A top official of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) said contraceptive use among Filipinas continues to improve, giving women greater access to reproductive health services and family planning options.

“The contraceptive use is a key indicator of Filipinas’ access to reproductive health services ng ating mga kababayan na makagawa ng informed choices about their lives and family planning. So, from 25 percent in 1993, the National Demographic and Health Survey said the prevalence rate of the use of modern contraceptives increased to 44.5 percent in 2025,” said Mylin Mirasol Quiray, information management and communications division chief of the CPD.

Modern contraceptives available in the country include hormonal pills, injectables, intrauterine devices, implants, barrier methods and permanent sterilization.

“Makikita natin na ang naging showing ng increase na ito ay maganda naman, so increasing siya through the years. So, noong 2022, 41.8 percent, and noong 2025, 44.5 percent. Ibig sabihin, mas marami nang Pilipino ang nagpaplano ng kanilang pamilya. But mayroon pa ring mga traditional method users tulad ng withdrawal at calendar method, so iyon pa rin ang gusto nating ma-address dahil alam naman natin na ang withdrawal at calendar ay hindi effective para sa ating mga kababayan,” Quiray said.

She said the number of Filipinas relying on traditional contraceptive methods also continues to decline.

“Actually, mas malaki naman iyong percentage ng gumagamit ng contraceptives. Almost half, nearly half na kasi 44.5 percent ng 2025 at nagdi-decline naman iyong gumagamit ng traditional method tulad ng withdrawal at ng calendar. So noong 2022, 16.5 percent tapos noong 2025, 14.1 percent. Pero if we translate that into absolute numbers, iyong 14.1 percent na decrease ay malaki pa rin kung titingnan talaga natin in absolute numbers,” she explained.

With World Contraception Day set for 26 September, Quiray said the CPD will launch several family planning initiatives.

“So, we will also launch Project Laya tungkol sa reproductive health para mas mapabuti ang serbisyo para sa family planning and reproductive health ng ating mga kababayan. At patuloy pa rin ang ating kampanya. They can still visit iyong ating Facebook page, iyong Usap Tayo sa Family Planning. They can also visit malayaako.ph for any information, lalo na sa ating mga kabataan tungkol sa kanilang reproductive health,” Quiray said.

In March 2026, the Philippine Statistics Authority released the results of its 2025 National Demographic and Health Survey, which showed that the average number of children Filipino women have over their lifetime had fallen to a record-low total fertility rate of 1.7.

The 1.7 total fertility rate was a significant decline from 4.1 children per woman recorded in 1993.

Teenage childbearing also fell to its lowest recorded level, which the PSA described as a major developmental milestone.

Only 4.8 percent of women aged 15 to 19 had begun childbearing, down sharply from the peak of 10.1 percent in 2013.

Despite the national decline, the survey found that teenage childbearing remained higher in rural areas at 5.8 percent than in urban areas at 4.2 percent. The Zamboanga Peninsula recorded the highest regional rate at 9.3 percent.