REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES

For years, development economists have warned that the Philippines unbridled population growth is keeping the country poor and straining basic services. The population has nearly doubled in just three decades to 94 million, making the Philippines the worlds 12th most populous nation (McIndoe, 2011). At the current rate of 2.04 per cent growth, the highest by far in Southeast Asia, there will be 50 million more Filipinos in 30 years, according to the Population Commission, a state agency. Promotion of Family planning in countries with high birthrates has the potential to reduce poverty and hunger and avert 32% of all maternal deaths and nearly 10% of childhood deaths. Seemingly self-evident to many noneconomists, is the idea that rapid growth in growth in population (usually defined as an annual increase of 2% or more, equivalent to a doubling of population size every 36 years) can only exacerbate the issue of poverty, especially in countries where underemployment is already high or where food security is a major concern (Cleland & et.al, 2006). Family planning also brings large potential and survival benefits for children, mainly as a result of wider intervals between births. Family planning is one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing infant and child mortality. The Philippines embraced reproductive health as a health approach, going beyond a mere focus on family planning and population reduction. Policies and programmes in reproductive health began to be introduced and implemented although, over time, inconsistencies began to show up in the understanding of both the goals and the actual implementation of programmes. There are so many factors that contributes to the low use of FP methods such as beliefs, misconceptions about FP methods, negative attitude towards modern FP methods, lack of permanent health facility and services in the area, poor male involvement and fear of side effects of modern FP methods. There are two types of FP method, the Artificial FP method and the Natural FP method. The Natural FP method which the Catholic Churches vouches for a couple to use has various methods to choose from. Natural FP are based on the

recognition of fertility through signs and symptoms and abstinence during periods of fertility. The religious beliefs of some cultural groups might affect their use of fertility controls such as abortion or artificial regulation of conception; for example Roman Catholics might follow church edicts against artificial control of conception, and Mormon families might follow their churchs teaching regarding the spiritual responsibility to have large families and promote church growth (Stark, 1982). Religious beliefs can also influence birth control choices. For example, the Hindu religion teaches that the right hand is clean and the left is dirty. The right hand is for holding religious books and eating utensils, and the left hand is used for dirty things, such as genitals. This belief complicates the use of contraception requiring the use of both hands, such as a diaphragm (Bromwich and Parson, 1990). The influence of religious beliefs on birth control choices can vary within and between groups. For example, although birth control is strictly forbidden by Islam, it is practiced by most Iranian families living in Canada (Waxler-Morrison, Anderson, & Richardson, 1990).