Control overpopulation to remain away from starvation.

Control the population to maintain the happy life.

Take part in campaign celebration to be aware of overcrowd.

Decrease the population, increase the growth.

Overpopulation brings the scarcity of natural resources.

Overpopulation is the main reason behind the major problems we are facing.

Have control on Birth, to reduce the burden on earth.

Overpopulation will bring calamities for humans.

Controlled population will help us in living a healthy and sustainable life.

Nature is giving you an ultimate warning, Move towards family planning.

Two children, bright future; More children, no future.

Be proud and control the crowd. Happy World Population Day.

On his/her anniversary give your friend, an advice to follow the family planning trend.

Celebrate World Population Day to enjoy lesser crowd in future.

1,600 LGUS ENJOINED TO INTENSIFY FAMILY
PLANNING PROGRAM THROUGH LOCAL
POPULATION OFFICERS
The directive of President Duterte to intensify the implementation of the National
Program on Population and Family Planning (NPPFP) gained the support of the
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Secretary Eduardo Año
released last July 8, 2019 Memorandum Circular 2019-100 that enjoins the appointment
and designation of Local Population Officers in all 1,600 local government units (LGUs).
The memorandum also mandates the mobilization of barangay and community officials
and volunteers to support the said national program.

The memorandum emphasizes the critical role of LGUs in ensuring the delivery of the
full range of family planning information and services especially among the marginalized
and undeserved population.

Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez III, the Executive Director of the Commission on
Population and Development said that “The POPCOM greatly appreciates DILG for this
policy support. The appointment and designation of local population officers and
mobilization of community officials and volunteers augurs well for the national objective
of promoting family planning towards the reduction of poverty by 2022.”

“The organization and mobilization of community volunteers and workers are crucial in
bringing FP services and information closer to the people, ensuring that quality supplies
are accessible through service providers and all possible access points, aside from
health facilities”, he said.
POPCOM Chair and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
Secretary Dr. Ernesto Pernia and Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Dr. Francisco
Duque have also been very vocal in their support on the operation and existence of
Local Population Offices nationwide as they provide the structure and necessary
manpower to ensure that all Filipinos have access to responsible parenthood and
reproductive health information, enabling Filipino couples, especially the poor, to have
their desired number and spacing in the context of informed choice.
Both secretaries penned their support with the signing of the Joint Memorandum
Circular for NPPFP on February 15, 2019 during the POPCOM Board of
Commissioners’ meeting in NEDA, Pasig.

The NPPFP was revitalized to address the challenge of addressing adequately the
needs of the growing population in the country today. The FP program was officially
launched in 1969 through Executive Order 171, and institutionalized as a national policy
then through Republic Act 6365 and Presidential Decree No. 79. Fifty years later,
the program will be strengthened to enable more Filipinos to access FP services and
speed up impact to social and economic development in a wider scale.

This move is apt as POPCOM is set to recognize outstanding Population Officers in the
population program, dubbed as Kaunlarang Pantao Award, inspired by the early
population and development works of Rafael M. Salas, who is also internationally
known as “Mr. Population”.

This memo circular is in compliance to the Executive Order No. 12 entitled “Attaining
and Sustaining Zero Unmet Need for Modern Family Planning” issued by President
Rodrigo Duterte. The order mandates the DOH, POPCOM, DILG, and other relevant
agencies, including local government units (LGUs), to attain and sustain zero unmet
need for Family Planning.
THE PHILIPPINES MARKS WORLD POPULATION DAY
ON JULY 11: HALF OF THE JOURNEY MADE SINCE
THE 1994 CAIRO POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT
MEETING
PRESS RELEASE

The Philippines marks World Population Day on July 11: Half of the journey made
since the 1994 Cairo Population and Development Meeting

The Philippines joins the World Population Day on 11 July, with its theme, “25 Years of
the ICPD,” looking back at the country’s gains and challenges since the 1994
International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt.

In 1994, Filipinos made up 1.21 percent of the world population. 25 years after, it
increased to 1.40 percent. 1 With some 108 million people, the Philippines is now the
13th most populous country in the world. 2 Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA) indicate that the country’s population continues to increase in numbers,
approximately three babies born per minute, but the rate of growth has declined to
1.76% annually since the 2015 population census. Under this growth rate, the country’s
population is expected to double in the next 39 years.

Significant progress has been made from 1994 for instance in- Total Fertility Rate (from
4.1 in 1993 to 2.7 in 2017) and Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (from 25% in
1993 to 40% in 2017).3 Gains were due to continued government efforts in advocating
for Family Planning (FP) programs, despite hurdles from various groups.

Moreover, policies pursuant to the ICPD agenda in the country were also implemented,
including the full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive
Health (RPRH) Law as one of the priority socioeconomic agenda; issuance of Executive
Order No. 12 to achieve and sustain zero unmet need for modern family planning by
2022; and the approval by President Rodrigo Duterte of the intensified implementation
of the National Program on Population and Family Planning (NPPFP).

25 years after ICPD, the country still needs to address sexual and reproductive health
and rights (SRHR), including on gender-based violence. While significant strides have
been made, particularly in the area of civil rights as girls acquire more education and
enter the workforce, they continue to face challenges in the private sphere of their
homes, where their decisions and actions are often questioned and sometimes met with
coercion and violence. These are the stark inequalities that hold back women in
realizing their full potential.
26 percent of ever-married women of reproductive age still experience violence from
their husbands or partners, whether in the form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse
(National Demographic and Health Survey, 2017).

The 2019 State of the World Population (SWOP) Report placed emphasis on gender
issues as one impediment in the advancement of SRHR. As Under-Secretary-General
and Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Natalia Kanem
stated, “We must push back against forces that would see us return to a time when
women had little say in reproductive decisions or, for that matter, in any area of their
lives. The fight for rights and choices must continue until they are a reality for all.”

Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) Undersecretary Dr. Juan

Antonio A. Perez III believes that attitudes towards gender roles have consequences,
on how individuals and couples form their families, perceive female employment, run
the workplace and other institutions like church and school. “People-centered
development where individuals are empowered has been the core of our advocacy —
from educating girls, engaging men and women, and recognizing the role of the bigger
society we all live in,” Usec. Perez said.

The ICPD in Cairo, Egypt, set forth a Programme of Action signed by 179 countries,
embarking on a long and difficult journey to reproductive health, including voluntary
family planning and safe pregnancy; women empowerment and gender equality.

“UNFPA congratulates the Philippine Government in its achievements and commitment

to fulfill the promise of the ICPD Agenda,” said Iori Kato, UNFPA Representative in the
Philippines.

“We look forward to the Government renewing its commitment at the Nairobi Summit on
ICPD25: Accelerating the promise, a high-level conference organized on 12-14
November 2019 to finish the unfinished agenda of the full implementation of the ICPD
Programme of Action as an integral way for sustainable development,” he added.

POPCOM and UNFPA are proud to have been part of the 25 fruitful years of the ICPD,
taking on extra significance this year when both agencies mark their 50th founding
anniversary. Usec. Perez asserted, “We are only on the halfway point of our own
journey. We must persevere to empower millions more Filipino families.”

We invite everyone to join us in this year’s World Population Day national celebration on
11 July 2019, 10 AM at the Bahay ng Alumni, University of the Philippines, Diliman,
Quezon City. This dissemination forum will be an avenue to present to the public the
results of the ICPD@25 National Review.

1 Data from www.data.worldbank.org

2 Data based on the latest United Nations Population Division estimates.

3 Data from 1993 and 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)

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