Reflection Paper
Population growth is simply defined as the increasing number of people or individuals in
a population. It [Population growth rate] is the rate of natural increase1 combined with the effects
of migration. The experts have been studied extensively the relationship between economic growth
and population growth (Heady & Hodge, 2009). In an argument, the population growth will be
problematic, more people inevitably use more of the resources available, reducing long-term
potential growth (Linden, 2017). The factors of population growth both affect and are affected by
overall economic growth and the phenomena such as international migration, age structure of a
country’s population, size of a country’s work force, and economic inequality.
In population growth and economic development, when a country develops, the population
growth gradually drops. In the Philippines, as of December 2020, the population growth rate is
slower than 1.68% growth rate in 2016 and rises by 1.45% between 2019 and 2020 (POPCOM,
2020). There are three (3) stages of Economic Development, the Backward Stage, Developing
Stage, and the Developed Stage. Philippines is one of the developing countries, but the poverty
rate is high with more than 16% of the country’s population living below the poverty line. It is like
a backward stage wherein the country faces the poverty and employment especially nowadays that
we are amid COVID-19 pandemic2. But the Philippines has a plan to implement for economic
growth. Health facilities are made available to the people, 70 out of 721 public hospitals are
managed by the Department of Health while the remaining public hospitals are managed by the
Local Government Units and other agencies of the national government (Department of Health,
2009). Even though there are lots of public hospitals, it is still not enough for health crisis like the
COVID-19 pandemic and the next epidemic or pandemic because hospitals and the country itself
are not prepared or ready for this phenomenon. Even 1% of the 107 million population of the
Philippines (as of 2018 [World Bank, 2018]) get infected with the COVID-19, hospitals will be
overwhelmed (Dayrit MM, Lagrada LP, Picazo OF, Pons MC & Villaverde MC., 2018).
Philippines population growth from 2018 to 2019 increased by 1.4% in 2018 and 1.36% in 2019,
1
It is the difference between the numbers of births and deaths; Natural increase rate is the difference between the rate
of the births (birthrate) and the rate of deaths (deathrate).
2
Unemployment rate rise to 8.7% (4.14 million Filipinos) due to COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, the
unemployment rate sets the record of 7.1%, equivalent to 3.4 million jobless Filipinos.
a steady increase in population but it is still one of the most densely populated countries in the
Asia-Pacific region.
In conclusion, population growth has an impact in the economic development of a country,
but in a developing country, the birth rate is high, and the death rate must in a low rate. In my
opinion, over populated countries’ economic development is not easy because when crisis comes,
it will be a big problem for the country and the economy is affected like what is happening right
now that we are in health crisis and a lot of people died because of COVID-19.
References:
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