Stall of the Fertility Decline and the Newly Passed Reproductive Health Law in the Philippines

Christian Joy P. Cruz, University of the Philippines

This study aims to expand discussion in comprehending the stall in fertility decline in the Philippines in the past 20 years. Using the 1993 to 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey data, fertility models were created using the Bongaarts’ (1982) framework. The decomposition method by Casterline, Domingo and Zablan (1988) was employed to evaluate which proximate determinants: marriage, contraception, postpartum infecundability facilitated or hampered the fertility decline in the country. The analysis was done at the national level and across type of residence & education. Findings show that contraception remained as major factor that explained fertility decline at the national level. The combined effect of at least two or all three factors - marriage, contraception, postpartum infecundability – contributed to the declining fertility trajectories across type of residence and education. How these results will complement the plans based on the newly passed Reproductive Health Law will be explored in this paper.