IF LEFT UNCHECKED
The Philippine population
will double in 35 years

Parents should have only the right number of children they can support. But this principle often flies in the face of reality, "husband's objection" being one reason cited by the researchers. Many Filipino women, especially among the poor, still bear more children than their health can sustain (and their income can afford), in some cases leading to maternal deaths.

In fact in 1993 and 1998, the numbers of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births were 209 and 172, respectively.

And the Philippine population continues to grow each year at a rate of slightly more than 2 percent.

"The big picture that emerges is cause for concern," declares the first State of the Philippine Population Report (SPPR), published by the Commission on Population (Popcom) with financial assistance from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). "If this rate continues, then the population, estimated to be about 75.3 million today, is expected to double in 35 years."

The Report, titled "Time to Act: Needs, Options, Decisions," poses some probing questions:l "Are couples able to realize their desired number of children and the quality attributes that they want for their children?"

l Will individuals and families be able to earn and save so that their living standards constantly improve over time?

l Can they endow their children with the education, health and nutrition needed to make it in an environment that is increasingly getting integrated with the rest of the world?

The answer appears to be no, at least for many Filipino families, with mothers giving birth to more children than they can adequately take care of, and infants dying (about 36 out of every 1,000 live births, according to the 1998 National Demographic Survey) before their first birthday.

Worldwide, family planning has been known to reduce these infant and maternal death rates.

Fertility rates in the Philippines are declining, "but the decrease is not large enough to bring about a transition from a high to a low rate of natural increase," notes SPPR. Filipinos, in general, have close to four children.

In principle, women should be able to have only the number of children they want or can afford, considering the range of artificial and natural contraceptives available.

"In reality, however," the report states, "many individuals and couples fail to realize their desired family size due to unmet need for contraceptives." Perceptions related to risk of conceiving, health effects of contraception and husband's fertility preferences also contribute to the unmet need problem. Unmet need stems largely from the high costs associated with practicing contraception or obtaining the existing service delivery system.

Some couples are more informed than others, and they are able to wisely choose a contraceptive method and thus help ensure the reproductive health of the wife.

"The others, especially the poor, are not as fortunate," the SPPR declares. "Underschooled, underemployed and without access to safe contraceptives,they end up with unintended pregnancies while some undergo the wrenching experience of induced abortion," which is illegal in the Philippines.

It is a vicious cycle which can only end with proper birth spacing, widespread use of contraceptives along with government programs to alleviate poverty, increase the purchasing power of the people, and a better-educated citizenry.

Grim outcomes are the result of this failure to meet the desired number of children.

"Frequent pregnancies can lead to frequent spells of morbidity and other illnesses, forcing the wife to drop out of the labor force in many instances," the SPPR says. Family conflicts may arise, and children have been known to drop out of school and compelled to work.

Some of the school dropouts end up doing menial jobs or working as hired hands in agriculture, watch-your-car boys (sometimes gravitating to a life of petty crime), cigarette vendors or scavengers.

When they grow up, adolescent fertility becomes a problem for rich or poor alike. An attraction to the opposite sex, changing mores and the blandishments of media make them curious about sex. While sexually active teenagers may be in the minority, their estimated number _ about 2.4 million _ is another cause for concern.

Studies have found that many adolescents engage in premarital sex without adequate knowledge of the means to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. About 58 percent of Filipino adolescents experience reproductive health problems, with the females most likely to report these. The problems include painful urination, genital pain, infection, abortion, and hypertension during pregnancy.

Some marry young, and are ill-prepared for the responsibilities of marriage and raising children. And poverty is transmitted from one generation to the next. In 1997, the Family Income and Expenditure Survey found that some 32 percent of households were living below the poverty line.

"At this point," the report concludes, "the Philippine economy must grow sufficiently fast to be able to catch up with the newly industrializing countries in the development race. The task is rendered manageable by a slowing down of population growth." This is a given which transcends political considerations.
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