RH law can improve manpower, spur growth

The country will have a better chance of achieving “balance” and reducing unemployment and underemployment if the government works on reining the country’s runaway population by implementing the Reproductive Health (RH) Law, according to an economist.

Economist Ernesto Pernia, economics professor of the University of the Philippines, said during a panel discussion at the Fearless Forecast of the Philippine economy for 2014 on Friday that a “sweet spot” on the “demographic dividend” should be attained by the Philippines, similar to neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, by focusing on reducing population growth that could lead to the improvement of the country’s labor force balance.