FOR FIRST TIME

Number of Pinoy senior citizens to exceed 10M next year —POPCOM

For the first time, the number of Filipino senior citizens would exceed 10 million in 2021 or equivalent to 9.07% of the country's population, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) said Wednesday.

"This is the first time we're hitting 10 million senior citizens and we know that the COVID-19 pandemic itself is a current threat to seniors—the mortality is highest among those 60 years and older," POPCOM Executive Director Juan Antonio Perez III said in an online press conference.

"The seniors are more likely to have a higher health burden, meaning they need more health services than the younger age groups," he added.

He stressed that the majority of this dependent population members do not receive pension.

"Most studies show that only 20% or so of the population has pension. That means, 80% of our senior citizens do not have a pension to rely on and they have to depend on their other family members for support," Perez said.

More policies that would alleviate the burden of health costs and other needs among senior citizens must be developed in the coming years as they grow in number, according to POPCOM chief.

Based on POPCOM projections, individuals belonging to the “dependent” population, consisting of those within 0-14 years old, as well as those 60 years of age and older will increase by 475,543, and reach a combined total of 43,136,259 next year.

Meanwhile, the working age group or those 15 to 64 years old will also increase by more than a million and reach 71.28 million—making up 64.15% of the estimated 110.8-million Philippine population by the end of 2021. —LBG, GMA News