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Mayen Jaymalin - The Philippine Star
March 25, 2025 | 12:00am
The Commission on Population and Development says couples now prioritize securing their economic situation first before having children, resulting in the trend of fur parenting.
Michael Varcas
MANILA, Philippines — An increasing number of Filipino couples are choosing to care for pets instead of having children, according to the Commission on Population and Development (CPD).
Citing a recent study, CPD spokesperson Mylin Mirasol Quiray said fur parenting is becoming a growing trend among Filipino couples.
“Many Filipino couples prefer raising pets over having children due to economic reasons,” Quiray revealed in Filipino during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday.
“Couples now prioritize securing their economic situation before considering having children. That’s why this trend is becoming more common,” she added.
As an example, Quiray noted that more couples can now be seen in malls pushing pet strollers instead of baby strollers.
The CPD study also revealed that the country’s fertility rate has declined to 1.9 children per woman, falling below the replacement fertility level of 2.1.
“This means that, at present, Filipino parents are not reproducing at a rate that replaces the population. This is largely due to improved family planning methods,” Quiray explained.
Further, she noted that more Filipino women are now using contraceptives, with pills remaining the most popular method, followed by injectables.
