CARTOON BY: AARON PAUL C CARIL
EDITORIAL
A golden opportunity to miss
The Philippines currently has the ideal population for productivity. It has a relatively high proportion of working-age population and a lower proportion of young and old dependents. This means there are more working hands than mouths to feed. It is reported that the median age in the Philippines is 25.7, showing a relatively young population. Life expectancy for both sexes is 69.9 years, with females having a higher life expectancy of 73 years compared to males at 67 years.
This is the Philippines’ demographic window, which other countries with an aging population do not have. With a younger workforce, the country has an edge over other countries in terms of labor productivity and economic output.
A younger workforce brings several advantages. Primarily, it means a more dynamic and adaptable labor pool, capable of quickly learning new skills and embracing technological advancements. This adaptability is crucial in the fast-paced global market, where innovation and efficiency are key to staying competitive. Moreover, a younger population often translates to a more vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem as young people are more inclined to take risks and start new businesses.
Additionally, a younger workforce can lead to higher consumption levels, driving demand for goods and services, which stimulates economic growth. A robust workforce’s increased productivity and economic output can help the nation strengthen its infrastructure and improve its overall quality of life.
But no opportunity lasts forever.The Philippines’ demographic window is expected to close within a generation by 2045 as currently, the total fertility rate has declined to 1.9 children per woman, which is below the replacement rate of 2.1. As the Philippine population is forecast to peak in 2092, the situation will never be the same as what we have now.
Will the Philippines be able to take advantage of the demographic window’s opportunity? It seems that the odds are against us.
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Report finds that only 25% of Filipino children receive the recommended energy intake in the first 1,000 days, reflecting a severe nutritional deficit that can impact cognitive and physical development. This has led to 1 in 4 Filipino children under age 5 being stunted.
In basic education, a forthcoming UNICEF study finds that most Grade 3 students are 1–2 years behind curriculum expectations — or Grade 3 have Grade 1 level competencies in reading and math. Meanwhile, the continued lack of textbooks in public schools — with only 35 out of 94 titles being fully delivered by January 2025—indicates deeper logistical and administrative issues within the Department of Education (DepEd) that require urgent attention.
Higher education also faces significant hurdles, with high dropout rates, especially in regions like BARMM, where only 1 in 10 students graduates from college. The substantial reductions in tertiary education subsidies under RA 10931 also threaten to exclude the poorest students from higher education opportunities, limiting their potential for future employment and economic mobility.
EDCOM Executive Director, Dr. Karol Mark Yee, emphasized that the next two decades will be critical in shaping our future as a country: if we will move resolutely to address these learning gaps and thereby improve the life chances of our people or if we will allow our learning crisis to persist, resulting in a vicious cycle of lack of opportunity and poverty. Fixing the foundations of education is thus not only a social development but also an economic imperative.
Indeed, the demographic window presents a golden opportunity. With how we manage the stumbling blocks that hinder us from fully maximizing this rare chance, it seems that we will be gnashing our teeth in frustration and distress as we are on the trajectory of missing our target. The worst thing we do not want to happen is when the window shuts, and the darkness sets in.