The Philippines’ population has grown 12-fold since the turn of the century, and will reach 160 million in 2040 if the current trend persists. Women are most affected by the inability to access effective reproductive health information and methods. The majority of Filipinos support family planning, particularly modern methods.
Global Sustainable Development Principles and the Philippine Constitution warrant family planning as a fundamental and constitutional right. The Philippines can learn lessons from how progressive countries with different ideologies and faiths have adopted family planning policies that support their sustainable development.
Given these realities, a five point Demographic Governance Program must be implemented in the Philippines:
- Funding for Family Planning
- Private-Public Partnerships for Family Planning Education
- Direct Poverty Interventions
- Demographic Institutional Alignment
- Land use and Demographic Monitoring
By balancing resources with sustainable demographic demand, this enables the Key Result Areas (KRAs) in 10 years and allows the Philippines to meet its commitments to the UN Millenium Development Goals.
See the full report here: Family Planning Policy Brief 1-4-11
For information on the facts vs. the myths on population, famly planning and reproductive health, click here: The Facts vs. Myths on Population, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health