By Marie Tonette Marticio PALO, LEYTE – Amid the enhanced community quarantine being enforced by the different local government units (LGUs) in the region, the general advice is to stay home as much as possible and practice “social distancing.” With more time in their hands, parents in Eastern Visayas have been advised by the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) to practice responsible parenthood. (MANILA BULLETIN) Popcom 8 Regional Director Elnora Pulma said responsible parenthood, a core program of the agency, encourages parents to spend more time with their children during this health crisis. "Not only will this help children feel more secure, but it also will provide parents with opportunities to talk with their children about any concerns they may be having," Pulma. She also advised limiting the amount of exposure children to television or social media, as this can lead to increased worry and anxiety for children and instead, spend time playing games or other activities of interest. "These unusual times also present parents an opportunity to teach children about things like resource conservation, taking responsibility, and thinking about others in the community," she added. On the other hand, family planning- a twin program of responsible parenthood -enables couples to achieve their desired number, spacing and timing of children. She noted that family planning in crisis-affected populations is critical to meeting the needs of women and girls and which can save women's lives and improve their health. In times of pandemics, it will also be wise to see its effects on demography, as it is important to look not only deaths but also births. Illness, quarantine, and death can all have a major impact on conception, pregnancy, and birth. "Reaching women and adolescent girls affected by crises with family planning is critical to the vision of values of equity and equality among women and girls," she stressed. Cooped up inside the home during these days of enhanced community quarantine, where everyone is discouraged to go out in the streets, Popcom says this may also reduce women’s access to family planning and lead to unplanned pregnancies. As the legends go, major natural disasters, pandemics and other events that force people to stay indoors are followed by increased births. Such a disruption, as evidenced by figures from the National Demographic Health Survey(NDHS), may have played a role in the pregnancy spike years ago after Super Typhoon 'Haiyan' (Yolanda) ravaged many parts of the country, especially Region 8. But disasters may also dampen fertility as it was learned as crisis-affected local economies result in diminished household assets and security. Affected individuals and families, particularly those under “no work-no pay” terms, may experience increased financial instability. As a consequence, women and their partners may delay childbearing. Thus, Popcom pushes for responsible parenthood and family planning in families in this time of enhanced community quarantine.