Governor Marquez to enter MOU with PopCom,

Aklan SP grants authority

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

The Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed a resolution authorizing Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Regional Population Office for the implementation of responsible parenthood programs in Aklan / PHOTO BY BOY RYAN ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan - Aklan legislative council has approved the authority for Governor Carlito Marquez to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Regional Population Office for the P987,500 funding assistance in the implementation of the Responsible Parenting Program (RPM) and Natural Planning Program.

In its 5th regular session yesterday, Provincial Population officer Arturo Teodosio, Jr. got the nod of the Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan presided by Vice Governor Gabrielle Calizo-Quimpo authorizing the governor to sign the MOU with the Population Commission.

Teodosio said the province of Aklan is the recipient of funding assistance from the regional office of the Population Commission since June 2007, giving emphasis in organizing the Responsible Parenting Movement up to the barangay level in Aklan.

"At no cost to the provincial government, the program, through this funding and technical assistance, targets to promote natural family planning methods among married couples by mobilizing them to practice responsible parenthood," he said.

Teodosio also cited the efforts of Tangalan mayor Gene Fuentes, Balete mayor Noemi Cordero and Altavas mayor Dr. Kathryne Refol in the successful implementation of responsible parent advocacy in the communities.

Population Commission, an attached agency of the Department of Health, aims to have an RPM class in every barangay in the country and 4.2 million couples reached this year for the project. In response to the implications of rapid population growth, the national government has promoted the RPM as a major component of the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program.

In the State of the Province Address last week, Governor Marquez lauded the Aklan Population Office for having contributed to the accomplishment of Western Visayas in the nationwide campaign on best practices on natural family planning.

Teodosio said the Aklan Population Office has trained 5,584 couple beneficiaries in 316 barangays of the province and conducted 482 pre-marriage counseling sessions for 1,537 couples.

Aklan is the only province in Region VI granted funding assistance by the national government for the Men's Responsibilities in Gender and Development (Mr Gad) program, he added.