Popcom launches integrated approach to development

CEBU, Philippines - The Population Commission (POPCOM) launched the Population, Health, Environment (PHE) Approach as an initiative for an integrated approach to total development during the 5th State of the Philippine Population Report (SPPR) yesterday at the Cebu Parklane International Hotel.

The SPPR explores the interrelationships among population, people’s health and quality of life and the environment.

POPCOM-7 Regional Director Atty. Bruce Ragas said there is a need to address these issues, considering their close linkages, in order to arrive at efficient and practical solutions.

“We would like to popularize the PHE Approach and we hope that the local government units and other related agencies will be able to apply and adapt, in order to have a better use of the resources and achieve greater input on the constituents,” said Ragas.

SPPR is a periodic publication produced by the Commission on Population that discusses current issues related to the country’s population and development situation.

Earlier issues, according to Ragas, reported on various population and development issues such as unmet need for family planning, adolescent reproductive health, urbanization and the plight of Filipino migrant workers.

The fifth issue focuses on the integration of population, health and environment.

POPCOM has long recognized that population, health and environment are very closely linked, wherein problems in one cannot be adequately solved because problems in the other areas are not attended to.

Ragas said that as of the moment, the Philippine population is almost nearing to 100 million and is increasing every year with a 2.04 percent of annual growth rate.

He said that the Philippine population is about 97M already and that it is not impossible that it would reach to a hundred million despite the approval of the Reproductive Health Bill.

“We will eventually reach to that number because we have this population momentum. And most of what comprises our population are the youth, who are mostly coming in the reproductive age,” Ragas said.

He explained that the RH Bill is only mandating all LGUs should provide reproductive health facilities and not forcing the couples to only have a specific number of children.

“Of course, we cannot dictate the parents on how many children that they would like to have. What we are doing is that we are empowering these couples to make better decision for their family based on the proper information and education that we can give,” Ragas said.

He said that they are not expecting that the RH Law will have an effect right away as this would still entail behavior change among the people, which would take time.

When asked whether population is the main cause of poverty in the country, Ragas said that this has different effect in the macro and micro level.

He said that in the macro level, population will not be seen as a direct link to the cause of poverty just like in other countries which have large population, like the United States and China, but still have  booming economy.

On the other hand, Ragas said that in the micro level, the bigger population has an impact on the demand for education, health service and housing.

Just like in Cebu, housing projects are sprouting like mushrooms everywhere, according to Ragas.

In education, schools still has the shortage of classrooms, school supplies and school facilities every year.

On the health service side, Ragas said that the Department of Health (DOH), somehow made positive changes with the Universal Health Care program of the government.

“The target of this program is to cater the poorest of the poor so that they can avail and enjoy health benefits, like the ‘no balance billing’ once you are enrolled at the PhilHealth, which are also given to the members of the 4Ps and the indigents,” Ragas said. — (FREEMAN)