it seems like the anti-natalist mindset is starting to take root in /r/Philippines and would like to hear what the fediverse has to say about it
Disclaimer : I’am a proponent of anti-natalism mainly cause of how messed up things have gotten from economy , politics and even societal norms I don’t necessarily wish for the extinction of the human race but rather for a paradigm shift on how we can break free from the infinite growth mindset given that we live in a finite world
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I don’t think anti-natalism has anything to do with it. It’s a belief alien/contradictory to the lower classes anyway. Even teenage pregnancies have declined substantially and kids don’t fuck with the intent to raise family.
If I have to guess, based on the timeline, COVID (which is known to spread through bodily fluids) probably scared people into not having sex.
The society that we know of are not kind to parents.
- Sobrang mahal ng bilihin so need na dual income. Very rare ako nakakakita ng may stay at home parent, unless OFW yung isang parent. Flipside, hindi mo mapapalaki on your own anak mo, which is sad.
- Ang hirap maghanap ng child minders, I was very surprise to know that the minimum yaya wage as per my peers are at PhP10,000+benefits per month. At nagya-yaya poaching din mga parents once na malaman na maayos yaya.
- Hindi uso daycare sa Pinas, at kung meron man, malamang hindi masusundo ng nasa tamang oras sa hirap ng transport.
- Napaka-mahal ng tuition. Madami naman din maayos na public schools pero chambahan din na walang bully or maayos yung turo at matuto makabasa anak mo.
Though govt benefits for maternity care are quite good (thank you Mama Risa), pero parang your own your own na after mo manganak.
The society that we know of are not kind to parents.
Not only that pero napaka-toxic din kasi ng mga Filipinos sa parents/kids.
I get it, anti-natalist kayo (not you OP) and may issues with children mostly out of your own horrible experiences with them — your parents being shitty, your family giving you shit for not having one, unruly kids bothering you at the coffee shop when you want peace of mind, and so on. But that doesn’t mean you should continue the cycle and be similarly grouchy and hold unhealthy opinions of every other family you encounter.
That parent seemingly laughing at their kid horsing around in a public setting? For all we know they’re filled with shame, puyat, and just putting a brave face because they don’t want to be that type of parent that scolds children regardless if that type of discipline worked for you. They brought them to that restaurant probably because they’re hungry and needed air, and couldn’t afford a yaya, and they don’t have family members to babysit by committee.
If you don’t have the resources to properly provide for the child then why make one in the first place? Everyone has their reasons for childbearing, I’m not going to touch on that. That said, not everyone had the same privileges but they were able to make it work. My parents didn’t take care of me as a kid, but I’m here. My grandparents were poor as shit and managed to send their kids to college and live the rest of their lives in comfort as a result, and that’s why I exist. My friends, co-workers, relatives, they all make me wonder how they manage to raise kids at their salary and this economy, but they’re doing okay. You, fellow lemmings, I would hazard a guess, started (or still are) not well-off either. But your parents made it work.
Yes, may shitty parents na walang pakialam, selfish, and has whack priorities, and that’s infuriating — but just like with cops, communists, LGBT, men, drivers, etc. we don’t judge them by their worst. And by relegating parenthood sa “may kaya lang” is once again an elitist viewpoint that turns us into a class-style society.
People dont want their kids to have the same burden of this forsaken country.
Rising costs din siguro on even trying to have a successful pregnancy.
Personal anecdote: 2 years ago, my wife and I tried to conceive a child twice and were unsuccessful both times. We found out she has a blood condition called APAS (Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome) which causes the mother’s body to reject the baby. Consultations and treatment from medical specialists are really expensive, so we’ve decided not to try again until our budget can afford all those medical needs.
I’m fine with people not having kids, also fine with people who want to have kids or a whole basketball team if they want. The only thing I wish people would do is if they want to have kids at least make sure they can afford mentally for parents and money wise. They can give their son’s a quality education and a good enough starting in life to be able to contribute to the society or for them to live a decent life. Though we cannot control people for their decision. Future parents should be aware of the impact of having kids in general in terms of the country’s economy, society and the environment. How it affects the value of each person. For example stretching of resources that the government and the economy can give back to each person. This both can apply to rise and lower of birthrate. I think at the moment now we’re seeing decline of birthrate and how it will affect most of our state run social services, SSS, GSIS, Pag-Ibig, Philhealth and so on, Since we’re not China, the government should look into automation, key thing here is invest in lowering our electricity bill this in turn allow businesses see alternative to manual labor. Then the government can tax this businesses using automation which then can be feedback to our social services. There is probably more ways to mitigate it. At the moment looks like our current government answer to the possible strained of our social services is Maharlika Fund, as for if it will be successful time will tell.
I ain’t having kids, I don’t besmirch others who have or want to have them still, but I think it’s just become exceedingly clear and evident what our current trajectory as a species is, and that things in the future will not be getting better.
Making the purposeful decision to have a child is generally a statement of a lot of things the parents believe, we don’t need to break them all down because the biggest one is hope that things not only can but will be better.
There’s still a great deal ignorance and denial about the future of our world. But as people continue to learn and accept the more people will be opting out of parenthood
Mga mayayaman lang ang may choice na mag-anak. Ang mga mahihirap na kagaya natin ay walang choice kundi magpakayaman muna bago mag-anak.
