Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday advised newly married couples to practice family planning to prevent poverty, as she joined the 62nd “Pa-Wedding ni Tambunting” (mass wedding) ceremony in Parañaque City.

During her Valentine’s Day speech, Duterte recalled how she promoted family planning in Davao City to address problems on uncontrolled pregnancies.

“Umiikot po kami sa mga barangay. Paalala lagi sa mga magulang na kailangan pagplanuhan natin ang ating pag-anak dahil mahihirapan ang pamilya at kawawa ang mga anak ninyo kung hindi ninyo sila mapalaki ng maayos (We conduct rounds in barangays. We were reminding parents to plan their pregnancy because it may lead to struggles, and their children may suffer if not raised well),” she said.

Duterte said an uncontrolled number of pregnancies may deprive children of complete education.

“Napakarami ng kanilang anak ay hindi na nila kayang pakainin ng maayos, at hindi na nila kayang pag-aralin. Kaya nagbabalik-balik ang kahirapan sa kanilang pamilya (They have many children that they were unable to feed and send to school. That’s why they can’t recover from poverty),” she added.

Duterte also lauded the efforts of Parañaque 2nd District Representative Gus Tambunting and former Representative Joy Tambunting to provide free wedding to the public.

“Ang pagdiriwang na ito ay isang patunay sa pagsisikap ng ating mga pinuno ng gobyerno na tulungan ang mga mag-asawang Pilipino na magkaroon ng ganap na pagkilala at maging daan para sa isang tapat at panghabambuhay na pagsasama (This celebration is a testament of the efforts of our government leaders for Filipino couples to have a legitimate recognition and give way to a faithful and lifetime marriage),” she said.

Meanwhile, Duterte assured that the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) “PagbaBAGo” campaign is still ongoing.

To date, the OVP has already distributed bags with school supplies and dental kits to 3,720 children in eight far-flung areas in the country. (PNA)