TACLOBAN CITY- Population Commission (Popcom) Executive Director Dr. Juan Antonio Perez lauded Eastern Visayas in achieving a 48 percent of contraceptives prevalence rate which is about three percent higher than the national average.
Popcom is targeting 65 percent prevalence rate on the use of contraceptives by 2022, or the last year of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We still have a gap to fill (but) I’m happy that Region 8 is doing well. But we need to improve every year,” said Perez.
Perez said that there were factors that affected for the low contraceptives prevalence rate in the country.
One of which was the non-full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law.
He said that the issuance of a temporary restraining order by the court for the full implementation of the RPRH Law resulted for the low prevalence rate use of the contraceptives in the country.
In the last 52 months that the law was being implemented, 39 months was covered by the TRO, he said.
“This is a negative factor that we hope to be resolved soon,” Perez said.
Perez served as the guest speaker of the first regional family planning summit held in the city last Thursday (August 31).
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
