The Philippines should view its declining fertility rate as a chance to bolster human capital development, the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) said in a report covered by BusinessWorld.
According to the CPD, a lower total fertility rate (TFR) means fewer resources are needed for basic services, allowing the government to invest more in education, health, and skills training. This demographic shift presents an opportunity rather than a problem, the agency said.
The CPD emphasized that strategic planning and targeted policies can leverage the declining TFR to improve the quality of the workforce and drive economic growth. The commission called for coordinated efforts across government and private sectors to maximize this demographic dividend.