UP professors: it is an extreme view to say that population growth is the principal cause of poverty

According to UP professors, which include Solita Monsod, Gerardo Sicat, Cayetano Paderanga, this is an "extreme view" that should not be held:

"population growth as the principal cause of poverty that would justify the government resorting to draconian and coercive measures to deal with the problem (e.g., denial of basic services and subsidies to families with more than two children)."

This they actually said in Population and Poverty: the Real Score, 2004.

They also stated: Rapid population growth alone cannot explain poverty. Bad governance, high wealth and income inequality and weak economic growth are the main causes.

The bone of contention then is this statement: But rapid population growth and high fertility rates, especially among the poor, do exacerbate poverty and make it harder for the government to address it.

Other economists, prolife groups, and churches will either contest this statement or agree with it. Though they may contest or agree, all of them generally believe in the importance of family planning and responsible parenthood.