POPCOM: Lower fertility rate to ease pressure on resources

The decline in the country’s fertility rate is seen to ease the burden on resources for both families and the government, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) said Wednesday. 

In a phone interview, POPCOM officer-in-charge Executive Director Lolito R. Tacardon stressed that there are currently “more pros than cons” in a lower fertility rate.

“Economic gains from the demographic transition can be funneled to reduce poverty and improve labor force participation. The country will continue to see a robust labor force at over 63 percent of the population until 2030 or 2035, which is a dozen years away,” he said.

This development, the POPCOM official said, will not only help the government to focus its national resources to “other endeavors,” but could also help families "allocate some of their resources on their children.”

“Kapag mas mababa ang fertility rate, ibig sabihin ‘yung within the family mas concentrated ang ilang resources sa mga anak. And on a larger scale, if you look at the macro view, the government hindi mapwepwersa masyado ang resources ng government for healthcare, for education, lalo na mga pre-services,” Tacardon said.

(When fertility rate is lower, it means that within the family some resources are more focused on the children. And on a larger scale, if you look at the macro view, the government’s healthcare, education, especially pre-services resources will not be under as much pressure.)

“So ‘yun ang implication ng lower number of children. Ang national economy pwede niya ngayon i-divert ang national resources to other endeavors of the government,” he added.

(So that’s the implication of lower number of children. The national economy could now divert its national resources to other endeavors of the government.)

On Tuesday, POPCOM said that fertility—or the number of offspring given birth by women who have the capacity to bear children—fell from an average of three babies per woman (2.7) aged 15 to 49 years old in 2017 to less than two for every mother this year (1.9), according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) National Health Demographic Survey (NDHS) 2022.

Based on the survey, the commission said Philippines’ total fertility rate (TRF) has been on a downward trend since the 1970s, when it was at six children per woman.

But the decline from 2017 to 2022 was the sharpest ever recorded, it added.

Moreover, the latest figure puts the country within the replacement fertility level of 2.1 children per woman, just enough to keep the population level sustainable.

According to the agency, the level refers to the average number of children born per woman at which a population replaces itself from one generation to the next.

Family planning programs

Meanwhile, Tacardon said that Reproductive Health Law as well as other factors such as effects of the pandemic contributed to the drop in the fertility rate.

“Yes, meron siyang kinalaman din doon. Marami na ngayon ang nag-family planning. And meron ding influence ang pandemic. Because mas konti ang kinasal noong pandemic, naka-influence siya. May mga mother din na nag-delay ng pregnancy during the pandemic,” he stressed.

(Yes, it has something to do with that too. Many people now do family planning. And the pandemic also was an influence. There were fewer couples married during the pandemic, and also mothers who delayed pregnancy during the pandemic.)

In a public briefing, Tacardon said that they are studying the “socioeconomic aspect” of family planning, such as providing jobs for families.

“Because we believe since general ang total fertility rate natin, baka there might be, among the poor baka mas mataas pa rin po ‘yun. So we are anticipating na magkaroon tayo ng targeted solutions to ensure that our couples and individuals could be able to achieve ‘yung kanilang fertility intentions,” he said.

(Because we believe since our total fertility rate is general, maybe there might be, among the poor it might still be higher. So, we are anticipating that we have targeted solutions to ensure that our couples and individuals could be able to achieve their fertility intentions.)

“And we are looking also sa pagtugon sa socioeconomic aspect of family planning such as pagbibigay din po ng trabaho at pagbibigay ng economic opportunities for couples, lalo na sa mga kababaihan, so that they could advantage doon sa lower fertility naman na natatamasa po nila ngayon,” he added.

(And we are also looking at addressing the socioeconomic aspect of family planning such as also providing jobs and providing economic opportunities for couples, especially women, so that they could take advantage of the lower fertility that they are enjoying now.) — BM, GMA Integrated News