UNITED
NATIONS POPULATION FUND
 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:
- births attended by health professionals;
- contraceptive prevalence rate among women of reproductive
age; and
- maternal mortality.
 In
1998, nearly 55% of all deliveries were attended by health
professionals, way below the 80% benchmark. Its contraceptive
prevalence rate of 46 for all methods and 25 for modern methods
are the lowest in the region. The maternal mortality rate
declined from 209 per 100,000 live births in 1993 to 172 per
100,000 live births in 1998. Given the pace of improvement,
the year 2000 goal of 105 per live births could not be met.
The Philippines recorded a population of 76.5 million in
the year 2000. Population growth rate has been increasing
at an average rate of 2.36% for the period 1995-2000, higher
than 2.32% for the period 1990-1995. The latest survey conducted
in year 2000 indicated that 39.4% of the country's population
is considered poor. Even if the economy achieves a modest
growth rate of 3-4% yearly, no significant reduction in poverty
can be expected if population growth is not effectively managed.
| Country Programme |
Duration |
Amount of Contribution(in
US$) |
First CP |
1972-1977
extended to 1979 |
6.9 million |
Second CP |
1980-1984
extended to 1988 |
10 million |
Third CP |
1989-1993 |
25 million |
Fourth CP |
1994-1998
extended to 1999 |
35 million |
Fifth CP |
2000-2004 |
30 million |
Total |
|
106.9 million |
GOALS and EXPECTED RESULTS
The 5th CP aims to have contributed to improvement in the
quality of life of all Filipinos, through:
- Better reproductive health
- Attainment of population outcomes that are in harmony
with available resources and environmental conditions; and
- Reduction of poverty and inequalities in human development
opportunities.
By the year 2004, the 5th CP is envisioned to have contributed
to:
- Increase in life expectancy from 68.6% to 70.1%
- Decrease in Infant Mortality from 42% to 34.8%
- Decrease of Population Growth from 2.36% to 1.8%
- Decrease in Maternal Mortality from 172 to 150 per 100,000
live births
- Increase in Human Development Index from 0.68 to 0.7
SUBPROGRAMMES and PROJECTS
The 5th cycle of assistance consists of three sub-programme
areas:
- Reproductive Health
- Advocacy
- Population and Development Strategies
It has 30 component projects, the implementation of which
is spearheaded by the Department of Health (DOH), Commission
on Population (POPCOM), nine provincial local government units
(LGUs), and seven non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
It includes two Mindanao-based projects, the "GOP-UN
Multi-Donor Programme Phase 3 (MDP3)" and the project
on "Strengthening the Capacity of Muslim Religious Leaders
to Promote Reproductive Health in Muslim Mindanao" funded
by the Arabian Gulf Fund (AGFUND).
DONORS
UNFPA has two major donor partners. These are the Government
of Spain which contributed US$789,460 for the "Maguindanao
Reproductive Health Initiative" and the Government of
Japan which has provided US$475,829 for the "Integrated
Community-based Reproductive Health Project in the Province
of Capiz" under the Human Security Fund executed by JOICFP
and medical equipment in the amount of US$600,000 provided
through JICA.
PILOT SITES
The nine UNFPA-assisted provinces are the following:
| Region II |
- Cagayan, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya |
| Region VI |
- Aklan, Antique and Capiz |
| Region XII |
- Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato Province |
| ARMM |
- Maguindanao |
The four UNFP- assisted cities are Metro Manila, Baguio City,
Iloilo City and Davao City.
The seven NGOs implementing ARH projects in these areas
are:
| Metro Manila |
- Foundation for Adolescent Development (FAD) |
| |
- Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) |
| |
- TRIDEV Specialists Foundation |
| Baguio City |
- Baguio Center for Young Adults (BCYA) |
| Iloilo City |
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health (IMCH) |
| Davao City |
- Institute of Primary Health Care (IPHC) |
| |
- Kaugmaon Center for Children's Concerns Foundation(Kaugmaon)
|
The Province of Nueva Vizcaya has been selected as the pilot
for the provision of comprehensive RH services.
CONTACT US:
Address:
UNFPA/UN
29th Floor, Yuchengco Tower
RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Avenue
Makati City, Philippines
Tel. No.:
TEL (632) 901-01-00
FAX (632) 901-02-00
Tel. No.:
8920611 to 25
Web Site: www.unfpa.org
E-mail: officemail@unfpa.org.ph |
