The Philippines is entering a demographic juncture as slowing population growth coincides with a rising number of working-age and dependent individuals, a senior official said this week. With a fertility rate of around 1.9 births per woman, the country of 116 million is now below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to sustain population growth. While many nations face a similar trend, the Philippines—one of Asia’s youngest countries—grapples with these shifts while lacking the safety nets and