PUTTING forth women’s adherence to safe reproductive options and contraceptive methods, the Provincial Population Office (PPO) is urging teenagers to re-evaluate their aspirations of marrying early to form their own family.
Such an advice is prudent, Provincial Population Officer Evelyn Panuncialman said, as doing so until a teenager reaches the age of 30, she will still mature, get better education and have economic independence before thinking about motherhood.
Panuncialman pointed out that a woman aged 45 can still conceive if she is still fertile and lives a healthy lifestyle.
And if she marries at that age, she has 15 more years to produce more children while spacing her births from 3-5 years apart. With this advice taken seriously, then a woman can have three or four children at most when she reaches 45.
Governor Aurora Cerilles says she is agreeable to the delayed marriage scheme because the delivery of health service will be more focused and will have greater significance.
Cerilles hosted the celebration of the World Population Day, July 11, where she signified her support to the Learning Package on Parent Education on Adolescent Health and Development (LPPED) launched by the Regional Population Office.
As of September 2008, birth figures from the National Statistics Office (NSO) disclosed Zamboanga del Sur’s total population of 1,935,250 as obtained from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing.
The NSO further stated that Zambosur’s annual growth rate is 1.97 percent, with more males than females.
Teenagers within the 14 years old bracket comprise 55.30 percent while those 18 years and above cover 51.80 percent.
Married people account to 445,421 while there are 422,584 singles.
In another statistic paper by the NSO released in 2003, it stated that Zamboanga Peninsula had a total population of 3.1 million representing 3.7 percent of the country’s population.
With these facts, Cerilles urged women to think sensibly and practice responsible family planning as such will improve their lives, that of men and children and benefits not only the couples but their families and the community as well.
Panuncialman cited that based on their pre-marriage counseling, about 19.7 percent of would-be couples are aged 18-19 and that a third of these were into premarital pregnancy.
Those aged 20-25 years old belong to the 23.8 percent while a tenth comprises the 26-31 years old bracket.
Aside from providing pre-marriage counseling, the PopCom office also holds Responsible Parenting Movement (RPM) classes in all 681 barangays of the province.
In 2008, PopCom’s regional office earmarked P2.1 million for such undertaking while the Provincial Government conterparted for the personal services of the municipal population officers.
For this year, about P4.1 million was allotted for more RPM classes in each village around the province, Panuncialman said.
REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO, ZAMBOSUR PPB
Such an advice is prudent, Provincial Population Officer Evelyn Panuncialman said, as doing so until a teenager reaches the age of 30, she will still mature, get better education and have economic independence before thinking about motherhood.
Panuncialman pointed out that a woman aged 45 can still conceive if she is still fertile and lives a healthy lifestyle.
And if she marries at that age, she has 15 more years to produce more children while spacing her births from 3-5 years apart. With this advice taken seriously, then a woman can have three or four children at most when she reaches 45.
Governor Aurora Cerilles says she is agreeable to the delayed marriage scheme because the delivery of health service will be more focused and will have greater significance.
Cerilles hosted the celebration of the World Population Day, July 11, where she signified her support to the Learning Package on Parent Education on Adolescent Health and Development (LPPED) launched by the Regional Population Office.
As of September 2008, birth figures from the National Statistics Office (NSO) disclosed Zamboanga del Sur’s total population of 1,935,250 as obtained from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing.
The NSO further stated that Zambosur’s annual growth rate is 1.97 percent, with more males than females.
Teenagers within the 14 years old bracket comprise 55.30 percent while those 18 years and above cover 51.80 percent.
Married people account to 445,421 while there are 422,584 singles.
In another statistic paper by the NSO released in 2003, it stated that Zamboanga Peninsula had a total population of 3.1 million representing 3.7 percent of the country’s population.
With these facts, Cerilles urged women to think sensibly and practice responsible family planning as such will improve their lives, that of men and children and benefits not only the couples but their families and the community as well.
Panuncialman cited that based on their pre-marriage counseling, about 19.7 percent of would-be couples are aged 18-19 and that a third of these were into premarital pregnancy.
Those aged 20-25 years old belong to the 23.8 percent while a tenth comprises the 26-31 years old bracket.
Aside from providing pre-marriage counseling, the PopCom office also holds Responsible Parenting Movement (RPM) classes in all 681 barangays of the province.
In 2008, PopCom’s regional office earmarked P2.1 million for such undertaking while the Provincial Government conterparted for the personal services of the municipal population officers.
For this year, about P4.1 million was allotted for more RPM classes in each village around the province, Panuncialman said.
REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO, ZAMBOSUR PPB