‘Graft worsening poverty’

from The Manila Standard

THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said yesterday that massive graft and corruption and the lack of support for natural family planning methods are the main causes of poverty.

“Let us not blame the population as if it is [a] party [to] the economic and social problem of our country,” said CBCP president and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, reacting to Iloilo Rep. Janet Garin’s statement asking the Church to stay away from government campaign on use of contraceptives and other artificial methods to control the population.

CBCP spokesman Msgr. Pedro Quitorio said that the reason behind poverty is bad governance.

Earlier, the CBCP had expressed opposition to a reported plan in Congress to appropriate P1 billion for the purchase of condoms, birth control pills and other reproductive health products to control population growth.

Lagdameo said the government funds should be used for hunger and poverty alleviation projects as well as for the free education of extremely poor children.

The CBCP head said controlling population growth through the use of artificial methods like condoms and birth control pills, among others, was not answer.

Had the government been supportive in sincerely pushing the natural methods of family planning and graft and corruption would be eradicated, the economic living of people, particularly those under the poverty line, will certainly be alleviated, Lagdameo said.

But the Catholic prelate was quick to point out he was not accusing any specific individual in the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Lagdameo also said the Church respects the conscience of the people and supports the public in choosing which family planning method they want to practice.

In support of Lagdameo’s statements, Quitorio said the Church was against the wrong means of controlling population growth and the apparent lack of interest and support of the government in pushing natural methods in the Family Planning program.

Lagdameo clarified that the Church does not forbid the advocacy of the increase or decrease of population provided the freedom of the couple to exercise sexual and family morality according to their religious conviction are respected.

Since the Church objects to the use of artificial contraception, it likewise objects to their dissemination, he said.

Citing its own records, the CBCP refuted government claim that the Philippines’ growth rate is 2.36 percent as it said that the United Nations using the same census data has arrived at a very much lower rate.

As it reiterated its opposition to the congressional plan, Lagdameo said the CBCP is throwing its support to lawmakers who promote the moral teachings on life, family and population. Arlie Calalo