Will the new retirement age be 70?
In many parts of the world, the sight of a huge family is rare. Even in our country, gone are the days when it was normal for families to have numerous children. In fact, if we would just take a look at the roster of our national heroes, practically all of them belong to huge families, including Jose Rizal. To have five children in the 19th century is to have a relatively small family. Nowadays, to tell people you have six children is to make them wonder that perhaps you have left your wits in the mall, making you oblivious of the drawbacks of having more than two kids! Numerous children have been considered a roadblock to the fulfillment of dreams of many couples, such as travelling around the world and owning luxurious properties. So many countries now, for instance, have total fertility rates (TFR) that are below the replacement rate! The total fertility rate of a race is simply the average number of children of all women during their child-bearing years. For a race to secure its existence, it should have a TFR of 2.1 or higher. If it is lower than 2.1, and the situation is not remedied, that race is on its way to extinction! Now, the stunning reality is that so far, no nation in Europe or in Asia was able to reverse the trend! Despite the gargantuan efforts of these developed countries to encourage their natives to have more babies, there has been no increase of mothers delivering babies in hospitals. The sad reality is that at present, practically all the industrialized countries in Europe and in Asia have fertility rates lower than 2.1! Here are some fertility rates of some of the developed countries in Europe and Asia, plus the United States, as reported by the CIA fact book: United States, 2.05; France, 1.98; United Kingdom 1.66; Greece, 1.37; Germany, 1.41; Italy 1.31 Spain 1.31 ; Japan, 1.21; South Korea, 1.21; Taiwan, 1.14; Singapore, 1.09; Hong Kong, 1.02; and Macau, 0.91. The CIA fact book website even mentioned that “Global fertility rates are in general decline and this trend is most pronounced in industrialized countries, especially Western Europe, where populations are projected to decline dramatically over the next 50 years (emphasis mine).” As what we have mentioned, such a phenomenon is tremendously difficult to reverse.
History would remind us that all these countries were heavy users of contraceptives in the latter part of the 20th century (and most likely up to now). It was also during that time when the scare of over population was at its peak. Economists during that time theorized that the amount of goods in the world is not enough to sustain the basic needs of the ballooning world population. It was very common to see then an editorial cartoon of a personified malnourished globe suffering due to over population. Couples were convinced in health centers and hospitals that if they would limit their children to two, they would have a better quality of life. World wide trust in contraceptives became the order of the day. Just like anything that brings delight, the pleasure of having just two children compared to the sacrifices a couple with six children would have to undergo is much more attractive. The highly comfortable way of life the children of small families have experienced would create in them the belief that it is indeed well and good to simply have one or two children. Such a mentality is what we commonly know now as contraceptive mentality, that two is wonderful, and three or more is no good. But is it? Now, that all these national governments bewail their demographic situation, is it really a great idea to have just two children, and foolish to have more than that? Now that the over population belief has been debunked by countless economists and is seen simply as a myth, should we start considering what really lies ahead?
In the end, will it really give lasting joy to our children if they would likewise follow the example of the present generation of having just one or two children? It would surely do us a lot of good to take a closer look at some of the consequences of having a continuous ageing population. Simple mathematics will show us that as fewer and fewer babies are born, there will be lesser and lesser young adults who would enter the work force. And fewer young people in the work force will have serious repercussions on the lives of the retiring adults. That may mean coming up with policies that would require older workers to stay active in the work force! You might say, “That’s impossible and absurd! We need our deserved rest after years of hard work!” But dear reader, the truth is that some countries have already raised their official retiring age!
The good news is that there are still nations with TFRs higher than 2.1. Among them are the Philippines, 3.27; Malaysia, 2.95; and Indonesia, 2.31. However, not everything is good news. Dr. Brian Clowes of Human Life International, said the following in his July 2008 report: “…the United Nations expects that the total fertility rate (TFR) of the Philippines will reach replacement in 2015 and a disastrously low 1.35 by 2040 (emphasis mine).” By that time, children in our schools now are supposed to be way up in their professional careers. Do you think they will be able to retire by age 65? Evidently, the issue of demographics involves more than retiring at the right time. More than that, it involves a shift from a culture of openness to life and self-giving, to that of a culture of selfishness and egoism, where hedonism and consumerism take the upper hand in anything that involves decision-making. At this point, I would like to appeal to the sense of solidarity of all the parents and teachers. I invite you all to get to know this issue very well and to educate our children in such a way that they grow up as matured and generous adults who are truly willing to have more children, knowing that more people means more resources indispensable for an authentic nation building.
(William B. Ongsitco is the high school principal of PAREF-Westbridge, a private school for boys. He has been teaching for more than 17 years.)
