By Connie B. Destura
LEGAZPI CITY, (PNA) — The continuing non-implementation of the controversial Reproductive Health Law would do more harm than good in the implementation of the government’s development agenda, said the information officer of the Bicol office of the Population Commission (Popcom).
Miracle “Macol” Bolanos, Popcom-Bicol information officer, said the Philippines has lagged behind other countries in terms of economic progress due to rapid population growth, or at 1.9 percent a year.
Bolanos said the positive effect of population programs has been proven already in other countries, particularly in Europe where most countries are now rich and progressive after they implemented population programs focused on birth spacing, among others.
“It has been proven already in other countries that population programs help them become progressive,” he told PNA.
As example, the Popcom official cited the case of Thailand which ranked 19th in terms of population, while Philippines ranked 18th, or roughly 40 million people apiece in the 1960s.
But now, or after over 40 years, Thailand ranked 22nd, compared to the Philippines which ranked 12th in the ladder of the world’s most populous countries, Bolanos explained.
He said that in terms of population structure, the country has fewer working groups but has more dependents while Thailand has more more working groups and less dependents.
“Our population is still very young due to more dependents than workers. It is a universally proven truth that younger population would yield to more pregnancies, and that bigger households result in poorer families,” he said.
Bolanos said the main objective of the RH Law is to ensure that the health rights of men and women are enjoyed.
The Supreme Court has extended its temporary restraining order imposed on RH Law, pending the resolution of arguments brought by the pro- and anti-RH Law before its jurisdiction for final arbitration.