Engr. Winston Espina of Meralco tells a room-full of executives how fulfilled his married life is. He is one of the employees who, after attending the seminars and counseling of the Family Planning (FP) in the workplace program, became one of the first acceptors of no-scalpel vasectomy.

“I am now worry-free and my sex life is great!” Winston laughed. After confiding the challenges of having unplanned pregnancies with his wife, he shared how rewarding it was to take a proactive role in planning his family size.

The FP in the workplace program coordinated by the Lopez Group Foundation, Inc. (LGFI) and supported by Private Sector Mobilization for Family health (PRISM) and USAID was completed and officially closed last April 13, 2007 at the Palm Grove Rockwell Club. A second phase of the program is being planned.

The FP teams from the five participating companies (ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., Central CATV, Inc., First Sumiden Circuits, Inc., Meralco, and Tollways Management Corporation) were recognized. These companies have more than 10,000 employees within reproductive age. Company nurses were trained to become certified FP counselors. A team of doctors were trained and certified to provide no-scalpel vasectomy. And over a thousand employees have attended FP sessions from June to October 2006.

“By your active involvement in the implementation of the various activities of this endeavor, you have proven to us in the Lopez Group and possibly to the business sector in the country that you can make a difference at our workplaces,” said Chairman Oscar Lopez to the FP teams of the five companies. “I thank you for heeding the call I have made in this regard. As you very well know, easing the pressures on our growing population has been my personal advocacy… the replication of the same in other Lopez Group companies should positively influence the outcomes of the management of population issues in this country.”

Meralco

FP Core team members, the nurses of different satellites headed by Ruben Sapitula-Sr. Vice President for HR & Admin, Nina Pablo-Medical Administrator Corporate Wellness Center (CWC), Dr. Roman Manalang Head- General Medicine and FP Leader Baby Sicangco- Nurse Supervisor, with OML, LGFI and PRISM’s USAID Officials

ABS-CBN

KP3 (Kapamilya sa Pagpaplano ng Pamilya) members, FP Leaders Jig Blanco-Yan, ER & Benefits Head and Liza Rey Nurse Supervisor, with OML, LGFI and PRISM’s USAID Officials

First Sumiden Circuits, Inc.

Central CATV

KP3 members headed by Barbara Reyes-HR Director, FP Leaders Susan Ortiz ER & Benefits Head and Aileen Sebastian Company Nurse, with OML, LGFI and PRISM’s USAID Officials

Tollways Management Corporation

FP Core team members headed by Leah Wong-Assistant Vice President for HR, FP Leaders Mayen Ligot Benefits Supervisor, Dr. Dazo Company Physician and Regi Oblina Company Nurse with OML, LGFI and PRISM’s USAID Officials