7B people: What does this mean to us?

CEBU, Philippines - Days after the symbolic recognition here of the world's seven billionth person, carried out by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and the Department of Health, I was able to surf notes relative to this posted online by Joseph Tohill of the9billion.com.

It was mentioned that according to United Nations demographers, October 31 marked the day that the seven billionth person was born on Earth. "Although the day may seem rather arbitrary to some," Tohill noted, "as we really have no way of calculating the world population with such precision, it is a sobering reminder that humanity faces increasing ramifications as its population increases."

As it is embedded in Philippine culture that a newborn - whether born in or out of wedlock - is always received as a "gift," we've already seen how families struggle "to uphold dignity and sacredness of life" even when the birth of some children are unplanned.

As for the seven billionth baby, she's so blessed indeed to have been showered with gifts and a scholarship fund from the UNFPA as witnessed by its representative Oguchi Florence Daniels, even when the point of that symbolic rite was to give our policymakers a jolt!

Why is there a dire need for our lawmakers to rethink, reconsider, or revise population policies? Remember that right now, nearly one billion people around the world "do not have enough food." Tohill's report read that, "a further 800 million do not have access to clean drinking water. And fully one third of the human population lives on less than $2 a day." That's only P86 here, at a dollar-to-peso exchange rate of P43.

Next issue raised was that "10 million hectares of forest are lost annually, wild fish stocks face a massive collapse due to human over-extraction, and species extinction rates are 100 to 1,000 times higher than they have been historically."

Tohill added that to top things off, humans are "spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at unprecedented levels, thus acidifying the oceans and increasing global temperatures to dangerous new heights."

"The startling reality is that the human population is still increasing at a rate of 1.1 percent." Tohill, with all of his sensitivity to readers, explained the percentage mark by pointing out that, "a global population as large as it is now means 150 babies are born every minute." Whew! Did I ever hear God say we produce baby mills?

So that by the time we reach 2050, the United Nations projects that the global population "could be as high as nine billion."

The humongous question is: If we are having such a hard time providing for the world now with a population of seven billion, how could we possibly provide for an additional two billion people --- big consumers of our ever-depleting natural resources?

Take note that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization already warned that "food production needs to increase by 70 percent in order to feed the world in 2050." That's how massive the need is. "But with agricultural land dwindling and food stress already being continually felt in places around the world, how is it possible for governments to feed their population by 2050," this other equally gargantuan concern became the follow-up question.

That's why Daniels told the Philippine media recently that the birth of the seven billionth person is supposed to draw more attention to population issues.

"The seven billion milestone is significant especially for the Philippines where one in four Filipinos is poor, 11 maternal deaths take place daily, young people do not know how to prevent unwanted pregnancies, HIV prevalence is increasing, and the effects of climate change wreak extensive damages to properties and lives," Daniels said on national TV networks.

Daniels emphasized that "reducing inequities and improving living standards for people today and the future will require new ways of thinking and cooperation."

"Protecting reproductive health and rights is fundamental to our collective future and sustainable development. Together we can meet the needs of Filipino women who want to plan and space their births, but do not have access to modern contraception. Together we can prevent deaths of 11 mothers every day from complications of pregnancy and childbirth," Daniels added. Her statements are all posted on UNFPA's official Web site: philippines.unfpa.org.

“Currently, about two million babies are added to the Philippine population each year,” this was also learned, “with poor women bearing the brunt as they average six children - two more than they desire - due to lack of access to family planning information and services.”

UNFPA also called attention on young Filipinos who constitute one-fourth of the population. "We have an opportunity and responsibility to invest in their future. Every young person deserves education, including sexuality education, and access to comprehensive health services. With the right policies, investments and social support, young people can enjoy healthier lives free of poverty and enhance prospects for peace and stability," Daniels stressed. (FREEMAN)