Knowledge is Power

Overpopulation in Ph

By: duane fernandez zambas

Source: http://kuro-kuro.org/archives/2816

The 2010 census on population in some parts of the world is seriously concerning. I now live in a country where the population is slowly growing. Thanks to the social structure that shapes the Canadian culture that for some reason, raising a child in this country is equally as expensive and as demanding as it has ever been in the society that is driven with strong competition in one’s workplace and to stay on top of your career or lost it otherwise. Thus, resulting to a steady or if not, stagnant growth of its population. Over the years, immigration of people from all over the world into this land has managed to push the numbers forward to a manageable and steady growth.

On the other side of the world, the Philippines, has its population in a 180-degree opposite than Canada. When I left the Philippines in 2000, the population was around 80 million. By the end of 2010, the population of the land is expected to register at 94.01 million from last year’s 92.3 million people. A significant increase of 1.85%. To put this matter into context, 37% are below 15 years old, and 15% are between 15 to 24 age group. More than 50% are young and in due time will start to reproduce. As observed, even if each couple will have two (2) children, the country will still experience a staggering population boom in the next 10 years.

Here’s a little bit of comparison (FACTS):

CANADA: Population – 34.11 million ;
Land area – 9.1 million square kilometers (land)

Prov of Ontario: Population- 13.21million
(CANADA) Land Area – 917,741 square kilometer(land)

The Philippines: Population – 92.3 million(2009)
Land Area – 298,170 square kilometer (land)

Now together, we do the math!

It has long been concerning this population growth in the Philippines. IT SHOULD NOW BE DEMANDED by it’s own people: THAT THE CHURCHES, together with all NGO’s, should work hand-in-hand with the GOVERNMENT in the land. It takes aggressive public awareness in order to put this plea on our dinner table until fierce measures done in China’s one (1) child policy in 1979 will be imposed in the country. China’s measure has grossly violated human rights BUT, how about the right to live a decent and a comfortable life? Without a question, it is every human being’s RIGHT as well. After all, is it wrong to become responsible producing creatures in the world?

Reaction:

                Population explosion has been the greatest dilemma of all countries in the world today. The human overpopulation issue is the topic I see as the most vital to solve if our children and grandchildren are to have a good quality of life. The first solution I could think of in combating population explosion is the promulgation of the Reproductive Health Bill which is the center of all debates around the country today. Business men would probably say yes to it, since it would mean more money to them for manufacturing contraceptives. The church would probably say no, since it is against morality for using artificial method of family planning. And the government would probably still be indecisive. However in my point of view, you don’t need to be pro-contraceptive to be pro-RH Bill. The main target of the Bill is the unfortunate Filipinos who do not have access to contraceptives and it is empirical because you can’t keep them from sexual abstinence forever. Thus, this aims to thwart the ignorance of the people and to exercise their freedom of choice. What if they want to have two children only? But because they can’t afford contraceptives, they tend to depend on calendar method which is not reliable. Thus, RH bill provides the opportunity for poor people to be knowledgeable and free to choose. In this way, we can guarantee the quality life deserved by every baby that is born.

            Second solution that I like to point out is the massive utilization of the people’s potentials. The people are the most significant resources of the country and it would be practical to invest for their development of skills because at the end of the day, the government will benefit in return. I propose an option that instead of earmarking 7billion pesos for the RH Bill, why don’t they invest it for additional schools, hospitals and training centers. It’s like hitting two birds in one stone - you get to solve overpopulation, illiteracy and unemployment at the same time.

            Indeed there are many possibilities that we should consider with. It needs intense scrutiny because there are always two sides of the coin. Hence, I am neither Pro-RH Bill nor anti but rather I am pro to development and knowledge explosion in order to combat all economic issues. Besides, overpopulation is not the only problem that should be resolved here in the Philippines because it’s not every city in the Philippines that is really crowded. If we are really to uplift our country from poverty, we should refocus our attention to the government system and to our self. After all, it’s our mismanagement that caused our sufferings. Let us remember how many laws have been promulgated yet if we are going to measure and evaluate the present condition of the Philippines, it is crystal clear that nothing much had changed because we are not living fully and responsibly. Increase in population is just a normal and an inevitable fact in a developing country and to circumvent its negative effects, we need to thwart the ignorance that blocks our vision to see the progressive future that lies ahead. It should be everybody’s concern. At the end of the day, if knowledge can make trouble, it is never through ignorance that we can solve them.