MALAYBALAY CITY — More than 100 residents received free family planning services during the National Family Planning Month observance here, led by the Malaybalay City Health Office (CHO), under the theme “A Planned Family Wins!”

Services included implants, pills, condoms, intrauterine devices (IUDs), and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) injectables. The activity aimed to expand access to reproductive health services and address increasing cases of adolescent pregnancy.

Dr. Kim T. Luardo stressed the need to strengthen family planning efforts, especially at the barangay level.

“Every family should have access to accurate information and a full range of family planning options. This event is significant because it promotes open dialogue and informed decision-making for healthy and empowered families,” he said.

Participants in the program included CHO personnel, city employees, family planning clients, and community partners. The event served as a venue for sharing information on reproductive health and promoting responsible parenthood.

“I am grateful to all healthcare workers for their dedication. I am also thrilled with clients’ participation, especially those who attended with their husbands, highlighting the importance of support in family planning decisions,” said CHO nurse Maria Rica E. Raguro.

Jessabel Achacoso, a mother of two, praised the initiative and the government’s free counseling services.

“Family planning is not about postponing having children but about ensuring you can provide well for your family,” she said.

Emily Marie Q. Estacio, population program officer of PopDev-Bukidnon, urged collaboration among sectors in promoting family planning and addressing adolescent pregnancy.

Her remarks were followed by personal testimonies from residents about the impact of family planning programs.

“The activity, supported by the City Government of Malaybalay, midwives, nurses, Barangay Population Volunteers, and family planning clients, enhanced community knowledge, delivered reproductive health services, and reinforced the city’s commitment to family planning,” Estacio added. (JBA/PIA-10/Bukidnon)