Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 11) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday zeroed in on the need for family planning, saying rapid population growth made it harder for some Filipinos to observe physical distancing to prevent COVID-19 transmission.
“There are so many Filipinos that are crammed in the urban areas…So, at the very least, (wear) mask, face shield for the maximum protection,” he said in a speech at the inauguration of development projects at the Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport in Negros Oriental.
“But the other (protocols), especially social distancing, I don’t think we can force our people really to…because it’s impossible,” he added.
In 2017, Duterte signed an executive order providing funds and support for family planning in a bid to make modern methods available to the poor by 2018. Four years later, the family planning program has not been fully implemented, he said, citing opposition from the Catholic Church.
“Lalagyan mo ng mga contraceptives, eh ayaw ng Simbahan [You’ll distribute contraceptives, but the Church objects to that],” he said. “It’s not because I want to fight the Church… But it’s something to [do] with the higher policy of family planning sana [hopefully].”
But while he noted the difficulty, especially in densely populated areas, the President still appealed to the public to continue abiding by prescribed health protocols as advised by health experts. These include keeping at least a meter-long distance from other people and properly wearing face masks, which means both the nose and mouth are covered. In indoor spaces, the World Health Organization recommended to keep an even greater distance from others to reduce risk of infection when someone coughs, sneezes or speaks.
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According to the Commission on Population and Development, the country’s population is seen to hit 110.8 million by the end of 2021. Dr. Juan Antonio Perez, executive director, earlier noted the Philippines has one of the highest population growth rates in ASEAN, adding the long-term lockdowns and disrupted family planning services due to the pandemic may also lead to a rise in unplanned pregnancies, which may cause the population to swell at 111.1 million next year.
