Filipinos will continue to grow in numbers in 2021—although at a slower pace—as their number is projected to reach 110,881,756 next year, according to the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM)[1].

The Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) is acknowledging the efforts of local government units (LGUs) nationwide in elevating the number of Filipinos currently availing of family planning, as evidenced from the latest annual report of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, or the RPRH Law.

Citing the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to overcrowding in households and communities, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) will highlight the interconnection of population factors and the pandemic during the observance of Population and Development (POPDEV) Week from November 23 to 29.

When workers of government in population and development discuss challenges to overcome, what comes to mind is the current upswing in the number of adolescent mothers across the Philippines. So alarming is the trend that the current administration has already declared the situation as a social emergency of national proportions.

An initial batch of cities across the Philippines are now enlisted with The Challenge Initiative (TCI), a “business unusual” approach enabling high-impact interventions to engage local governments, health providers, communities, adolescents and youth, as well as other stakeholders in providing adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH) information and services in urban communities.