Responsible parenting needs men's participation
BORACAY -- Responsible parenting needs the participation of men or husbands being the pillar of the house (haligi ng tahanan). Men's effort should compliment the women's role as light of the family (ilaw ng tahanan).
Commission on Population Information Officer II Ma. Xenia M. Serio said responsible parenting should be a "partnership" between men and women. The responsibility should not be left alone to women, she said.
Men's participation in responsible parenting is one of the government's concerns under its population management program. This is the concept of the media conference here which is initiated by PopCom. The theme of the seminar is Men as Partners in Maternal Health: Tungkulin Ko sa Tahanan, Kalusugan ng Ina at Anak Pangalagaan.
Serio added, parenting calls for the involvement of men and it has corresponding responsibilities in the strengthening and preservation of family. Men should be viewed as protector of the family and not as oppressor, she stressed.
She added that men and women should compliment each other to build a strong and happy family. There should be mutual respect between the two in rearing their children.
There are three important aspects of parenting. They are physical care, social development and emotional support and financial support. Physical care includes providing shelter, educational, medical care, physical safety and nourishment.
In the social development, there should be presence of love, play, physical touch, social skills, etiquette, ethics and value systems, moral and spiritual development, norms and contributions to the child's faith and ethnic customs. For the financial support, it calls for money, payment for education and others.
The family life should also be anchored in God. Whatever undertaking the family wants, it should be "God centered." The preservation of family needs the guidance of God, said Serio.