Natural Family Planning- Responsible Parenthood (NFP-RP)

 

by  Kuya Cesar and Ate Mayette Tiongson
     Chaircouple - Family and Life Ministry

The Foundation for the Fullness and Integrity of Creation sponsored and conducted a seminar on Natural Family Planning and Responsible Parenthood at the SLRP church last June 30 from 12:00NN-5:00PM. Lunch was served before the seminar proper to be sure that participants can fully focus on the topics discussed.


 

  Bro. Ansel Beluso, the speaker for the first part of the seminar, discussed the following topics: the dignity of the human person; the right to live; the miracle of life; and responsible parenthood in which the married couple must have regular assessments and valid reasons for either achieving or postponing a pregnancy through natural means. He explained in detail the detrimental effects on health, as well as effectivity rates of contraceptives and abortifacient drugs now commonly used by couples.  A film on abortion brought home its anti-life message and which made the participants realize its immorality. Another film showed the delivery of an infant by natural means where the parents were overjoyed at the sight of their new-born baby.

 Part 2 of the seminar expounded the values, methods and principles of safe, inexpensive and morally accepted NFP; fertility awareness; and the ovulation method through observation and charting. 

Couple speakers Demy and Sylvia Chavez explained that the Billings Ovulation Method (BOM) is the most effective means of spacing pregnancies as well as achieving either a baby boy or girl. The BOM was established in 1953 by an Australian couple, Drs. John and Evelyn Billings.

Using the Ovulation Method Beginner’s Chart, the participants were shown how the wife could predict her fertile days by the character of her secretions within her cycle. The husbands, on the other hand, were taught how to record her observations on the chart.

Other natural family planning methods mentioned were Basal Body Temperature (BBT), Sympto-Thermal Method (STM), and Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM).  The speakers emphasized that, in the Catholic faith,  only married couples may exercise this marital right of procreation and to apply these natural family planning methods. They added that virtues of abstinence before marriage, and fidelity after marriage must always prevail in every couple.

About 80 participants attended the seminar, with the majority coming from Saplan of Cruz Compound and Union Village Annex. Some mothers were fetched by Kuya Boy Temporal.  Other attendees were husbands and wives from the parish, PPC officers and members as NFP-RP advocates, Vicariate Coordinators of the Family and Life Ministry, and couples who are candidates of the Katolikong Kasalan sa SanLo (KKSS). The seminar will be part of their pre-Cana workshop.

D - IVINE

I  - DENTITY from
G - OD’S
N - ATURAL
I - MAGE
T - RANSFORMING
Y - OU