Overpopulation is rapidly becoming an issue in the Philippines. Despite having less than minimum wage, most families in the Class C-D demographic in the Philippines have about 5 – 7 children each. Anecdotes of people with this lifestyle can be examined in my hypertext.
In order to counter overpopulation, the government has come up with the Reproductive Health Bill. The government wants to introduce the idea of “pro-choice” family planning by incorporating sex education in the public school system and by making free condoms available to people in poverty (most of whom cannot afford condoms or perhaps do not even know the concept of contraception). An analysis of this bill would be included in the hypertext. I personally agree with the passing of this bill because not only would it bring about further education to the masses and would be an effective measure against overpopulation, but it would also be the first step to bringing liberal ideas in a conservative Catholic country.
On the other side of the fence, the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (“CBCP”) is in staunch disapproval of this bill. They claim that sex education in public schools would be inappropriate and that the usage of condoms would defile its sanctity and purity. With indignation, they threat the government with “civil disobedience” and they are even threatening to excommunicate the president from the Catholic Church if the bill is passed.
According to the Philippine constitution, the Separation of Church and State means that the state may not impose a state religion. However, in the Philippines, it seems to me that the Church is relentlessly meddling and imposing itself on state affairs. The Church and the government may argue as much as they want but they must keep in mind that every word thrown and every bill passed directly affects the biggest stakeholders in this matter: the Filipino people.
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