Massive flooding and the population growth problem

MANILA, Philippines - Millions suffered from Ondoy’s and Pepeng’s foray in our country but we are still confused as to how to prevent a repetition. Many blame various problems and propose measures that up to now have never really resolved these problems. Why? Because we have not zeroed in on the root cause of all these problems.

Let us therefore refer to the very explicit consequences of our population explosion on our current catastrophic situations:

• Poverty continues to increase with the poor naturally suffering the most.

• The health problem, mostly among the poor, and daily broadcast in media will worsen.

• Problems of educating the children are exacerbated.

• Hunger, nutrition and personal intelligence problems naturally follow.

• Graft and corruption are blamed and will further increase.

• Housing and squatting problems will surely cause more headaches.

• The phenomena of a widespread urban pollution unceasingly increase.

• So it is with the continuing deforestation, leading to floods and landslides.

The excessive population growth also causes the various problems afflicting our country:

• Excessive population growth causes expensive elections.

• The already heavy national debt continues to increase due to budget deficits with the government subsidizing the poor to prevent anarchy. Thirty-five percent of the budget is used for debt service.

• The poor economic growth, further weighed down by a population explosion, naturally results in ineffective governance.

• The various problems of crime, individual security, and deterioration of the justice system harshly affect our personal lives, rich or poor, mostly the poor.

• The problem also leads to moral decline and the proliferation of pedophilia, pornography, japayukis, and a blind eye to immoralities.

• Separated families, without a father and/or mother, wreak havoc on the children.

• The worldwide collapse of communism in the early 1990s made the Filipino communists maintain that their campaign is home grown and is designed to liberate the poor.

• We cannot resolve the various insurgency problems due to poverty, injustice, and ineffective governance which are results of an explosive population growth.

• This last presented consequence is controversial but with the affluent marrying the good-looking while the ordinary-looking ones are left to the proliferating poor, the result is a deterioration of pulchritude among Filipinos.

Many denounce our country’s numerous problems but only refer to the population growth as something that is not so urgent and that seems to be overcome by the pro-life arguments. Thailand’s and the Philippines’ populations were on an equal level in the 1970s, but now, Thailand is more than three times wealthier than the Philippines, with a population of 60 million compared to the Philippines’ 90 million. The more than 10 million overseas workers contribute more than $10 billion yearly to our economy but at what price.

It is encouraging that many national leaders and opinion makers especially Finance Secretary Gary Teves now admit that economic benefits do not trickle down to the poor because of the country’s population growth. If the situation worsens and the mass of people gets poorer, hungrier and disgruntled, anti-government elements may agitate them, involve them in rallies and demonstrations, or worse, push then to loot and burn business establishments and invade subdivisions. The AFP and the PNP will naturally be called upon to restore peace and order. Remember the semi-anarchic situation in 1972 that resulted in martial law! We pray that the nation avoid anarchy and totalitarianism arising from ineffective governance and widespread dissatisfaction.” ­— Brig. Gen. FLORENCIO F. MAGSINO