Child’s size and birth weight

Most babies have a normal size at birth according to estimates made by mothers, in which 90.3 percent of babies born in the two years prior to the survey were average or larger in size at birth, 8.1 percent are smaller than average, 0.9 percent are very small, and 0.7 percent of babies’ sizes at birth are reported to be unknown by mothers. (Figure 1)

Figure 1. Percent Distribution of Live Births in the 2 Years Preceding the
Survey by Mother’s Estimate of Baby’s Size at Birth, MIMAROPA: 2022

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, 60.4 percent of these live births have a reported birth weight according to the mother’s report, 29.8 percent have written records, while 90.2 percent have either of the two.

Figure 2. Percent Distribution of Live Births in the
2 Years Preceding the Survey that Have a Reported Birth Weight by Source of Information,
MIMAROPA: 2022

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey

Vaccination of Children

Vaccination records such as cards, booklets, or other home-based records are essential in ensuring that a child receives all recommended vaccinations on time. In 2022, 94.2 percent of children aged 12 to 23 months and 100 percent of children aged 24 to 35 months were reported to ever have a vaccination card or other documents with their vaccination records. However, at the time of the interview, only 72 percent of children aged 12 to 23 months and 76.6 percent of children aged 24 to 35 months had vaccination cards on hand. Both the percentage of children aged 12 to 23 months and 24 to 35 months reported to ever have a vaccination card and who had a vaccination card at the time of the interview showed a decline from 2017 to 2022. (Figures 3-4)

Figure 3. Percent Distribution of Children Aged 12–23 Months Who Ever Had a
Vaccination Card, and Percentage with a Vaccination Card Seen, MIMAROPA:
2017 and 2022

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2017 and 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey

Figure 4. Percent Distribution of Children Aged 24–35 Months Who Ever Had a
Vaccination Card, and Percentage with a Vaccination Card Seen, MIMAROPA:
2017 and 2022

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2017 and 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey

Figure 5. Trends in Percentage of Children Aged 12–23 Months Who are Fully Vaccinated
with Basic Antigens and Received No Vaccinations, MIMAROPA:
2003 to 2022

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey

Moreover, between 2003 and 2022, both the number of children who received all basic antigens as well as those who received no vaccinations grew. In 2022, 74.3 percent of children aged 12 to 23 months were reported to have received all basic antigens, which include one dose of BCG, three doses of polio vaccine, three doses of DPT-containing vaccine, and one dose of measles-containing vaccine given as measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). The percentage of children aged 12 to 23 months who did not receive any vaccinations also went up over the past 2 decades reaching 8.3 percent in 2022 from 2.0 percent in 2003, despite exhibiting a fluctuating trend. (Figure 5)  

Symptoms of Acute Respiratory Infection, Fever, Diarrhea, and Care-seeking Behavior

The survey results indicate a decrease in the percentage of children experiencing symptoms of illness two weeks before the survey from 2017 to 2022. Findings show that two weeks preceding the survey, 20.8 percent of children under age 5 years had symptoms of fever, 11.4 percent had diarrhea, and 1.1 percent experienced acute respiratory symptoms. Additionally, children with fever and diarrhea symptoms were the most likely to seek treatment, at 42 percent and 32 percent, respectively. (Figures 6-7)

Figure 6. Percent Distribution of Children Under Age 5 Years with Symptoms 2
Weeks Before the Survey, MIMAROPA: 2017 and 2022

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2017 and 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey

Figure 7. Percent Distribution of Children Under Age 5 Years with Symptoms 2
Weeks Before the Survey for Whom Advice or Treatment Was Sought, MIMAROPA: 2017 and 2022

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2017 and 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey

Early Childhood Development

In addition, 77 in 100 children aged 24 to 59 in MIMAROPA were developmentally on track in health, learning, and psychosocial well-being. Figure 8 shows the Early Childhood Development Index 2030 of MIMAROPA Region in 2022 in comparison with other regions.

Figure 8. Early Childhood Development Index 2030, Philippines: 2022

TECHNICAL NOTES

The 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is the seventh Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted in the Philippines in collaboration with the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program and the 12th in a series of national DHS surveys conducted every five (5) years since 1968.

Funding for the 2022 NDHS was provided by the Government of the Philippines, while the provision of tablet computers for data collection was supported by the Commission on Population and Development (CPD). Other agencies and organizations that facilitated the successful implementation of the survey through technical support were the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The primary objective of the 2022 NDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the NDHS collected information on fertility, fertility preferences, family planning practices, childhood mortality, maternal and child health, nutrition, knowledge and attitudes regarding Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) / Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), violence against women, child discipline, early childhood development, and other health issues.

The Women’s Questionnaire collected information on general background characteristics including age, education, and household wealth status, for women age 15 to 49. In addition, the 2022 NDHS collected information on other measures of women’s autonomy and status, particularly women’s ownership of assets including houses, land, and mobile phones as well as their use of bank accounts and mobile-money-service providers. In addition, responses to specific questions are used to define three different indicators of women’s empowerment such as women’s participation in household decision making, women’s attitudes towards wife beating, and women’s participation in decision making regarding sexual and reproductive health.

The information collected through the NDHS is intended to assist policymakers and program managers in designing and evaluating programs and strategies for improving the health of the country’s population. The 2022 NDHS also provides indicators anchored to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the new Philippine Development Plan for 2023 to 2028.

(SGD) LENI R. RIOFLORIDO
Regional Director

MLLM/OHG/LACB