MOST FILIPINOS THINK LIGTAS-BUNTIS WILL HELP FAMILIES
Press Release/9 February 2005

Most Filipinos believe that the Department of Health's (DOH) door-to-door campaign on family planning and responsible parenthood set this month will help Filipino families.

This was revealed by the 4 th Quarter 2004 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from November 23 to December 2, 2004 on Filipino adults nationwide.

According to the survey, 96% of the respondents are certain that the Ligtas-Buntis 2005 campaign will definitely help Filipino families in their family planning needs. Among the areas, most respondents from the three island groups (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao) believed that it will help, with Visayas (100%) expressing the highest confidence to the campaign. In terms of economic class, the highest vote of confidence came from Class E with 97%.

"The encouraging survey results give added boost to the coming DOH national campaign", Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said.

The survey also further disclosed that more than half of the respondents (55%) are willing to pay for their own family planning method. Most of those willing came from the NCR and Luzon (62% each) while Mindanao and Visayas tail with 48% and 42%, respectively.

The health chief said that the door-to-door campaign will mobilize at least 15,000 healthworkers nationwide to serve the targetted 2 million men and women of reproductive age who are in need of family planning services. In addition, volunteers from non-government organizations and the private sector are expected to help.

The door-to-door campaign will also be augmented by media advertisements that will explain to the people the benefits of the campaign, he also said.

"The DOH will be prioritizing the urban slums, barangays among the 25% poorest and communities of indigenous peoples", Dayrit added, stressing that couples in hard-to-reach areas, island barangays, and places that have peace and order problems will eventually be reached by the campaign.

The health chief also said that the campaign will provide adequate and factual information on fertility and various acceptable family planning services to enable couples to make responsible decisions based on informed choice.