College of Teacher Education

Second Semester, A.Y. 2020-2021

Module 5
POPULATION PROBLEMS

Course Title: Ethics (Moral Issues and Concerns in Contemporary Living)

Course Code: INSTI 2

Name: ___________________________________
Course and Year: __________________________
Date and Time Allotment:

Introduction:
This module entitled Population Problems will address the following characteristics changes such as: age
and sex factors, differential birth and death rates, the composition and distribution of the population, growth and
decline of particular groups, social stratification and division, migration and social mobility, and other characteristics
changes of the population that have bearing on various kinds of social problems.

I. Objectives:
In this module, you will be able to:
1. Articulate about the existing population problems.
2. Know the causes of rapid population growth.
3. Determine the implications of an overpopulated world.

II. Lecture and Discussions of the lesson/s

A. Demography – is the statistical analysis and description of population aggregates with references to the
distribution, vital statistics, age, sex and related factors. This field requires competence in mathematics. The intent
rather is to analyze some current population problems such as large family size and its effects, urban migration, poor
housing, the sum and old age problems.

B. Causes of Rapid Population Growth. Three factors affect population. These are fertility, mortality and migration. In
the Philippines, one may as himself what causes of the population are and these are the answers:
1. Sustained fertility:
a. Certain Filipino customs, traditions, and beliefs contribute to the high population growth rate.
Having a large family is traditional to us. Parents derive satisfaction from having many children who
will perpetuate their name and support them at old age;
b. Few people are motivated to limit their family size;
c. The availability of a number of safe, inexpensive and effective contraceptives has not a noticeable
restraining influence on the overall population growth;
d. Early marriage;
e. There is lack of control on the part of the man, specially; and
f. The permissive atmosphere which is conducive to pre-marital sexual relationship.
2. Decline in mortality due to the following:
a. Advance in science and technology;
b. Intensified nutrition or diet;
c. Sanitation;
d. Introduction of artesian well; and
e. Improve ways of sewage waste.
3. Immigration. This means the influx of foreigners to our country.

In general, the Philippine population features are as follows:

1. 57% of our population are children who are sixteen years (16) of age and below; so that these portions of
our population are all depending upon the adults for support.
2. More than ½ of our population is engage in agriculture, which means that most of our people live by tilling
lands.
3. Death rate is higher with the males who are always outside the house to earn a living for the family.

C. Implications of an Overpopulated World

 The serious implications of an overpopulated world are obvious. Present conditions already require more
jobs, housing facilities, food, education, health and other services, enough to supply the basic needs of man. More
people would mean an even greater demand for these basic necessities and this is particularly true for developing
countries.
In an overpopulated society, new visible signs of progress are quickly overtaken by massive problems and a
few advantages are rapidly offset by disadvantages. All the accompanying effects of increase in population would
give our government and the people as a whole a pressing problem.
The Health Problem. With too many people we will be incurring health problems. People will be dying in
hospitals without getting the remedy because they are too many.
The Housing Problem. There will be need for more dwelling places very year which will lead to the
conversion of agricultural lands to residential ones, and the people will have a very small chance of owning larger
land for it will just be good for a small house.
The Food Problem. Food will surely be insufficient. There will be more people eating so that we will be
needing 2,200,000 cavans of rice every year. Prices of commodities will go up, and for those people who can’t afford
to buy will resort to begging and even to a worst one, stealing and killing.
The Problem of Education. Illiteracy rate keeps increasing because of population growth. There will be a
need for more classrooms and jeepneys and other vehicles for if there will be none, our illiteracy rate will go up and
traffic problem will become worse than ever.
The Problem of Unemployment. Unemployment has been a very serious problem in the Philippines. With
the rapid population growth there will be a need for opening more jobs to check unemployment problem but which
can hardly be done because industrialists resort to machines rather manpower.

Aside from the forgoing a great number of populations also cause the problems of population, overcrowding,
and deterioration. The concern over the exploding population has become close to alarm. There are those who
predict that in the future, there may be suggestions for mass sterilization or genocide to reduce the earth’s
population.

D. Family Size and Neglected Children

To many advocates of birth control, its greatest promise is that it may someday end as one of the world’s
most wide-spread tragedies: the said plight of millions of neglected children who are denied a fair start in life. Many
such children are born unwanted to parents who already have more than they know to care for.

What usually follows when families are big?

Big families spend more money every day.
Big families tend to overwork the father and the mother.
Big families mean more mouths to feed.
Big families need more space to live in.
Big families tend to have more dropouts from school.

E. Urban Migration, Poor Housing Slums

Poverty and want, poor housing, unemployment, the invasion of residential areas by industry and business,
urban blight and related conditions, individually and collectively, have a significant bearing on all phases of life
including behavior tendencies.
While it is obvious that economic factors are yet independent variables in the complex, it is also apparent
that they are important elements in human behavior and in social relations.

Mobility and Transiency. An important trend in migration in the Philippines has been the accelerated
movement of the people from rural to urban areas. Plameras states that persons who migrate to cities from the
relatively simple rural life often experience shocks similar to those experienced by those who move from one country
to another.
Internal Migration – migration within a country – is even more pronounced than international movements of
people. The modern means of transportation have made increased mobility possible. In addition to changes of
residence, there is a daily flow of people to and from business centers, places of employment, schools, recreation,
and other centers of activities, which is more appropriately called fluidity than actual mobility.
Slums and Poor Housing. Slums are usually regarded as areas in which dwellings or other buildings are
dilapidated, obsolescent, poorly arranged, lacking proper ventilation and light, unsanitary, unhealthful, and in other
ways detrimental to the health, safety, comfort, and morale of the inhabitants. Such areas are usually overcrowded,
as well as unsanitary and generally undesirable places in which to rear children.
A slum may be overcrowded with buildings, or the buildings overcrowded with people or both. People who
live under these crowded conditions obviously have little privacy, a factor which may be of great importance,
especially in its effects upon interpersonal relations.
 Poor slum housing is invariably associated with poor amenities and community services. Along with the
shabbiness and dilapidation, the park facilities are often insufficient. Streets and sidewalks often go unrepaired, and
rubbish and garbage are not frequently collected adding to the undesirable environment.
F. Measures on Population Control
All the preceding problems are now being faced not only by our country but also by the whole world due to
population explosion. The only way to resolve these problems is by reducing the annual rate of growth of population.
One way of reducing the rate of population growth is by conscious control of reproduction.

Population Planning Activities. Both private and public agencies are now actively engaged in population
planning activities. The Population Program in the country, including the large-scale family planning activities, has
been practiced by several couples during the early decades but it is not quite widely used. As years passed by, it
became the concern of some government organizations because of the noticeable rapid expansion of population.
Family Planning. This is a two-way proposition. It is not simply a way of regulating ad spacing the births of
children but it also helps childless couples find out the cause of their inability to have children. If this can be
remedied, they are helped to become parents. Authorities maintain that couples, in a planned family way of life, may
have children if and when they want them. Conception is not left to change.

Aims of Family Planning according to Population Commission: to promote healthy, happy families, and to make
possible greater enjoyment of family life for both parents and children.

Population Policy
The government’s population policy is to bring down the annual growth rate. The population policies of the
Philippines have been formulated to improve the quality of population and to change population trends through family
planning and population redistribution.

V. Other References:
1. Pasco M. O., Suàrez V. F., Rodriguez A. G., “Ethics” C&E Publishing, Inc., 2018
2. Hinman, L. M,, “Contemporary Moral Issues: Diversity and Consensus”, 2016 by Routledge
3. Bulaong O., Calano M., Lagliva A., Mariano M., Principe J., “Ethics: Foundation of Moral Valuation”, 1 st
edition, REX Book Store, 2018