The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) will hold the first-ever Regional Conference on Family Planning (RCFP) for Western Visayas from May 28 to 29, 2024 at a hotel in Iloilo City.
This activity is in collaboration with the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD), National Economic and Development Authority-6, Department of the Interior and Local Government-6, USAID-funded Research Triangle Institute, and Family Planning Organization of the Philippines-Iloilo Chapter.
According to CPD-6, the said conference, anchored in the theme “Family Planning and Population and Development: Innovate, Collaborate and Accelerate,” is in response to the convenors in the context that the Philippines is currently undergoing significant demographic changes and challenges that affect socioeconomic conditions, and are also evident in the region.
One of the demographic issues highlighted in the region is the high fertility rate among women who are poor, low-educated and those living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
Furthermore, cases of adolescent pregnancy among the 10-14 years age group in the region have significantly increased in recent years.
The upcoming RCFP 2024 for Western Visayas is set to convene subject-matter experts, local practitioners, champions, and program implementers from across the region to collectively embark on active discourses, significant discussions, and presentations on family planning (FP) and population and development (PopDev).
The conference is also expected to gather a total of 150 participants from the local government units (LGUs), regional line agencies, civil society organizations, and the academe in the region.
With the presence of said stakeholders, the convention will serve as an avenue to showcase existing best practices on FP and PopDev strategies, identify gaps in program implementation, gather insights and recommendations for improvement and program strengthening, and ultimately determine areas for potential collaboration to address these gaps and generate a commitment to implementing and promoting the Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action 2023-2028.
CPD Executive Director Undersecretary Lisa Grace S. Bersales is expected to grace the event and will serve as the keynote speaker together with Mayor Raymond Malapajo of Maayon town in Capiz who will provide the local perspective on FP and PopDev program implementation.
Plenary and parallel sessions of the activity will cover the topics of the Western Visayas demographic situation, population and family planning and its impact on the attainment of the Regional Development Plan, Regional Health Strategies on Family Planning, Project Alagaan and Kalusugan ng Kabataang Pilipino, Design and Execution of Information Technology Architecture for the harmonized family planning information system in Western Visayas, roles of LGUs in the devolution of family planning and population and development, and evaluating the effectiveness of mobile games-based learning through the AHlam Na! 2.0 application for raising adolescent health awareness, among others.
“The papers and the best practices to be presented shall potentially guide and reinforce future actions. The RCFP 2024 serves as a platform for in-depth discussions on family planning and population and development issues and policy-related concerns in the region,” said CPD-6 Regional Director Harold Alfred P. Marshall.
Meanwhile, the presentations coupled with a brief narrative abstract of the presenters shall be consolidated and forwarded by the Regional Office to the National Screening Committee for possible presentation in the 2024 National Conference on Family Planning. (PIA-6)