National Economic and Development Authority Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon underscored the need to invest in lifelong learning, job creation and increasing employability to maximize the country’s demographic dividend and achieve the goals of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
“We have outlined various plans, programs, and policies in the PDP that will ensure that all Filipinos have access to social services, opportunities to improve their employability and social protection,” Edillon said during a high-level meeting for this year’s World Population Day on July 11..
Edillon said it is important to align national and local development plans with the ongoing demographic transition.
She said this framework was cascaded to the regional level, and it was crucial to address the various challenges arising from the demographic transition at the municipal and city levels.
NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, in his keynote address read by Edillon, said the government places great importance on eradicating poverty, promoting lifelong learning and transformative education, providing accessible healthcare, ensuring gender equality and fostering sustainable economic growth.
The United Nations Population Fund released the State of the World Population report to commemorate the milestone of the global population surpassing the 8-billion mark.
“As the world’s population surpasses 8 billion, it is essential that we take on the complexities of our changing reality and approach these concerns with depth, empathy, and evidence-based solutions,” Balisacan said in his statement.
The Commission on Population and Development, in partnership with the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development and the UNFPA, led the WPD celebration.