South Cotabato — Strengthening families through knowledge, informed choices, and access to essential services remains a continuing advocacy of the Office of the Provincial Population Officer (OPPO) as it brings family-focused programs and population development initiatives closer to communities across South Cotabato.
As part of this continuing effort, OPPO conducted advocacy activities in Sitio Blo, Barangay Salacafe, and Barangay Aflek, T’boli, reaching families and community members with important discussions on Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning and Republic Act No. 11596, which provides protection for children against child marriage.
Provincial Population Officer Melanie C. Chiva emphasized that responsible parenthood is not about restricting a family’s decision to have children, but about helping parents make informed choices based on their capacity, circumstances, and responsibilities.
“Responsible parenthood does not mean limiting a family’s desire to have children. What matters is that parents can plan their families and provide for the needs of every member,” Chiva said.
The activities formed part of the Provincial Government’s CATCH-UP Operation, a convergence initiative that brings government services, information, and interventions directly to communities, particularly those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA).
In Sitio Blo, the OPPO team travelled approximately 8.13 kilometers of steep and challenging terrain to reach the community, underscoring the office’s commitment to making population advocacy accessible even to families living in hard-to-reach areas.
Through the advocacy sessions, residents were guided on the importance of family planning, proper birth spacing, responsible decision-making, and child protection, including the need to prevent child marriage and safeguard the welfare and future of children.
The value of bringing these conversations directly to communities was also reflected by beneficiaries. One community member shared that having government personnel personally explain these concerns made the information easier to understand and reinforced the importance of bringing government programs directly to families in remote areas.
“When information is explained directly in our community, it becomes easier for families to understand how these concerns affect our children and our future,” a beneficiary said.
OPPO emphasized that advocacy does not end with a single activity. The office continues to promote coordination, follow-up, and monitoring to help communities better understand the information provided and connect with appropriate population and family-related services.
The initiative reflects the people-centered direction of the Provincial Government of South Cotabato under the leadership of Governor Reynaldo Sucayan Tamayo Jr., where government programs are brought closer to communities and services are delivered beyond government offices and into the places where people live.
For OPPO, strengthening families means more than providing information. It means empowering parents to make informed decisions, protecting children from harmful practices, and ensuring that every family has the knowledge and support needed to build a healthier and more secure future.
Through its continuing presence in communities such as Sitio Blo, Barangay Salacafe, and Barangay Aflek in T’boli, OPPO reinforces a simple but important message: distance should never prevent families from accessing information and advocacy that can help them make better choices and build stronger families.
