The state of Philippine population is often the subject of heated debate. Politicians, priests and pundits have argued long and hard about whether the country is overpopulated; and if so, whether or not the Reproductive Health bill is the solution to an issue that encompasses important social concerns like education, health, and employment. But how do today’s social media-savvy youth view these controversial issues?

Mulat Pinoy, a population and development advocacy and education campaign of Probe Media Foundation and Philippine Center for Population and Development, intends to find out with its Pop-I Video Contest. To join, individuals or groups must create a video in response to the questions posed by the Mulat Pinoy team, based on two very relevant issues that Filipino society face today: population management and lack of employment opportunities.

Enlightened citizens interested in addressing the Catholic Church’s anti-contraception stance may choose to make a video answering this question: “Will you burn in hell if you use contraceptives?” (Round one is from April 23 to May 21). College students and young professionals, on the other hand, can voice out their opinions on the competitive job market with an entry on “With so many people in the Philippines, how can you get a job?” (Round two is from May 7 to June 4)

Entries must be at least 30 and at most 90 seconds in length and uploaded to a YouTube account. Criteria for judging include: popdev relevance, message clarity, production quality, and audience impact. Six videos for each round will be shortlisted, with the grand prize winner receiving a Flip video camera.

For contest mechanics and other insights into how population issues affect every day life, log on to http://www.mulatpinoy.ph/videocontest