Tagum City to ‘reward’ couples who undergo ligation, vasectomy

MANILA, Philippines – The city government of Tagum in Davao del Norte has a new and unique way of controlling its population: a P500 'reward' for every man or woman who undergoes tubal ligation or vasectomy. But the city’s family planning coordinator, Nida Parcon, clarified to GMA News Davao reporter John Paul Saniel that the amount is not intended to lure people to undergo ligation and vasectomy. She said they wanted the people to voluntary undergo ligation or vasectomy and not for the P500 financial assistance. “Just after the ligation, that’s the time they will know that there’s P500 given by our mayor for the one or two days that they won’t be able to work because of the procedure," Parcon explained in a report aired over GMA News’ “24 Oras" on Thursday. “It won’t be nice if they agreed to undergo ligation just because of the cash assistance," Parcon added. Based on the latest record from the National Statistics Office (NSO), Tagum City has a population of 250,000, the biggest in Region 11. Its annual growth population is at 2.93 percent, surpassing Davao City and even the entire country. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV