The Well-Being of Older Adults in the Philippines: Application of the Years of Good Life

The population structure of the Philippines is young, but it is expected to age in the coming years. It is important to understand the well-being of older people to prepare policies that can ensure an adequate quality of life. Understanding the heterogeneity of a population is needed to guarantee that individual development is equitable. Years of Good Life (YoGL) is a novel indicator of well-being comprised of measures of good physical and cognitive health, being out of poverty, and being satisfied with life. Various measures were tested to determine which indicators best fit the stated dimensions of YoGL. Using the 2018 Longitudinal Study on Ageing and Health in the Philippines, observations show men aged 60 have a life expectancy of about 17 years, and YoGL was 14 years. Women of the same age have a life expectancy of 19 years, while the YOGL is 16 years. Among men and women aged 70 years, the YoGL was 7.9 and 8.6 years, respectively. Analyses show that for both ages and sexes, physical health was the dimension that decreased the number of good years. This study demonstrates the applicability of the YoGL methodology in investigating the well-being of subpopulations.