In a unanimous vote, the council approved the resolution, which was the consolidated version of two resolutions filed by 6th district Councilor Lourdes "Bonjay" Isip Garcia and 3rd district Councilor Manuel Zarcal.

The Zarcal resolution listed as its co-authors council majority leader Ernesto Dionisio, Councilors Eduardo Quintos XIV, Juan Miguel Cuna, Ricardo Isip, Martin Isidro Jr. and Casimiro Sison.

Other members of the majority were also listed as co-authors before the resolution was passed.

Isip-Garcia, who is nine and-ahalf weeks pregnant with her first child, said that contrary to the claims of population control advocates, booming population does not hinder prosperity but in fact acts as a catalyst of economic growth.

"I cannot in conscience agree to a measure that would brainwash people into thinking that the cause of their poverty is the number of their children, and in the same manner threaten dearly held values such as the respect for the sanctity of human life."

For his part, Zarcal pointed out that the two- child policy bill runs counter to the provisions of the 1987 Constitution. Section 3 of Article 15 of the Charter mandates that the state shall guarantee "the right of spouse to found a family in accordance with his religious convictions and the demands of responsible parenthood." Section 12 of the same article provides that "The state recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as the basic and autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception."

"It is very clear that the two-child policy bill runs counter to the intent of these constitutional provisions. The proponents of the proposed measure would do well to respect the said provisions," Zarcal warned.

Dionisio pointed out that the two-child policy bill would encroach on the autonomy of local government units (LGUs), as Section 9 of the proposed measure as it provides that 50 percent of the internal revenue allotment of LGUs to fund so-called reproductive health measures, which would definitely include the purchase and distribution of condoms and birth control pills.

Councilors Cuna, Sison and Quintos, all lawyers, agreed with Dionisio as they pointed out that the provision is contrary to the constitutional provision mandating local autonomy as well as the provisions of the Local Government Code.

Isip and Isidro said the provision would cripple most LGUs since the IRA is the main source of funding not only for their regular operations but also for local development projects.

‘Roxas-Aquino’ method

Palawan Rep. Abraham Mitra reintroduced yesterday a method that he believes could significantly reduce the country’s runaway 2.3 percent annual population growth rate.

Mitra said the method he dubbed "Roxas-Aquino" is a campaign that encourages couples to delay marriages.

He jokingly named such "birth-control" formula after two scions of political families – Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II and Tarlac Rep. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III – both bachelors "who have resisted the taking plunge" and the "patriotic duty to improve the country’s gene pool."

However, the son of the late Speaker Ramon Mitra admitted his proposed formula could still be hurdled by another problem – teenage pregnancy.

Mitra noted that teenage pregnancy remains a major contributor to the country’s population growth.

Statistics would show that 20 percent of Filipinos are already married by age 19, while 70 percent of all illegitimate births occurred among members of the 15-24 age group.

A survey conducted by the Population Institute (PopI) of the University of the Philippines revealed (UP) that 12 percent of all 15-19-year-olds already had premarital sex.

In all, 4.9 million young adults, or 19 percent of those in the 15-27 year old population, admitted to having engaged in premarital sex, according to the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study 3.

Mitra said that this age bracket should be the target of a campaign by both natural and artificial birth control proponents of postponing sex until marriage and delaying the latter.

"There should be a ‘Don’t do it yet’ campaign. Instead of seeing inane government ads on TV, we should start flooding it with infomercials on the risks of early pregnancy. We should use the power of information to drive home that point," Mitra pointed out.

Mitra, who, himself is a bachelor, said this advocacy could be a common ground for those in the opposing camps of the population divide.

"What use is the two-child policy when this will be observed by young adults unprepared for parenthood and marriage? What use are natural family planning methods if these will be practised by ‘kids having kids’?" he asked.

In related development, Muntinlupa City Rep. Rufino Biazon filed a bill amending Article 16 of the Family Code and making marriage counseling mandatory for all couples who wish to get married.

Under his proposal, the counseling program will be standardized, with a curriculum drawn up by experts in various fields such as law, psychology, reproductive health, family relations and faith-based on religious authorities.

"All this talk about family planning, two-child and one-woman policy may be addressed in one stroke if all couples planning to get married are required to undergo a mandatory pre-marital counseling regardless of age," Biazon said.

Biazon noted that at present, pre-marital counseling is only mandatory for couples below the age of 25, or those required by law to seek parental consent or advice. If both parties are above that age, the law does not require pre-marital counseling, he added. (Edmer F. Panesa)

A non-problem— Anakpawis

"The population boom is not the problem. It’s the economic system that’s not geared to developing and maximizing the population," according to a party-list congressman.

Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran said that it is not so much an issue of there being too many Filipinos. It is a question of the national government not being able to provide for the Filipino people’s needs because of its twisted economic priorities.

"There is more than enough wealth in the country to go around if only the government didn’t use it up through corruption or funneled it towards debt servicing. The high taxes and other impositions of the government are not being returned to the Filipino people through improved social services — almost every centavo goes to the local and foreign debt payments," he said.

"If every Filipino was gainfully employed and his and her physical and mental abilities fully harnessed and made productive, it would not matter so much how many children there are to every family because their needs would be provided for," he said.

"The country’s big population can and even should be taken advantage off. More people means a greater, stronger labor force that can build a strong economy," he concluded.