WANTED CHILDREN ARE BLESSINGS

Population reduction as an objective of the Reproductive Health Bill I could be elusive. While dependency burdens in low income areas could influence the composition of capital, impede its growth and, thus, influence the rate of economic development. It should however be emphasized that over-population and dependency burden, taken together as a factor, are not the primary reasons for underdevelopment in Third World countries. The real problem about population in the Philippines, for instance, is how the government should be able to harness the Philippine labor sector, or that big portion of population belonging to age group between 15 and 65 who can be employed and are willing to work. This age group of population is the Philippine labor force which should be harnessed and put into use to be more productive and contributive to national economic development. A bigger labor force implies a higher per capita income. In countries with large labor force it is an economic advantage. China has the biggest population in the world, and yet it is now the second biggest economy in the planet.

The conclusion, however, that the Philippines should be a communist government  just to be able to be like a country as progressive as China, does not follow. The key to the answers on questions about population reduction is individual discipline on human procreation. This implies a requirement of a higher level of maturity that often comes after responsibility. A slower pace of population could be only a simple consequence of a fast-paced lifestyle that is similar to lifestyles of Westerners and Europeans. The Philippines have not come to that level primarily because government priorities are not focused on the human development aspect of its citizens. For instance, how could people from the low income class be more responsible when they are unemployed; how could they be employed when they are not properly educated; how could they be properly educated when they have low levels of income and/or in poor health; how could they share in the equal distribution of wealth when they are not employed? These are questions that are actually economic characteristics of underdeveloped countries. Gunnar Myrdal (Asian Drama) sees these factors as moving in a vicious circular cumulative causation, in a continuous link, the breakup of one factor does not destroy the cycle.  These questions require a multi-pronged solution that squarely answers each and every factor all at the same time. Can our government provide the necessary answers? If it can do that, there will be no need for Reproductive Health bills such as the one that is now under attack from the Church and some sectors of society.

Proponents of the Reproductive Health Bill should not be threatened by Bill Clinton’s statement that babies are a boon to the Philippines. As Edcel Lagman says, Bill may have uttered that statement thoughtlessly and in passing. The fact is, that statement of Bill’s is the truth, and Lagman may not just be aware of it. However, just like any other general statement, that also accepts of some exceptions. We refer to babies that are wanted babies as differentiated from those that are unwanted. In the latter case, the issues turn ethical and moral, which the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines should be primarily concerned about. The Church can take these issues in particular on the pulpit instead of attacking the RH Bill in any forum in general.