DRDF participates in the 2015 PPA Annual Scientific Conference
The Demographic Research and Development Foundation, Inc. (DRDF) provided support to the Philippine Population Association (PPA) in holding this year’s PPA Scientific Conference. As an organization that aims to promote and undertake research, training and other related activities in population and development and with a wealth of specialists dedicated to such advocacy, this year’s PPA Conference theme: Population in Humanitarian Crises aptly captures the values and research focus that DRDF has espoused in recent years.
The conference was held on January 29-30, 2015 at the Seda Abreeza Hotel in Davao City with pre-conference lectures on January 28 at the Finster Auditorium of Ateneo de Davao University. In attendance were 189 participants, many of whom were local and foreign experts from various disciplines concerned in addressing humanitarian crises.
DRDF members and researchers actively participated in the conference proper. Speaking in different parallel sessions to present their respective papers were Dr. Josefina N. Natividad (Youth Attitudes on Abortion, Premarital Sex, Contraception and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Does Religious Affiliation Matter?), Dr. Maria Midea Kabamalan (Non-Marriage among the Youth), Dr. Arnisson Andre Ortega (Examining Overseas Labor Intentions of Filipino Youth), Dr. Nimfa B. Ogena (Does Wanting the Pregnancy Matter in Availing of Antenatal, Delivery, and Postnatal Services by Adolescent Mothers in the Philippines?), Prof. Maria Paz N. Marquez (Unintended Pregnancies and Prenatal, Delivery and Postnatal Outcomes among Young Women in the Philippines), and the newly appointed DRDF Executive Director Dr. Elma P. Laguna (Teenage Fertility: Choice or Happenstance?). Poster presentations were also prepared by Dr. Grace T. Cruz and Ms. Connille Abellera (Is There Age and Sex Misreporting in the Philippine Census?) and Mr. Ronell Bequillo (Unprepared and Unprotected: Contraceptive Use in the Sexual Initiation of the Filipino Youth). DRDF likewise provided support to University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) graduate students for them to join the conference and complement what they learn from UPPI with opportune studies pertinent to their specialization.
DRDF is also one of PPA’s institutional trustees for 2014-2015 and represented by Ms. Gilda S.A. Diaz.