NBCnews.com:Philippinestakes on Catholic church to push birth control, sex education, by KarenLema:
MANILA,Philippines — Philippine President Benigno Aquino is squaring off against hiscountry’s powerful Catholic church in a bid to give people free access to themeans to limit the size of their families.
Thepredominately Catholic country has one of Asia’s fastest-growing populationstogether with significant levels of chronic poverty. While neighbors haveaccelerated towards prosperity, the Philippines has lagged.
Economistssay high population growth is a primary factor for that, but the churchdisagrees. It says population growth is not a cause of poverty and that peopleneed jobs, not contraception. . . .