The Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) has recently signed a multiyear partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to boost the country’s bid to reap the demographic dividend.
Popcom Executive Director Juan Antonio Perez III told the BusinessMirror the signing of the agreement means the government will receive around P2 million annually for population-related programs.
Perez said this will be part of the Eighth Country Program between the government and UNFPA. The country program is between 2019 and 2023.
“[The amount] will cover improved access to quality reproductive health and rights, promotion of adolescent reproductive health and gender empowerment, and use of demographic intelligence for more effective policy and planning,” Perez said.
There are three conditions in reaping the demographic dividend. First is the reduction of the total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.1 which, based on Philippine Statistics Authority estimates is already attainable by 2025.
The other two conditions are that majority working age population and having a dependency ratio of 50 percent.
Popcom said these efforts are consistent with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022, which carries a dedicated chapter on “Reaching for the Demographic Dividend.”
Through the memorandum of understanding (MOU), Popcom said they will be able to accelerate their joint work to implement a National Action Plan for Demographic Dividend to attain the PDP goal.
“Popcom values this partnership with UNFPA, as both organizations have jointly been at the forefront of the country’s population management efforts in the last half-century, ensuring that the issue of the demographic dividend is given the necessary attention that it deserves,” Perez said.
Aside from demographic dividend, the Popcom-UNFPA agreement also focuses on promoting private-sector engagement with family planning, as well as supporting the implementation of reproductive health and youth development programs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
This, Popcom said in a statement, will be done through internationally awarded South-South Cooperation initiatives with Indonesia and other countries.
The signing of the MOU will also reinforce the partnership with UNFPA takes place less than two weeks after the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD +25) Nairobi Summit from November 12 to 14, where Popcom played a pivotal role as a key member of the Philippine delegation.
“Through this renewed and further-empowered collaboration with Popcom covered by this MOU, UNFPA intends to support government efforts to effectively promote sexual and reproductive health and rights not just as an important health issue, but also as a crucial poverty alleviation strategy, in line with Agenda 2030, including sustainable development goals to leave no one behind, and to assist the national and local governments to finish the unfinished agenda of ICPD,” said Iori Kato, UNFPA country representative.