DAVAO CITY, Philippines, Aug. 3 (IPS) – With the national elections and the transfer of power in the Philippines from outgoing President Duterte to outgoing President Marcos Jr. In July 2022, it seems like the right time to consider the current demographics of the country’s situation, as well as recent related developments.
According to biennial global estimates and world population projections published by the United Nations Population Division in 2022, the population of the Philippines has grown to 114 million by mid-2021.
A major global milestone will be reached in November 2022, when the world population is expected to pass the 8 billion mark. Population projections show that by 2050, world population growth will be concentrated in eight countries, one of which is the Philippines.
The country’s total fertility rate continues to decline gradually, to 2.5 births per woman by 2021. Some astonishing Philippine statistics show that between 2004 and 2020, for every 1,000 Philippine girls From 15 to 19 years old, 36 children gave birth.
Furthermore, during that period, half of all births were unintended. Meanwhile, the world fertility rate is estimated at 2.3 births per woman and 1.5 births per woman in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines.
Abortion is still illegal in the Philippines, despite an estimated one million illegal and unsafe procedures performed annually. Anyone who has an abortion or abortion risks six years in prison. It is the only country in the world, other than the Vatican, where abortion is still illegal for any reason.
Although the Philippines is a globally renowned country with regard to its stance on abortion, it should be noted that the US Supreme Court in 2022 annulled Roe versus Wade, its landmark decision. The Supreme Court legalized abortion in the United States and thus created a firestorm of protest.
As a result, some state governments are looking to severely restrict access to abortion.
In a handful of recent legislative successes related to population, the Philippine Congress in 2021 raised the legal age for sexual consent from 12, the lowest in Asia to 16. However, the law does provide for a “Romeo and Juliet exemption” to protect younger lovers.
Other Parliamentary developments have proven unsuccessful. For example, in a country with conservative values and a powerful Church, divorce continues to be illegal, except in the minority Muslim population (8% of the total population), despite some efforts. force for years to legalize divorce.
An annulment, a divorce option that can last up to four years, can only be granted on limited legal grounds and at great financial cost. A Civil Partnership Bill was recently introduced in Congress, as a measure to provide legal protection to same-sex couples in a country that prohibits same-sex couples from marrying. However, the bill faced stiff opposition from Parliament.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), there have been a record number of overseas Filipinos repatriated (OFW), around 792,000 in 2020, due to COVID-related bans and restrictions.
Under a program administered by the Philippine government, Filpinos work abroad on fixed-term contracts, usually in oil-exporting countries in the Arab Region and usually for a period of one to two years, but can be extended.
On a more positive note, the Filipino diaspora, i.e. those living and working abroad in 2021, estimated to be between 10 and 12 million, sent $37 billion to the Philippines, up 5% from the previous year. last year.
The Philippines directly benefits from job creation and wage growth in the United States, accounting for nearly 40% of remittance revenue. Other major remittance sources are Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Japan.
The top four remittance recipient countries are India, Mexico, China and the Philippines.
Despite the devastation caused by the global COVID pandemic, remittances have proven to be highly resilient, as well as a major contributor to Philippine economic growth. According to the World Bank forecast, despite the devastation and uncertainty of the Ukraine crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries are expected to grow by 4%. in 2022.
Always a source of nurses to other countries, the significant exodus of nurses from the Philippines, amid the growing coronavirus pandemic, as many Filipino nurses migrated to the United States in the first 9 months of the year 2021 is 25% more than the same period last year. 2020.
Based on the recent increase in COVID cases in the United States, as well as in other parts of the world, the departures of Filipino nurses are likely to continue and increase.
Given the country’s current demographic trends and future population projections, combined with various failed legislative initiatives, the Philippines is unlikely to experience major demographic changes, at least in the near future.
In other words, same old, same old.
Barry Mirkin Former Head of the Population Policy Division of the United Nations Population Division.
IPS UN Office
By @IPSNewsUNBureau
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© Inter Press Service (2022) – All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service
