Faced with a high growth rate, the government can do two things: it can increase the capacity of the state to meet the needs of all its citizens, or it can curb population growth. Most governments do both at the same time. The Arroyo administration has not done enough on the first option, and has set back efforts on the second. The government has stopped providing not only contraceptives but also information on reproductive health and the choices open to couples in planning their families.
