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Building resilience against pandemics and other natural disasters also means planning for Filipino families, according to the Population and Development Commission (Popcom).
In a statement, Popcom said that overcrowding in homes makes Filipino families vulnerable to pandemics. Popcom previously said that 3.785 million Filipinos or 27.2 percent of its population of 13.867 million live in 812,584 housing units of less than 20 square meters (m2) each.
Popcom’s undersecretary and head Juan A. Pérez III previously said that with an average number of 4.7 people in each household, that leaves a living space of just 4.25 square meters per person, making it almost impossible to achieve a distancing physical.
“Our ability to recover from the pandemic and other related crisis situations begins with our decision to start a family. We need to consider our preparation and capabilities to provide each member with their physical, social, emotional and other pertinent needs, ”said Pérez.
“When families are well planned, vulnerabilities decrease; thus, communities can overcome major disasters such as pandemics and natural calamities ”, he added.
Popcom explained that physical distancing, a critical health and safety protocol the government is implementing, has proven difficult to implement among small residential unit households.
Ideally, Popcom previously said, there should be a standard 6 m2 allotted per person to practice social distancing at home. The Popcom said the data shows that nearly a third of Metro Manila’s population lives in houses of less than 20 square meters.
Pérez previously said that the poorest in Metro Manila, estimated at 2,066 million or 14.9 percent of the megacity’s population, live in single-family homes of less than 20 square meters.
“The importance of understanding and considering the demographic situation of populations in formulating development initiatives that aim to improve the lives of people and their communities, especially at this time of the pandemic and the series of natural calamities, cannot underestimated, given the government’s limited resources, “said Pérez.
In keeping with the celebration of Population and Development Week (Popdev), Popcom called on all government stakeholders and the public to address prevailing issues that affect the integrity of populations and communities.
Pérez said that the practice of family planning and responsible parenting should be part of the medium and long-term solutions to build the resilience of families and communities.
This, Pérez said, would allow couples to have a greater capacity to guarantee their health, financial stability and other social protection in the future.
He also asked local authorities to take into account the variables of the population in the implementation of their policies, programs and solutions, more in the time of Covid-19 and the so-called “new normal.”
“This is important, so that many can benefit and appreciate the value of Popdev, which will enable Filipinos to overcome the adversities they face and still reach their full potential as productive citizens,” Perez said.
Popdev Week is an annual celebration towards the end of November promulgated by Proclamation 76, which was signed on October 20, 1992 by then-President Fidel V. Ramos.
It highlights the need for vigorous and intensified campaigns to address concerns about the Philippine population growth, as well as the country’s ability to sustain a growing nation.
It also emphasizes the interrelationships of population issues and the various sectors involved in development to increase awareness and recognition, while eliciting policy and program responses from stakeholders on Popdev issues.
