1% population increase seen to temper rise in poverty rate

AOne-percent increase in the country’s population annually will allow the administration to attain its goal of a single-digit poverty incidence by 2028, according to the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom).

Popcom Executive Director and Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan Antonio A. Perez III, who was re- appointed at the Popcom, said this will form part of the proposed Philippine population and development program for the years 2022 to 2028.

Perez told the Businessmirror that this will be presented to the administration possibly next month, depending on the availability of other officials.

“This (1 percent) will be a level of population growth that will be compatible with economic growth, we believe,” Perez told this newspaper over the weekend. “It means adding around 1 million to the population annually (births minus deaths).”

Based on the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data, there were a total of 147,692 births in the first quarter of 2022 while there were a total of 97,042 Filipinos who died during the period.

Going by the explanation of Perez and using PSA data, a total of 50,650 Filipinos have already been added to the country’s population in the first three months of the year.

In 2021, there were a total of 1.31 million Filipinos born while there were 853,074 who died during the period. This means a total of 456,527 Filipinos were added to the country’s population.

Meanwhile, Perez said this his renewed tenure in the government agency will enable the uninterrupted implementation of the country’s reproductive health and family planning programs and upholding sexual and reproductive health and rights of couples, individuals and adolescents.

He also said this new term will advocate for the Filipino families’ improved quality of lives through decent living wages across the archipelago, among others.

“Key policies on family planning for all and a living wage policy which addresses regional poverty thresholds will be pursued by Popcom from the start ,” Pop com said in a message to reporters last sunday.

In April 2022, a study by the University of the Philippines (UP) Population Institute found that each filipino worker is supporting more than two consumers, making less room for savings and investment in their incomes, a major roadblock in reaping the demographic dividend.

UP Demographer Michael Dominic C. del Mundo said the country’s support ratio is at 0.43 before the pandemic. This is below the recommended 0.5 support ratio that each country must have in order to reap the demographic dividend.

The demographic dividend, del Mundo said, is not only about bringing fertility rates down but also ensuring that the population is able to earn, consume, save and invest.

According to the study, since the country’s average support ratio is 0.43, which is still below the threshold of 0.5, one effective worker is supporting 2.33 effective consumers or simply put 100 effective workers in the country are supporting 233 effective consumers.

The number being supported by each worker takes into consideration the workers and two or more family members who are considered non-productive consumers or those who could not economically support themselves.

Del Mundo explained some of the non-productive consumers are those between the ages of 15 to 64 who are not earning a living. In order to reap the demographic dividend, each worker must be able to support himself or herself plus one family member. cai