Alleba Politics

Representative Edcel Lagman has brought another bill into the table, opening up the debate on Population Control once again: House Bill 3773. Personally, I think it is a feasible solution to the population explosion. However, as with other policies and laws in this country, it is important to implement it properly and sustain its effective implementation. Otherwise, it will just add up to the pile of rubbish to which most of our laws belong to right now.

The encouragement, rather than limitation, of two children per family is a laudable and pro-life approach. It is, I think, a pro-active approach which would ultimately help our country reach a stable population growth rate which fits our economic capability. However, I question the means of giving and amount of incentives for compliant families. How can this red tape-laden government do this? And thinking of our budget deficit and insurmountable fiscal crisis, I doubt if the government has enough money to give appropriate incentives to encourage Filipinos to go under the knife to impede them from having more than 2 children.

The more questionable and really disturbing part of the bill is its aim to promote “equality of resources” for all Filipinos. REALLY NOW?! That is something that cannot be attained overnight. Although its intentions are good, I don’t think that it is easy to attain. It does not only entail public information dissemination, but mor eimportantly, a change in mindset and paradigm of the upper and middle classes. Unless those who have more than enough learn to share, there is little that can be done to remedy the economic “inequality” problems we are facing.

Of course the Church has a lot to say about the bill. It is their duty to their faith to do so. But it is the duty of the government to do what is best, not for the greater number of Filipinos, but for all Filipinos. The issue here is not encouragement of safe sex or the promotion of modern family planning methods. Anybody can use any legal means of family planning (which does not include abortion), and the government will not care. But if they do comply with the ideal 2 children per family plan, they will get incentives. And this, I believe, opens a lot of possibilities for Filipinos. If their faith tells them to use natural methods only, nobody will and can stop them. The keywords here are CHOICE and RESPONSIBILITY. Each person’s choice has consequences and the government is just adding another benefit to having less children. So if the Church wants to maintain the “morality” of their followers, they better re-channel their energies from meddling with government affairs to strengthening their ministry.

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