| July 28, 2022

Today, July 28, 2022, National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) – Caraga represented by Regional Director Ordonio P. Rocero, Jr. and Commission on Population and Development – Caraga (POPCOM-Caraga) represented by Regional Director Alexander A. Makinano, MM, DipDM, CSEE, sign a Memorandum of Understanding at the Conference Room, NCIP Regional Office, Butuan City.

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples is a government agency mandated to protect and promote the well-being of the Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) with due regard to their beliefs, customs, traditions, and institutions while the Commission on Population and Development is a a government agency created and existing pursuant to laws of the Philippines with its mandated as the over-all coordinating, monitoring, and policy-making body of the population program.

POPCOM- Caraga recognizes the invaluable support which may be harnessed through the participation of civil society in the promotion of Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning (RPFP) and complements the initiatives of Local Government Units in promoting RPFP in the communities with preference to 5th to 6th class cities/municipalities, and geographically isolated and disadvantage area (GIDA) barangays in the region.

NCIP- Caraga has been in the forefront of providing and assisting in the provision of basic services including those relating to and connected with aspects of Reproductive Health (RH), Family Planning (FP), fertility, family welfare, maternal health, fertility management, contraception and HIV prevention with the view of advancing the well-being of the Indigenous Cultural Communities/ Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs), and is active in assisting in the provision of family planning services, and the development of related new technical information and practices. With its existing complement of men and women health professionals dedicated to promote health and rights of the ICCs/IPs, the office agrees to assist the provinces and cities in Region XIII (Caraga) in facilitating the RP-FP activities to reach more households and persons with unmet need for modern family planning methods.

This Memorandum of Understanding is only a start to this fruitful partnership! Truly a great news for the ICCs/IPs of Caraga!

F. Sumando

L. Llagas