Reproductive Rights in a Catholic Country
The Challenge Facing Artificial Birth Control in the Philippines
Jul 14, 2009
There are already more than 90 million people in the Philippines. The population could reach 158 million in the year 2050 if the country’s new births continue to grow at the current rate. The country’s population growth rate of 2.4% (based on 1990 to 2000 National Statistics Office data) does not sit well with its economic performance. With the country’s average of only 1.7% GNP growth rate (from 1980 to 1993 data), its people are multiplying faster than what the economy can afford. While recent GNP data, i.e. 7.3% in 2008 and 5.4% in 2007, may seem impressive, economic analysts continue to feel alarmed with what could be termed as population explosion.
Several factors contribute to population explosion. One of the most controversial is the seeming reluctance of the people to use of more of artificial birth control methods. Reasons attributed to such reluctance are poverty, lack of access to government health facilities, and in many cases, religious beliefs. “Women in this Barangay know about ligation but few can actually afford one due to its medical cost and other inconveniences,” said Floriza Bacli, a woman interviewed in a January 6, 2009 Thai-Indian News Portal article “Poor Women in Philippines Yearn for Birth Control.”
Particularly in the Philippines, the Catholic Church has always been vocal about its stand against artificial birth control methods. Catholic Church leaders often cite artificial methods as going against the natural order of life. The Reuters article had mentioned a story about a priest in Southern Mindanao who openly said that those who promote the reproductive rights bill's anti-life policies are not worthy to receive the body of Christ (Holy Communion). For a devout Catholic who attends masses every Sunday, this is a serious matter no one in his right mind will ever want to experience.
The Great Divide: Pro-Life or Pro-Abortion?
There had always been a tension between the State and the Church when it comes to population issue. Even with efforts from Congress and the NGO sector to pass the bill on Reproductive Rights, the Catholic hierarchy still maintain its non-negotiable stance. This obvious divide is even felt during election campaigns when candidates are tagged as either pro-life (those against artificial birth control methods) or pro-abortion (those who support the right of couples to choose their family planning methods).
This over-simplification further muddles the issue. The education process becomes even more difficult as people fear being tagged as being pro-abortion even if they actually see some sense in planning births of children through practical methods such as the use of condoms or birth control pills.
The Morality of Hunger
Particularly, urban couples nowadays admit that with the availability of artificial birth control options, it seems more sinful to sire children who would eventually roam the streets or pick up leftover foods in garbage bins. This observation is reflected in a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) in December 2008. According to the Manila Omnibus Survey on Health, “a clear majority (85%) in Manila supported the Reproductive Health Bill." The findings were presented at the Usapang POPDEV conference in February 2009.
Foreign Aid Supports Artificial Birth Control Method
Even development organizations such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have always been supportive of family planning programs particularly artificial means. In the Philippines, USAID had been very active in distributing condoms and contraceptives through public health facilities particularly from the early 1990s to 2004. Although admittedly, there is a perceived decline in the US government support of population control programs particularly when the free condoms and contraceptives stopped in 2004. Some quarters believe that this is due to the continuing contention between the Church and the State. No one really knows for sure but the opposition from the Church remains.
Eradicating Poverty Through Population Control
Many are asking if support for population control programs will ever gain ground in this country. There is no doubt about the universality of pushing for total human development. Allowing people to live and grow up to their fullest potential should always be governments’ priority especially with the indexing of countries according to how well they provide for the total human development of their people. Benjamin de Leon, executive director of the Forum For Family Planning and Development echoes this. He is insistent that "the government has to do more. Family planning saves lives and that the poor will benefit if the government steps in to help,” he remarked during the 22nd Usapang POPDEV (Talks on Population and Development) held last February 18 in Quezon City.
Eradicating poverty is a common goal among developing nations, whether they are Catholic or not. As the SWS survey shows, many Filipinos who may not even openly admit support to artificial birth control methods, find it logical to lessen incidence of poverty through population control programs. The concept of sustainable development subscribes to the principle of living within the carrying capacity of the environment. The article of Gretchen C. Daily and Paul R. Ehrlich titled, “Population, Sustainability, and Earth's Carrying Capacity: A Framework for Estimating Population Sizes and Lifestyles that could be Sustained Without Undermining Future Generations” tackles this extensively. [1] Clearly, overpopulation is a clear indication of violating this principle.
Artificial birth control is the easiest way to address the population problem because abstention from sex or relying on natural or rhythm method is way too difficult. “Telling a married couple that they cannot have unprotected sex on certain dates is like talking to the moon,” said a health practitioner who requested anonymity.Reference:
[1] Daily, Gretchen and Ehrlich, Paul BioScience, November 1992. “Population, Sustainability, and Earth's Carrying Capacity: A Framework for Estimating Population Sizes and Lifestyles that could be Sustained Without Undermining Future Generations.” American Institute of Biological Sciences, 1992. Available at http://dieoff.org/page112.htm
The debate will continue. In the meantime, 3,000 Filipino babies are being born everyday.
