As of 2004, the population of the Philippines was estimated at 82 663 560 and was growing at one of the highest rates in the world, with an estimated population growth rate of 2.36.  The National Capital Region (NCR), which is the main artery of politics and commerce in the country, is inhabited by almost 10 million people, making it one of Southeast Asia’s most densely populated areas. The population is predominantly young, with the 0-14 age group representing 34.19% and those aged 65 years and above comprising only 4.34%.

The Philippines has a strong tradition of gender equality in both urban and rural communities.  Recent scanning of gender issues in the health sector revealed the persistence of several health-related gender concerns such as: a high fertility rate; a gap between desired and actual number of children; declining nutritional status for young and adult women; and increasing health consequences of gender-biased violence.

The latest official poverty data indicate that, in 2003, about 3.97 million families, less than a quarter of the country’s total families, were living below the poverty line.  The annual per capita poverty threshold reached PhP12 267 (US$ 220.64) in 2003, up by 7.1% compared with the 2000 level of PhP11 451 (US$ 205.96).  Thus, a family of five should have an income of at least PhP5111 or around US$ 92 a month to be able to sustain their minimum basic needs, both food and non-food. Poverty remains a predominantly rural problem, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the poor in the country.  The largest number of the poorest provinces, with the lowest literacy rates and life expectancy, are located in the Mindanao region, ravaged by intermittent outbursts of violence fuelled by Islamic separatist and communist movements since the early 1970s.

The infant mortality rate among households in the poorest quintile is 2.3 times higher than that among those from the richest quintile, while the under-five mortality rate is 2.7 times higher.  Such inequality is also evident in differences in the health-seeking behaviour of different income groups and in health outcomes in poor provinces and regions, resulting from continuing differences in access to health care services.  Health care is still mainly financed through out-of-pocket payments, hence the financial burden of paying for services is a major obstacle to the poor’s access to health care and can make them even poorer.  While wealthier families enjoy high quality, up-to-date health facilities, poor families must usually forgo health care or go into debt or sell their assets.

With her renewed political mandate, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has pledged to focus on continuing the battle against poverty by directing social development and anti-poverty measures towards enhancing the capability of the poor to find gainful income and employment.  Meeting the basic needs, including health, of the poor is a top priority and emphasis on poverty alleviation will be put forward through specific targets such as the creation of ten million new jobs in six years; increasing GDP to a sustainable 7% or more up to 2010; reducing poverty incidence from 34% to 17%; increasing the investment rate from 19% to 28% of GDP in two years; increasing exports from US$ 38 billion to US$ 50 billion in two years; developing two million hectares of agribusiness land; and developing and supporting two million entrepreneurs.

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