Panibagong Paraan 2008, an avenue for learning and sharing
Drawing a crowd of thousands, the World Bank Panibagong Paraan Competition 2008 proved to be a well-attended event at the SM Megamall last April 9-10, 2008. For three years now, PCPD has been supporting the competition as a donor-partner by providing grants to deserving projects on population and development. In the 2006 competition, the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) bagged a 1M grant from PCPD for the project, “Alternative Streams: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the Perspective of Islam.” According to Zainaldin Osop of FPOP during the Panibagong Paraan Winners’ Forum on April 10, 2008, “by enriching the understanding of 1,800 Muslims in South Cotabato, Saranggani and General Santos, FPOP learned that the gender of the physician and service provider is critical in promoting RH; that the SRH capability-building needs of the Imam and Ustadz Madrassah leaders must also be addressed; and that SRH guidelines should adapt to the local requirements. On the aspect of scaling up, FPOP shared the following recommendations: Muslims patronize products considered as “Halal”, so there might be a need to study the legality of importing commodities stamped with “Halal” logo; and for LGUs in the project sites to invest in the training of health workers on SRHR in the context of Islam. It must be added that an official ruling (Fatwah) on RH and FP by the Assembly of Darul-Iftah of the Philippines upholds the “permissibility of family planning for the welfare of the mother and the child and for the couple to raise saleh (goodly) children who are pious, healthy, educated, useful and well-behaved citizens.”