POPCOM: Phl population aging like Japan’s

– The population in the Philippines is closer to aging like Japan as Filipinos aged 65 years and older increase to eight million out of the projected 108 million total population by the end of this year, the Commission on Population (POPCOM) announced yesterday.

Juan Antonio Perez III, PopCom executive director, said that based on Philippine Statistic Agency data, the age group of those over 60 continued to grow almost a fourth of a percentage from 2017.

Because of this, Perez explained, there would be around eight million Filipinos above 60, constituting 8.2 percent of the total population by yearend. Of the eight million, at least five million are 65 or older.

A country’s population is considered aging if it has at least seven percent of the population over 65 years old, he added.

Perez called on various government agencies, including the Department of Health (DOH), to develop programs that would cater to the increasing population of aging Filipinos.

He said many Asian countries are closely monitoring the number of years and how fast the aging will double, citing Japan which found that it took 20 years for the aging seven percent of its total population to reach 14 percent.

But according to him, the Philippine

population is aging faster than that of Japan, as he projected that the country’s seven percent aging population will reach 14 percent by 2030, or in only about 12 years.

“We will become an aging society with a faster rate than other countries like Japan. So, we have to develop a program now,” Perez said, warning that in 12 years the Philippines would have 15 to 16 million Filipinos at least 60 years old.