ILOILO CITY (PIA) -- The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) 6 recently reported that the total fertility rate (TFR) of Western Visayas has dropped below the replacement level of 1.6 to 1.80 children per woman.

The said report, according to a CPD 6 press release, is based on the 2020 Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Census of Population and Housing.

signifying the evolving development of the country for enhanced economic growth and stability.

“The decreasing TFR allows economies and societies to develop and provides sufficient time for the labor force, employment opportunities, and new investments that address poverty and societal challenges,” CPD 6’s statement added.

However, despite the opening of the windows of opportunities with this data, the Commission stressed that very low TFR corresponds also to negative implications and long-term impact.

This includes young population shrinkage, labor and skills shortage, aging population's threat to financial sustainability, and migratory dependence.

“Sustaining low fertility, reducing unwanted fertility, narrowing the gap between wanted and unwanted fertility, and preventing a high fertility rebound remain ongoing challenges,” the Commission further emphasized.

With this, CPD 6 Regional Director Harold Alfred P. Marshall encouraged partner government agencies, LGUs, and the private sector to implement programs, policies, research interventions, and other initiatives to maintain the current fertility level.

“The whole-of-society approach is necessary to address other criteria such as overall health and nutrition, education, employment, and other development indicators to accelerate the reaping of the demographic dividend,” Marshall pointed out. (AAL/FRG/PIA6/with reports from CPD region 6)