Study Question:

Compare the similarities and differences between global aging and aging in the Philippines.

In human life, aging is inevitable. It results from the accumulation of molecular and cellular damage over time.
Because of these damages or changes in the body, a person's mental and physical capacity is gradually decreasing, and
sometimes it attracts greater risk to certain diseases, which makes the body deteriorate and leads to ultimate death.
Moreover, aging does not only focus on biological changes, but aging also concerns the life transition of a person, such as
retirement, death of family and friends, etc. It also involves a person's lifestyle, social environment, and personal
characteristics. These concerns directly affect the health and the independency care of a person, and it often becomes a
barrier to the longevity or life expectancy of a person.

As the world’s population is aging, it has become one of the most significant social transformations in modern
times, affecting nearly all sectors of society. Every country is experiencing an increasing growth in the size, number, and
proportion of older persons in their population. According to data from World Population Prospects, from 1 billion
populations in 2020 aged 60 years and over, it will increase to 1.4 billion in 2030, meaning 1 in every six people, or 16%
in the world, will be aged 60 years or over. And by 2050, the population aged 60 and over will double, becoming 2.1
billion. Moreover, the number of people aged 80 years or older is expected to triple from 2020 to 2050, reaching a
population of 426 million. And large parts of this number are women with longer life expectancy. Although the fertility
rate in the world is increasing, the population of older people is also growing. In 2018, the population aged 60 years and
above outnumbered the population of children five years old globally. Evidence shows that the aging population has
increased significantly in developing countries. In the Philippines, 6% of the total population, with approximately 115
million, are aged 65 and above and large part of it is women. Like other developing countries, the age structure of the
Philippines shows a greater proportion of younger Filipinos than older Filipinos. Despite this large number, it is expected
that the population aged 65 and above will increase by 15.3% by 2050. It indicates that global aging and aging in the
Philippines is rapidly growing or the pace of the population aging is faster than in the past decades, and in terms of gender
women contributes more than male in the total number of older people. The only difference is that in the Philippines, the
numbers of older and younger people are continuously growing faster than the economic growth.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), the population aging started in high-income countries, like
Japan, where most currently employed workers are older people, although they are dedicated and one of the most
significant contributors to the development and betterment of their country, there will come to the point that they will
retire. A new generation will replace them, and because of this shift, it will somehow affect the economy of the country
but not fully. Unlike the Philippines, which is a low or middle-income country, it will experience more significant
challenges regarding health support, reinforcement, social system, social protection, and financial support. It indicates that
all countries face significant challenges despite their economic status, but it will significantly affect developing countries.
Moreover, as people age, their body starts to deteriorate, weakening them and affecting their mobility, activities, and life
because of unhealthy behavior, choices, lifestyle, and genetics. Certain acute and chronic diseases and disorders result in
complications, disabilities, and death. It affects the morbidity and mortality rate of every country. According to WHO, the
primary cause of disability globally is chronic diseases, and heart disease has been the leading cause of death for the last
20 years. It also includes non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Also, it includes
communicable diseases like pneumonia, TB, and HIV/ADIS, especially in low or middle-income countries. In the
Philippines, according to the Department of Health (DOH), the leading cause of death is heart disease for both male and
female, stroke for the older adult, and cancer. It also includes non-communicable diseases and the four major NCDs, such
as CVD, cancer, COPD, and diabetes mellitus. These diseases are the barriers to healthy aging worldwide and in the
Philippines. It affects not only the older person but also the society and economy.

Aging is part of a person's life; it affects the total well-being of a person. It is evident that the growth in the
number and proportion of older people are gradually or rapidly increasing either worldwide or in the Philippines. Each
country faces different challenges and changes concerning this demographic shift. Moreover, the longevity or mortality of
a person is affected by various factors such as demographic, socioeconomic status, environment, lifestyle, behavior,
diseases, disorders, and disabilities. Also, it is affected by how the government acts in the situation. Aging might be
affected by different factors, but the most important thing to focus on is a person's health because good health means
opportunities to contribute more to society.

REFERENCES

 Adrian N S Badana, MPH, Ross Andel, PhD, Aging in the Philippines, The Gerontologist, Volume 58, Issue
2, April 2018, Pages 212–218, https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx203
 Badana, A. N., & Andel, R. (2018). Aging in the Philippines. The Gerontologist, 58(2), 212–218.
https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx203
 United Nations. (n.d.). Ageing. United Nations. Retrieved August 31, 2022, from
https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/ageing
 World Health Organization. (n.d.). Ageing and health. World Health Organization. Retrieved August 31,
2022, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health
 Population ages 65 and above (% of total population) - Philippines. Data. (n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2022,
from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS?locations=PH
 What are the leading causes of mortality in the Philippines?: Department of Health Website. (n.d.). August 31
2022, from https://doh.gov.ph/node/1058#:~:text=The%20leading%20causes%20of%20death,other
%20diseases%20of%20respiratory%20system.