The International Herald Tribune documents the situation of Delia Paje, mother of 10 and living in a Mandaluyong slum with her family. Paje was meant to illustrate the raging debate between the Philippine government and the Catholic church on the issue of birth control.
At the center of the debate is the assertion by officials and economists that the Philippines’ rapid population growth is threatening to counteract whatever economic gains the nation makes.
The church, which forbids contraception like condoms and the birth control pill, accuses the government of twisting the facts. There is no population explosion, it said. Blaming the population growth for the country’s poverty, the church maintains, is disingenuous. [IHT]
Then the report goes on to expound on the issue by bringing forth arguments that clearly shows that the raging battle goes beyond population control.
I think it is myopic to argue against birth control by simply saying that if economics can provide, then there is no reason why a couple cannot have a new baby each year until the woman goes on menopause. Such an attitude cannot be more wrong. See, responsible parenthood goes way, way beyond the capacity to provide for the material comfort of children. It encompasses the quality of attention and care that parents can provide. Time, physical, mental and emotional energy and exhaustion, AND economics are all factors.
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