Pinoy babies born out of wedlock on the rise

MANILA, Philippines — More Filipino babies are being born out of wedlock as young couples nationwide now prefer living-in than having a formal marriage, according to the Commission on Population and Development.

CPD’s Knowledge Management and Communication Division chief Mylin Quiray yesterday reported that from five percent in 1993, the number of couples in live-in setup has quadrupled in 2022.

“That is one of the things we want to shine a light on during World Population Day, that the rate of Pinoy couples in live-in arrangements is higher than that of formal marriages,” Quiray said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.

“Even the children born of these arrangements, more than 600,000 are from formal marriage, but more than 800,000 are in live-in situation or setup,” Quiray added.

The CPD, she said, is embarking on a campaign to educate young Filipinos on their reproductive rights and responsibilities as well as Filipino values.

Quiray said the CPD is also highlighting the issue of the declining fertility rate in the country.

“The average number of children is 1.9, which means the parents are not being replaced in the population,” she said.

The issue of population, she said, is important because it is the center of all government policies.