Debate grows with Philippine population

[dalegg 143]

In your hypothetical, do the deaths stop at age 2, or do they continue at a slower rate when they pass 2?

I don't know, should we tell animals to stop having so many offspring that end up dying from starvation?

Uh, I don't understand that answer. You were asking how many kids you needed to have in order to continue to exist if the infant mortality rate is 4 out of 6 deaths by the age of 2.

I'd say you need to have 6, since 4 of them die and you need to have 2 children per couple to sustain the population, however that assumes that none die after the age 2. If children further die at a rate of say 4 out of 10 between ages 2-5, well then we may need to have about 8 children, but I'd have to work the algebra to be exact, and if they continue to die at a rate of 2 out of 10 between 5-10, the formula gets a little more complex, but my guess would be 9 kids, kind of like cats I guess.

[mawilson 2,133]

In your hypothetical, do the deaths stop at age 2, or do they continue at a slower rate when they pass 2?

I don't know, should we tell animals to stop having so many offspring that end up dying from starvation?

Did you just compare third-world babies to animals?

Great job, Steven! So much for not stereotyping...

[Dr. Obvious 49]

Different society - different dynamics. It's not really that difficult to understand that for many species in the animal kingdom, humans included, having large quantities of offspring is an asset, not a liability in many cases, although not all.

I wish I could buy that, but the mother said that she could not afford to feed her 10 children and often there would only be one meal a day now. She says that she hates to see her children go hungry. Sounds like a liability to me. A lot of liabilty for old age care.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Different society - different dynamics. It's not really that difficult to understand that for many species in the animal kingdom, humans included, having large quantities of offspring is an asset, not a liability in many cases, although not all.

I wish I could buy that, but the mother said that she could not afford to feed her 10 children and often there would only be one meal a day now. She says that she hates to see her children go hungry. Sounds like a liability to me. A lot of liabilty for old age care.

You can't paint the entire Philippine Islands with the same broad brush, nor can you draw such a conclusion based on one observation. There are many factors that effect birth rates in Third World countries, but they all share the same common trait - poor families tend to have more children for the same basic reason - their future security.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

Different society - different dynamics. It's not really that difficult to understand that for many species in the animal kingdom, humans included, having large quantities of offspring is an asset, not a liability in many cases, although not all.

I wish I could buy that, but the mother said that she could not afford to feed her 10 children and often there would only be one meal a day now. She says that she hates to see her children go hungry. Sounds like a liability to me. A lot of liabilty for old age care.

You can't paint the entire Philippine Islands with the same broad brush, nor can you draw such a conclusion based on one observation. There are many factors that effect birth rates in Third World countries, but they all share the same common trait - poor families tend to have more children for the same basic reason - their future security.

You are avoiding the fact that a lot of people in third world countries are the urban poor and having large families doesn't quite work out as well if you can't feed them from their own work. I just don't see what sense it makes to let your children go hungry so that maybe one of them will take care of you in your old age. Other things I could buy if they live in rural areas, but these people don't. I doubt so many people would have such large families if birth control and education for women was far more readily available. I fail to see the advantage of large families in an urban setting.

Edited May 8, 2008 by Wacken

[Heracles 417]

Different society - different dynamics. It's not really that difficult to understand that for many species in the animal kingdom, humans included, having large quantities of offspring is an asset, not a liability in many cases, although not all.

I wish I could buy that, but the mother said that she could not afford to feed her 10 children and often there would only be one meal a day now. She says that she hates to see her children go hungry. Sounds like a liability to me. A lot of liabilty for old age care.

You can't paint the entire Philippine Islands with the same broad brush, nor can you draw such a conclusion based on one observation. There are many factors that effect birth rates in Third World countries, but they all share the same common trait - poor families tend to have more children for the same basic reason - their future security.

yes. So then why does it always end up being the rich guy's or the west's responsibility to deal with the consequences of this down the track.

[BJZags 17]

You can't paint the entire Philippine Islands with the same broad brush, nor can you draw such a conclusion based on one observation. There are many factors that effect birth rates in Third World countries, but they all share the same common trait - poor families tend to have more children for the same basic reason - their future security.

I don't think anyone is painting the RP with one broad brush and "stereotyping" as you are so quick to point out. I think the main point for some of us is that having 10 kids (just to pick a number) is a bad thing when you are poor. If you could educate that having only 5 would serve the purpose of having a large enough family to support the parents in old age, then two thumbs up. Education is key, as well as access to birth control (if you buy the recreational sex argument.) Using your "many factors" argument about high birth rates in poor countries is simply waxing philosophic and not even attempting to address the immediate problem: finate resources/food/money coupled with large population. If putting a cybosh on the church espousing "children are a blessing" is part of the solution, bring it on!

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

In your hypothetical, do the deaths stop at age 2, or do they continue at a slower rate when they pass 2?

I don't know, should we tell animals to stop having so many offspring that end up dying from starvation?

Did you just compare third-world babies to animals?

Great job, Steven! So much for not stereotyping...

maybe none of them were breast fed

[Sister Fracas 5]

You can't paint the entire Philippine Islands with the same broad brush, nor can you draw such a conclusion based on one observation. There are many factors that effect birth rates in Third World countries, but they all share the same common trait - poor families tend to have more children for the same basic reason - their future security.

I don't think anyone is painting the RP with one broad brush and "stereotyping" as you are so quick to point out. I think the main point for some of us is that having 10 kids (just to pick a number) is a bad thing when you are poor. If you could educate that having only 5 would serve the purpose of having a large enough family to support the parents in old age, then two thumbs up. Education is key, as well as access to birth control (if you buy the recreational sex argument.) Using your "many factors" argument about high birth rates in poor countries is simply waxing philosophic and not even attempting to address the immediate problem: finate resources/food/money coupled with large population. If putting a cybosh on the church espousing "children are a blessing" is part of the solution, bring it on!

Education and access IS the key and that's what the original post was saying...

The church has successfully fought to end campaigns by nongovernmental organizations to distribute free contraceptives and advice about artificial methods of birth control.

While the government doesn't seem to be helping, the church isn't making the situation any better.

Edited May 8, 2008 by Sister Fracas

[Fandango 1,439]

The dire poverty in the Philippines has little to do with people having too many babies, but a huge disparity between the haves and the have nots.

isnt that what your article is about?

But health officials and some politicians here say that the Philippines has too many poor mouths to feed, an overpopulation problem that condemns millions of children to poverty.

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

The dire poverty in the Philippines has little to do with people having too many babies, but a huge disparity between the haves and the have nots.

isnt that what your article is about?

But health officials and some politicians here say that the Philippines has too many poor mouths to feed, an overpopulation problem that condemns millions of children to poverty.

[mawilson 2,133]

The dire poverty in the Philippines has little to do with people having too many babies, but a huge disparity between the haves and the have nots.

isnt that what your article is about?

But health officials and some politicians here say that the Philippines has too many poor mouths to feed, an overpopulation problem that condemns millions of children to poverty.