MANILA, APRIL 19, 2011 (TRIBUNE) VIEWPOINTS: Written by Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz - For reason of short-sightedness, of hard-headedness or plain incompetence, on account of merely unwise advisories or downright selfish ulterior motives, Malacañang believes and wherefore accordingly acts on the assumption that the Filipino population is the problem and thus the culprit of national poverty, the cause of the present country-wide misery and socio-economic debacle.
Its simplistic thought and immediate option: Lessening the Filipino population automatically means national progress, equals development and prosperity. Reason: Big population is a curse. Small population is blessing. As far as the Filipinos are concerned, the more they are, the worse they become, the less they are, the better they emerge — specifically in terms of material abundance.
The following realities are thus conveniently ignored by Malacañang and cohorts: There are countries with less and less children, and wherefore with more and more aging people. Their recourse is to import more and more foreigners to man their trade and manage their industry. There are also countries that successfully led their citizens to have less and less population. Their governments are now doing everything for them to have more kids through different gimmicks and enticements. No wonder then that when certain individuals from such countries visit the Philippines, the mere sight of children is interestingly their big surprise and delight.
No. This definitely is not intended to promote much less to defend irresponsible parenthood. This is but saying that the poverty and misery in this country are basically caused by factors other than merely the size of the population. The still raging graft and corrupt practices practically in all the agencies of the government, the illusive investments basically by reason of disdain in the government transactional system, the reality of wealthy Filipinos withdrawing their capital funds from the local market in favor of foreign industries — all these and more are but some of the causes of the still increasing poverty and misery in the country. And whereas production is practically at a standstill, there is the deadly equation of fewer goods and more people in need, high priced commodities and wages/salaries.
Sad to say, the over-all recourse of the past as well as the present government is to sell its population at any cost to all possible recipient countries. The obsession of the past and present administration is to make the citizens as but means of economic profits. Specifically with reference to the incumbent leadership, the following elementary agenda are and remain but in limbo: Agro-Industrial development. Investments and job-generation. Education that is responsive to the existent and projected socio-economic demands. And no mendicancy promotions such as some cryptic-named coupons, certain intricate cash transfer, etc.etc. Please!
(Reprinted with permission of Archbishop Emeritus Oscar V. Cruz, from www.ovc.blogspot.com)
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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