CPD flags rural population decline

The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) has raised concern over declining population growth in several rural provinces, citing findings from the 2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) and shifting demographic patterns nationwide.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that as of July 1, 2024, the country’s population reached 112,729,484 — an increase of 3.69 million from 109.04 million in 2020.

Speaking during the agency’s 57th anniversary celebration in Manila, CPD Deputy Executive Director Lolito Tacardon pointed to rapid urbanization and the depopulation of rural communities as emerging challenges.

“Kasi we’ve seen na palaki ng palaki yung population who are living in the urban areas. Pero meron na rin tayong mga provinces as well as one region actually, nag-incur na ng negative population growth rate, that’s region 5, Bicol region,” he said.

“So nagbago na yung demographic landscape natin and yet ang ating trust ngayon sa programa is demographic resilience, yung capacity ng bansa natin to sustain our socioeconomic development in whatever demographic situation that we have,” he added.

Aside from the Bicol Region, Tacardon said 13 other provinces — including Marinduque, Romblon, Mountain Province, and Zamboanga del Norte — experienced a slowdown in annual population growth rate (PGR). Marinduque and Mountain Province posted the steepest declines, with some municipalities reportedly fully depopulated.

PSA figures also show that the country’s population growth rate slowed to 0.80 percent from 2020 to 2024, down from 1.63 percent between 2015 and 2020. In total, 264 cities and municipalities — about 16 percent nationwide — are now recording negative growth.

The CPD attributed the slowdown to declining fertility rates, elevated mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic, and internal migration.

Total fertility has fallen sharply from six children per woman in the 1970s to 1.9 today, reflecting changing family preferences and delayed childbirth as more women pursue education and career goals.

“Women are now able to achieve their desired number of children, which allows families to provide a better quality of life and enables women to pursue personal and professional development,” Tacardon said, describing the trend as positive for women.

He added that around 40 percent of Filipinos now reside in the National Capital Region and nearby growth corridors such as Calabarzon and Central Luzon, while 60 percent live in the rest of the country — a distribution that creates economic and social imbalances.

Tacardon stressed the need for policies that revitalize rural areas, manage migration flows to urban centers, and address socio-economic pressures in both settings.

Meanwhile, the CPD noted a continued rise in pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14.

Tacardon cited contributing factors such as lack of information, sexual abuse, and prevailing cultural norms. While acknowledging concerns about social media exposure and sexually explicit content, he emphasized that guidance and education are more critical than outright restriction.

“We’re more focused on the education and enabling young people to have that informed choice and decision by giving them appropriate information. So even if they access these social media sites dapat, unang una yung mga parents dapat magabayan nila ano ba ang maling information versus sa tamang information. I guess our concentration is more on education and skills development,” he said.