trial and error -- E-libNews

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 01:51:35 04/16/13 Tue
Author: IMRD
Subject: trial and error

2011
Reproductive Health & Family Planning (RP-FP)
The goal of the agency in advancing the objectives of RP-FP is to help couples/ parents exercise responsible parenting to achieve their desired number, timing, and spacing of their children, and to contribute in improving the maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCHN). The following activities conducted strived to respond to this goal:

RP-FP Trainers’ Training in Abra, Ifugao and Mountain Province
In partnership with our Provincial and Municipal Population Counterparts, 8 Trainers Trainings were conducted in the Municipalities of Dolores, Daguioman, Danglas, Lagangilang, Pilar and Penarubia in the Province of Abra, another one in Sadanga in Mountain Province and in the Municipality of Hundguan in Ifugao.
Various Department Heads, Policy Makers, Municipal Population Officer Designates, Barangay Health Workers (BHW), Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), Nurses, Midwives, and Day Care Workers participated in these trainings funded and conducted by the Regional Population Office (RPO) technical staff.
Outputs of the trainings were organized Responsible Parenting Movement (RPM) Teams, formulation of RPM Action Plans, and couples reached and oriented on Responsible Parenting and Family Planning during return demonstrations.

RP-FP Reaches 361 Couples in 2011
The implementation of the RP-FP program has slowed down significantly this year in the region reaching a low of 361 couples.
The Province of Abra registered the highest contribution with 208 couples. This was largely a result of the conduct of 6 sessions of RP-FP Trainers’ Training in 6 municipalities where the last training day required couples as participants in the return demonstration of RP-FP trainees.
Reports received from the other provinces and city accounted for the remaining 153 couples that completed the 361 total number of couples reached in 2011. Mountain Province has not conducted any RP-FP class.
To date, the number of RP-FP couples covered by fund transfers through Memorandum of Agreements that are yet to be delivered remains at 11,807.

Young People Voice Out Concerns on Reproductive Health

200 4th year high school students and a few teachers of Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) joined the observance of the 2011 World Population Day organized by the Regional Population Office . These young people articulated their concerns on human sexuality and reproductive health during the World Population Day Symposium on Human Sexuality, Dynamics of Fertility, Life Skills and on HB 4244.
The forum sought to assist the Department of Education in the provision of relevant sexuality education to our young people as our commitment to the ICPD Program of Action (PoA), the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child under which the Philippine Government is one of signatories.

The common questions asked by the young participants which affirm their long-standing need for a relevant sexuality education in school were:
How do we take care of the sperms?
How does one become infertile?
Does acquiring a mumps affect our fertility status?
Why do some women have dysmenorrhea?
Does masturbation have any effect on the male’s height?
Why do the semen have color?
Can a woman who had sexual intercourse during her menstruation get pregnant?
Does taking medicine regulate sperm health?
How does one acquire cervical cancer?
As a means to respond to the Reproductive Health concerns of our young people, HB 4244 was also discussed and explained. Reactions mirrored the typical apprehensions of both the young and the old segments of our population. These were:
What is the definition of abortion?
What version is this RH Bill?
What do we promote in this bill, artificial or natural Family Planning?
Why do we need to pass the RH Bill when some of its provisions are already being implemented like artificial contraceptives are already out in the market?
What is the RH Bill status?
How will the government ensure that the RH Bill will not be abused?
There are countries who have already passed their own RH laws but still remain to be poor. Does this in anyway reduce poverty in our country as what is being claimed? What are the features of the RH laws in other countries that are not found in the RH Bill we have now?
The Roman Catholic opposes the RH Bill and says that it is not a solution to poverty, how do we respond to this?
What acts does the bill penalize?
Various IEC materials on the RH Bill: Primer, leaflet and loose sheets from Mulat Pinoy entitled, “The Inconvenient Truth” which came up with an intellectual discussion on the various population issues and the need to come up with a national policy responsive to these, leaflet on Life Skills and Human Sexuality were disseminated.

Partners Show Support for Reproductive Health Bill
More than 400 stakeholders attended the Regional Reproductive Health Summit organized by the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) and the Regional Population Office (RPO-CAR) in May.
Various officers of the League of Municipalities of Mountain Province,
Apayao and Benguet, the Association of Barangay Captains and Barangay Kagawads of at least 80 barangays of Baguio City, the Lone Congressional Representative of Ifugao Province and leaders of the civil society groups have expressed support and commitment during the forum to assist in intensifying awareness and eliciting public support for HB 4244 in their areas during the Reproductive Health Summit.
The forum also resulted to requests for more orientations on the bill for other organizations not yet fully aware of its salient provisions.
Local as well as national media outfits such as Philippine Daily Inquirer, Daily SunStar and Bombo Radyo, Dateline Philippines of ANC; among others, have provided sufficient airtime and space for advocacy of HB 4244 core messages for free.

Kalinga and Mountain Province reaffirm need
for a National Reproductive Health Policy

The two provincial forum held in Mountain Province and Kalinga in August and September aroused interest from both the private and government sector. A total of 325 participants attended these activities which exceeded the expected total of 200 attendees.
No less than the Provincial Governor Honorable Leonard G. Mayaen of Mountain Province and Honorable Jocel C. Baac of Kalinga graced the said gatherings. Governor Baac urged the participants to have an open mind when he said, “Why do the government and other partners keep on pushing for this bill? There must be a good reason for this. It must be for development. Let us open our mind to an objective understanding of this bill and we cannot come to a considerable understanding of this bill if we do not first allow ourselves to be informed of the content of HB 4244. “ Governor Mayaen also expressed appreciation for the RH Forum and support for the bill when he said, “Our province support the bill as we have already passed our own Provincial Code on Reproductive Health. This consultation is in consonance with the right to life”.
Local legislative officials in both the province and various municipalities including representatives of various government agencies, non-government organization, academe, and the religious sector joined.
Such activities were part of the efforts of POPCOM and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to intensify advocacy for the passage of House Bill 4244 otherwise known as Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health, and Population and Development Act of 2011. Specifically, it was intended to: 1) Increase awareness of local stakeholders on population, reproductive health and family planning issues and concerns; 2) Inform local stakeholders on the content and real purpose of consolidated HB 4244; and ultimately 3) Generate organizational and personal commitment and actions to support RH and Family Planning programs at the national and local levels.

Staging of National Day of Purple Ribbon for RH in CAR
Earns wide media mileage

The staging of the National Day of the Purple Ribbon for Reproductive Health in September paved the way for more media mileage for broadcast and print in both local and national media outfits.
Such undertaking was intended to intensify advocacy for the passage of the Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development Bill (HB 4244). The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) sponsored this event in partnership with the Commission on Population Cordillera Administrative Region.
The brief program was held at Baguio City National High School of which 500 high school students and teachers attended and participated. Partners from the various barangays headed by the President of the Association of Barangay Captains, Honorable Councilor Joel Alangsab. Representatives of people’s organizations like KALIPI and non-government organization like DSWP, C4RH, IGOROTA, PILIPINA, FPOP, PHSSA-CAR, ABAKA, ABWH, ABNAO, ABNS, various representatives of regional line agencies such as NAPOLCOM, NNC, CHD, DILG, TESDA, DSWD, Ifugao Youth delegates; among others, joined the program. The total number of participants was estimated to be at 800.
Highlights of the activity was a creative presentation of the local Reproductive Health Situation in CAR. The Ifugao Youth Performers otherwise known as Teatro Ifugao depicted various issues such as unmet need for family planning, unmanaged and rapidly growing population, teen-age pregnancies and early marriages, and the lack of an institutionalized comprehensive reproductive health services in the region responsive to the existing and perennial issues.
Mr. Ramon San Pascual, Executive Director of PLCPD stressed during the event the need to consolidate efforts to pressure Congress to vote on the bill in order to put an end to this battle. He added that the passage of HB 4244 would help solve the increasing HIV/AIDS cases everyday, among others.
Dr. Louee Padilla, Executive Director of Pilipina – Baguio-Benguet Chapter emphasized that HB 4244 is for the young generation of today, that the passage of the bill would largely benefit the young people of today who are to become future parents. She thanked the school for allowing the student participation in the activity.
A parade from the BCNHS grounds, Governor Pack Road, Session Road down to the Malcolm Square ensued. Participants to the form also joined the parade. Baguio Artists added more color to the event as they displayed their artistic work depicting the RH issues and advocacy messages.
The brief candle lighting ceremony at Malcolm Square formally closed the staging of the parade for the National Day of the Purple Ribbon for RH. Local bands staged a concert at the UP-Baguio after the parade in order to further drum-up the call for Congress to vote on the bill.

One of the outputs of our advocacy efforts in partnership with the provincial, city and municipal local population counterparts was the issuance of local policies supportive of RP-FP. The following were local policies passed for the program:

Resolution No. 11 s. 2011 – Office of the Sangguniang Barangay and Committee on Education and Urban Poor - Sto Rosario, Baguio City
A Resolution to conduct classes on NFP and Responsible Parenting in the Barangay
Draft Resolution No. 01 s. 2011 – Municipality of Danglas, Abra
A Resolution for the Creation of the Municipal Responsible Parenting and Family Planning Team
Resolution No. 01 s. 2011 – Municipality of Sadanga, Mountain Province
A Resolution for the Creation of the Municipal Responsible Parenting and Family Planning Team
Resolution No. __ s. 2011 – Municipality of Hungduan, Ifugao
Reorganization of the Municipal RPFP Team
Resolution No. __s. 2011 - Office of the Sangguniang Barangay and Committee on Education and Health – Pinget, Baguio City
Resolution for the implementation of Responsible Parenting Classes

2012
RPO-CAR Welcomes New Regional Director
Commission on Population Central Office Order No.45 series of 2011 brought a welcomed change to the Regional Population Office of the Cordillera Administrative Region (RPO-CAR) early this January when Director Rosa R. Fortaleza was assigned as its new Regional Director.
Director Fortaleza replaced Director Ma. Aurora C. Quiray who served the region for 17 years. On her first day in RPO-CAR, she said, “Malakas ang hatak ng staff. Naitago ko pa ang banner na ginawa niyo during my farewell party” as she recalled her first stint in RPO-CAR as Chief of the Technical Division way back in 1994-1995 prior to her first assignment as Regional Director in the Bicol Region.
A series of organizational meetings followed by consultations and orientations with the Commission on Audit and several local government unit partners and officials in the various provinces and municipalities marked her first three months. These were all aimed at making clear both organizational and program directions essential in ensuring the smooth implementation of the agency mandate.
Outputs of the meetings were institutional mechanisms for both administrative and technical operations, as well as program implementation mechanisms and guidelines, a deeper appreciation of partners on the PPMP and their roles, and most importantly, a renewed commitment and areas of partnerships with them.

LGU Partners Express Renewed Interest in the Program
The first regional gathering of Provincial and Municipal Population Officers and Workers on January 2012 to discuss the local implementation of the Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP) rekindled the interest and commitment of local government partners for the program.
The renewed interest and appreciation came in as Director Rosa R. Fortaleza provided them with a fresh, clear and more focused program directions in her presentations of the PMMP and the role of the local Population Office. “For the first time, program directions became clearer and I understood it better” were the common statements of participants during the two-day consultation meeting.

Reproductive Health and Family Planning (RH-FP)
RPO –CAR Exceeds Targets for Number of Couples Reached
The Regional Population Office – Cordillera Administrative Region (RPO-CAR) in partnership with various local government units surpassed its target for the number of couples to be reached through the Family
Development Sessions (FDS) in 2012.

Conduct of 446 FDS on Responsible Parenting and Family Planning (RP-FP) in the barangays has reached a total of 12,804 households. This is an overwhelming achievement against the targeted 7,017 households based on what the 2012 Regional Budget Allocation (RBA) of the RPO can fund. The Province of Abra delivered the most number of households reached with 3,698 followed by Apayao.

Local Government Unit 2012 Target CCT Households (DSWD) 2012 PPMP Target (Based on 2012 RBA) Number of
actual HH Reached
Abra 5,556 1,117 3,698
Apayao 5,124 1,030 2,725
Baguio City - - 205
Benguet 8,069 1,622 1,511
Ifugao 2,262 456 2,230
Kalinga 5,815 1,169 310
Mt. Province 8,069 1,623 2,125
Tabuk City - - -
Total 34,895 7,017 12,804

The provincial and municipal local government’s appreciation of the RPO’s fund support for the reimbursement of incidental expenses incurred in the conduct of the FDS and their renewed appreciation of the Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP) thrusts in relation to the LGU’s development goals were instrumental in the significant gains achieved under RH-FP.

Regular updating of the RP-FP Online database is being done as one of the means to document as well as monitor accomplishments on the households, couples and single parents assisted through the program nationwide.

Reports of accomplishment and claims for reimbursement started coming in at the onset of the second quarter of 2012 having its peak on the third quarter. This was one of the results of the intensive provincial, city and municipal orientations on RP-FP coupled with policy dialogues of Dir. Rosa R. Fortaleza with all provincial and city Chief Executives and other program influentials in the region.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) study on behaviour change revealed that face-to-face communication (i.e. parenting classes being held in the barangays) is more effective in producing the desired behaviour change in the intended audience and in creating the demand for family planning services.

Regular attendance of the 4Ps beneficiaries in the FDS is one of the conditionalities in order to remain in the program and receive the subsidy from the national government.

Population and Development Integration

Mountain Province Drafts Comprehensive Land Use Plan

The Provincial Government of Mountain Province through the fund support of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) prepared its preliminary Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) in December 2012. The municipalities of Bauko, Besao, Bontoc, Sagada, Barlig, Sadanga, Sabangan, and Paracelis joined in crafting the draft document.

The Regional Population Office and the Project Management Office of UNPA provided the necessary technical assistance to the three-day workshop which was aimed at developing in the LGU officials and employees an appreciation of the basic demographic or population concepts and measures. The integration of population dimensions in sectoral studies of the CLUP and the finalization of sectoral studies of the plan were the major expected outputs of the said activity.

The integration of the population and development (POPDEV) dimensions in the local development planning systems is hoped to contribute to the issuance of polices that will assist the government to achieve a favourable balance between population and its distribution to economic activities and environment.

Various LGUs represented including the Local Chief Executives of Bontoc and Sagada expressed the need for technical assistance from the RPO as they complete and finalize their draft CLUPs. RPO-CAR Regional Director Rosa R. Fortaleza reassured them of the RPO support until their CLUP is finalized and submitted.

Adolescent Health & Youth Development

Ifugao, Apayao and Tabuk City Invest on the Youth

The Province of Ifugao, the municipality of Luna in Apayao and Tabuk City poured their resources for the advancement of the wellbeing of their young people. They have reached out to a total of 65 couples and 30 adolescents in the area of enhancing parenting skills and strengthening their relationship with their young children as a means to ensure that they avoid engaging in non-sexual and sexual risky behaviours.

The Regional Population Office (RPO-CAR) has also provided support for the parenting classes conducted. Counterpart funds were given to Luna, Apayao and resource persons from RPO-CAR Technical Division assisted in the actual conduct of the classes. The Learning Package on Parent Education for Adolescent Health & Youth Development (LPPED) produced by the Commission on Population was used as instructional material for the couples and adolescent sessions.

Tabuk City has fully funded their LPPED Classes while RPO-CAR managed the conduct of such.

LGU investments in this area totalled to PhP 189,900 for the fourth quarter.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]