MORE WORKERS AMID FEWER JOBS: Region 6 population to breach 8M by end-2021

The total population of Western Visayas is projected to increase by 467,198 and hit 8,003,581 by end of December 2021.

The estimate is based on the geometric-method projections using the population census in 2015 by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) which is at 7,536,383.

In a press release issued by the Commission on Population in Region 6 (POPCOM 6), the population growth rate (PGR) in the region is slowly declining at 0.94 compared to previous years despite its consistent rise in absolute number.

POPCOM 6 also cited the notable increase in the working age group of the region (15 to 64-years-old) which is estimated to increase from 4,746,077 to 5,123,979.

In terms of sex, the estimated increase in the working age group is 2,619,677 for males and 2,476,847 for females.

POPCOM Region 6 Regional Director Harold Alfred Marshall said that while the increase in working age population may be advantageous for the country’s economic group, it will be a disadvantage when a worker has more than three dependents.

 

“Having a huge working age population may be considered an opportunity for the country to develop in terms of economic growth. However, this cannot be achieved if one effective worker is supporting three effective consumers,” Marshall said in a statement.

 

A big working age group in an area also poses challenges to the labor sector in offering more job opportunities, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the projected increase, POPCOM Executive Director Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez III added that there is a need to ensure that members of the labor force are healthy, educated, skilled, and gainfully employed.

Young dependents (0 to 14-years-old) will account for 29% of the population or 2,304,255 while older population (60 years and over) will reach 854,325 or 11% of the population.

 

“This tells us also to focus on this sector of the population, their special needs and other vulnerabilities,” Marshall said.

 

Meanwhile, adolescents (10 to 19-years-old) slightly declined from 1,515,936 in 2015 to 1,499,624 this 2021.

Despite the decline, POPCOM 6 said unintended pregnancies in the said age group are also seen to increase because of the pandemic.

In a previous interview, Marshall noted that restrictions and community quarantine in the region and lack of access to family planning commodities could lead to a spike in the population of Western Visayas by 28,816, based on their computation.

There is also a growing concern on the increase of teenage pregnancies due to COVID-19, he added.

This year, women of reproductive age (15-49 years old) will also increase from 1,849,430 to 1,984,589.

The increase requires robust reproductive health information and services to prevent unplanned pregnancies as it is expected to rise due to the accelerating effect of the pandemic.

 

“We will double our efforts in terms of teen pregnancy reduction strategies under Adolescent Health and Development (AHD) Program. If women cannot access family planning services because of limited mobility due to quarantine protocols, we can expect an increase in pregnancies if the estimated 265,935 women with unmet need on modern family planning fail to access services,” Marshall said.

 

The total combined population of province of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City is still the highest in the region and is projected to reach 3,204,431 this year followed by Iloilo province and Iloilo City combined population at 2,560,686; Capiz (816,417); Antique (620,472); Aklan (613,648); and Guimaras (187,936).

Meanwhile, Philippine population is projected to reach 110.8-million by the end of December 2021. (ERS)