Balisacan: Falling fertility rate chance to improve living standards

MANILA, Philippines —  Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan on Friday described the country’s rapidly declining fertility rate as a “good opportunity” to improve living standards. The country’s fertility rate fell to 1.7 children per woman in 2025 from 1.9 in 2022 and has been on a continuous decline since 1993, based on