Philippines wants to lower birth rate, contrary to trend in Asia

For years, the Southeast Asian nation has struggled with a dilemma that is seen as the envy of countries like Japan and South Korea, where governments offer cash incentives to couples who have children.

The Philippines' population is still growing rapidly. Photo: EPA-EFE

As many countries record more deaths than births, the Philippines is a shining star for those who believe a young workforce will yield higher productivity.

But officials in the Philippines, a nation of 113 million people, see things differently. The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr warns that the country cannot achieve broad economic success without addressing its demographic challenges.

The Philippines, despite high growth for most of the past decade, remains among the poorest countries in the region and reducing its fertility rate - more than double that of South Korea - is a key strategy for development metrics.

In the Philippines, the growing population is putting a huge strain on limited resources, according to the National Economic and Development Authority. The government has made family planning one of its biggest budget priorities this year.

Still, the Philippines' fertility rate fell to 1.9 children per woman in 2022, down from 2.7 five years earlier, according to preliminary government data. The 2.1 rate is generally considered the level at which a population replaces itself from one generation to the next.

About half of married Filipino women today do not want more children, according to the statistics agency. Women in rural areas — where access to contraception is often limited — had a higher fertility rate of 2.2 children per woman last year, compared with 1.7 in urban areas.

The Philippine government is giving “top priority” to its young workforce by allocating funds to help new graduates find jobs, according to Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

Mai Van (according to SCMP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/philippines-muon-giam-ty-le-sinh-trai-nguoc-voi-xu-huong-o-chau-a-post250428.html