Pinoys living longer, but in poor health

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos are living longer but in poor health as the country nears a “demographic transition” that leads to an aging population, the Commission on Population (PopCom) said yesterday.

PopCom executive director Juan Antonio Perez III said older Filipinos are expected to account for 10 percent of the population by 2025, up from the current six to seven percent.

According to Perez, the life span of Filipinos is now longer at 67 for males and 72 for females due to modern technology. Their quality of life, however, did not improve.

Perez said that by 2025 to 2030, the country’s population would start to age. At present, there are around seven million Filipinos who are senior citizens, or aged 60 and above.

“We can say our population is not yet aging. We are still a young population but we are on the boundary of a demographic transition stage of an aging population,” he told The STAR.

In 1970, the lifespan for Filipino males and females were 57.3 and 61.5, respectively.

He said the “social protection systems have yet to catch up with social conditions.”

“People are living longer but in poorer health and socio-economic conditions.  They are only partially reaping the benefits of better health and social conditions,” he said.

Based on a report of the University of the Philippines Population Institute titled the “Future Aging in the Philippines: Demographic Trends, Human Capital and Health Status,” there was a significant rise in the number of older Filipinos in the past decade.

“The population 60 years and over or senior citizens in the Philippines increased from 3.2 million in 1990 to 4.6 million in 2000, then to 6.2 million in 2010,” the report said.

In 1960, 4.3 percent of the population was composed of senior citizens and this rose to 4.6 percent in 1970; 5.3 percent in 1980 and 1990; 5.4 percent in 1995; six percent in 2000 and 6.8 percent in 2010.

Perez said the government has 10 years to come up with programs for the elderly.

He underscored that an aging population entails various elderly-related issues like rehabilitation, depression, daily activities and health care.

The expert said that older persons need the government’s help as they will be “the poorest members of the population because usually their pensions are not enough for them.”

He cited the need to also come up with health programs for men as existing programs are focused only on women and children.