Saturday, September 29, 2007

Four Pillars In Family Planning

By Cecille dela Rosa De Lemos
Family planning program managers and service providers, as well as policy-makers, family planning donors and the mass media have important roles to play in encouraging “Informed Choice”.
In the province of Aklan, four program managers namely: Teresa Robles and Grace Ureta, DOH – Aklan Representatives; Nuela Zaldivar and Celia R. de Lemos of PHO – Technical Services Division, attended the DOH Training in Informed Choice, Voluntarism (ICV) and Responsible Parenting on September 18 – 20, 2007 at Sugarland Hotel, Bacolod City. Mrs. Medalla P. Balandra, Nurse V, Regional NFP Coordinator/RPM Focal Person, DOH – CHDWV and Dr. Cesar Maglaya, Health GOV Director, and POPCOM facilitators conducted the 3-day orientation training.
Balandra discussed the National Family Planning Policies and Legal Mandates. She stressed that the management and implementation of the family planning program are guided by the following principles also termed as “Four Pillars of Family Planning”: Responsible Parenthood, Respect for Life, Birth Spacing, Informed and Voluntary Choice.
Informed Choice and Voluntarism allow people to choose voluntarily and freely the use of family planning method. It provides access to accurate information on a wide variety of family planning choices and services including the benefits and risks of using them. In conformity with the principles of informed choice and voluntary decision making on the provision of FP services, the government prohibits the setting of service quotas or targets, giving incentives to health service providers and clients and making rights or benefits contingent upon FP acceptance.
Dr. Maglaya facilitated the practice session on the administration of ICV compliance monitoring tool and workshop on the formulation of action plan in ensuring compliance to informed choice and voluntarism. Balandra and the POPCOM facilitators tackled topics on Responsible Parenthood and the Movement (RPM), Family Planning Methods, filling up of RPM Report Forms, Administrative Concerns and supervised the formulation of RPM action plan. /MP

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