The Political Economy of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

as Applied to Philippine Overpopulation

CHAPTER 1
(Introduction and its Background)

The main focus of this paper is on the President Gloria Macapagal

Arroyo’s perspective in political economy as applied to Philippine problem on
overpopulation and as well are the present mechanisms being used in
addressing the said problem.
To begin with, it is important to know the background of the Philippines.
Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards, Japanese and Americans. It is not
surprising why Filipinos today has a Western and Eastern way of perspectives.
Philippine culture was indeed influenced and shaped by these abovementioned
colonizers, although the Philippines has its own unique culture before the
colonization happens. Religiously speaking, Philippines come into diverse type
and some of which includes Judaism, Hinduism, Christianism, Muslim,
Protestantism and many others. But it is very noticeable that Philippines is
predominantly Christians specifically speaking the Roman Catholic Church. In
fact, 80 percent of Filipinos are Roman Catholic Church. Culture and religion are
perhaps some of the variables to be considered in analyzing the problem on
overpopulation. However, both should not be blamed because they are part of
the history.
Today the social problem on overpopulation tends to be one of the
greatest ill that plagues the Filipino nation. It’s a condition where peoples number
exceed the carrying capacity of their habitat and so there is a great possibility
that the government would not be able to give all the demands of the people
because of its limited resources . Overpopulation although has its positive side
still it seriously endangers the lives of the people. The government should take
action in order to lessen if not to eliminate the problem. Overpopulation has an
effect to the economic development of the Philippines. Therefore, it has to be
addressed.
 CHAPTER 2
(Presentation, Interpretation and Analysis of Data Gathered)

A. Presentation of Data and Interpretation

According to the estimation of the National Statistics Office, Philippine

population during the middle of 2009 is 92, 226, 600 (see Table 1). According to
the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and
Social Affairs Philippine population is 1.36 percent of the world population.
Philippine land area is 115,830 square miles or 300,000 square kilometers. The
population growth rate of the Philippines is undeniable. One considerable
question how does President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo see overpopulation?

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) in her 2004 Ten-Point

Development Agenda which are: (1) the creation of six to ten million jobs, (2)
education for all, (3) balance the national budget, (4) decentralization of progress
and development across the country through the development of transportation
networks like the roll-on, roll-off ferries and digital infrastructure, (5) provision of
power and water supply to all barangays, (6) decongestion of Metro Manila, (7)
development of Clark and Subic as the logistics center in Asia, (8) automation of
the electoral process, (9) peace agreements with rebel groups and (10) closure
of wounds caused by divisions due to EDSA 1, 2 and 3. Focusing in her first
agenda which is the creation of million jobs includes the use of human resources
meaning the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW”s) in order to address the problem
on employment. In some instances over population could be viewed positively.
Perhaps if PGMA cannot solve the problem on overpopulation, then use it in
addressing the problem on unemployment. However, the use of human
resources abroad is good for a short period of time because it creates
employment but in the long run it’s not enough. Filipino nation needs a job within
the Philippine territorial jurisdiction and so it will not be too much dependent to
other nations.
 PGMA's Speech during the 16th League of Municipalities General
Assembly and the National Summit on Hunger and Population that was delivered
on October 25, 2006 at the Fiesta Pavilion, Manila Hotel One Rizal Park, Manila,
shows her objective in addressing overpopulation. She said that:
Ayon sa batas ng pamahalaang lokal hindi lamang agrikultura ang
devolved, maraming devolved -- social welfare ay devolved, health ay
devolved kaya devolved sa lokal. Ang ibig sabihin noon ang pamahalaang
lokal ang bahala sa kalusugan, at kasama sa health o kalusugan ay ang
reproductive health, at sakop naman ng reproductive health ay yung mga
programa ukol sa populasyon. And that is the reason why, because health
including reproductive health and population services are devolved to the
local governments, I have been advising our funding agencies -- and I
advised our U.N. population program -- to deal directly with local
governments as far as population assistance is concerned.

Her statement manifests her determination in pursuing a policy in national

population. She also mentioned the role of the local government units in pursuing
the health as well as reproductive health and its proper implementation in their
localities. However, supervision and strong teeth are still needed in its effective
implementation.

The Reproductive Health Bill or HB 5043 perhaps could be the glimpse of

the governments’ attempt to pursue a strong policy on national population. The
government is campaigning for an innovative in addressing the problem on
overpopulation. However, the said bill is still pending.

The bill will serve as the teeth to the implementation of reproductive

health. The bill stipulates that the Commission on Population (POPC0NI) is going
to be the main agency in its implementation. Here is an excerpt from the said bill:

The POPCOM will serve as the central planning, coordinating,

implementing and monitoring body for the comprehensive and integrated
policy on reproductive health and population development. In the
implementation of this policy, POPCOM, which shall be an attached
agency of the Department of Health (DOH) shall have the following
functions:

a. To create an enabling environment for women and couples to make an

informed choice regarding the family planning method that is best suited to
their needs and personal convictions;

b. To integrate on a continuing basis the interrelated reproductive health

and population development agenda into a national policy, taking into
account regional and local concerns;

c. To provide the mechanism to ensure active and full participation of the

private sector and the citizenry through their organizations in the planning
and implementation of reproductive health care and population
development programs and projects;

d. To ensure people’s access to medically safe, legal, quality and

affordable reproductive health goods and services;

e. To facilitate the involvement and participation of non-government

organizations and the private sector in reproductive health care service
delivery and in the production, distribution and delivery of quality
reproductive: health and family planning supplies and commodities to
make them accessible and affordable to ordinary citizens;

f. To fully implement the Reproductive Health Care Program with the

following components:

(1) Reproductive health education including but not limited to counseling

on the full range of legal and medically-safe family planning methods
including surgical methods;
(2) Maternal, pen-natal and post-natal education, care and services;

(3) Promotion of breastfeeding;

(4) Promotion of male involvement, participation and responsibility in

reproductive health as well as other reproductive health concerns of men;

(5) Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion

complications; and

(6) Provision of information and services addressing the reproductive

health needs of the poor, senior citizens, women in prostitution, differently-
abled persons, and women and children in war AND crisis situations.

g. To ensure that reproductive health services are delivered with a full

range of supplies, facilities and equipment and that service providers are
adequately trained for reproductive health care;

h. To endeavor to furnish local Family Planning Offices with appropriate

information and resources to keep the latter updated on current studies
and research relating to family planning, responsible parenthood,
breastfeeding and infant nutrition;

i. To direct all public hospitals to make available to indigent mothers who

deliver their children in these government hospitals, upon the mothers
request, the procedure of ligation without cost to her;

j. To recommend the enactment of legislation and adoption of executive

measures that will strengthen and enhance the national policy on
reproductive health and population development;

k. To ensure a massive and sustained information drive on responsible

parenthood and on all methods and techniques to prevent unwanted,
unplanned and mistimed pregnancies, it shall release information bulletins
 on the same for nationwide circulation to all government departments,
agencies and instrumentalities, non-government organizations and the
private sector, schools, public and private libraries, tri-media outlets,
workplaces, hospitals and concerned health institutions;

l. To strengthen the capacities of health regulatory agencies to ensure

safe, high-quality, accessible, and affordable reproductive health services
and commodities with the concurrent strengthening and enforcement of
regulatory mandates and mechanisms;

m. To take active steps to expand the coverage of the National Health

Insurance Program (NHIP), especially among poor and marginalized
women, to include the full range of reproductive health services and
supplies as health insurance benefits.

The bill is good because it gives reproductive health especially to woman

and it promotes responsible parenthood. However, the strong opposition of the
Roman Catholic Church delays its passage. The Roman Catholic Church still has
a big influence in the decision making of the legislators. Talking about PGMA,
she seems to be silent in her position on the said bill since the Roman Catholic
Church strongly opposed the said bill. The objection is raised by religious
individuals through the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
They propose the preservation of teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. It
only shows how conservative and how firm the Roman Catholic Church is in its
doctrines.
B. Analysis of Data

The drastic increase in population is a visible manifestation that

overpopulation really exists. Overpopulation is viewed by PGMA in both positive
and negative one. In her 2004 SONA she mentioned that one of her
administration’s visions is to create employment and that is through human
resources. The government utilizes the human resources in increasing
government’s income and so she strengthen Labor Laws and policies in order to
protect and promote the OFW”s welfare. This is a positive point of view
pertaining to overpopulation.
However, PGMA cannot deniably say that over population is not a
problem. PGMA is a practicing economist. She knows very well that
overpopulation adversely affects the Philippine development specifically
economic development. The extra population is bad for the economy since the
government would be less efficient in giving its services to the people because of
the limited resources.
PGMA’s administration is attempting to address the problem on excessive
population growth through the House Reproductive and Population Development
Act of 2008 or the HB 5043. According to to Rene Cristobal of the Employers in a
Confederation of the Philippines held in Quezon City said:
Our worker-families must now be properly educated with programs
designed to tackle problems on family right-sizing and how
overpopulation directly relates to day-to-day problems like health,
income, jobs and prices.

It manifests that Filipinos should be responsive in family right-sizing.

Families are the basic unit of the society in solving the problem. However, on the
other side Philippine culture and religion can be considered as contingent
variables in analyzing why did the bill is suspended. Religion specifically the
Roman Catholic Church has a great influence to the Philippine lawmakers. The
transformation of the Church in its role in politics manifests that it has to be
vigilant and stand firm on its doctrines and teachings.

CHAPTER 3

(Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation)

A. Summary

PGMA’s strengthening of laws in labor is an innovative way in utilizing

human resources. It is a good source of income which will help increase the
budget of the government in providing basic services to its people. PGMA’s is
also an advocate in the adoption of policies pertaining to reproductive health and
population development of the Philippines.

B. Conclusion

Underdevelopment cannot be blamed on overpopulation alone but it can

be one of the several possible ways in attaining the goal and aspiration of the
Filipino nation. The government should initiate an action in addressing the
problem on overpopulation. Overpopulation is very much associated to other sub
problems like malnutrition, lack of education, lack of employment and
environmental degradation. Population control can be helpful in attaining the goal
of the government which is to give a better quality of living for the Filipino.

C. Recommendation

House Bill 5043 needs to be passed in order to address the problem.

Conservatism in this social problem on overpopulation does not at all promote
change. When in reality what the people need is change. The people need a
change in their condition. The people deserve to increase their quality of living.
For the legislators, indeed, the Church plays a role in the society
especially in the promotion of morality. However, legislators have to be open-
minded and realistic in making their decisions. They should assess what the
people needs or just let the Filipino nation lead into chaos.

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpopulation
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_Philippines
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population
• http://www.pia.gov.ph/?
m=12&sec=reader&rp=1&fi=p050104.htm&no=5&date=01/04/2005
• http://www.philippinedomain.com/philippine-facts.htm
• http://www.neda.gov.ph/references/PGMA_plans/PGMA10pointAgenda.htm

• http://www.op.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3004

• http://jlp-law.com/blog/full-text-of-house-bill-no-5043-reproductive-health-and-
population-development-act-of-2008/