RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD:

The Acceptable Way to Manage Population Growth

By Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr.
Annual Human Life International Conference in Cebu City on August 25, 2007

 No responsible Catholic religious and lay leaders, to my knowledge, hold the view that population growth is irrelevant to our countrys development. Because it really is. And In this country, the big issue is how we are to manage that growth.

The problem lies here on how to manage our countrys population growth.

There is no unanimity on the proper way to do it.

Population Growth Relevant

One of the essential elements that must be taken into account in planning the development of the country is the growth of our population. Not the only element but is one of the more basic. If we do not consider our countrys population growth when we plan the national development, wed miss on the vital estimates of, for example, how many school buildings, hospitals, highways, power plants and other infrastructures should be built in a given year and over the years.

One Method of Managing Growth Population

Some sectors of our society advocate abortion maybe not directly but indirectly in the sense of their advancing the use of even abortifacient drugs to prevent pregnancy if not to actually expel the fetus from the wombs of pregnant women.
The advocacy has no place in a so-called Christian country such as ours. It is my view that causing the abortion of a fetus whether long term or short term is criminal. And therefore should never be condoned.

The use of family planning methods that do not involve abortifacient drugs is a matter that begs a definitive answer from our spiritual leaders and from us, the involved laity. Natural family planning appears to be the favored method, at least, theoretically of spacing children among Catholic couples today. Not every couple of the Faith, however, does it. Some Catholic couples find natural family planning impractical and cumbersome.

As a layman, I defer to the superior wisdom of the pastors of our church on the morality of the choice by Catholic parents of the various methods of family planning. That is not my expertise. All I can add is that from my observation some of our bishops do not share the pro-life view that some methods of family planning are unacceptable.
That split in the ranks of our prelates on what should be our common stand based on moral principles is a weakness in our position against the use, for instance, of non-abortion causing pills or methods in family planning.

In the midst of these dissonant views, how, then, are we to strengthen the solidarity of the family? And actively promote its total development?

Indeed, it is imperative to uphold and recognize the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation. Also, the principle that marriage is an inviolable social institution and is the foundation of the family that shall be protected by the State.

As a layman, I suggest an answer. And on this point, I can stand my ground against any and all comers because it is found in Article XV, Section 3 of the Constitution.

Article XV, Section 3 of the Constitution response states that:

"The State shall defend:

1. The right of spouses to found a family in accordance with their religious convictions and the demands of responsible parenthood;
The State has no authority to compel spouses to raise or start a family. That right exclusively belongs to the husband as father and the wife as mother being the head and the heart of the familial community that they raise. The founding of the family, however, must first be based on the religious convictions of the spouses. That means that in determining how many children they will bear, the parents shall be guided by their religious beliefs. Not only that. The parents must also take into account the demands of responsible parenthood

2. The right of children to assistance, including proper care and nutrition, and special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their development;
In fine, the State is mandated to defend the right of the spouses to found a family and to assist the children to be properly taken care of and be protected against all forms of neglect and abuse. But first the spouses as parents must realize that by a constitutional mandate, they are directed to be responsible parents. Negatively put, the spouses as parents are not encouraged to bear children at will like rabbits without any thought as to how they are going to feed them properly, educate them well, medicate them when they get sick, and provide the wherewithal needed by them to grow up as responsible citizens.

What policies may the government, then, adopt to regulate family life or family growth?

[Subparagraph 4 of Section 3 of Article XV of the Constitution].

[Subparagraph 4 of Section 3 of Article XV of the Constitution].

3. The right of families or family associations to participate in the planning and administration of policies and programs that affect them.
Two things need emphasis here: 1. Families and family associations have the right to participate in the (a) planning and (b) implementation of policies and programs that affect them, and, therefore, 2. Unless the families and family associations have participated in their planning and implementation, those policies and programs would be highly questionable even unconstitutional - and should or ought not to be prescribed in any manner or form. It is, therefore, clear to me that no government official high or low and no government agency national or local can plan AND much less implement policies and programs that affect families without having those families and their family associations participate in the formulation and implementation of those policies.

As I close, I would like to say that controlling population growths is a sensitive issue. It has been politicized by the US government as a national security doctrine since the mid-70s to bring sovereign nations under its sphere of influence. Up to today, population control manifests itself as a divisive issue in our political life.

As an ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICIAL, in addressing the population issue of our country, we will not go wrong if we followed the mandates of the Constitution. The Constitution wisely obligates families to follow their spiritual beliefs and at the same time consider the practical demands of responsible parenthood. Indeed, parenthood does not only have spiritual but also practical dimensions.

As a CITIZEN, I think we will not err if we observed those constitutional provisions with our eyes wide open. As a CATHOLIC, I think we will be treading on safe grounds if we go the route the Constitution provides for dealing with family and population issues.

May the Good LORD bless our pastors, all of us, and our country. THANK YOU!