On the Philippine population policy

The debate on the country’s population program continues, with both church and non-governmental organizations steadfastly holding on to their positions. During the last few days, this debate has intensified with the church’s spokesperson threatening legislators who take up progres-sive population programming positions with no less than expulsion.

The Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare Inc., one of the most outspoken of organizations, has been speaking out for a rational and practical population management program. Eden R. Divinagracia, PNGOC executive director, writes that PNGOC is an umbrella organization of 740 NGOs all over the country working on population and development, reproductive health, community and health development, literacy and non-formal education and other social development programs to improve the quality of life of Filipinos. Below is the organization’s position:

"We believe that we are all concerned in empowering individuals and families and improving the quality of their lives. Yet rapid population growth is one of the most serious problems confronting the country today. Perhaps even more critical, rapid population growth hinders our ability to alleviate the pervasive poverty facing many Filipinos – poverty whose effects are compounded by the political violence and uncontrollable migration that it engenders.

"This is the very reason why PNGOC is among the many supporters for a legislated and strong policy on population and reproductive health. We are very glad that our legislators came together in their own volition and free will to push and support population and reproductive health bills filed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

"We strongly believe that the State has a responsibility to provide access to information, education, and the requirements needed for enabling people to plan their families. We further believe that God gave man a mind, needless to say, a free will, so he could think of the consequences of his actions. Animals breed indis-criminately; man was never meant to be since he is a rational being.

"In the past 25 years, the GDP growth rate has averaged 3.1 percent. The population on the other hand has grown at the rate of 2.5 percent. This means an average improvement in the lives of the people of only 0.6 percent per annum compared to other Asian nations which has GDP ranging from 3.5 to 8 percent.

"Further, the gravity of population and reproductive health issues become evident when we come face to face with the horrendous realities of women’s experiences today. Among women, the leading cause of death is related to pregnancy and childbearing. The national statistics further reflect dismal results: for every 100,000 women who give birth, 172 die; for every 1,000 babies born, 36 die; and for every 1,000 children, 48 of them do not reach the age of five. God could not have wanted all of these things happening. Take a moment to listen to the women; learn that their needs would reflect that addressing their family planning and reproductive health needs would not only benefit them but the entire welfare of the family."

"PNGOC avers that the Senate must ensure, through adequate laws, that no policy or program shall result in limiting access to contraceptives and other means of maintaining sexual and reproductive health, from censoring, withholding or intentionally misinterpreting health-related information, including sexual education and information, as well as from preventing people’s participation in health-related matters. The Reproductive Health and Rights aims to improve people’s reproductive health by ensuring that people have access to safe, affordable and quality reproductive health, and recognizes the importance of complete and accurate information and education. It is about meeting the highest quality of health care as it is about ensuring the people’s rights and self-determination in reproductive health to achieve a better quality of life for every Filipino.

"It is up to the Church if it wishes to discourage its flock from availing of these services. Nonetheless, we ask your indulgence not to intimidate and provoke our good legislators who support population and reproductive health programs. The Constitution clearly defines the separation of the Church and the State, so the present imposition of the Catholic Church’s stand on the government policies is a constitution infringement on the State’s rights."