Philippines is a signatory to the 2000 Millennium Declaration on the global agenda for development by 2015. The eight MDGs seek to reduce by half extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality; reduce child mortality; improve women.s health; stop and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases; and develop environmental & sustainability and global partnership for aid, trade and debt relief.

From 209 mothers who died at childbirth per 100,000 live births in 1993, the MMR has gone down to 1 by 2006, according to the 2007 Philippines Midterm Progress Report (PMPR) on the MDGs.

In calling for further reduction of the MMR, the President explained that while the Philippines is "on schedule" in seven out of the eight MDGs, it is imperative that the country exerts more effort to lower maternal mortality rate further.

"Most surveys indicate a decline in the mortality ratio in the Philip pines. But among the eight Millennium Development Goals, seven are on schedule. What we need to work on is the eight. We need to work double time to lessen the mortality rate or maternal mortality rate," the President said.

You can still have your regular exercise during pregnancy. According to experts, it can help ease discomfort during pregnancy. Thirty minutes of exercise is good and walking and swimming are highly recommended. But be sure to drink plenty of water while exercising to avoid dehydration. Of course, an advice from the doctor can help you choose what kind of exercise is good for you.

"That's why the government addresses maternal health through a two-pronged strategy: one is health services to pregnant women for safe motherhood; and the second one is natural family planning," she said.

Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Nileema K. Noble said that "the Philippines is now on track on meeting the MDG targets on poverty reduction, nutrition, gender equality, reducing child mortality, combating HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and access to safe drinking water."

To improve maternal health, the President has ordered Health Secretary Francisco Duque to help local governments (LGUs) upgrade their primary hospitals to secondary hospitals.

She said that through this program, secondary hospitals would extend obstetric and gynecological and surgical services, adding that pregnant women have to be weaned away from home-based delivery where most maternal deaths occur.

"For safe motherhood, we are shifting to facility-based delivery instead of home-based delivery," she said. She added that most of the reported deaths happened in the home-based delivery.

The President also reported that to encourage pregnant women to give birth in the hospital, the government distributed PhilHealth cards which can be used now.

The President also cited a 2006 survey which found that half or 50.6 percent of married women within the reproductive ages of 15 to 49 years practice family planning, with most of them using contraceptives.

The president also explained that only few couples now use the natural family planning. But she insisted that since our country is a Catholic nation influenced by its religion and culture, natural family planning is still the norm of the government.

The government is pushing natural family planning "so that the 50.6 percent who are still practicing responsible parenthood will increase to 60 percent by 2010 through additional practice of natural family planning," she added.

The President also pointed out that the Philippines was the first country to fund programs for women, and fund hospitals to help women needing medical attention.

She also reported that the Philippines is the first country which allotted funds for women's pro grams and even giving funds for the hospital. But she clarified that this is included in the (United Nations) CEDAW (Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women). - PNA