The future of population and dev’t
Every year from Nov. 23 to 29, the Philippines observes Population and Development (Popdev) Week. This tradition began in 1992, when the country had only 66 million people. Today, barely three decades later, we are at around 116 million. In that time, we added more than 50 million individuals to our population. This sharp increase raises an essential question: what does this mean for our development?
Debates often focus on whether population growth is good or bad. But numbers alone do not define our future. What matters more is our ability to provide education, health care, housing, social protection, and economic opportunity to everyone. The country has expanded social services, but many systems remain overextended. Delays in implementation, weak governance, and persistent corruption reduce the impact of public programs.
These challenges are not unique to the Philippines. Similar concerns were heard at the International Conference on Family Planning held earlier this month in Bogotá, which I attended. As the world’s largest gathering on sexual and reproductive health (SRH), the conference offered insights that resonate strongly with our national situation.
The conference made clear that the global environment for SRH is becoming more difficult. Civic spaces are shrinking, opposition to reproductive rights is rising, and major donors, including the United States Agency for International Development, are reducing their support. These shifts affect the availability of supplies, trained workers, and essential services in many countries.
Yet there were also messages of hope. One billion women now use modern contraception, a historic achievement. But more than 260 million women still want to avoid pregnancy and cannot obtain the services they need. This reflects major gaps in systems that have not reached those most at risk.
A central message from the conference was that reproductive rights are fundamental human rights. When women and young people lack access to reliable information and modern contraception, their opportunities narrow. Girls leave school. Families face deeper poverty. Communities become locked in cycles of inequality that persist across generations.
Another major point raised at the conference was the significant decline in global funding for family planning (FP). Many donors have shifted their priorities, and long-standing sources of support are shrinking. Countries can no longer rely on external assistance to sustain reproductive health programs.
This reality challenges us to rely on our own systems. PhilHealth can play a stronger role in financing FP services. Local governments must consistently allocate funds for supplies and adolescent health. Partnerships with the private sector can help expand services where government resources are limited.
Speakers also encouraged countries to broaden their understanding of FP. It is not simply a health intervention. It improves women’s participation in the workforce, supports poverty reduction, strengthens climate resilience, and leads to better economic productivity. Population management must be seen as a development strategy that influences every sector of society.
The conference theme, Equity Through Action, reminds us that population pressures are felt most by those with the least access to services. This is clear in the Philippines. Adolescents, indigenous peoples, the urban poor, and families affected by conflict or climate-related disasters often face the highest barriers to information and care.
Closing these gaps requires strong local leadership, better use of data, and cooperation across government agencies. Equity becomes real when communities receive timely and appropriate services and when systems are designed to reach those who need them most.
Despite challenges, there are promising examples of how strong local systems can improve outcomes. One example is the work being done by The Challenge Initiative Philippines in cities that have chosen to strengthen leadership, governance, and data driven planning for FP and adolescent reproductive health. These cities have created active leadership teams, improved their use of data, and invested their own resources to sustain FP services.
Popdev Week invites us to reflect on our demographic journey, but the lessons from the conference urge us to look forward. The Philippines stands at a critical moment. Our growing population can become a source of economic strength and innovation, or it can deepen existing inequalities. The outcome depends on the choices we make today.
If we strengthen governance, uphold the rights of women and young people, secure sustainable financing, and support local governments in leading their own programs, our population will be a powerful asset for national progress. The future is not predetermined. It will be shaped by the actions we take now.
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Dr. Anthony Rosendo “Tonyboy” Faraon is chief of party of The Challenge Initiative Philippines and chair of the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians.
