‘Vasectomy day’ mulled in Pampanga

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Amid a shortage of condoms, regional executives of national government agencies in Central Luzon plan to declare a "vasectomy day" in at least one barangay here to lure more men to resort to vasectomy to curb population growth.

"We want Barangay Sindalan to be a center for vasectomy," said Dr. Juvencio Ordona, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH) during a press presentation of the State of the Philippine Population Report here the other day.

"We cannot afford to have a vasectomy center for each barangay so we envision some in the municipal and city levels. We have established a vasectomy center in Sindalan and we plan to have a ‘vasectomy day’ there," he said.

Rose Fortaleza, regional director of the Commission on Population (Popcom), said vasectomy acceptance among Central Luzon males is only at one percent. There is a 50-50 ratio between males and females in Central Luzon.

"There are no more condoms," Ordona said, noting that the US Assistance for International Development (USAID) has carried out its "withdrawal formula" in the grant of contraceptives, including pills, to the Philippines.

He cited the need to promote vasectomy, particularly among those in the lower economic brackets, saying that in Central Luzon, married couples belonging to the so-called A and B economic classes have an average of two to three children, while those in the C, D, and E classes have an average of six children.

Ordona said the government is promoting vasectomy among men instead of tubal ligation among women since "vasectomy can be done even under a tree," while tubal ligation requires clinical conditions.

Ordona said the DOH, Popcom, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other national government agencies in Central Luzon have joined hands to curb population growth in the region by making family planning services available and convincing people that such services need not be costly.

He said PhilHealth cards can be used for vasectomy, which costs only about P3,000 in government centers, compared to about P15,000 in private clinics or hospitals.

With a population of about 8.3 million, Central Luzon has the third biggest population in the country, accounting for 10.50 percent of the 76.5 million national population.

Its annual population growth rate is 3.20 percent, which surpasses the national growth rate of 2.36 percent. The median age of its population is 22 years.

If the current trend continues, the population (in Central Luzon) is expected to double in 22 years, increasing by an average of 200,000 per year, regional Popcom officials said.

The government’s vasectomy project is expected to trigger a controversy with religious leaders in the region where majority of residents are Catholics.

Ordona, however, said the government is merely offering the people a choice for family planning.

"We have no quarrel with the Church. We are advocating more choices for family planning, without intimidation, without incentives, but only the services for people who come to us," he said.