Butuan city: Around 52.9 percent of married women aged 15-49 in the Caraga Region are currently using modern family planning methods, the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) reported. In a press conference held on Thursday, CPD-13 Regional Director Alexander Makinano highlighted that this percentage is based on 2025 data, showing an increase compared to the 47.8 percent recorded in 2022 and 46.8 percent in 2017.

According to Philippines News Agency, among all women aged 15-49 in the region, 39.5 percent are using any family planning method, while 32.2 percent are specifically using a modern method. Director Makinano detailed that 15.0 percent of women opt for pills, 5.0 percent choose implants, and 3.6 percent utilize female sterilization as their modern method of choice.

"Family planning is about choice, health, and development," Makinano remarked during the press conference, which coincided with the celebration of the 2026 National Family Planning Month. The event also included testimonials from mothers who shared their personal experiences with modern family planning methods.

Based on the 2024 census, the Caraga Region has a population of 2,865,000, an increase from 2.80 million in 2020 and 2.6 million in 2015. Makinano noted a 0.51 percent annual population growth from 2020 to 2024. He also mentioned a 2.2 percent fertility rate in 2025, a significant drop from the 4.9 percent rate recorded in 1993, yet still higher than the 1.7 percent national rate last year.

Teenage childbearing rates in the region have also declined, from 8.2 percent in 2017 to 6.9 percent in 2022 and further down to 5.6 percent in 2025.

During the press conference, Roxan Micabalo, a 35-year-old resident of Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, emphasized the role of family planning in securing a better future for children. She shared her personal story of growing up in a large family and the challenges it brought. Micabalo and her husband are advocates of family planning, having opted for an implant method after initially using pills.

Another resident, Jean Rose Marikit, 24, shared her positive experience with the implant method, underscoring its importance given the tough economic conditions.

Makinano concluded by stating that the CPD is actively collaborating with local government units in the region to disseminate extensive information about family planning methods and their benefits.