By Liwliwa Malabed

High birth rates hamper development in poorer countries, warns UN forum. We already know this. More than 2 decades ago, the Population Commission of the Philippines stated that our dwindling resources will not be able to sustain our rapid population growth. Our country’s high growth rate is due to high fertility. In the 42nd session of the UN Commission on Population and Development, experts cite the “the lack of access to family planning and to modern methods of contraception is the major cause of this persistence in high fertility.”

Here in the Philippines, 49.4 % or half of the population does not use any method of contraception. A population development law, such as the proposed House Bill 5043 or RH bill should therefore be a priority of our government. Lawmakers should not be dancing around the RH bill, else Juan Dela Cruz would stay poor and hungry.