Info drive key to population control — Belmonte

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday the population control program of the government must focus on an information drive so couples are made aware of their choices in planning the number of their children.

"We must not impose any (family planning) methods, the couples should be informed of their choices," Belmonte told reporters during the weekly Balitaan sa Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City.

The mayor was reacting on the role of local government units in addressing the population problem facing the country today.

Belmonte said the Quezon City government which recently passed a gender development ordinance has been fully supportive of the family planning program of the Department of Health.

He said, however, that the program must focus more on disseminating information and that it should be based on the lifestyle and values of people in certain communities. "We must not impose anything on anybody."

The mayor said the issue on the number of children to have must be left for the couple to decide, but they must be informed of various choices they can avail in planning a family.

Belmonte also clarified that the population of Quezon City which has ballooned to 2.3 million from more than one million 10 years ago was a result of migration.

He said that family planning is also incorporated in the health programs being implemented by the Department of Health (DOH) and the city government.

During the forum, Aurora Rep. Bellaflor Angara Castillo cited the passage of a reproductive health bill which she submitted to the 12th Congress.

Castillo said there is a need for a more aggressive population control program by the national government to address the population problem in the country.

"There are many modern methods that are not only effective, but also safe," she said. – Perseus Echeminada