The average fertility rate of Filipinos has gone down to the replacement level of at least two children per couple.

"The average total fertility rate of the Filipinos at this time is 1.5, so, it’s less than two," said Mylin Mirasol Quiray, acting division chief of the Knowledge Management and Communications Division of Commission on Population and Development, in an interview at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Friday.

Quiray said this means every couple only has an average of one child.

"Actually, the population growth rate is decreasing but we have the concept of population momentum," she said.

Population momentum occurs when the fertility rate declines to or below replacement level (2.1 children per woman), yet the population size continues to grow due to the age structure of the population, according to Wikipedia

Quiray said based on the 2020 census of the Philippine Statistics Authority the Philippines' population is 109 million.

However, she noted that there are regions that still have high fertility rate which includes Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)

"There are areas in the country, region that still have high fertility, like BARMM, which still has an average of three children (per couple)," Quiray said.

To address this, she noted that the Commission of Population and Development prescribes different family planning methods in these areas. Robina Asido/DMS