Easy Solutions Are Rarely The Right Ones

RH Bill has become a national debate especially in a Catholic nation like the Philippines where the Church has a major influence. The separation of the Church and State seems simple to many: religious groups should stay out of government affairs. However, it is obviously not that simple in this country. It’s been so complicated since the inseparability of faith and public morality is inevitable in our nation. RH Bill has been so controversial that it even caught the attention of the world, including the Pope.

I would not elaborate the contents of the said bill since Macafra already do so (just refer to her blog). Basically, RH Bill is an act providing for a national policy on reproductive health, responsible parenthood and population development, and for other purposes.

The stated purpose of the said bill is to lessen poverty by reducing the population growth. But let me ask you question: Is the population really the cause of increasing poverty in this country? Would addressing it solve our country’s problems? Is the RH Bill the solution?

I chose not to present statistical data and medical evidences regarding my stand in this issue. People are already exhausted with this conflicting information that the opposing parties continuously feed to the public. Now, I don’t really know which to believe. So I prefer to choose my stand based on my beliefs and sole judgment.

Personally, I am not entirely in favor of the RH Bill. I am quite skeptic about it being the solution to this country’s burden. For me, the bill is just quite idealistic, aiming to solve an enormous problem with the use of contraceptives. Does the government really think that contraception is the mighty solution in controlling population? I guess it is only a minor part of the entire question. With this issue, questions regarding morality, sexuality, teenage pregnancy, AIDs, infidelity and others arise.

Contraception, of course, is the easy "solution" to the problem. It's easier to give a person a condom or a prescription for the pill than it is to address the real reasons why our country is still in the midst of poverty. But easy solutions are rarely the right ones. And this solution in particular is not worth it. The benefits are not huge enough to outweigh the costs. My worry is that this so called “solution” will only compound the problem so that it gets harder to resolve with each new generation. It might influence an unresponsible sexual intercourse among the youths. The mentality it will cause to the youths of this generation will not only ruin morality but can also cause problems like teenage pregnancy, prostitution and the spread of STDs.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not entirely against the use of contraceptives especially among marriage couples. For me, it is a part of responsible family planning and giving birth. The thing that I contend is the fact that some people see it as a solution to this country’s problems. Population control is not just as easy as distributing pills and condoms at the streets of Manila and other provinces. Seriously, people what are you thinking?

Moreover, population is not entirely the reason why our country is still one of the poorest in the world. Failure in governance, widespread corruption, greed, unequal distribution of wealth and other selfish acts especially of those with power are the reasons.

I do understand the need to address the emerging poverty in our country. But why can’t our government treat the Filipino body as strength rather than a problem? Manpower is the principal asset of every country isn’t it? I beg to disagree with the statement that population causes problems. Especially here in the Philippines, I think we have enough resources to support a better life for our citizens. What our country lacks are leaders that are righteous enough to put the interests of the public first before their own. Eradication of corruption is should be the nation’s number one priority. It needs to be understood by all that obliteration of corruption is only possible if strong political commitment exists.

With the aid of business opportunities, we can take advantage of our population for the benefit of our country. Let’s look at it the other way around. Having a large population can be a pro rather than a con. As I’ve said, manpower is the principal asset of every country. Look at China. It evolves from being one of the poorest countries to being a Sleeping Tiger ready to overtake the world in just a bite. The said country is now even a threat to the largest economies of the world. If China can do it, why can’t we?

What we need to do is make our population an opportunity for us to escape from unemployment and poverty. We must manage to find viable ways of applying this “strength” to offer solutions to our nation’s enormous problems.