Population decline: Greatest threat to humanity
(Part 6)
To avoid the disastrous path of the aging countries, most of them from the developed world, there is no substitute to applying the so-called principle of subsidiarity, i.e., the solution to any economic, social, or cultural problem should come from below, not from an all-powerful State that can often choose the wrong solutions — as actually happened with the population or birth control culture introduced by some powerful states, especially China, in the last century.
The Philippines is fortunate because of the presence of an active private sector, inspired by both traditional pro-marriage and pro-children traditions embedded in Filipino culture, as well as by the anti-birth control and pro-family doctrines of the Catholic faith, the predominant religion in the Philippines. Here, I will survey some of the leading private initiatives in favor of strong marriages and large families.
There is the EDUCHILD (Education for the Upbringing of Children) Foundation whose motto is “loving couples, great parents and happy families.” I witnessed the establishment of this foundation in the late 1970s because I was one of the academic consultants of the founding parents who wanted to learn from the best sources all over the world on how to foster strong marital relations, effective age-appropriate parenting skills, well-informed children, strong and happy families and responsible and happy adults. They were convinced that the very important task of the upbringing of children could no longer be done by trial and error, just relying on purely traditional practices. Consulting with people from the academe who were in such relevant fields as pedagogy, economics, psychology, moral philosophy, and theology, among others, the parents were convinced that they could improve the manner by which they were bringing up their children to be God-loving, industrious, honest, peace loving, and civic-minded individuals.
Encouraged by some of their consultants from the business schools, they decided to incorporate into their parenting courses the famous case method that originated from Harvard Business School. Instead of just parroting theories about the science and art of parenting, they used specific cases describing how to actually arrive at decisions when facing actual circumstances involving the upbringing of children.
It was not long before they became a founding member of the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD), which was a veritable source of teaching materials, lecturers, and resource persons from all over the world. IFFD has a General Consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. As such, IFFD participates in scientific studies about the family. IFFD also organizes regional and international congresses. One of these congresses was held in Cebu in November 2024 and attended by close to 500 delegates from all over the world.
Among those who are members of EDUCHILD are moderators, volunteers, and alumni within the group of single young professionals and married couples. More than 1,000 Filipino families have enrolled and completed the courses and programs of the Foundation which has more than 40 years of experience in family formation in the Philippines. Concretely, the deliverables of EDUCHILD are strong marital relations (the antidote to the divorce culture in many developed countries, both East and West); effective age-appropriate parenting skills; well-informed children; strong and happy families; and responsible and happy adults.
A sampling of the courses are: First Steps (offered to parents of children zero to three years of age or those planning to have children), enabling them to maximize these years of early development; First Letters (a course for parents with children aged four to seven years old), as they start to develop their personality and reach the age of reason; Middle Childhood (for parents of eight to 12 year olds), fostering a foundational set of values and virtues to steer their children’s decisions and actions; and Parenting Teens (for parents of teenagers), the course aims to provide them with current social issues that are affecting their children and effective ways of communication to manage this challenging phase of the overall human and spiritual development of the adolescent. A very important part of this formative phase of teenagers is the morally safe use of social media and digital technology, especially the internet and artificial intelligence. There are also courses for couples coming from the lower income households which are delivered in Filipino. These are entitled “Gabay Sa Pamilya.”
Another initiative of parents from the private sector that is fostering a strong family-oriented and children-friendly culture is the Parents for Education Foundation (PAREF) that has existed for half a century. The educational philosophy of PAREF schools is inspired by teachings of St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, on two main ideas: 1.) integral education of the youth; and, 2.) parents as the primary educators of their children (with teachers just playing a supporting role). Integral education develops a child into a well-rounded individual by forming all aspects of their person — the physical, social, intellectual, moral, and spiritual — in an atmosphere of love for the truth, as well as respect for the dignity and freedom of the person.
The education of children is, first and foremost, the responsibility of parents. Therefore, collaboration and partnership between the school and the home are essential to ensure the pupil’s integral development that helps him achieve his full potential and direct him towards doing good (through a systematic means of cultivating virtues).
The PAREF system is now a big family with 17 schools spread out among the islands of the Philippines. With PAREF’s existence spanning close to half a century, its schools have graduated more than 8,000 students, most of whom are already engaged in the world of work and who, because of the PAREF culture in which they were nurtured, have a high regard for stable marriages, strong and happy families, and the value of children. Like the EDUCHILD Foundation, PAREF can counter any negative influence coming from some of the developed countries in which the institution of marriage, a stable family, and the value of children are given short shrift.
EDUCHILD and PAREF are just two among the many private initiatives in the Philippines inspired by the Catholic faith that are helping to prevent the deterioration of the family, thus leading to lower fertility rates. Among them are Couples for Christ (CFC), a major Catholic lay ecclesial movement that focuses specifically on renewing and strengthening Christian family life and values. CFC was established in Manila in 1981 with the mission to evangelize married couples and uphold the sanctity of marriage as God designed it. CFC has various family ministries and programs aimed at family formation, relationship enrichment, and parish-based support for married couples and parents.
The Christian Family Movement (CFM) Philippines is one of the oldest Catholic family life organizations in the country — it was established in 1956 — under the guidance of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. CFC’s mission is to evangelize families, strengthen marriage, and support families living their faith in everyday life. Its programs include family meetings, marriage education, seminars, and community outreach, all designed to foster a supportive environment for marriages and family life.
In addition to these organizations, there are many Catholic dioceses that have official commissions or ministries for Family and Life. There is also the Catholics for Family and Life (CFL), a lay Catholic community committed to preserving the sanctity of marriage and family life through formation programs, faith formation events, and community building. Most Catholic parishes have Family Life or Marriage ministries. Then there are the Marriage Encounter communities that offer enrichment and dialogue for couples. Caritas Philippines and diocesan social action center support families in difficult circumstances through social services and community programs, helping stabilize family life.
Thanks to the strong doctrinal guidance and encouragement coming from all the Popes of modern times, the practicing Catholics of the Philippines can be counted on to be among the staunchest defenders of the value of children who come from stable and lasting marriages. We can count on these Catholics, who are faithful to the teachings of their faith on marriage and procreation, to prevent the Philippine fertility rate from dropping much below the replacement rate. As an economist familiar with the demographic history of the Philippines, I will bet my bottom dollar that our fertility rate will remain close to 1.9 babies per fertile woman for many decades to come. A young and growing population will continue to be our competitive advantage in the global economy.
Bernardo M. Villegas has a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard, is professor emeritus at the University of Asia and the Pacific, and a visiting professor at the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. He was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission.
