CALABARZON, Philippines — Project LAYA has completed its regional roll-out of competency-based clinical skills training for healthcare providers, advancing efforts to expand access to voluntary, long-acting family planning services and support women and couples in planning for healthier pregnancies even before conception.
Conducted in three batches across Laguna, Batangas, and Cavite, the two-day Levonorgestrel 2-Rod Progestin Subdermal Implant Clinical Skills Training equipped more than 60 doctors, nurses, and midwives from public health facilities and local health offices with the competencies to deliver quality, client-centered family planning counseling and services.
Part of a broader rollout
The regional training rollout marks the completion of the first phase of Project LAYA’s implementation across selected priority areas in the CALABARZON region and the National Capital Region.
Project LAYA, or Long-Acting Methods for Your Access, is implemented by Bayer, Jhpiego Philippines, and the Philippine Society for Responsible Parenthood, Inc. in partnership with provincial governments, local government units, and public health facilities. The initiative supports the country’s FP2030 commitments by expanding access to high-quality, voluntary and rights-based family planning services.
“At Bayer, sustainability is embedded in our corporate strategy, and women’s health is in our DNA. We believe that access to reproductive health information and modern family planning options empowers women to make informed choices about their future. Project LAYA reflects our commitment to women’s health and our sustainability goal of expanding access to modern contraception for women in low- and middle-income countries by 2030.
Through this initiative, we continue to support efforts that strengthen healthcare systems, build provider capacity, and bring quality reproductive health services closer to communities,” said Christine Elaine Peralta, Government Affairs Manager of Bayer Philippines Inc.
Supporting health before pregnancy
Beyond helping women and couples achieve their desired family size and birth spacing, family planning also supports good health before pregnancy. By enabling individuals to plan if and when to become pregnant, access to accurate counseling and modern contraceptive options can help women prepare for pregnancy when they are ready and in better health, while proper birth spacing contributes to improved maternal and child health outcomes.
Strengthening provider capacity
The training brought together healthcare providers from key family planning service delivery points across the region, including nine public hospitals, among them Laguna Medical Center, Batangas Medical Center, General Emilio Aguinaldo Memorial Hospital, and Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital, as well as nine city health offices: Santa Rosa, Biñan, Calamba, Batangas City, Tanauan, Lipa, General Trias, Dasmariñas, and Bacoor.
The training covered family planning counseling, client assessment, two-rod subdermal implant insertion and removal, infection prevention and control, pharmacovigilance, financing, and supply chain management. Counseling was emphasized throughout the activity to ensure that clients receive complete, accurate, and balanced information before choosing a method aligned with their reproductive intentions and health needs.
The successful regional rollout was made possible by the strong support and positive engagement of the provincial health offices, whose collaboration was instrumental in the implementation of the training.
“The Batangas Provincial Health Office welcomes initiatives that strengthen the competencies of our healthcare providers and expand access to quality family planning services. By equipping our doctors, nurses, and midwives with the necessary skills, we can better support women and families in making informed reproductive health decisions and achieving their desired family size,” Ms. Analiza Abrenica, Nurse VI, Division Chief, Batangas Provincial Health Office.
“Capacity building remains a cornerstone of sustainable health programs. Through this training, healthcare providers gain the competencies needed to deliver high-quality, evidence-based, and client-centered family planning services that respond to the needs of women and families,” said Venus Grecia, Regional Technical Coordinator of Jhpiego Philippines.
From training to service delivery
Two-day sessions were conducted across Laguna, Batangas, and Cavite. On the first day, participants took part in classroom-based discussions and practical exercises on the scientific and technical foundations of the two-rod implant. They also completed return demonstrations on counseling, insertion, and removal procedures using the Reproductive Implant Training Arm (RITA) model.
On the second day, participants applied their newly acquired skills through supervised clinical practice and actual service delivery to clients. Prior health education activities conducted by public health nurses and midwives saw strong interest among women in accessing the long-acting family planning method. With an initial target 1:1 provider-client ratio, 77 women received the method after counseling and client assessment, exceeding the expected number of clients served.
Among them was Meraquel Aniñon, who chose the two-rod subdermal implant after receiving counseling from trained healthcare providers.
“I chose the implant because it is effective and convenient. It gives me peace of mind knowing that I have a family planning method that will protect me for five years. The health workers explained everything clearly and made me feel comfortable throughout the process,” said Aniñon.
Aniñon’s experience underscores the importance of making quality counseling and competent service delivery available to women who seek voluntary family planning options.
Partnership for wider access
Project LAYA was developed as a strategic response to the need to broaden family planning choices and address unmet need among women of reproductive age. By increasing access to long-acting reversible contraceptive methods, the initiative promotes voluntary, informed reproductive decision-making and supports healthier outcomes for women, children and families.
“The Philippine Society for Responsible Parenthood, Inc. remains committed to supporting healthcare providers and local governments in expanding access to voluntary, rights-based family planning services. Strengthening provider competencies helps ensure that women receive accurate information and quality care that supports their reproductive goals,” said Dr. Esmeraldo Ilem, president, PSRP.
Through continued collaboration with local governments, healthcare providers and development partners, Project LAYA aims to expand access to quality family planning services in priority areas and support better health outcomes for women and families before, during and beyond pregnancy.
