Vasectomy to address population boom – Popcom

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Population (Popcom) wants more men to undergo vasectomy to address the country’s booming population.

Popcom executive director Juan Antonio Perez said they are working to encourage more men to avail themselves of vasectomy and other family planning services.

“We would like to bring up vasectomy and tubal ligation to higher rate this year. Our target is for 10 percent of our total contraceptives, be tubal ligation and vasectomy,” Perez said.

He said Popcom has earmarked P5 million for free tubal ligation and vasectomy this year.

“We set aside P5 million so we could provide 2,000 free vasectomy and 30,000 tubal ligation within the year through our regional offices. Actually, the number of men having vasectomy is still very low so we would like to increase it,” Perez said.

According to Perez, Popcom is working closely with various government agencies and the private sector in an effort to encourage more couples nationwide to plan their families.

He said Popcom is also ready to provide family planning commodities to workers nationwide upon the request of their companies.

Popcom and the Department of  Labor and  Employment (DOLE) is also looking into the possibility of  providing leave incentives for those who would avail themselves of family planning services like vasectomy or tubal ligation, he said.

Perez said they intend to reduce fertility rate to 2.1 percent. However, the country’s population continues to balloon due to lack of access to family planning services of many couples nationwide.

Ten million people, including three million workers have no access to family planning services, Perez said.

“The government is aiming to reduce fertility rate to 2.1 percent by 2025, but we can only do it with the full implementation of Reproductive Health Law, which provides for universal access to family planning commodities and services,” he said.

Based on current trend, the country’s population is expected to grow to 140 million by 2040.