Written by: Julienne Alicon Ramano
Art by: Obat
The Millennials and Generation Z are becoming more and more thoroughgoing and progressive today, standing up for what they know is right and focusing on being “silent warriors” in such issues they face, may it be as an individual or as a citizen.
Some of the global issues we have been facing for decades now are the severity of climate change and the ‘out-of-touch’ response by the concerned authorities to it. Every illegal and exploitative activity we come across contributes to the aggravating effect of climate change.
But the majority of the population might be surprised to know that this particular matter directly contributes to this “aggravating effect”, simply because we do not feel it presently. That is, overpopulation.
According to the 2021 World Population Data Sheet by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), the current world population has reached 7.8 billion. As per the PRB, the world population is expected to reach 9.9 billion people by 2050 if the climate crisis is not to be resolved yet. The optimum world population ranges only from 1.5 billion to 2 billion people, about four times lower than the actual population.
Access and knowledge to contraception and sex education
For the past years, thousands of people living in European countries have been planning to postpone or even abandon the idea of having their own children – a revolutionary decision out of their concern and care for the planet we are in. But what makes it challenging for other countries to do the same movement is the lack of access and knowledge to contraception and sex education are insufficient and even unavailable in most conservative and developing countries. This issue makes it harder for experts to reach their objective of controlling the population growth until it becomes sustainable again for survival.
"In a survey by United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) [on 2020], apparently 2 out of 5 female respondents said that they have no access to family planning.” UNFPA Philippines reproductive health officer Mike Singh said in an interview.
Apparently, the fact that sex education is treated as a taboo topic to this date also hinders its development in most countries, including the Philippines. In fact, many stigmas have been ‘labeled’ in this matter. According to Commission on Population and Development - National Capital Region (PopCom - NCR) director Lydio Español (2019), since sex education is considered a taboo at most homes, “adolescents resorting to their own ways of looking for information, like from the internet, from their friends, which, we cannot say, are reliable or accurate information.”
According to a report by the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) and UNFPA, an estimate of 2.5 million cases of unexpected pregnancy will be reached by the end of 2020. This figure is about 41.5% higher than the total cases pre-pandemic.
The purpose of inclusive sex education is to instill knowledge regarding their well-being and develop healthy, responsible, and respectful social and sexual relationships. So its prevalence among Filipino youth does not defeat its purpose, contrary to what society has perceived about it for so long.
The good news is that the Philippines is now taking steps to improve its access to sex education. On September 9, 2021, the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom), in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Education (DepEd), launched the Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Adolescent Reproductive Health (CSE-ARH) Convergence. The CSE program aims to integrate appropriate and gender-responsive information regarding the aspects of sexuality in the subjects under the K-12 curriculum. On the other hand, the ARH program focuses on rehabilitation health and other information facilities concerning family planning and other reproductive health issues.
According to Español, the Sangguniang Kabataan would be of immense help if they would organize seminars or other materials regarding sexual education for closer access to the teenagers. This would be effective since the council's public servants are of the same range as the target participants, which is an excellent factor in drawing them closer to the advocacy.
Higher cost of living nationwide
The COVID-19 pandemic is fueling a “baby boom” due to the continuous lockdowns brought by it. However, prices of commodities continue to rise with the population due to inflation, thus, resulting in a higher cost of living. With the scarcity of job opportunities, they can make a “killer combo” in disrupting a child's right to a decent life.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the unemployment rate of Filipinos reached 9% in September 2021. From June to July 2021, 3.4 million jobs were dropped from the labor market, primarily because of sickness due to COVID-19. In the same period, the surge of Typhoon Fabian affected 1.8 million jobs in the agricultural sector within a month since its wave.
Controlling population growth is the primary key to having a lower living cost. According to the United Nations, the human population is predicted to surpass 11 billion by 2100, which is about five times greater than the optimal human population. If there is human overpopulation, natural resources drastically decrease, hence a higher cost of living. So, controlling it gives the natural habitats more time and space to become more biodiverse. Exerting efforts to raise awareness and make people feel that they can help the world can be concluded urgent and essential.
Along with it, exporting local products and commodities is also essential to stabilize the economy. With this, more opportunities are offered, higher productivity and utilization of man and machines are attained, and more revenue is generated.
It is also time to promote occupational mobility in our country, especially in skill-based occupations. Occupational mobility refers to the ability of a worker to leave the current job for another one with ease. This will result in higher productivity and growth in the economy. One way to achieve this is to prioritize checking skills and past experiences rather than the educational background. In line with this, vocational education should be empowered as well in order for people to be more versatile in these skill-based occupations and raise the opportunity to transfer from one job to another with ease and guarantee.
Out with the old, in with the new
The present generations have redefined the meaning of “living a purposeful life” - that fulfillment in life is not all about creating your own family. As time goes by, the traditional anticipation of “creating your own family” upon adulthood gradually replaces this redefinition. Moreover, the youth have been more accepting of pet parenthood since it entails less responsibility. Some also choose child adoption instead since it will help the children in need to have more healthy and meaningful lives.
Indeed, we learned how to kick this “habit.” We now go for sustainability and empathy rather than anything else. Government and public support on causes like these, such as the integration of sexual education into lessons and rehabilitation of health facilities, is a huge step toward the betterment of society and the ecosystem.
This pandemic made us realize how hard it is to survive daily. There are numerous responsibilities and abilities that one should consider before having their own family. Children are more dependent and vulnerable than the rest of us; thus, they need more care and attention. Being a parent might indeed be one of the greatest moments of one’s life, but so is choosing to be children-free as it will help society enrich more generations in the future.
Given the mental and emotional distress we have experienced this pandemic, perhaps living with less responsibility is a smarter and more selfless move. But remember, parenthood is a life-long commitment. We shall not pass the burden to these little ones simply because they do not deserve it. No one deserves to put pressure on oneself in the first place.
Choosing oneself does not equate to self-centeredness. Allow yourself to unfold unexpected moments of joy in your life. Who knows? One of those might be your choice of having a child-free life, for it seeks not only your personal contentment but also the joy of our Mother Nature.
