ILOILO City – The anticipated increase in births in Western Visayas due to pandemic-induced lockdowns did not happen in 2020.
Last year, the number of registered births in the region was 91,437 – 13.12% lower than 2019’s 105,248 registered births, data from the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) Region 6 showed.
“It is indeed good news that the expected increase in births in 2020 did not happen,” said Director Harold Alfred Marshall.
Among the provinces and highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in the region that recorded the highest percentage decrease in registered births were the following:
* Negros Occidental – 16.11%
* Bacolod City – 15.69%
* Capiz – 12.26%
On the other hand, provinces and HUC that recorded the lowest percentage decrease in registered births were the following:
* Guimaras – 7.95%
* Aklan – 10.39%
* Iloilo City – 11.9%
The anticipated increase in births was based on the premise that couples would have more time together in their homes due to lockdowns.
“On the contrary, they became cautious on matters relating to fertility decisions and more aware of their reproductive and informed choices,” said Marshall.
The factors associated with the decrease in registered births were the following:
* fewer marriages due to limited face-to-face gatherings
* women delaying pregnancies due to pandemic
* increased number of women using family planning methods
* delayed registration of births due to limited movement of people
The advance anticipation on the disruption on the access of family planning services due to limited movement of the people as an effect of pandemic restrictions prompted the health agencies, development partners, and local government units (LGUs) to plan for proactive action and develop strategies to continuously provide social and family planning services to couples and individuals especially to those who have an unmet need for modern family planning, said Marshall.
In the national level, the number of registered births was 1,516,042 compared to 1,674,302 in 2019. There was a decrease of 158,260 or an equivalent of 9.45% decrease – the lowest registered number of births since 1986 when 1,493,995 Filipinos were already born based on a preliminary report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in June 2021.
According to the Social Weather Station’s November 2020 survey, unintended or unplanned pregnancies were among the major concerns of most Filipino women during the pandemic. They were also anxious about the coronavirus pandemic’s ill-effects on their well-being as well as their families, their unborn child, and the country’s overall condition.
POPCOM undersecretary Dr. Juan Antonio A. Perez III emphasized that, “Family planning is just as vital in a health crisis, as it is a means to cope with life in post-pandemic scenarios: Alleviating poverty and the ability to plan one’s life should go together.”/PN
