ANN E. BIDDLECOM AND LITA J.

DOMINGO

AGING T R E N D S - THE PHILIPPINES

INTRODUCTION

The elderly population in the Philippines (adults aged 65 years and older) num-
bered 2.12 million in 1990 (United Nations 1991). In absolute numbers, the
elderly Philippines population is close to that of Thailand and much more numer-
ous than in Singapore or Malaysia. However, aging trends in the Philippines
have been consistently slower compared to those of other Southeast Asian coun-
tries. In 1970, the elderly comprised 2.7% of the total Philippines population,
increasing to 3.6% in 1990 (Figure 1). By 2025, the proportion elderly is pro-
jected to rise to 7.7% of the total population. In contrast, the proportion elderly
in Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia is projected to increase to 21%, 13%, and
10% of the total population, respectively. While the proportion elderly may
remain low for the Philippines compared to other Southeast Asian countries, the
absolute number (estimated to rise to 7.68 million in 2025) and the rate of
growth will mean increasing demands on relevant services and programs for the
elderly.
Much of the slower change in the percent elderly in the Philippines is due to a
relatively high fertility rate. As of 1985-90, each woman of childbearing age
had 4.3 children on average. Total fertility rates were lower for the other
countries in Table 1, ranging from 1.7 in Singapore to 4.0 in Malaysia

20

20 .......................................................................... Singapore []

is

i .= Thailand •
=.
10 .............................. ~ ~ Indonesia zx
Ar " . ~ " Philippines *
• -" • " " A~ • ~" Malaysia •

0 I I I
1970 1990 2010 2025
Year
[ II Philippines II Slngllpore - •- Thailand ,,--e,- Indonesia - i i , - Malaysia I

Figure 1. Proportion o f population aged 65 and over in 5 Southeast A s i a n countries:

1970 to 2025.

Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology U: 109-114 (March 1996)

© 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
110 A.E. BIDDLECOMAND L.J. DOMINGO

(United Nations 1993). Life expectancy at birth in the Philippines is 2 years

greater than the Southeast Asian average; a Filipino born between 1985 and
1990 could expect to live 63.5 years on average. However, the Philippines level
is relatively low when compared with life expectancies of 67 years or more in
Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

Table 1. Total fertility rates, life expectancy, and aged dependency ratios in Southeast
Asian countries
Country Total fertility rate Life expectancy Aged dependency ratio
at birth
(1985-90) (1985-90) (1990) (2025)
Southeast Asia 3.73 61.3 6.6 12.1
Philippines 4.30 63.5 5.5 10.5
Singapore 1.69 73.5 7.9 30.1
Thailand 2.57 67.3 6.1 16.0
Indonesia 3.48 60.2 6.5 13.4
Malaysia 4.00 69.5 6.4 12.2
Note: The United Nations Southeast Asian region comprises Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia (including East Timor), the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Source: United Nations (1993).

The aged dependency ratio - the ratio of people age 65 years and older to the
population aged 15 to 64 years - will almost double in the Philippines from 5.5
elderly persons in 1990 to 10.5 elderly persons per 100 persons in the productive
age range. These figures are fairly similar to those for other Table 1 countries,
with the exception of Singapore. While the elderly population in the Philippines
may undergo less rapid growth overall compared to some Southeast Asian coun-
tries, the aged dependency ratio suggests that issues related to the care and
support of the elderly are quite relevant for the Philippines now and in the near
future.

HEALTHAND DISABILITY

In a 1984 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) survey on aging,

most older (aged 60 and over) Filipinos rated their health as 'good' or 'fair',
with only 11% rating their health as 'bad'. Data from the 1990 population census
indicated that 3.9% of older Filipinos were disabled. Of those who were dis-
abled, the majority were deaf, blind, or had an orthopedic handicap (Figure 2).
There was a noticeable gender difference in the prevalence of blindness (21.1%
of disabled women and 16.3% of disabled men). Despite the relatively small
overall figures stated above, the gap between the existing health care needs of
older Filipinos and actual health care utilization is not inconsequential. In 1984,
16% of the ASEAN survey respondents said they needed to consult a doctor but
 AGING TRENDS - THE PHILIPPINES 111

did not do so. More than half (54%) stated that the reason they did not seek
medical attention was that it was too expensive to do so (Domingo et al. 1994).
As both the level of life expectancy and the size of the older population rise, the
health care needs of older Filipinos are likely to place an increasing strain on the
existing health care system and on the private resources of families.

Mental Illness W
M

Multiple Disability
w
M
=
II
F, Orthopedic Handicap W
"6 M

Blindness W
M

Deafness W
M

o 5 10 15 20 25 30
Percentage
I m Men • Women I

Figure 2. Prevalence of 5 major disabilities among disabled Filipino elderly: 1990.

EDUCATION,WORK STATUSAND INCOME

The projected educational attainment of the elderly population is linked to the

ability of succeeding generations to support themselves in old age, as well as to
the kinds of demands they will place on health services. In 1980, 67% of men
and 76% of women aged 60 and over had less than a primary school education.
By the year 2020, this proportion is projected to be less than 30% for both men
and women (Table 2). The proportion with a secondary school education or
more in 2020 is projected to be about one-third for older men and women.
Hence, succeeding generations of the elderly will be better-educated as well as
more gender-equal in terms of educational attainment. This should have far-
reaching consequences for gender differences in the need for economic support
among the elderly as more educated cohorts of women age. The diminishing
education gap between succeeding cohorts of elderly men and women will also
shape the nature of gender relations within the family (see Mason 1992).
Census data from 1990 show that 66.5% of men and 28.5% of women age 60
years and older were in the formal labor force. This is reflected in gender differ-
ences in sources of financial support: fewer older women than men receive
money from current jobs or pensions, while many more receive money from
their adult children (Domingo et al. 1994). Sources of income of the older popu-
lation also vary by urban and rural residence (Figure 3). Earnings from farm or
112 A.E. BIDDLECOM AND L.J. DOMINGO

Table 2. Estimated and projected educational attainment of Filipinos aged 60 and over:
1980 to 2020 (In percent)
Sex Educational Year
attainment
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Males Less than primary school 67.2 57.9 46.4 36.7 29.2
Primary school 20.6 24.6 30.4 34.9 36.3
Secondary school or more 12.2 17.5 23.2 28.4 34.5
Females Less than primary school 75.9 67.2 53.4 39.6 28.2
Primary school 16.5 20.9 29.2 36.2 38.4
Secondary school or more 7.7 11.9 17.4 24.2 33.4
Source: Christenson & Hermalin (1991).

other agricultural production are important sources of income for older rural
Filipinos (65%), while money from children and from pensions are much more
c o m m o n sources of income for their urban counterparts (60% and 23%, respec-
tively). W h i l e social security benefits and pension schemes have been in exis-
tence in the Philippines for a number o f decades, they cover less than 10% of
elderly adults and virtually exclude those who farm (Domingo et al. 1994).

FAMILYSUPPORT

Financial assistance from family members is indeed an important source o f

support for many elderly Filipinos. Another major form of family support is

70

60 I U

50
I I
40 I I
30

20 Ii I II
fo
II R
o I U
II R
I
o R U R U

None Earnings Earnings Savings Earnings Monet Pension

from from from farm/ from
currentjob spouse's other children
current job agriculture
Sources of Income

I • RURAL •URBAN I

Figure 3. Sources of income among Filipinos aged 60 and older, by place of residence:
1984. R = Rural; U = Urban.
 AGINGTRENDS- THE PHILIPPINES 113

coresidence. In 1988, 68% of adults aged 60 years and older lived with at least
one child while only 4% lived alone (Domingo & Casterline 1992). Care must
be exercised in interpreting patterns of family support from living arrangements
data, since exchanges often are complex in nature and take place across house-
holds. Of the elderly living with children, more than half give some form of
support to their children, and the majority of those who do not live with children
have at least one child who lives nearby (Domingo et al. 1994).
Retirement homes or nursing homes are uncommon and house a very small
fraction of the elderly population. As the population ages, the burden on family
for caring for the older generation - a generation that will number more and live
longer - will rise in the absence of increases in public sources of support.
However, adult children may be more able to support their elderly parents given
rising levels of educational attainment and smaller average family sizes. These
same trends may even lead the elderly of the future to expect less support from
family members. The 1993 Philippines National Demographic Survey asked
women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) about their expectations for support
in old age. More than half expect to live with one or more children, and more
than a third expect to receive financial or material support from children or rela-
tives (Table 3). The proportion expecting to rely on family support in old age
declines steadily with increasing education. Over 70% of women with no educa-
tion expect to live with a child, versus 43% of women with more than a sec-
ondary school education. These data suggest that rising levels of education of
succeeding elderly cohorts may make family support more strongly related to
the needs of the elderly and less related to custom.

Table 3. Type of support expected from adult children, by education of resondent: 1993

Educational attainment Type of support expected from adult children**

Co-residence Money or material goods
No education 71.1% 54.9%
Primary 66.1 44.8
Secondary school 55.7 35.3
Higher education 43.2 23.8
Total 55.7 35.6
Note: Respondents are women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years old).
** All questions were asked of repsondents with respect to when they become old.
The question on money and material support also referred to support provided by relatives.
Source: 1993 Philippine National Demographic Survery [National Statistics Office
(Philippines) and Macro International Inc.].

Article XV, Section 4 of the Philippines Constitution explicitly acknowledges

the duty of the family to take care of elderly members. The relatively small size
of the present elderly population in the Philippines ensures that elderly issues are
not high priority vis-h-vis major government initiatives or resources, and that
family care will continue to be the primary form of support for the needs of the
114 A.E. BIDDLECOMAND L.J. DOMINGO

elderly. However, given the existing economic strains on family resources, the
economic self-sufficiency of the Philippines elderly is likely to become a critical
issue.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This report was prepared with the support of a National Institute on Aging
Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Population Studies Center at the University of
Michigan, and the Population Institute of the University of the Philippines. The
authors appreciate the comments of Dr Albert I. Hermalin.

REFERENCES

Christenson, B.A. & Hermalin, A.I. (1991) Comparative Analysis of the Changing Edu-
cational Composition of the Elderly Population in Five Asian Countries: A Preliminary
Report. Comparative Study of the Elderly in Asia Research Report No. 91-11. Ann
Arbor: University of Michigan.
Domingo, L.J. & Casterline, J.B. (1992) Living Arrangements of the Filipino Elderly.
Comparative Study of the Elderly in Asia Research Report No. 92-16. Ann Arbor:
University of Michigan.
Domingo, L.J., Medina, B.T. & Domingo, M.F.A. (1994) The Filipino Elderly. State of
the Nation Reports, Center for Integrative and Development Studies. Quezon City,
Philippines: University of the Philippines Press.
Mason, K.O. (1992) Family Change and Support of the Elderly in Asia: What Do We
Know?, Asia-Pacific Population Journal 7:13-32.
National Statistics Office (NSO) and Macro International, Inc. (MI) (1994) National
Demographic Survey 1993. Calverton, MD: NSO and MI.
United Nations ( 1991 ) The Sex and Age Distributions of Populations: The 1990 Revision.
New York: Department of International Economic and Social Affairs.
United Nations (1993) World Population Prospects: The 1992 Revision. New York:
Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis.

Ann E. Biddlecom
The Population Council

Lita J. Domingo
Population Institute, University of the Philippines