Think of the children

when it recorded a decrease of 8.2 percent, from 482,399 in 2012 to 442,603.

From that time up to 2015, the number of marriages declined continuously. Registered marriages declined by 2.9 percent in 2014 and 3.6 percent in 2015.

On the other hand, PSA statistics show that more than half —909,783 or 52.1 percent— of the total registered live births in 2015 were born out of wedlock.

More babies were born to teenage mothers than teenage fathers.

The data show that babies born to teenage mothers ( 207,830) were higher than those babies sired by teenage fathers (52,789). Moreover, babies sired by fathers aged 50 years old and over ( 28,460) were far greater than babies born to mothers of the same age group (367).

Mothers at age group 20 to 24 recorded the highest frequency of live births (498,927 or 28.6 percent), the same data sets show. On the other hand, fathers aged 25 to 29 were recorded to have sired the highest frequency of live births (424,115, or 24.3 percent).

My simplistic observation is that fewer couples are getting married, and more children are being born out of wedlock. More babies are born to young mothers.

On the average, about 4,780 babies were born daily in 2015, or about 199 babies born per hour, or approximately three babies per minute. The PSA noted that the number of births showed a 0.2 percent decline from 1,744,767 in 2015 from 1,748,857 in 2014.

My point in raising this is that the statistics indicate parallel decline in family values that our elders held important. Children nowadays are growing up in a liberal environment, sometimes against their conservative parents.

Respecting and observing many customs and traditions X, or those born between the early 1960s to the early 1980s) grew up are now taboo to most of the millennials ( those born between the 1990s to early 2000s), the generation born with fast- paced innovation in technology, particularly in media and communications.

I remember a priest who said in a homily not so long ago that many children of today behave like wild animals because the milk they drink came from bears, cows and other beasts.

But children should not be faulted for what they were born to. It becomes more imperative for the older generation to teach and show them good behavior so they would become responsible citizens.

The problem now is that children see many older people cursing left and right instead of showing respect, destroying and pulling down one another instead of helping each other, and being indifferent toward others.

Catholics observed yesterday the Feast Day of Sto. Niño, the Child Jesus. As I was listening to the homily at Mass, I was praying that adults would be responsible enough to consider the children before they do or say anything unpleasant.

are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way, show them all the beauty they possess inside, give them a sense of pride