Do birth rates go down when the lights are on?
Anigan, G.
Initiatives in Population 5(1-2): 28-33
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0115-2181 PMID: 12337010 Document Number: 452181
Birth rates fall when the lights go on. The Misamis Oriental province of the Philippines has an agricultural economy, although its 2 large cities have commercial, service and manufacturing jobs. The Philippine government began providing electricity in 1962 and switched to a cooperative approach in 1968. All prospective customers in an area are served and rates are low to attract industry. The Misamis Oriental Rural Electric Service Cooperative (MORESCO) was activated in 1971. Between 1973 and 1975, birth rates fell from 38 births/1000 to 30 births/1000. The number of contraceptive users increased 3-fold from 1972 to 1976. In 1976, 33% of married women in the MORESCO area used a family planning method. Increases in family incomes were a direct result of MORESCO through the new jobs created in new business enterprises and the possibility of working at night. Although there were new opportunities for women to work, many felt it to be their duty to stay home. The role of women in spending household savings is important. Most allocate 1st for health care, education and land. Women in electrified areas had a greater tendency to make investments which would generate further income for the family. In the electrified part of the province, it became more costly to raise children and send them through school. In addition, less emphasis was placed on children as productive agents who will take care of their aged parents. A cost-benefit analysis under these circumstances does not favor procreation. As cheap electricity changed household saving and spending patterns, more secure futures are looked forward to, leading to a desire to limit family size. A short inserted article describes the funding of MORESCO, which comes from government and international assistance groups through the National Electrification Administration, and a chart shows the status of electrification from 1975-1978.