The Sociological Arguments in defense of Life

1. The Sociological Argumentsin defense of Life Amparo Pamela H. Fabe Economist and Sociologist UP Diliman

2. FLOW OF THE PRESENTATION • I. Background on the Importance of Human Life • II. Bill Against Life: Reproductive Health Bill of 2008 • III. What Population Control Really Is • IV. The main socio-economic arguments versus population control • IV. Conclusions

3. Life is precious

4. Young Life must be protected

5. Danger, Deformity, Death: Impact of Contraception on Babies

6. Who supports the Philippine Economy? HUMAN RESOURCES: Filipino Overseas workers bring in US 15 billion dollars for the Philippine economy. HUMAN RESOURCES BRING IN INCOME. Reproductive Health Bill wants to limit or decrease human resources. Where’s the logic? There should be more Filipinos.

7. SAFELY DEAD: THE UGLY FACE OF ABORTION THE END GOAL

8. PRISON LANGUAGE=REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LANGUAGE • A prison is a place where criminals stay without fee for the duration of their punishment due to their crimes against the state and persons. • A prison is a place where one enjoys free food, free accommodation, tax-free life, abundant leisure and recreation time and unlimited pleasure of self-reflection and moments of rest.

9. Life is nature’s greatest masterpiece. • Each human being is endowed with talents and capabilities by a Supreme Being. • Each human being will be able to achieve his highest potentials given the proper education and technical training.

10. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND POPULATION DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2008 • The aim of this bill are as follows: • The State shall encourage two children as the ideal family size • To promote irresponsibility in one’s sexual life by making condoms, contraceptive and abortion accessible as possible. • Taking out the rights of parents, teachers and friends to educate young people on human sexuality.

11. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND POPULATION DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2008 • Promotes information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible.

12. The Negative Effects of ALL CONTRACEPTIVES • Migraine • Headaches • Depression • Myocardial infarction • Congenital defects • Cervical Cancer • Source: Williams Obstetrics, 21sted, 2006, textbook for Medical students and p

13. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND POPULATION DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2008 • To remove the stigma of abortion by providing post-abortive care; hence, more abortion among teen-age mothers is encouraged. • To penalize through fines and imprisonment those people who go against this bill. So if your mother dissuades you from having an abortion, she can go to jail for giving this advice. If your teacher dissuades you from taking contraception, she can go to jail.

14. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND POPULATION DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2008 • Adolescent and youth health • Prevention and management of reproductive tract infections, HIV/AIDS and STDs • Counseling on sexuality and sexual and reproductive health

15. Reproductive Bill • Promotes unlimited sex through promotion of condoms, contraceptives and abortion. • It takes away parental authority and supervision with respect to decisions on marriage and teen-age pregnancy. • It seeks to make sex education vivid in daily life through constant information. • It destroys the real beauty of love and self-giving in marriage.

16. ABSTINENCE IS KEY • Students and Single Professionals: ABSTINENCE Human sexuality is a gift and it must be used within marriage. • MARRIED PEOPLE – FIDELITY AND PERSEVERANCE IN LOVE. • MARRIED PEOPLE- BRING CHILDREN INTO THE WORLD AS A GIFT OF GOD NOT AS MISTAKES OF THE CALENDAR.

17. Philosophy of Population control • Margaret Sanger, Founder of the American Birth Control League • “More children from the fit, less from the unfit-that is the chief issue of birth control • Eugenics-directed initially at Italian, Jewish and Eastern Europe immigrants in the early 1930’s • Source: Birth Control Review, 1919

18. Birth Control Philosophy of Margaret Sanger • “The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.” • -Women and the New Race, 1916 • “The purpose of birth control is to create a race of thoroughbreds.” Birth Control Review, May 1919

19. How America refuted Margaret Sanger • Hillary Clinton-London, Colin Powell- Jamaica, Mayor Guiliani-Italy, the Kennedy clan-Ireland, Margaret Albright-Czech, Kurt Waldheim-Austria • Jim Carrey-Canada, Antonio Banderas-Spain, Arnold Schwarzenegger-Austria, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Mel Gibson, Jude Law - Australia, CharlizeTheron-South Africa • COMMON TRAIT: THEY WERE POOR WHEN THEY FIRST REACHED THE US

20. Contraception • Any direct and positive intervention to stop the natural orientation of the conjugal act as manifestation of love between husband and wife that may or may not lead to conception • Every action which proposes to render procreation impossible

21. Shikyu • In Japanese, the term for the uterus is shikyu which means Shi (Child) and Kyu (palace). • The womb is the palace of the child. • Abortion and Contraceptive technology has changed this palace into a graveyard.

22. Argument #1 Filipinos view children as essential to the family. • A bundle of joy and happiness to the family • An example to guide the younger siblings • Social security and companion in old age • A strong contributor to family income • Assures the continuity of the family name Source: Dr. Garnett, American sociologist studying the Filipino family in 1970

23. Argument # 2 Countries with high economic growth have high population levels • Japan 120 million • USA 300 million • China 1 billion • India 1 billion • Middle East 250 million • Source: World Bank Statistics, 2008

24. Population is a major factor for economic growth • Growth in the Middle East is powered by annual population growth rates between 10 to 15 percent for many years. Middle East countries DO NOT PRACTICE POPULATION CONTROL. Saudi Arabia Economic Report, 2008 • Japan is seen to decline as it suffers from “demographic winter” or zero births – Chizuko Ueno, Tokyo University, 2008

25. Philippine Baby Industry Supports Economic Growth • Diapers – P8 billion • Baby Food and Milk – P 24 B • Baby Apparel – P 2 B • Baby vitamins and medicines – P 600M • Toys – P500M • Pre-School Business – P 8B • Source: SEC Income Statements of Registered Companies, 2008

26. Argument # 3 Contraception does not contribute to long-term, successful marriages. • Ability to change and adapt to change • Assumption of permanence • Balance of dependencies • Trust/ Commitment • Enjoyment of each other • Cherished, shared history • Why Marriages Last (Klagsburn, 1985/Lauer, 1985)

27. Factors of Marital Stability • Containment of conflict • Quality of communication • Mutuality of Decision-making • Relational values of trust, respect • Stronger feelings of connectedness • Mackey O’Brian, 1995/Alford Cooper, 1998

28. Argument # 4 A positive economic growth is due to good governance, not low population levels. • Good governance is the key instrument of sustained economic growth. There is a need to stem corruption which depletes the state finances-Mr. Kuroda, ADB President • Good governance is a necessary component of a sustained economic growth-Dr. Alex Brillantes, Dean, UP College of Public Administration

29. Argument # 5 Environmental degradation is due to negative practices, not to high population. • Environmental degradation in the Pacific islands is a result of malpractices of individual residents. This happens in areas with low population levels. Dr. Akiko Ishiwata, Environmental Science, State University of New York, 2005

30. Argument # 6 Agricultural resources can feed over 35 billion people. • If all farmers were to use the best methods, enough food could be raised to provide an American-type of diet to 35 billion people. Colin Clark, Agricultural Economic Institute, Oxford University • World agricultural resources can provide an adequate diet to 40 billion people. Roger Revelle, Harvard Center for Population Studies, 1999

31. In poor countries, famines were a result of human arrogance. • Famines in Africa were the result of dictatorial and military regimes who hoarded food and not because of lack of food supply. Famines occurred in African countries with the lowest population levels. • Source: The World Almanac and Book of Facts (1986).

32. Argument # 7 Savings is a function of income and incentives not of population levels. • “The increase in the savings level is a function of general income levels and high-yielding investment instruments designed to attract foreign investors.” - BSP Gov. Amando Tetangco

33. Argument # 8 Population growth promotes economies of scale. • Higher population leads to a larger market, a greater need for machinery, division of labor and improved transportation and communication. –Hollis Chenery, Economist, University of Chicago • The MRT and the LRT 2 is made feasible by the high pedestrian traffic in Manila. DOTC

34. Argument # 9 A strong family leads to a strong nation. • A strong Filipino family with proper cultural and social values leads to a strong republic. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo • A society without a sustained level of birth rates will lead to economic decline or economic crisis. – Peter Drucker, American management specialist

35. Argument #10 Population growth increases the stock of human knowledge. • Since ideas come from people, it is reasonable that the number of improvements depend on the number of people using their heads. William Petty, Nobel Prize for Physics, 1967 • The only explanation for technological advancement is the human mind. Edward Denison, Quality Management Expert, 1973

36. Argument #11 Poverty is a result of the inequitable distribution of wealth. • Each congressman gets P300M in pork barrel or P812,917 a day. An ordinary Filipino worker earns P450 pesos per day. • A senator with no graduate degree has a budget of P 2 million a month without working everyday. A high school teacher who needs to work everyday and who has a graduate degree has a budget of P20,000 a month.

37. Politicians dictate to us the family size. • You poor people, middle class people should not multiply. • But the CHILDREN are the MOST RELIABLE SOCIAL INSURANCE AND SAFETY NET FOR ANY FILIPINO FAMILY.

38. Argument #12 The Filipino is the best resource of our country. • The only resource which brings in US $ 12 B dollars. • World-class performance - Cristina Comerford and Lea Salonga and my sister • Excellent interpersonal skills - Filipino smiles • Let’s have more Filipinos!

39. Famous Filipinos • HENRY SY • LUCIO TAN • DOLPHY • TAN YU, Filipino-Taiwanese billionaire • Gus Go – Cebuano billionaire • COMMON TRAIT- They did not finish high school.

40. Famous Filipinos • John Gokongwei • Andres Soriano-founder of Soriano Group and San Miguel Corporation • William Chiongbian, founder of William Lines • Paulino Aboitiz, Aboitiz Group of Companies • Alfonso Yuchengo-RCBC, Malayan Insurance • COMMON TRAIT- They were dirt-poor when they started the family business.

41. If there is a very serious reason to postpone having children, abstinence is still the best option! • Mutuality of decisionmaking among the couple • 100% effective against contracting AIDS or other venereal diseases • 100% effective against pregnancy occurrence • Costless, painless • No side effects • No doctor’s consultation fee • Best of all - No regrets!

42. Conclusions The campaign for population control goes against the cultural sensitivities of the Filipino people. The campaign for population control defies basic economic and sociological truths. The campaign for population control denies the unique contribution of each Filipino to society. The campaign for population control in the end is a business for contraceptive distribution in developing countries.