The government considers the imminent baby boom in the country as a “blessing" and not bad news, according to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
Amid reports about a projected 2.5 million unplanned pregnancies by the end of the year, Roque recognized that the population is the country's greatest resource.
"Bagamat talagang dapat iplano po ang pamilya, hindi naman po bad news na marami rin tayong naging anak (Although there must be family planning, having many children is not bad news). Our greatest resource is still our population,” Roque said during a televised press briefing at the Palace.
"We don't view the children who will be born as a problem. We view them as a blessing," he added.
Roque however still encouraged Filipinos to plan their families, citing the government's commitment to intensify the support on the matter. With the easing of the country's lockdown measures, he said couples could avail of the government's family planning services.
"We welcome these newborn Filipinos as blessings to the country even if we would like to encourage people to plan their families," he said.
The University of the Philippine Population Institute (UPPI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) recently reported that around 2.5 million unplanned pregnancies may be recorded in the country by the end of the year. The experts noted the figure is 42% higher compared to the data recorded last year. The coronavirus lockdown has reportedly limited access of women to family planning programs, triggering a spike in unplanned pregnancies.
Last year, the President said the country has become a "baby machine" compared to the population growth of other nations. He has blamed the Catholic Church for the country’s fast growing population after supposedly trying to stop family planning methods implemented by the government. The country's population has grown to more than 100 million.