The population issue has long been dead and buried in developed and most developing countries, including historically Catholic countries.

That it continues to be debated heatedly in our country merely testifies to the lack of progress in policy and action. The Catholic Church hierarchy has maintained its traditional stance against modern family planning (FP) methods, particularly modern (also referred to as “artificial”) contraceptives.

On the other hand, the State acknowledges the difficulties posed for development by rapid population growth, especially among the poorest Filipinos. But it has been immobilized from effectively addressing the issue by the Catholic hierarchy’s hard-line position, as well as the tendency of some politicians to cater to the demands of well-organized and impassioned single-issue groups for the sake of expediency.

Caught between a hard Church and a soft State are the overwhelming majority of Filipinos who affirm the importance of helping women and couples control the size of their families and the responsibility of the government to provide budgetary support for modern FP services.

Population control is any methodology used to control the type, location and number of people that inhabit the earth. Public debate is strictly limited however to non-coercive means in achieving any one of these goals, especially with regards to population reduction. An important example of this would be allowing people the free choice on procreative matters. By using various methodologies both economic and administrative and educational to dissuade people from having more children than needed, a stable population base can be created. It should be noted here that the prevailing viewpoint of the world’s decision makers is that Population control and environmental devastation are linked and the former contributes heavily to the latter. This view is foundational to understand the policies that are formulated to combat, what is viewed by policy makers as a runaway population explosion. Indeed, when the Nation Intelligence Council (NIC) held their Global Trends Conference they identified seven key drivers that would shape the globe through the year 2015. The first was demographics; the second was natural resources and environment.  These trends are of the utmost importance to understand if we are to understand the motives and policies that are driving the population control agenda. Related terms and policy paradigms and nomenclature are 'Sustainable Development', 'Agenda 21', ‘Rio Conference’ ‘Biodiversity Treaty’, ‘Bioshpere Reserves’, ‘World Heritage Treaty’, ‘Ecosystem Management’, ‘Desertification Treaty’, Ecosystem Management etc. The idea that there are too many people inhabiting the earth is one that is ingrained in the world’s leaders and one that, in their view, requires a solution.

One way for a country or other ruling authoritative body to control population growth is to institute laws that prohibit high fertility. China, for instance, is well known for instituting a "one child policy" which makes it illegal for urban couples to have more than one child. Using regulations to control population in this manner is often frowned upon, and requires a governing body with supreme authority over its people, but it can be very effective.

Another important way to limit population growth is to increase the rate of contraception among the population. Contraception, while not infallible, drastically reduces fertility rates, often with minimal expense. While contraception and education about using contraception is widely available in rich countries, people in poor countries may not have access to simple contraceptive methods like condoms, or even know what they are. Not only can poor nations in areas like Africa and southeast Asia benefit from the fertility control aspect of contraception, but condoms can also help prevent the spread of STDs like AIDS, which is an epidemic in many poor nations.

there are several other factors which tend to limit population growth. Wars are one factor which plays a large role in limiting population growth. Since soldiers are typically able bodied men, any combat deaths are likely to decrease population growth. Controlling population is a very controversial subject, and many consider education and making contraception available, but not forcing its use to be the only acceptable way to promote population control. Even if birth rates can be controlled to a mere replacement rate (every couple has two kids, replacing the mother and father) increasing sophistication of health care has lead to an increase in life expectancies, which has further increased the size of world populations.


Groupmates
Ryan Matthew Melliza
Josh Rabb Tabion
Justin Seo
Lean Granflor
Carmelo Totanes