Missionary Trip to Singapore - Reported by Dr. Ligaya A. Acosta, June, 2009

Singapore is an island city-state in Southeastern Asia, located between the countries of Malaysia and Indonesia.   With a land area of 274 square miles, Singapore is the smallest nation in Southeast Asia, but it is one of the wealthiest and least corrupt countries in the world.  A multi-religious country with 51% of residents practicing Buddhism and Taoism, Christians comprise only 15% of the total population, and another 15% declares no religious affiliation.

Knowing that Singapore is a highly secular country that has become a perfect example of how aggressive and mandatory population control can result in massive demographic destruction, I had much anxiety before I arrived.  To make matters worse, cases of the H1N1 virus in my country (the Philippines) suddenly rose to alarming proportions before I left.  Will people come to my talks?  I had to pray harder and make urgent calls for help to all the inhabitants of Heaven.  God, as always, heard my pleas.  Days before I arrived in the country, news that Singapore's population growth rate had dropped to a very dangerous level of 1.28 plastered the newspapers.  Weeks before that, there was the AWARE saga, where it was discovered that this non-governmental organization was promoting homosexuality to schoolchildren, which caused alarm and  panic among irate parents.  Thus, a trip that was originally suppose to consist of a meeting with the Board of Directors and staff of the Family Life Society (FLS) to discuss their hosting of the 17^th Asia-Pacific Congress on Faith, Life and Family (ASPAC) in 2010, became a 12-day speaking tour. 

I delivered 11 talks on various issues with around  678 people attending, including doctors, lawyers, other professionals, volunteer counsellors, lay church leaders, Natural Family Planning teachers, migrants (the biggest group), and parents who requested a special talk on communicating with adolescents.  More invitations were extended to me after people heard my talks.  One was from a group of students who want to establish a secular pro-life group in Singapore.  Our schedules did not allow me to meet with the entire group, but I was able to meet the leaders.  I praised their initiatives and encouraged them to continue their work, assuring them of HLI's support, including information and training when needed.  Sadly, although there were several nuns who came for the talks, only one priest attended.  After hearing me speak, he expressed the wish that I also address the entire Presbyterium.  I also had a chance to make a courtesy call with His Grace, Msgr. Nicholas Chia, DD, the very accommodating Bishop of Singapore.  During our meeting, he pledged his support to the 17^th ASPAC and told FLS President Bernard Yu to make sure that it will be held on dates that he is in the area.

I arrived in Singapore at noon on June 18, and from the plane's window I could see wide areas of uninhabited land, despite the fact that it is known to be one of the most densely populated countries in the world.  Proving that necessity is the mother of invention, condominium living has been the fad in Singapore, and the government has ongoing land recovery projects with earth obtained from its own hills, seabed, and neighboring countries, thus, increasing its actual land area.

My first day was spent meeting the staff and personnel of the Family Life Society (FLS) and the Board of Directors.  I thanked them on behalf of HLI for their graciousness in hosting the 2010 ASPAC.  I also received a special briefing from Manager Jerry Ow on the remarkable work of FLS. 

From "Stop at Two" to "Two is Good but Three is Better"!

Travelling through Singapore's strikingly clean and green environs, I saw many more elderly people than young children-and at least as many foreigners as natives.  In all my talks, I said that if Singapore continues the trend of not having babies, there will come a time when there will be no more Singaporeans in Singapore!  After my talks, many parents shared with me their concern regarding their married children who either refuse to have babies or do not want to have more than one, as they are busy earning a living and enjoying their lives.  The considerable incentives given to those who produce babies have not done much to increase the population of Singapore.  Long years of a massive campaign to "stop at two" have brainwashed people, especially the young generation, into thinking that children are burdens.  

In 1957, Singapore's population was approximately 1.45 million, and there was a relatively high birth rate.  Aware of the country's extremely limited natural resources and small territory, the government introduced birth control policies in the late 1960s.  In the late 1990s, the population was aging, with fewer people entering the labor market and a shortage of skilled workers.  In a dramatic reversal of policy, the Singapore government introduced the "Baby Bonus" scheme in 2001 (enhanced in August 2004) in an attempt to encouraged couples to have more children by saying "Two is good but three is better."   In 2006, the total fertility rate was only 1.26 children per woman, the 3rd lowest in the world and well below the 2.10 needed to replace the population.  To overcome this problem, the government is encouraging foreigners to immigrate to Singapore. These large numbers of immigrants have kept Singapore's population from declining.   

Despite this glaring fact, death peddlers led by the International Planned Parenthood Federation, working through the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association (SPPA), are still pushing "family planning and education in sexual and reproductive health," with condom promotion as the primary component.  SPPA, in fact, has been seeking partnership with the Catholic Church of Singapore!

A Culture of Life and Civilization of Love

It was a surprise for people to learn from my talks what reproductive health really means.  I showed them actual materials being given to adolescents that promote "safe sex," contraception, abortion, and homosexuality, among others.  They were wide-eyed as I showed them the many horrible side-effects of contraception and the evils of abortion, which is legal in Singapore.  With my slides showing aborted babies and the development of a baby from conception, they were able to realize the humanity of the unborn and the fact that abortion is really murder-of the most defenseless human being of all.   They were also able to see the connection between sex education, contraception, abortion, divorce (also legal in Singapore), total population control, euthanasia, and homosexuality-all fruits of the same poisonous tree: the culture of death! 

My talk on homosexuality was an eye opener for everyone.   Many people thought of homosexuality as genetic and accepted it as a fact of life.  They were thus surprised to learn it is not, and they listened with great interest as I discussed with them the real homosexual agenda, the predisposing factors to homosexuality, the risks faced by homosexuals themselves, and what can be done.   As I discussed the powerful international network of the homosexuals and the strategies they use, they were able to relate it to the recent events in Singapore, where after the AWARE saga, homosexuals from around the world came and held a gay parade.

With God's amazing grace, attendees at my talks were able to relate to what I said, and many followed me to my other talks.  It was truly heart-warming to hear people say how much they were touched with the message.  They asked what they can do to help and volunteered their services.  One of these was an American working in Singapore, who came for my session on "Building a Culture of Life and a Civilization of Love."

My talks in Singapore had rippling effects, as well.   My two sessions with migrants on "Love and Relationships" were the most attended with participants coming from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri-Lanka, and Myanmar.  The first Sunday included 150 participants.  On the second Sunday, the hall was packed full.  Due to the positive feedback from the first Sunday, not only did more migrants attend, but the whole staff and personnel of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ACMI) also came.  Truly, there is power in the Gospel of Life!

My mission in Singapore was concluded with a Feast Day Mass and Procession in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor in the parish of Jerry Ow.  As I walked with the mass of people carrying candles, praying the rosary and singing songs to Our Lady, I felt like I was in Heaven.  What a fitting way to end a mission-won for God's greater honor and glory!

There is so much hope for Singapore to recover, however slowly, from the clutches of the culture of death.