4Ps beneficiaries attend Popcom's responsible parenthood seminar

By Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy

Tuesday 17th of July 2012

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon, July 17 (PIA) -- The Commission on Population (Popcom) in Region 10 has conducted family development sessions (FDS) for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in four barangays in Maramag town, this province.

Psyche Paler, regional director, Popcom 10, said parents must exercise responsible parenthood by having children they can raise in a unselfish way.

More than 200 couples participated during the discussion on fertility awareness, artificial, and modern scientific natural family planning methods.

During discussions, couples asked questions on how each family planning method is done.

The FDS lecturers, in turn, explained that artificial temporary methods include pills, oral and injectables, condom and intrauterine device, while artificial permanent methods are bilateral tubal ligation for women and no-scalpel vasectomy for men.

It was, however, emphasized that artificial permanent methods of family planning are for couples who have already achieved the desired number of children and do not want to have more children.

The modern and scientific natural family planning, were explained by the experts from Popcom. It includes basal body temperature, billings ovulation, cervical mucus method, sympto-thermal method, and the lactational amenorrhea method.

Nineteen clusters of 4Ps beneficiaries from barangays North Poblacion, South Poblacion, Kuya, and San Miguel in Maramag town benefited from these sessions.

The activity also aimed to give accurate and complete information to couples who intend to manage fertility and achieve pregnancy.

“By providing them accurate information, couple participants will be guided to make informed choices. Thus, they are now empowered to make decisions out of their own choices and preferences,” Paler said. (Clemencia C. Pague,Population Program Officer/RLRB-PIA Bukidnon)