Some family planning advocates Tuesday said the Philippine government is not equipped to handle the phase-out of a USAID-funded program that provides contraceptives to women in the country, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (AP/International Herald Tribune, 8/14). USAID has been the largest supplier of contraceptives in the Philippines for the past three decades, but the agency has scaled down its supplies and plans to terminate its contraceptive program by the end of 2008. According to USAID, the phase-out is in line with the Philippines' goal of achieving self-reliance in family planning.

Government officials in the predominately Roman Catholic country have been reluctant to approve funding for contraceptives and birth control information to be taught in schools because of the potential reaction of Catholic bishops. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is Catholic, since taking office in 2001 has consistently promoted natural family planning methods over contraceptives. Government booklets on responsible parenting do not mention birth control pills, condoms or intrauterine devices (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 7/12).

A United Nations study found that the country will need about $2 million annually from 2007 to 2010 to provide contraceptives at no or low cost to low-income women. The Philippine Congress has allocated 180 million pesos, or $3.9 million, for family planning programs this year, but guidelines for the funds' distribution to local governments have not been approved yet, some groups said.

Benjamin de Leon, president of Forum for Family Planning and Development, said funds are needed to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates. Alberto Romualdez, vice president of the family planning forum and former health secretary of the country, said it is unlikely the budget for family planning would be available soon. "The problem is that the conservative elements of the church hierarchy seem to have the upper hand in getting access to the president's ear," Romualdez said.

About one-third of the 1.4 million unplanned pregnancies in the Philippines end in abortion, United Nations Population Fund official Rena Dona said recently at a forum on family planning. She added that two out of five women who want to use contraceptives do not have access to them (AP/International Herald Tribune, 8/14). About 89 million people live in the Philippines, but the government has estimated that the number will increase to 142 million by 2040 if the population growth rate is 1% (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 7/12).