REGISTERED births and deaths declined 25.2% and 32.6% year on year, respectively in the seven months to July, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Wednesday.
According to its Vital Statistics Report, recorded births in the seven months totaled 545,255, while deaths fell to 311,921.
Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) was the leading region for both births (81,439) and deaths (46,868). As a proportion of the national totals, Calabarzon births accounted for 14.9% of all births and 15% of deaths.
The National Capital Region had 66,398 births during the period, or 12.2% of the total, posting a year-on-year decline of 22.4%. The capital reported 37,910 deaths, or 12.2% of the total.
In a separate statement, the PSA said ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular disease, and neoplasms were the leading causes of death in the first seven months.
Deaths due to ischaemic heart diseases during the period amounted to 57,899 of 18.6% of all deaths while cerebrovascular diseases totaled 32,354 or 10.4% of the national tally.
Neoplasms (31,487) accounted for 10.1% share of the total.
Deaths associated with COVID-19 totaled 12,083 in the seven months to July, or 3.9% of all registered deaths.
The COVID-19-associated deaths included 8,586 cases or 2.8% of the total in which the virus had been identified at the time of death, making the disease the 10th leading cause of death during the period.
Deaths in which COVID-19 had not been identified amounted to 3,497 cases.
Metro Manila recorded the most deaths due to COVID-19 with 2,986 or 24.7% of the total.
This was followed by Calabarzon with 1,856 (15.4%), and Central Luzon with 1,573 (13%).
Meanwhile, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao logged the least COVID-19 deaths with 32 cases during the period.
The Vital Statistics report also found that registered marriages rose 4.2% year on year in the first seven months to 221,848.
Calabarzon posted the most marriages with 32,146 or 14.5% of the national total, while Metro Manila registered 27,097, or 12.2%.
According to the PSA, its COVID-19 death tally was based on death certificates lodged with health officers at the various local government units.
This tally differs from the one maintained by the Department of Health, which is based on a surveillance system which counts only confirmed cases.
The Vital Statistics report was compiled from tallies generated by city or municipal Civil Registrars, consolidated by the PSA’s Provincial Statistical Offices, and then submitted to the Office of the Civil Registrar General. — Abigail Marie P. Yraola