Manila: The Philippines’ population is expected to reach 100 million by July 27, as various sectors banner this development as a boon rather than a burden on the country’s resources.

Health Department Spokesperson, Dr Lyndon Lee-Suy, said the Philippines would mark its milestone 100 million population by choosing 100 babies born on July 27 to serve as the “100 Millionth Symbolic Babies.”

According to the National Statistics Office, three babies are born in the Philippines every minute.

“The symbolic 100th million babies would be chosen from mothers who had undergone normal delivery,” Lee-Suy said adding that based on estimate, the Philippines will deliver its 100th million baby by 12:06 of July 27.

Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III, executive director of the Philippines’ Populations Commission (POPCOM) had said during the recent celebration of World Population Day that the Philippines would play a big role in population as well as human productivity.

“As the youth’s population increases, their role in the society becomes significantly important … To change the world for the better is to invest in the growth and strength of our youth. There are over 1.8 billion people aged 10 to 24 years old, making one quarter of the world’s population. Ninety per cent of those youth live in developing countries,” he said.

He added that in the Philippines, there were 19.2 million youth in 2013.

According to the World Population Review, the Philippines’ population grows at an annual 1.98 per cent.

Fr. Melvin Castro, Executive Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (CBCP-ECFL), considers the 100 million population milestone as a welcome development.

Interviewed over Catholic-run radio station Radio Vertitas, he said: “100-million population, it’s good for the economy, that means we will have more young workers. As long as they can be given opportunity for education, work, a big population would even help turn the country into an economic powerhouse,” he said.

Castro explained that in countries such as Japan, experts are beginning to understand that it is wrong to equate poverty and a big population.

He said that declines in Japan’s workforce has forced the country to look to other nations to supplement their need for labour.

He said that in 2012, the US Census Bureau reported there is an estimated 243,136 legally employed Filipinos in Japan.