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Release Date :
Reference Number :
2018-045
Explanatory Notes
Data on deaths presented in this release were obtained from the Certificates of Death (Municipal Form No. 103) that were registered at the Office of the City/Municipal Civil Registrars all throughout the country and forwarded to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Information presented includes registered deaths which occurred from January to December 2016. Figures presented are not adjusted for under-registration.
 
 
An average of 1,591 death daily
 
Reported deaths in 2016 reached 582,183. The figure shows an increase of 21,578 or 3.8 percent higher than the previous year’s 560,605 deaths, which is equivalent to a crude death rate (CDR) of 5.6, or about six (6) persons per thousand population. In 2016, an average of 1,591 persons died daily. This translates to 66 deaths per hour or one (1) per minute. 
 
The number of deaths from 2006 to 2016 showed an increasing trend. The increase during the ten-year period is almost one-third, or 32.0 percent, from 441,036 in 2006 to 582,183 in 2016. The reason for the increase may have been due to a slight increase in registration of deaths. (see Figure 1 and Table 1). 
 
 
Around six in ten deaths in Luzon
 
The top three regions in terms of number of deaths by usual residence were in Luzon: CALABARZON with 82,764 or 14.2 percent followed by NCR with 76,839 or 13.2 percent then Central Luzon with 68,757 or 11.8 percent. Moreover, the combined share of these three regions was 39.2 percent of the total deaths.
 
On the other hand, the three regions which had the least number of deaths were ARMM (3,236 or 0.6%), CAR (8,329 or 1.4%) and CARAGA (14,939 or 2.6%). These numbers accounted for only 4.6 percent of the total deaths in the country. This was about nine times lower than the combined deaths in CALABARZON, NCR and Central Luzon (see Figure 2 and Table 2). 
 
 
Most number of deaths in October 
 
The month of October recorded the highest number of deaths with 52,357 or 9.0 percent while February had the least number with 43,931 or 7.5 percent share of the total deaths.
 
The months of September (108.4), October (106.2), August (104.5) and November (100.6) were the months that exceeded the national daily index value of 100.0. 
 
This means that the number of daily average occurrence of deaths during these months were greater than the whole year’s daily average occurrence (see Figure 3 and Table 3). 
 
 
More male deaths at early age than female deaths
 
It was noted that more number of male deaths occurred at less than one year old with 12,566 or 3.8 percent compared to female deaths of only 9,308 or 3.8 percent of the total. The same observation can be seen across ages. This is an indication that women live longer than men. (see Figure 4 and Table 4).

Six out of ten deaths not medically attended
 
Medically attended deaths are those attended by physician, public health officer, hospital authority or other medical personnel.  
 
Out of 582,183 registered deaths, 342,705 (59.2%) were unattended and 236,904 (40.5%) were medically attended. Among all regions, only NCR had greater number of medically attended deaths (42,045 or 7.2%) than unattended deaths (34,669 or 6.0%). It could mean that NCR has better access to health facilities. 
 
On the other hand, the top three regions which had the most number of unattended deaths were Region IV-A (48,507 or 8.3%), Region III (42,832 or 7.4%) and ironically, NCR (34,669 or 6.0%), (see Figure 5 and Table 5).
 
 
Highest number of infant deaths in CALABARZON
 
Infant deaths are deaths that occurred before reaching age 1. At the national level, 21,874 infant deaths were registered in 2016. Six out of ten deaths were males (12,566 or 57.4%). The top three regions that registered high infant deaths were CALABARZON (3,727 or 17.0%), NCR (3,687 or 16.9%) and Region III (2,480 or 11.3%). 
 
On the other hand, ARMM (209 or 1.0%), CAR (250 or 1.1%) and Caraga (345 or 1.6%) had the least number of registered infant deaths (see Figure 6 and Table 6).
 
 
High maternal deaths in CALABARZON 
 
Maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.  There were 1,483 registered maternal deaths in the country in 2016. 
 
Among all highest regions, CALABARZON recorded the biggest number of maternal deaths with 213 or 14.3 percent of the total, followed by Central Visayas with 201 or 13.6 percent, and NCR with 159 or 10.7 percent. On the other hand, ARMM recorded the least number of maternal deaths with 11 or 0.7 percent (Figure 7 and Table 7).
 
 
The table showed that ischaemic heart disease was the top leading cause of death with 74, 134 or 12.7 percent of the total. Second was neoplasms which is commonly known as “Cancer” with  60,470 or 10.4 percent followed by pneumonia with 57,809 or 9.9 percent for both sexes. 
 
Among males, ischaemic heart diseases was also the top leading cause of death with 44,472 or 13.3 percent followed by cerebrovascular diseases (31,675 or 9.5%) then neoplasms (29,516 or 8.8%). It also observed that assault with 13,662 or 4.1 percent of the total was included in the top 10 leading causes of death while for females; the top cause of death was neoplasm or “cancer” with 30,954 or 12.5 percent followed by ischaemic heart diseases with 29,662 with 12.0 percent then pneumonia with 28,816 or 11.6 percent of the total.
 
 
 
 
 
LISA GRACE S. BERSALES, Ph.D. 
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General
 
 

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