I sternly believe that overpopulation is the cause of poverty. In the Philippines, the country where I grew up in, the population of the poor outnumbers the rich and the working class. Filipinos have this old belief that the more children they have, the more number of people will be able to work to take them out for poverty. Well I say that this notion is outrageous! Children are not there to make your life better, it is actually the other way around. It is actually the parents who should work hard so that they can support the child's needs and provide him/her with a bright future.But how could parents who can barely provide for themselves be able to support a child and send him/her to college? If they can't support one child, how on earth could they support a dozen children? And so the vicious cycle of poverty occurs and poverty is never solved.
I do not feel pity for families who are very large in number and are suffering. Having a family is a vocation and it needs planning and one's full time attention. Why choose to have a large family when you can't even support yourself? Don't tell me that they can't afford contraceptives because the government offers free contraceptives and even ligation and vasectomy at public hospitals and some health centers. But the poor people are just uneducated and do not think of their children's future.
What I hate about these poor people is that they are the one's who always makes a scene at roads and tries to destroy the economy with their protests and outcries of desperation. In the first place what have they contributed to society and the government when they don't even pay tax and they expect that the government should be responsible for feeding them. If the Philippine government is corrupt and unable to provide the citizens their needs, then this should be an excellent reason not to have a dozen babies.
I commend the efforts of China in implementing the one child policy. Before the Chinese could not afford to buy meat because it is very expensive, but now they are able to enjoy that because they can now afford to buy their needs because they only have one child to support.
If only Filipinos had the sense of responsibility they would have the sense enough to follow in China's footsteps. If you can't afford to have a child then don't. Parents who have children and who can't provide their children their needs should be punished by law for negligence and child abuse. A child should be given only the best as they are the future leaders of our country. That is why there is a correlation between poverty and crime because children are forced to steal and use drugs because of the hardship that they undergo.
The Philippines will not develop unless the root cause of poverty is destroyed and that is overpopulation. With overpopulation there is a shortage not only with resources such as food but a shortage in jobs as well. That is why many Filipinos who have the right qualifications and skills often chooses to migrate abroad because this is the most practical thing to do than stay in the Philippines where conditions are becoming worst.
I will not be amazed if the Philippines become completely brain and skill drained and the people left would die out of hunger or worst uprisings and the never ending EDSA revolutions saying that the government has done nothing for them. But before we blame poverty on politics and the government, why not look at ourselves if we are not the cause for our own poverty.
I am proud to say that I came from a poor family. My dad's family was poor and so was my mom's. But because my parents were smart enough to have only two children they were able to send us to prestigious private schools and provide us with our needs. Because of hard work and family planning we are able to enjoy the life of a middle class right now where we can afford to buy anything we need and want.
Solving poverty does not need a political scientist or an economist, it just needs common sense. Think of your children's future... think of your selves... DON'T HAVE A CHILD IF YOU CAN'T SECURE HIS/HER GOOD FUTURE.
