawned by misinformation and
difficulties in adapting quickly to occuring changes. The adolescent is expected to feel good about
his / her body and proud of him/herself after this phase.

The next stage of the walk through would bring in the drama of physical; and psychological changes
associated with sexual maturation. Going through this would enable the traveling teen and his/her
companion to explore human sexuality, gender and sexual orientation as he/she slowly realizes that
man is "also a sexual being".

Finding one's identity is facilitated in one's relationship with others, which boy-girl relationship. The
teen and his/her chaperone is initiated to the thrills of first love and first date, without covering the
faces and pitfalls of love and sounding the warning for datings. Yes, young man/lady, there is love
without sex.

Adolescents are not exempt from problems and the last stage of the walk through is on how to get
through threats and stress confronting teens. Surviving this stage would make them better equipped
to face the world, as persons who knows who and they are for.

Philippine Population Management Program

To implement these strategies, what are the
important activities of the PPMP at present?
Name of Office: POPCOM

1. Pre-Marriage Counseling’s a half day orientation program for couples

applying for marriage license. It is designed to provide pre-marriage couples with
a realistic view of what marriage is all about.

2. Presently, the centerpiece of the RP-FP Program is the Responsible Parenting

Movement (RPM). The Responsible Parenting Movement is a program to
organize and activate a group of parents who would want to take on responsible
parenting as a way of life. This idea is brought down to where it really matters –
the more than 42,000 barangays nationwide. These groups of parents are
organized through an 8-hour seminar (called “classes”) at the community
level. They are called as such because the participants who are parents will
undergo an orientation on concepts and values of responsible parenting and how to
achieve them. These groups of parents are the critical mass that will evolve into a
movement.

The RPM is now on its Phase II. The aim of the Responsible Parenting Movement
Phase II is to socially and economically empower the couple for them to carry out
their plans and aspirations for their families.

The RPM Phase II is piloted in the Municipality of Tanay, Rizal in Region IV and
in Marikina City in the National Capital Region (NCR).

3. On the Adolescent Health and Development component, the LEARNING

PACKAGE FOR PARENT EDUCATION ON ADOLESCENT HEALTH
AND DEVELOPMENT (LPPED) was developed to equip parents with the
necessary knowledge on adolescent sexual and reproductive health concerns as
well as skills on how to communicate these concerns to their adolescent children.

The LPPED complements the training package for the youth and adolescent which
is called “Sexually Healthy and Personally Effective Adolescent” or SHAPE.

4. On the Population and Development (POPDEV) Integration Program, the

“Sourcebook on Designing and Implementing PHE Integrative
Initiatives” was developed to highlight the population, health, and environmental
(PHE) concerns which are among the crucial development issues that have to be
addressed as we are now beginning to feel the interlink of these three concerns and
their impact on our lives.

5. On Gender and Development, the MAGNA CARTA OF WOMEN mandates

all government offices, including government-owned and controlled corporations
and local government units to adopt GENDER MAINSTREAMING as a strategy
for implementing the law and attaining its objectives. In this area, the PPMP is
adopting the Men’s Responsibility on Gender and Development or MR GAD,
which emphasizes the participation of males in the Gender and Development
issues. This is necessary because the male is the other half of the couple and
without the participation of both partners, GAD issues cannot be easily resolved.
What are the constitutional bases of the
Responsible Parenthood and Family
Planning Program?
Name of Office: POPCOM

The Responsible Parenthood Program is firmly anchored in the 1987 Constitution,

especially in Article XV, Section 3.1 and Article II, Section 12.

Article XV, Section 3.1 says that “The State shall defend the right of the spouses to
found a family in accordance with their religious convictions and the demands of
responsible parenthood.”

Article II, Section 12 also says that “The State recognizes the sanctity of family life
and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It
shall protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. The
natural and primary duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and
development of moral character shall receive the support of the Government.”

What are the demographic targets of the

PPMP for the period 2011-2015?
Name of Office: POPCOM

As its contribution to the social and economic growth of the country, the population
program aims to lower the population growth rate (PGR) from the present 2.04 (2007
Census) to 1.48 by 2015 and the total fertility rate (TFR) from 3.3 (2008 NDHS) to
2.4 by 2015. This TFR is based on the desired number of children as expressed by
Filipino women based on the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey.

These objectives can be attained if the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) will
increase from 50.7% in 2008 to 63% in 2015.

These targets, if achieved, will open a window of opportunity or a “breathing space,”

which the country can exploit to recover and regain its balance to attain its
development goals.
What are the objectives of the PPMP?
Name of Office: POPCOM

The objectives of the PPMP are:

 Help couples/parents exercise responsible parenting to achieve the desired

number, timing, and spacing of children and to contribute in improving
maternal, neonatal and child health, and nutrition (MNCHN) status;
 Help adolescents and youth avoid pre-marital sex, teenage pregnancies, early
marriages, sexuality transmitted infections and other psycho-social concerns;
and
 Contribute to policies, plans and programs that will assist government to attain
population growth and distribution consistent with economic activities and
sustainable development.

What are the policy principles of the

Philippine Population Management Program
(PPMP)?
Name of Office: POPCOM

1. The central idea of the program is responsible parenthood. It is oriented towards

the overall improvement of family well-being; it is not concerned with just fertility
reduction. It views family welfare, including that of the individual welfare, as the
central objective of the national development program. Thus, the program
promotes family development and responsible parenting. It believes that parenting
and raising a family is a shared responsibility of the husband and the wife.

2. The program is non-coercive. It respects the rights of couples to determine the

size of their family and choose voluntarily the means to do so in accordance with
their moral convictions and religious beliefs, and cultural mores and norms. It
believes in informed choice.
 3. The program rejects abortion as a means to control fertility. Abortion is illegal
and the program will never consider it as a family planning method.

4. The program promotes self-reliance and multi-sectoral participation. It gives

priority to projects that are self-sustaining and with community participation. It
encourages coordinative and participative approaches through the participation of
Local Government Units and Non-Government Organizations and other critical
stakeholders.

5. The program adheres to gender equality and equity which is non-discriminatory

in all political, social, and economic development concerns.

What are the present strategies of the PPMP?

Name of Office: POPCOM

To attain its objectives, the following are the strategies of the Program:

 Work for universal access (accessibility, availability, and affordability) of all

medically, ethically, and legally approved family planning methods and
services to help couples/parents plan their families;
 Promotion of male participation/involvement in Responsible Parenting and
Family Planning (RP-FP) within the context of gender equality and equity;
 Continue to utilize community organization and participatory strategies
(Responsible Parenting Movement, community-based volunteers) to
sustain/broaden acceptance of responsible parenting as a social norm;
 Provide age-appropriate and values-laden human sexuality education for the
youth thru the formal and non-formal educational systems and equip/educate
parents with appropriate skills and information on adolescent health and human
sexuality concerns;
 Intensify/sustain communication, education, and advocacy campaign for
population management and RP/FP programs by broadening alliances and
strengthening networks with Program stakeholders; LGUs, NGOs, business
community, academe, media and faith-based organizations, among others;
 Conduct scientific population and related researches/studies and strengthen data
& information management for policy, plan, and program development; and •
Advocate for increased investment on the population management program by
the national government and LGUs through legislative agenda and budgetary
support.
What is meant by Family Planning?
Name of Office: POPCOM

POPCOM defines Family Planning as a program that enables parents to deliberately

and responsibly decide the number and spacing of their children, by avoiding for the
time being, or even for an indefinite period, a birth. It is not a prognosis imposed on
the parents but an expression of responsible parenting based on informed choices and
decisions of couples to achieve their desired family size based on their social and
economic capacity.

What is meant by Responsible Parenthood?

Name of Office: POPCOM

Responsible Parenthood, as defined in the Directional Plan of POPCOM, is the will

and ability of parents to respond to the needs and aspirations of the family and
children. It is a shared responsibility of the husband and the wife to determine and
achieve the desired number, spacing, and timing of their children according to their
own family life aspirations, taking into account psychological preparedness, health
status, socio-cultural, and economic concerns.

What is the legal basis of the Philippine

Population Program?
Name of Office: POPCOM

The legal basis of the Philippine Population Program is Republic Act 6365, otherwise
known as the “Population Act of 1971.” It created the Commission on Population
(POPCOM). It was amended in 1972 by Presidential Decree No. 79.
As mentioned in PD 79, the tandem of Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning
is the basic program of the Philippine Population Program (PPP). The PPP was later
renamed the Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP).

Why do we need a population program?

Name of Office: POPCOM

Population must be recognized as a principal element in long-range planning, it the

government is to achieve its economic goals and fulfill the aspirations of its people.

Census of Population
2015 Census of Population
Reference No.: 2015-061
Release Date: July 31, 2015

August is National Census Month

...OP calls for support and cooperation for POPCEN 2015.

The nationwide conduct of the 2015 Census of Population (POPCEN 2015)

begins in ten (10) days. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), pursuant
to Republic Act No. 10625 (Philippine Statistical Act of 2013), is the lead
agency tasked to take an inventory of the population of the entire Philippines.

About 90 thousand trained census-takers (enumerators), 23 thousand team

supervisors, and five thousand census area supervisors will augment the PSA
personnel in the gigantic task of taking a complete count of all persons
throughout the country, either as members of a household or as residents of
an institutional living quarter.

Earlier, President Benigno S. Aquino III issued Proclamation No. 1031 calling
on the citizenry “to support and cooperate in the POPCEN 2015 by providing
complete and correct information to census enumerators.” The said
proclamation also enjoins “all departments, other government agencies,
including government-owned or -controlled corporations, as well as local
government units (LGUs) to implement and execute the operational plans,
directives and orders of the PSA Board through the PSA” relative to the
census-taking.

The first official census in the Philippines was carried out in 1878 by the
colonial Spanish government. The said census yielded a count of 5,567,685
persons living in the archipelago as of December 31, 1877. In the last census
of this kind conducted in the country in May 2010, the country’s population
was placed at 92.34 million.

Updated information on the size of the population will provide government

planners, policy makers and administrators with data on which to base their
social and economic development plans and program. Specifically, in
government, it serves as basis for: 1) redistricting and apportionment of
congressional seats; 2) allocation of resources and revenues, such as the
Internal Revenue Allotment for LGUs; 3) creation/conversion of political and
administrative units, such as provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays;
4) formulation of policies concerning various segments of the population; and
5) development of policies and programs relative to the delivery of basic
social services. Businesses and industries use the statistical information from
the census in the identification of sites for establishing businesses and
determining consumer demands and supply of labor for the production of
various goods and services.

For the National Statistician

The Beginnings
n early 1955, Dr. Philip M. Hauser, founder of the University of Chicago’s Population
Research Center, one of the world’s leading centers for the study of demography, visited
the Philippines upon the invitation of Dr. Meredith B. Givens, Principal Statistical Advisor, University
of the Philippines Statistical Training Centre (UPSTC). He addressed the members of the Philippine
Statistical Association at one of its monthly meetings. I was then a Research Assistant, the first
Filipino to have been appointed to the UPSTC’s research staff upon my arrival from training in
Biostatistics in Australia on a Colombo Plan fellowship. A few months later I met Dr. Hauser again,
this time at the Seminar on Population Problems of Asia and the Far East organized by the United
Nations (UN) in Bandung, Indonesia in November 1955. Historically, it was the first seminar on the
subject of population organized by the UN.

The seminar was the first to focus attention on increasing population trends within the region
covered by the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE), now Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The seminar participants realized that the
rising population growth rates largely negated or probably even retarded the effects of national
socio-economic programs that provided an environment conducive to lowering birth rates. An
important outcome of the seminar was a recommendation that the UN take the initiative in setting up
a regional demographic training and research centre in the ECAFE region. Consequently, the
Demographic Training and Research Centre (DTRC) was established in 1956 at Chembur, Bombay,
India. The Centre was jointly operated by UN and the Government of India. Its first Diector was Dr.
C. Chandrasekaran.

In November 1962, the Ford Foundation sent out a population survey mission to East and Southeast
Asia composed of Dr. Hauser, Dr. Dudley Kirk and Dr. Oscar Harkavy of the Economic Affairs
Program of the Ford Foundation. The mission visited the Philippines to look into the feasibility of
establishing a demographic center or a population institute at UP. Dr. Virata, then Acting Director of
the UPSTC, was very receptive to the idea, provided that the University be given time to train a
number of people for the work to be undertaken and provided further that it receive sufficient
financial support both from the Philippine government and from outside sources such as UN and
private foundations. He promised the mission members that during the ensuing year he would try to
assess how long it would take the University to carry out the preparatory steps in order that a
population institute be established in the Manila campus or in Diliman. Dr. Virata’s optimism in UP’s
ability to establish a population institute, provided sufficient financial support was available, was due
to the fact that the country

as a whole was better prepared to organize the institute as far as trained personnel was concerned
than in 1953 when UP agreed with UN to establish a Statistical Training Centre with UN financial
support. In 1962, there were about six persons who had had formal training in demography, one of
them at the Ph.D. level, and the others with demographic training either in the United States or at the
Bombay DTRC. No such similarly trained people in statistics were available when UPSTC started
operations in June 1954. Dr. Virata also informed the Ford mission members that assistance would
be needed during the preparatory period in the form of research grants and funds for graduate
fellowships.

On 15 May 1963, Acting UP President Virata, in Memorandum No. 368, established a committee in
demography in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences composed of representatives from each of
the following disciplines: sociology, demography, economics, geography and social psychology.
Membership in this committee was for two years, renewable for a similar term upon recommendation
of the Dean of the Graduate School and upon approval of the University President. The committee
was to recommend matters pertaining to faculty development, research, fellowships and
scholarships. Following a series of meetings, the committee formulated and recommended the
adoption of the requirements for an M.A. (Demography) program. Such a program was approved by
the University Council at its 221 st meeting held in September 1963. There was reason to believe that
such a program would attract students, gain the cooperation of official agencies and attract
appreciable public interest and support. The committee was to function until the time when the
Population Institute will have developed its full complement of staff.
Dr. Virata suggested to then UP President Carlos P. Romulo that the Population Council or the Ford
Foundation be requested to send a short-term consultant at the end of 1963 or early 1964 principally
to assist UP in drafting an agreement that would be presented to the Government and the
Foundations for final approval. Dr. Virata suggested that Dr. Hauser be tapped for this assignment
since the latter had indicated a desire and a willingness to participate in formulating the plans for the
institute.

The Establishment of the

Population Institute
The establishment of the Population Institute as a unit of
UP was approved by the Board of Regents on 20
November 1964 with the following objectives: (1) provide
at least nine graduates with demographic training, during
the first three years of its operation; (2) produce a
comprehensive analysis of characteristics and trends of
the Philippine population; and (3) initiate a program of
research on matters significant for planning and program
purposes.

The Institute, with initial four-year support from the Ford

Foundation, operated as a regular unit of the University
through its director in consultation with an executive committee on general policy matters and an
advisory committee in demography on academic

matters. After the first four years of funding the Institute’s faculty development, scholarship program
and library, the Ford Foundation extended its financial support for no more than four years, on a
matching-grant basis.

The Population Institute was headed by a director responsible for the administration of the training
program and the direction of the Institute’s research program. As the Institute developed there was
provision for an associate director to serve as a deputy to the director and as acting director in the
director’s absence.

The Institute’s professional personnel, appointed by the director, consisted of research associates
and teaching faculty, both of whom undertook research and teaching functions as may be required.
Research associates had to have an M.A., preferably in demography or in a related discipline.
Senior research associates had to have Ph.D. degrees in demography or in a related discipline.
Research assistants were appointed as needed and consisted in the main of graduates majoring in
demography or in related disciplines. All members of the Institute professional personnel and staff
performed their Institute functions as assigned and directed by the Institute director.

Training Program
The Population Institute is responsible, in cooperation with appropriate departments of UP, for
administering a training program in population studies leading to the M.A. degree in demography.
The program is inter-disciplinary and assures the production of demographic personnel with
backgrounds in such relevant fields as economics, sociology, social psychology, geography,
anthropology, statistics and other areas as may be desirable.

The program, in addition to turning out persons with demographic training equipped to contribute to
demographic work in government and other agencies, would serve as a basis for discovering
exceptionally qualified students who merit further training, including Ph.D. training, at universities
abroad. In addition to the academic program, the Population Institute also administered an in-service
training program, the purpose of which was to provide government personnel with specific types of
demographic skills.

Research Program
A major obligation of UPPI was to develop, design, and administer research programs in
demography to assist government in planning, economic, educational, and other activities in respect
to which policy and program must necessarily deal with population size, distribution, composition,
and components of population change. UPPI was to serve as the focal point for the analysis of
demographic information and the dissemination of knowledge in this field to the government and to
the Filipino people. Moreover, the Institute was to be the major unit for academic research in
demography at UP. It was to assist the country’s other educational and research institutions in the
development and conduct of demographic programs; and in the design and conduct of evaluative
research on any population action-programs undertaken by government or other suitable agencies.

Consultative and Advisory Services

There was increasing awareness within the country of the importance of considering population
factors in relation to government, economic and social policy and program. However, the scarcity of
demographic personnel had made it difficult for government agencies and others to obtain
demographic consultative and advisory services. UPPI was to provide such services as desired.

At the same time, the Institute would take steps to secure the collaboration and assistance of other
agencies contributing significantly to the population field. In particular, it would make full use of the
many resources available at UP. For example, the Statistical Training Centre would provide
consultative services on sampling and evaluation of survey results. The Institute of Economic
Development and Research would provide advice on the interrelationship between population and
economic development. Similarly, the Institute of Hygiene and the College of Agriculture would
contribute through their studies of communities. The Institute of Asian Studies and the Community
Development Research Council were two other units whose specialized studies would be utilized in
the overall research scheme.

It was necessary to keep in close contact with national government agencies interested in population
studies. These agencies included the National Economic Council (now the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA), the Program Implementation Agency (now the Presidential
Management Staff), the National Science Development Board (now the Department of Science and
Technology or DOST), the Disease Intelligence Center of the Department of Health and the Bureau
of the Census and Statistics (now National Statistics Office or NSO).

Physical Plant
Owing to lack of financial resources, the plan for a separate building for the Population Institute as
part of the Public Affairs Complex never materialized. In 1985, the UP administration required all
graduate units to be located in the Diliman campus to make way for the transfer of the College of
Pharmacy to the Manila campus. Hence, the Population Institute was provided permanent space at
Palma Hall in Diliman and allotted part of the space occupied by the College of Pharmacy.
 The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every
pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
Since UNFPA started working in the Philippines, the agency has promoted the right of Filipinos to
access reproductive health information and services, including family planning and prevention of
gender-based violence, to enable them to make informed and voluntary choices and decisions.

Under the current country programme (2012-2018), UNFPA has reached 7.5 million young Filipinos
with correct information on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The agency also reached 1.4
million Filipinos with family planning sessions in the workplace and in their communities through its
Business Action for Family Planning Access (BAFP) project.

How we work
Guided by the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development
(ICPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNFPA supports national and local
partners in their efforts to reduce maternal deaths by achieving universal access to sexual and
reproductive health, including family planning. Through policy engagement and catalytic technical
support, UNFPA strengthens capacities of government to implement the Responsible Parenthood
and Reproductive Health Law and the Magna Carta of Women, specifically the provisions on:

 Reproductive rights and violence against women;

 Integration of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) on sexual and reproductive health in
humanitarian response; and

 Incorporation of population dimension into migration, disaster risk reduction and climate change
adaptation plans.

UNFPA gives special attention to removing barriers that prevent indigenous peoples, urban poor,
and women and girls with disabilities from accessing critical reproductive health services.

UNFPA works with the government and other partners to create a policy environment that will allow
the Philippines to fully benefit from the demographic dividend and boost economic productivity of the
large number of Filipino youth. Related to this, UNFPA supports the implementation of
comprehensive sexuality education, both in schools and through community-based training and
outreach.

UNFPA partners with young people, helping them participate in decisions affecting them, and
strengthening their ability to advance human rights and development issues.

During emergencies, UNFPA supports government in protecting the reproductive health of crisis-
affected population, including prevention and management of gender-based violence.
Sexual and Reproductive Health

Good sexual and reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being in
all matters relating to the reproductive system. It implies that people are able to have a satisfying
and safe sex life, the capability to reproduce, and the freedom to decide if, when, and how often to
do so.
In the Philippines, there are 9.7 million girls aged 10 to 19, and by age 19, 1 in 5 girls are - or will soon be -
mothers.

Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are one of the leading causes of death for adolescent girls, and
unintended pregnancy also brings other serious health risks as well as limiting girls’ ability to fulfill their
potential by forcing them to leave school or forfeit good job opportunities. This also leaves them more
vulnerable to falling into poverty and exclusion.

Recent estimates indicate that around P33 billion is lost each year through teenage pregnancy. That’s almost
1% of the Philippines’ GDP (2012).

And adolescent pregnancies are on the rise. In 1993, 6.5 per cent of adolescent women aged 15-19 have begun
childbearing. By 2013, the percentage had reached 10.1.

UNFPA works with the government, civil society organizations and youth networks to address the challenges
faced by young people, particularly adolescent girls, by supporting efforts to provide youth-appropriate sexual
and reproductive health services and information available to everyone, and by helping develop a sound policy
and legal framework to boost sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Comprehensive Sexuality Education, available for all young people, is key to ensuring sexual and reproductive
health and reproductive rights. UNFPA works with the Department of Education and the U4U initiative – an
interactive panel through the Commission on Population and other partners. To date, UNFPA has reached 7.5
million young Filipinos with correct information on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. UNFPA also
supports evidenced-based studies as bases of policies and plans of the government and other stakeholders.
Maternal Health

More than 11 mothers still die every day of preventable causes, related to child birth and abortion in the
Philippines; and for every woman who dies, 20 more suffer complications with serious or long-lasting
consequences.

UNFPA Philippines works with the government and civil society organizations to make pregnancy and
childbirth safer. The package of assistance covers areas of upstream policy support for maternal and
reproductive health, capacity building for health service providers, support to the establishment of the service
delivery network for maternal and child health, and improving local governance for maternal health.

HIV & AIDS

The Philippines is one of only nine countries worldwide that registered more than 25 per cent increase in cases
of HIV, according to a 2012 global study. A review of Millennium Development Goal 6, which seeks to halt
the spread of HIV, revealed that the Philippines’ target of 80 per cent condom use was not achieved. Correct
knowledge on HIV among 15-24 years old was also below the 80 per cent target and the identified cases of
HIV are getting younger.

UNFPA Philippines supports the promotion of the integration of sexual and reproductive health, HIV and
gender-based violence in ensuring that women, girls, indigenous peoples, LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer and intersex) and key populations have access to information and integrated services in the
prevention of stigma and all forms of discrimination, as well as access to condoms.

Gender Based Violence

The Philippines ranks 7th and remains the highest-ranked country in Asia and the Pacific in terms of Gender
Equality, according to the 2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Gender Gap Index. Yet despite its
considerable progress towards achieving gender equality and having in place legislation to address women’s
human rights and discrimination, there are still significant challenges, including tackling violence against
women and children.
In the Philippines, UNFPA supports national, regional government agencies, local government units and
NGOs in preventing and responding to violence against women and children in both development and
humanitarian settings.

Strengthening policies and actions on violence

In 2015, UNFPA helped develop the capacities of 17 regional offices of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) to address gender-based violence in emergencies as part of disaster preparedness
efforts. This is fully in line with existing national laws such as the Magna Carta of Women, which provides for
women having the “right to protection and security in times of disasters, calamities and other crisis situations
especially in all phases of relief, recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts.”

UNFPA works with DSWD and the National Association for Social Work Education, Inc. (NASWEI) to
mainstream gender and integrate gender-based violence prevention and response and gender responsive case
management in the Bachelor of Science in Social Work curriculum. A total of 80 Social Work Educators and
practitioners all over the country were trained on gender responsive case management to date.

Strengthening health sector responses to violence

A visit to a health service provider might be a woman or a child’s only chance to receive support, care and to
escape a situation of abuse and violence. UNFPA supports the Department of Health (DOH) and Child
Protection Network Foundation in establishing Women and Children Protection Units in DOH-retained and
local government-supported hospitals.

We also supported the Multi-Disciplinary Team Training that capacitated 333 service providers, including
doctors, social workers and police officers on managing violence against women and children cases at the local
level.

UNFPA also helped integrate gender-based violence into the Residency Programs of Obstetrics, Pediatrics,
and Family Medicine, training 109 pediatricians to date on the new residency curriculum.

In addition, the Office of the United States Foreign Disaster Assistance – U.S. Agency for International
Development (OFDA-USAID) funded UNFPA Philippines’ project on strengthening government and civil
society capacities on gender based violence prevention and response. Through the project, a total of 723 Local
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council members and inter-agency protection mechanism members
were trained on the Comprehensive Intervention Against Gender-based Violence, 386 trained on gender-based
violence prevention and response, and, 90 NGO members trained on psychosocial interventions.

Family Planning

Access to safe, voluntary family planning is a human right, and if women can plan the number of children they
have and properly space their births, around half of preventable maternal deaths could be eradicated. Family
planning is also central to gender equality and women’s empowerment and is a key factor in reducing poverty.

Unmet need for family planning

In the Philippines, while the total fertility rate has reduced significantly over the past decades, many poor
Filipino couples remain unable to fulfill their reproductive rights. Serious gaps in family planning services
remain with 17.5 per cent of women of reproductive age having an unmet need for family planning, while the
use of modern contraceptives remains low at 23.5 per cent of all women of reproductive age.

Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law

UNFPA Philippines provides focused support to the family planning program in the country by providing
technical assistance in the implementation of the Reproductive Health Law. It supports government institutions
in the development of strategic plans for family planning programs, including reproductive health commodity
security and logistics management, linking demand generation and service delivery and engaging civil society
groups as partners in the provision of family planning services. A total of 244,685 women have been reached
with family planning services by UNFPA partners from 2012 to 30 June 2017.

Business Action for Family Planning Access (BAFP)

The Business Action for Family Planning Access (BAFP) project works to encourage private sector
engagement in family planning either in the workplace, community-based or as a core business. Launched in
2014, it is jointly co-funded by UNFPA, UN Foundation, MSD through its MSD for Mothers initiative, and
Accenture Development Partnerships.

Since 2015, the project has been able to reach almost 1.4 million individuals through family planning sessions
in the workplace and in communities. In the next 18 months, the project aims to reach out to another 3 million
individuals through the provision of family planning learning sessions, counselling and onsite service delivery
for employees of the four current and nine new partner companies.

History of the BAFP Project

The involvement of the private sector provides a venue for family planning integration and ensures that
structures and systems to sustain access to quality information, counselling including commodities are in
place. To realize this vision, project implementers reached out to companies globally and piloted the project in
the Philippines.

At the country-level, UNFPA Philippines partnered with the Employer’s Confederation of the Philippines
(ECOP) to support BAFP partner companies like Avon-Philippines, Bagosphere, CARD-MFI, and Hamlin
Industrial Corporation to develop four modalities of engagement of private sector companies on family
planning (FP) participation.

These modalities are: 1 FP installation in the workplace; 2. FP as Corporate Social Responsibility; 3. FP as a

core-business and 4; FP as CSR and FP installation mix. These modalities ensure the sustainability of the
project within their economic environment and consequently enable more women to practice healthy timing
and spacing of their pregnancies and empower women to seek and keep better jobs.

UNFPA supports these partner companies in building their capacity to provide their employees with accurate
FP information and increase employees access to FP commodities through adoption of corporate policies on
FP, development of Training the Trainers (TTT) Module and information materials for their employees and
clients.

BAFP has proven that there is significant demand and commitment from private sector organizations in the
Philippines to offer family planning programs to their workers and communities. These commitments are
responsive to country needs and aligned to government priorities to foster a sustainable partnership between
businesses and government and provide replicable models for other countries.

Encouraging more companies to commit to this project means developing a strong value proposition,
highlighting both the social impact as well as the economic returns for companies to invest in family planning.
The private sector is an important actor in the Philippines as the sector can influence decision-making,
advocate for policy change and set new benchmarks on how enterprises can responsibly engage on public
health and other social issues.

Emergencies

The Philippines ranks third in the 2016 World Risk Index of most disaster-prone countries in the world. Every
year, it experiences almost all forms of natural and human-induced calamities, such as typhoons, earthquakes,
floods, volcanic eruptions, landslides, fires and armed conflict.

From 1900 to 2012, the country was hit by 531 disasters, affecting more than 160 million people and causing
USD10.5 billion worth of damage to the economy. In 2013 alone, 16 disasters struck the country, the most
destructive of which was Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) which affected 26 million people and claimed at least
8,000 lives.

During emergencies, reproductive health becomes even more significant. Global estimates indicate that around
4% of the population affected by an emergency are pregnant mothers, around 3.5% are lactating women and
around 30% are young people. Around 15% of pregnancies may end up in complications while 5 to 15% will
require a Caesarian section. Premature delivery among pregnant women may occur during times of
displacement. Furthermore, the disruption of access to reproductive health care, information, and services
deprives pregnant and lactating women and their newborns as well as young people of essential health care
services.

Chapter 10 of the 1994 ICPD Programme of Action which states that “all migrants, refugees, asylum seekers
and displaced persons should receive basic education and health services” puts emphasis on the right of people,
including those living in humanitarian settings, to reproductive health.
Due to the susceptibility of the country to disasters, the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act. No. 10121
also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. The law mandated the
creation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the
institutionalization of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP).

The government’s National Disaster Response Plan (NDRP) adopts the global humanitarian cluster approach
which designates cluster leads for all the main sectors or areas of activity. Under the NDRP, there are currently
eleven clusters: Food and Non-Food Items (FNI); Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM);
Health; Education; Protection; Search, Rescue and Retrieval (SRR); Management of the Dead and Missing
(MDM); Logistics; Emergency Telecommunications (ETC); Law and Order (LAO); and International
Humanitarian Relations (IHR). Each of the clusters has a designated Government agency cluster lead and a UN
agency or international humanitarian partner co-lead.

The Department of Health (DOH) leads the Health Cluster with UNFPA as its Co-lead for the Reproductive
Health Subcluster. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) leads the Protection Cluster
with UNFPA as the Co-lead for the Gender-Based Violence Sub-cluster (GBVSC)