Philippine officials on Sunday welcomed the birth of their country’s 100 millionth citizen.
A baby girl named Chonalyn was born shortly after midnight at the Jose Fabella hospital in Manila, pushing the country’s estimated population to the milestone figure, said Juan Antonio Perez III, executive director of the Commission on Population.
Wrapped in a blanket and pink bonnet and cradled by her beaming mother, Chonalyn was showered with a cake, infant clothes and other gifts by health and population commission officials at a hospital ceremony.
“We are faced with the challenge of providing for all 100 million Filipinos,” Mr. Perez said.
“It is important to emphasize that population is not merely a matter of numbers, but of human rights and opportunities,” said Klaus Beck, the United Nations Population Fund’s Philippines representative.
With 54 percent of its population under the age of 25, the Philippines needs to provide the young with education, job opportunities and skills, Mr. Beck said.
