The Manila Times

PopCom to ‘pantry’ organizers: Consider giving condoms, pills

THE Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) strongly encourages proponents of community pantries to include contraceptives such as condoms and pills as necessary goods in their distribution activities.

The agency has noted the increasing importance of these sprouting kiosks across the country in temporarily providing basic necessities for less privileged Filipinos and thus, is enjoining their organizers to also carry the above-mentioned modern family planning methods, in coordination with local health centers.

In an interview, Undersecretary for Population and Development (PopDev) Juan Antonio Perez 3rd, MD, MPH noted the dispensation of family planning services and commodities as essential during the ongoing public health emergency that can help prevent unplanned and teenage pregnancies. As such, the presence of these modern methods of contraception in community pantries should also be seen as filling a void in the rollout of family planning activities, which are greatly disrupted by the pandemic.

“PopCom is very much supportive of community pantries as a form of collective action in alleviating the need for sustenance of our less privileged. We believe that they will welcome the addition of condoms and pills among the goods they will source — with the help of their local healthcare personnel,” said the PopCom chief.

Perez explained that in providing these essential family planning supplies, community pantry initiators should seek the support of local health personnel like barangay health workers (BHWs), as well as family planning and barangay population volunteers (BPVs), as the latter are knowledgeable of the individuals in their locale who need pills and condoms. The community pantry setup can also help facilitate the line of work of the said BHWs and BPVs.

Public Square

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2021-05-09T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-09T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://manilatimes.pressreader.com/article/282029035103775

The Manila Times