The decline in the number of Filipino children and the expanding elderly recorded in 2020 will be a continuing trend, according to the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) on Monday, Aug. 15.
In an interview during DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, POPCOM Executive Director Juan Antonio Perez said the past two years were concerning due to the significantly lower number of Filipino children ages zero to four especially in 2021.
“Maaaring magiging trend talaga na talagang kikipot ang bilang ng mga kabataan na zero to four,” he said.
In a full report by POPCOM released on Aug. 14, Filipino children under five are down to 10.2 percent in 2020 from 10.8 percent in 2015, and 12.6 percent in 2020.
But Perez said they are expecting that the number will increase and become stable this year.
“Nakita natin nung January, sinabi ng PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority), bumalik na sa dating bilang na pinapanganak nung January 2022, kapareho na nung January 2019,” he said.
He noted that despite the decline in children being born, the population of five to 14 years old went up.
“Marami pa rin yung 5 to 14 na eventually magiging manggagawa din, so magiging in a way stable ang ating populasyon dahil marami pang magiging produktibong na manggagawa,” Perez said.
PSA data showed that Filipinos who are in the working age group of 15 to 64 remain steady at 63.9 percent, which is higher than 63.3 percent in 2015.
While the number of Filipino elderly aged 60 years and older doubled from 2000. It stated that there is at least one senior citizen in the 5.6 million households nationwide which is equivalent to 24.4 percent.
“Talang nangyayari 'yan [pagdami ng matatanda, kumokonti ang kabataan] sa iba't ibang bansa sa mundo. Medyo nahuli lang tayo sa ganung klase ng pangyayari, sa Europa, America, sa ibang bahagi ng Asia, ganun ang trend,” he said.
Perez said the number of elderly who are surviving beyond 60 years old is increasing because they are “highly educated, choosing a healthy lifestyle, and there is an improving health system”.
“Nakaka-siguro kami na by 2035, malaking bahagdan na ng mga matatanda, mga 14 percent na sila by 2035. Patuloy ang pagdami niyan at pag-abot ng 2035, masasabi natin ang ating population, ang ating lipunan ay isang 'ageing society' pero hindi dapat 'non-productive',” he said.
Perez noted that there should be at least one percent population growth to not diminish the working group who will be supporting the elderly and children in the future.
“Kailangan balanse ang ating populasyon. Ayun ang aming ginagawan ng mga patakaran at programa para hindi mangyari yung nangyari sa Japan [kung saan] ka konti nalang ang mga manggagawa nag susuporta,” he added.
