The good and bad about 2010 Census

President Benigno Aquino III has signed Proclamation No. 362 declaring the 2010 Census of Population and Housing as official. As released by the National Statistics Office (NSO), the country’s population is now 92,337,852. The count was based on the NSO census conducted from May to June 2010 which shows that the population increased by 15.83 million during the last decade. The count was 76,507,852 population in year 2000.

The census has been received as good news and bad news by non-government organizations, including the two active male Reproductive Health advocates, Ben de Leon and Ramon San Pascual.

Ben de Leon, president of the Forum for Family Planning and Development (The Forum) appreciates the release of the new census, but advises that we should look beyond the numbers (i.e. at the increase of 15.83 million to the 2000 population of 76.51 million), and think about what this means in terms of provision of services. Each year means 1.7 million more Filipinos will demand and deserve basic services of food, shelter, health and education to name a few, he says.

In the areas of education and health, de Leon pointed out the demand for classrooms and teachers around the country. “Less than two months before the opening of the new school year, shortage in classrooms is expected. With families experiencing financial troubles, there has been an increased enrolment of students in private and public schools over the years.”

De Leon said the census confirms fears that given the current economic situation of the country, the people will continue to feel the effect of a government struggling to respond to a growing demand for basic services. In the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) of 2008, for example, data show that 8 out of 10 births are done outside a health facility in rural areas. “In ARMM for example where 53 percent of women have only reached primary education, NDHS data also show that among women in ARMM who have reached primary education, 9 out 10 birth deliveries where done by traditional birth attendants (TBAs) or hilots. Education and access to health are connected,” De Leon pointed out.

Thus the necessity of getting the Reproductive Health bill, now pending in both Houses of Congress passed to improve health services through the deployment of more health professionals like midwives in the rural areas, increase budgetary support for family planning, health facilities upgrading, and support to local government units, among others.

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Ramon San Pascual, Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation (PLCPD) executive director, reminds Congress of its obligation to enact a law that will institutionalize the provision of a comprehensive reproductive health education and services.

“The figures revealed by the latest NSO census, underscore the need for a firmer and more comprehensive provision of RH education and services,” says San Pascual. “These figures say that all the more, the government needs population and development planning, which can be provided through an RH law.”

The Philippine population growth rate of 1.9 percent, which is still one of the highest in Asia, is the result of the absence of comprehensive RH policy aggravated further by the lack of access to family planning education and services by the poor, says San Pascual.

Citing the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey, San Pascual laments that 33 percent of the total pregnancies among Filipino women are either mistimed or unplanned. “It is disheartening that as we grow rapidly, the number of babies born comes from the poor, who in the first place are not ready to carry the burden of having yet another child or children for that matter.”

San Pascual notes that “the Philippines could manage our population growth rate if our lawmakers and policymakers will bravely address the issue of unplanned and mistimed pregnancies by providing RH education and services.”

He continues: “It is expected to see population growth rate going down, but we should not look at the figures per se. We should understand that population is still growing fast,” he said. “And the fact is, more babies are born from poor families, from those who do not have access to comprehensive RH education and services,” he stressed.

The controversial House Bill 4244 or the “The Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act” and its Senate counterpart SB 2378 are awaiting approval on second reading in both chambers of Congress. The said bill is endorsed by the academe, interfaith based organizations, labor and employers group, women, youth, peoples, and civil society organizations.  –Domini M. Torrevillas (The Philippine Star)