Solon: Population's full potential untapped

By RIO ROSE RIBAYA

MANILA, Philippines — A member of the House of Representatives is blaming widespread corruption and poverty for the failure of the country’s population to maximize its potential.

Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said the country’s big population has not been harnessed for developments because of the corruption and unequal distribution of wealth.

“A large population is not a problem. It can even be an advantage so long as people can provide for their children. But our country is poor, the government is corrupt and there is unequal distribution of resources,” Ilagan, one of the staunch proponents of Reproductive Health and Family Planning Bill, said.

“The government should have clear priorities in terms of services: Health, education, employment and housing. Corruption should be curbed starting with the top officials. Most importantly, there should be a national policy on reproductive health to give poor women information and access to all types of family planning and not control methods,” she said.

For his part, Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello dismissed as baseless criticisms that the measure was no longer needed since the country has been doing great in reducing the number of maternal deaths.

A proponent of the House bill on reproductive health, Bello noted that the reduction of maternal deaths in the country would not stop them from pursuing the approval of RH measure in the House.

“The RH bill not only promotes maternal health but also assists families in planning size and spacing of families so as to enable poor families to get out of poverty. It also seeks an appropriate balance between the population and the environment and economy," he said.

"There is consensus that population size now exceeds carrying capacity of country and that development demands a lower population growth rate and fertility rate. Why they can't listen to reason and science?” he said.

Earlier, Alyansa ng mga Grupo ng Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan (Agham) Rep. Angelo Palmones renewed calls for Congress to pass the RH measure after the United Nations estimated the global population has exceeded seven billion, with the Philippines as the 12th most populous country in the world.

Palmones said the passage of RH measure may help the government counter the ill effects of the growing population estimated to be 94.9 million
.