POPCOM, UNFPA partner for reproductive health programs in new Bangsamoro region

Reproductive health programs in the newly-established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are among the priorities of the partnership between the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Signed on Wednesday, the memorandum of agreement between the POPCOM and UNFPA aims to support the implementation of reproductive health and youth development programs of BARMM.

This effort will also be assisted by the South-South cooperation initiatives with Indonesia and other countries, POPCOM said in a statement.

In addition, the two agencies will also work hand-in-hand to promote the engagement of private sectors with family planning.

The MOU is a multi-year partnership that aims to intensify the government’s efforts to benefit economy growth from the changes in the age structure of the Philippine population.

Also, the partnership is for other initiatives to integrate population dynamics as well as reproductive health issues with sustainable development planning and programming, POPCOM said.

The signing was held  takes almost two weeks after the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD+25) Nairobi Summit on November 12 to 14, where POPCOM was a delegate.

POPCOM executive director Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez III said in a statement,“Through this MOU that POPCOM and UNFPA have signed today, we will further accelerate our joint work to implement a National Action Plan for Demographic Dividend to attain the PDP goal.”

For UNFPA Country Representative Iori Kato, the MOU is an important platform to further facilitate the implementation of priority initiatives of its newly released eighth Country Programme for the Philippines 2019-2023.

“…UNFPA intends to support government efforts to effectively promote sexual and reproductive health and rights not just as an important health issue, but also as a crucial poverty alleviation strategy, in line with Agenda 2030, including Sustainable Development Goals to leave no one behind, and to assist the national and local governments to finish the unfinished agenda of ICPD,” Kato said. —LDF, GMA News