Things here in the Third World country are very different than from those countries which belong to the First World. If in America, food is very abundant even for those who just live from garbage, we experience the opposite here in the Philippines. Although the currency Peso is getting stronger against the US dollar, ordinary people cannot feel the effect of it. There have been many sectors who have criticized the administration of the Philippines because of the existing corruption in the government. They say that it is the number one cause of poverty in the country. It could be true, but then they are missing a part of it. Not everybody knows that half the fault falls on the ordinary citizens themselves.
The poverty we experience today is brought by the overpopulation of this country. It could be pitiful to see that many people are suffering, but we would later realize that it was their fault all long. They will always tell us of how pitiful they are, but you ask them how many children they have, they would probably answer 8, 10, or 15 perhaps. The size of the Philippines is not even half of China, yet we see that it is one of the most populous countries in the world. According to CIA, there are 30% [2003 est.] of the total number of population that are below poverty line, and we can say that it should have not gotten there if we don't have a great number of population. We should remember that overpopulation is the reason for unemployment. Even a simple theft is brought by it. Whenever a thief is asked why he did that crime, he will answer, “Sir I'm sorry, I just don't have money to support my children and my wife.” It is just so simple for other people to say that he should have just find a job, but then remember that not everybody share the same blessings; not everybody can eat three times a day, and not everybody has the money to buy vitamins for their children.
People would again blame the government for the overpopulation, but then if we are really going to analyze the situation, the government has no power to stop people from the natural things they would do. Although the government can promote contraceptives, people will still have reasons not to use it. It is even declared by the Church that it is against the law of God. It is now the time for us to take action, for the change comes from nowhere else but from our very hearts. It is for us, the ordinary citizens, to enhance the lives that we are having right now. I know that nobody wants to wake up the next morning with your brothers and sisters lying beside on your bed because of lack of space in your bedroom. Although many people would still deny this fact, the culprit behind the poverty here in the Philippines is none other than the overpopulation.
