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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Duterte says PH 'too populated'; suggests limit of 3 kids per family

Duterte says PH 'too populated'; suggests limit of 3 kids per family

Published Dec 24, 2021 11:11 am

President Duterte rued the country’s "population problem" on Thursday, Dec. 23 as he led a ceremonial distribution of food packs in typhoon-stricken Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

(Charlein Gracia/ Unsplash)

"In our poverty, we are really too populated. I’m not joking here, okay? I just want to say simply that you should limit your children to just one or two, three is the boundary. Some people will say that sometimes I get mad," Duterte said in Bisaya.

Palawan is in Luzon, but Duterte switched from speaking in Tagalog to Bisaya since he was more comfortable with it.

"I get frustrated over this, when I step down from the presidency, I’ll look at the Philippines and tell you not to have too many children," he admitted.

"I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry looking at children growing up with a hard life and they find it difficult to pay for their education or to buy food. Just have enough," he said.

The 76-year-old Chief Executive went on to suggest to local married women that they take oral contraceptives to keep their number of kids down.

"But seriously, just limit your children to two or three. There are family planning centers here. Just ask for the... You just need to drink it. This isn’t for the men, okay? This isn’t for erectile dysfunction. It’s for women so they don’t get pregnant. Don’t have too many children, porbida," said the outspoken President.

But Duterte also floated a more "extreme solution" to the population problem, and this time it involves the men.

President Rodrigo Duterte (center) arrives at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on Dec. 23, 2021 to lead the distribution of relief goods to typhoon "Odette" victims.

"Who among you here have six children? Looks like someone here will have his penis cut off because there’s no other solution. If you give them advice, they don’t take it. You give them pills, they refuse to drink it. So let’s just chop off that thing instead. But the wives will cry over that," he said, obviously joking this time.

The Philippines had a population of 111,727,361 people as of Thursday based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations (UN) data.

Palawan was among the many provinces that was ravaged by typhoon "Odette"--the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year. Most of the areas affected were in the Visayas and Mindanao.

"So even though it breaks my heart to see you this way --- and it really is painful for me to see you in this situation, but I just joke around to make you laugh. So... While we wait for the food to arrive, let’s keep on talking and you’ll keep on laughing and that’s fine because you’ll eventually get tired of laughing. Hangin lang (It's just air), you’ll keep on farting because you keep on laughing. So I’ll leave in a while. Thank you for being here today. Help is here," Duterte said.

Duterte went to Cebu on Thursday night to lead a command conference on the relief and rehabilitation efforts there.

Related Tags

Palawan population typhoon Puerto Princesa PILLS contraceptives President Xi Jinping penis 122421 odette problem
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