DILG 10, POPCOM EYE ON ENDING INSURGENCY VIA NPPFP

Through promoting the National Program on Population and Family Planning (NPPFP) down to the barangay level, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 10 partners with Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) in line with the ending local communist armed conflict (ELCAC) in the region.

The program intensifies the promotion of a well-planned and responsible parenthood to address poverty issues caused by overpopulation. The collaboration of the two agency also paves way for the local government units (LGUs) to serve their locality in cutting poverty incidence in areas with high communist involvement.

The first-hand involvement of the LGUs in recognizing and catering the basic needs of their locality especially on population control, supports the institutionalization of the ‘Whole-of-Nation’ approach to end insurgency in the country. This ‘grassroots’ contribution counters the tactics used by rebel groups in recruiting their members from conflict-vulnerable communities.

“The rebels are using the country’s social issues to attract more members. By the day, more and more people are signing up because they believe them [rebels] more than they believe their government,” DILG 10 Regional Director Arnel Agabe said.

He also challenged the LGUs, “to strengthen their efforts in ensuring that the basic government services will reach even the farthest areas.”

Furthermore, DILG 10 will team up with the provincial and city directors in ensuring the availability of the local chief executives of the region on the orientation on NPPFP and ELCAC. The orientation will also give importance to the identified 27 conflict-affected barangays in Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental and Bukidnon. Tentative schedule of the activity is on the first week of October.

On the Memorandum Circular No. 2019-100 released by the DILG, all provinces, cities and municipalities of the region will have to tap barangay officials, community volunteers and health workers in ensuring that their community, especially the marginalized and underserved population, are well-informed about family planning interventions.

The memorandum also orders the local government units to designate a Local Population Officer who will serve as the focal person and action officer in delivering and promoting the strategies on population management in the community.

NPPFP’s goal is to ‘zero out’ unmet needs of the Filipino families to harness the country’s growth potential and to establish equality in resource distribution. 

Further planned collaborations are with the Department of Health (DOH) 10 for the provision of anti-flu vaccines and HPV immunization, among others, in the communities in the region.