By Jann Adriel N. Nisperos
A family planning seminar was conducted at the Los Baños municipal hall last November 10 for couples who will participate in the upcoming mass wedding.
The seminar was organized by the Los Baños Gender and Development (GAD) office. According to GAD’s head, Karen Mercado, the seminar aims to equip future husbands and wives with knowledge on family planning before they join the annual mass wedding celebration, dubbed Kasalang Bayan 2015, on December 11.
“…kasi minsan hindi equipped yung ating mga kababayan [sa family planning] lalo na may mga ikakasal na 18 years old pataas. Hindi pala nila alam yung konsepto ng family planning,” Mercado said. She furthered that there are more younger couples applying for marriage license this year compared to the previous Kasalang Bayan. According to municipal records, the youngest couple is 18 years old while the oldest is 45 years old.
In the seminar, different aspects of family planning were discussed such as the dynamics of fertility, pregnancy, how to properly care for the baby, and breastfeeding.
Aside from family planning, the seminar also tackled population control, household management and budgeting, as well as different sources of livelihood like organic farming.
Speakers from different government agencies were invited in the seminar namely Hannah Ericka E. Lavina from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development office (MSWDO), Leticia P. Acedillo from the Municipal Health office (MHO), Genevieve J. Casabuena from PPO-Outreach, and Fe M. Banasihan from the Municipal Agriculture office (MAO).
One of the participants, Alexandria Gulfo, 21 years old, said that she and her fiance learned a lot from the activity. “Maraming naitulong [ang family planning seminar]. Yung mga hindi namin nalaman noon sa pagpapamilya, nalaman namin ngayon…’tsaka ma-apply namin sa buhay namin.” Gulfo said.
Attending the family planning seminar is one of the requirements for taking part in the mass wedding along with attending a pre-marriage counseling session and seminars on population control and livelihood. For more information on Kasalang Bayan 2015, please contact the Gender and Development Office at (049) 536 2818.