MANILA – On the second floor of a rickety shack in the Tondo slums of Manila, newborn Vinice Mabansag sleeps on a mattress pushed against the wall on which a poster declares her the worlds eight billionth baby.

Her mother, Ms Maria Margarita Villorente, 27, does not have a job. Her father, Mr Alvin Mabansag, 26, earns just 2,000 pesos (S$49) a month repairing cellphones near a market in the Philippines capital. Her parents do not share surnames because they are not married.

Already a subscriber? Log in Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

ST One Digital $9.90  $9.90/month

No contract

ST app access on 1 mobile device

Subscribe now Unlock these benefits

All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

E-paper with 2-week archive so you won’t miss out on content that matters to you