Unfpa in the Philippines

UNFPA in the Philippines

UNFPA began its programme of assistance to the Philippines in 1969. Since 1972, there have been five Country Programmes with a cumulative package of assistance in the amount of US$106.9 million. For over 30 years, UNFPA's contribution has successfully borne fruit as the organization's overall vision and framework fitted well with the mission and principles of the Philippine Population Program which emphasized family welfare, rejection of abortion, public-private sector cooperation and integration of population and development.

The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) ushered in a new paradigm shift that subsumed family planning under a broader concept of "sexual and reproductive health." It transformed previous references to addressing population issues into pursuing goals concerning reproductive rights, gender equity, male responsibility and the empowerment of women.

As a signatory to the ICPD Programme for Action, the Government has formulated a restatement of the Philippine Population Management Programme (PPMP) with UNFPA assistance under the 4th Country Programme. The restated PPMP focuses on:

The ability of couples to achieve their desired family size;

The improvement of the reproductive health of individuals and reduction of infant, child and maternal mortality;

The reduction of the incidence of teenage pregnancy, early marriage and other reproductive health problems among the youth; and

Policy reforms to help government achieve a favorable balance between population and sustainable development.

Challenges

The Philippines showed marked deficits with respect to meeting ICPD goals in three specific areas: a) births attended by health professionals; b) contraceptive prevalence rate among women of reproductive age; and c) maternal mortality. In 1998, nearly 55% of all deliveries were attended by health professionals, way below