Phl welcomes 100-millionth baby

CEBU, Philippines -  A baby girl born early Sunday has officially pushed the population of the Philippines to 100 million, highlighting the challenge of providing for more people in the country, where 25 percent of the population is living in poverty.

The child, Jennalyn Sentino, was one of 100 babies born in state hospitals all over the archipelago who received the symbolic designation of "100,000,000th baby."

"This is both an opportunity and a challenge… an opportunity we should take advantage of and a challenge we recognize," said Juan Antonio Perez, executive director of the official Commission on Population.

He said that while a growing population means a larger workforce, it also means more dependents in a country.

POPCOM-7 has launched recently the "Search for the 100-millionth Baby" to mark the country's population reaching the 100-million mark.

The search was open to all babies born on 12:06 am or seconds later on July 27 in a government-licensed health facility run by the national or the local government.

A baby each from the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental; one from a city in the region; and another one from Metro Manila would be picked as regional winners.

The winners' parents would each receive a P5,000 starter kit for newborns.

Recognition of the babies would also be done in coordination with local government units, partner agencies, and the Department of Health and its attached agencies such as POPCOM, PhilHealth and the National Nutrition Council.

Perez said the government would also monitor that each of the designated 100 children over the coming years to see if they are receiving the required health services.

In a press statement, POPCOM-7 Director Bruce N. Ragas urged Central Visayas provinces and cities to take part and report the birth of the 100-millionth baby to their respective regional population offices until August 4, 2014.

"The 100-millionth Filipino will usher a symbolic hope for better quality of life as he/she epitomizes the challenge to make every Filipino count in prosperity and development," he said.

"The purpose of the 'Search for the 100-millionth Baby' is to call attention to the Philippine population growth and the tiny baby is just one, small part of our development goal. He/she is a symbol of hope and a challenge to all institutions and every Filipino to count on each other to live in a healthy, productive, and livable environment," he added. 

In Cebu City, three newborn babies were delivered Sunday at the government-owned Cebu City Medical Center.  Based on CCMC's newborn list, a baby boy was born at 2:28 a.m., another boy at 7:50 a.m., while a baby girl was born at 10:27 a.m.

Grace Jamaluddin Abdul, 24, told The FREEMAN she was happy of her 5.9-pound boy and did not know he somewhat contributed to the country's history.

"Wa ko idea about niini pero nalipay gyod ko," she said, adding that she has yet to name her baby boy.

 Perez said the Philippines had to find a way to bring services to the poorest families while also lowering the average number of children that fertile women will bear in their lifetimes.

"We'd like to push the fertility rate down to two children per (woman's) lifetime," from the current level of an average of three per woman, he said.

In April, the government finally overcame over a decade of Church opposition to implement a reproductive health law providing the poor with birth control services.

Perez said with the law's implementation, about two to three million women who previously did not have access to family planning now do.

Meanwhile, Father Melvin Castro, head of the commission on family and life of the country's Catholic bishops, was quoted by a church-run radio station as praising the ballooning population, as there would be more "young workers" to power the economy.  (FREEMAN)