About half of the total live births in Aklan this year are illegimate

by: Odon S. Bandiola

KALIBO, AKLAN - As Aklan joins in the celebration of the National Statistics Month, this statistical figure is one which must alarm women’s and children’s welfare advocates, moralists, shepherds of the Christian faithful and government policy and decision makers and planners in this province.

About half, 2694, babies born from January to August 2010 out of the total 5899 live births are illegitimates. Only 3205 have been identified to have established legitimate fathers.

This was a very shocking data revealed by Rodelyn Panadero, Statistician II of the local National Statistics Office here when she guested in last Saturday’s edition of the Kapihan Sa Aklan at Smoke Hauz Resto and Bar organized by the Aklan Press Club and the Aklan Media Forum and hosted by this writer.

Panadero was joined in the Kapihan by Engr. Roger Esto, himself a veteran broadcaster, and the incumbent Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator of Aklan, Dr. Gabriel Delfin, Dean of the Institute of Public Studies of the Northwestern Visayan Colleges and former Aklan Provincial Agriculturist Delano Tefora.

Aklan media men interacting in the Kapihan point to several factors why the number of illegitimate children born in Aklan is unusually high to the deterioration of moral values in the family and among women of reproductive age in this province.

They agree that the major causes, among others, are promiscuity to its highest level, teenage pregnancies, indulgence to premarital sex, trafficking of women and children, philandering husbands and even philandering wives.

The highest number of illegitimate babies, according to NSO data is in the capital town of Kalibo which registered 929 illegitimates out of the total 2,224 live births from January to August this year. The lowest is in Lezo, Aklan which registered 38 illegitimate babies out of the 90 live births for the same period.

Dr. Delfin said that the Liga ng mga Barangay should spearhead efforts in
the barangay-based moral values recovery and reformation program among Aklan’s population.

Citing a scientific study published in an international magazine, Tefora said that the month of August of every year is normally the period when the most number of babies are born worldwide owing to the holidays in the month of December of the preceding year, counting nine months of pregnancy.

Esto is spearheading, in close cooperation with the NSO, a week long statistical exhibit at the Provincial Trade Hall at the Provincial Capitol of Aklan which opens October 19 this month./TE