Regional crude death rate posted at six deaths per thousand population
    
In 2023, the MIMAROPA Region registered a total of 18,726 deaths, which accounts to 2.7 percent of the total number of registered deaths in the country. During this year, there were 51 deaths per day or about two (2) deaths per hour. (Figure 1)

The number of registered deaths from 2014 to 2023 has experienced dynamic shifts with notable increases observed in 2017, 2020, and 2022. Over the ten-year period, the region’s annual number of registered deaths went up by 33.8 percent from 13,993 in 2014 to 18,726 in 2023. (Figure 1)

The crude death rate (CDR) in the region was registered at six (6) births per thousand population .  Variations in CDR was noted across provinces and highly urbanized city, with City of Puerto Princesa as the highest CDR at eight (8) deaths per thousand population and Palawan as the lowest in CDR at four (4) births per thousand population. (Table A)

Highest occurrence of deaths reported in Oriental Mindoro

Provinces with larger populations reported the highest number of registered live births. Oriental Mindoro recorded the highest number of registered deaths at 5,676 with a corresponding share of 30.3 percent to the regional total deaths registered in 2023. This was followed by Palawan (excluding the City of Puerto Princesa) at 4,059 total registered deaths (21.7% share). Meanwhile, Marinduque had the lowest number of registered deaths among provinces at 1,644 (8.8% share). (Figur0065 2 and Table A)

On the other hand, City of Puerto Princesa, the region’s lone highly urbanized city, recorded a total number of 2,319 registered deaths that corresponds to 12.4 percent of the regional total. (Figure 2 and Table A)

Highest average number of deaths per day was posted in January

In 2023, the average number of deaths registered per day was highest in the month of January at 57 deaths, or equivalent to a nearly one (1) death per hour. Other months that exceeded the regional average of 51 deaths per day are November at 55 deaths per day, and both June and December at 54 deaths per day. (Figure 3 and Table B)
 

More male deaths than female deaths recorded

The age-sex structure of registered deaths in 2023 reveals an inverted pyramid with fewer deaths at the younger ages, except for children under one year old, and progressively increasing as people grow older. In the MIMAROPA Region, the number of male deaths (10,806 or 57.7%) was higher than female deaths (7,920 or 42.3%). (Figure 4 and Table C)

Among male MIMAROPAns, the age group with the largest number of registered deaths in the region was 65 to 69 years at 7.0 percent. For female MIMAROPAns, the largest number of registered deaths was at the oldest age group, 85 years old and over at 7.4 percent. (Figure 4 and Table C)

The sex ratio of 136 indicates that approximately 136 male deaths occurred for every 100 female deaths. Moreover, a sex ratio of over 100 was observed across the age groups of below five (5) years old and between 10 to 79 years old, which means that there were more male deaths than female deaths. Further, in the age group 5 to 9 years old and in the age group of 80 years old and over, a higher proportion of female deaths were observed compared to their male counterparts. (Figure 4 and Table C)

More than two out of five deaths were attended by a health care provider

An attendant refers to a private physician, public health officer, hospital authority, or any other allied health care provider who attended the deceased.  In 2023, out of 18,726 registered deaths in the MIMAROPA Region, a total of 7,907 were attended by health care providers. This comprised 42.2 percent of the total registered deaths in the region. The City of Puerto Princesa reported more than three-fourths or 75.9 percent of its total registered deaths were attended by a health care provider. Meanwhile, the remaining five provinces in the region reported more unattended deaths than those attended by health care providers with Occidental Mindoro registering the highest proportion at 43.1 percent and Marinduque posting the lowest proportion at 29.7 percent. (Figure 5 and Table D)

Three in every five registered deaths occurred at home

In 2023, a total of 11,254 deaths, accounting for 60.1 percent of the total, occurred at home, while 7,232 or 38.6 percent, died in any health facilities. A small proportion or 1.3 percent died in places other than home or health facilities, such as on the street, in public places, or while in transit on a vehicle, airplane or vessel. A minimal percentage of deaths remained undetermined or unspecified sites due to missing information regarding the place of death of the decedent. (Figure 6 and Table E)

Among provinces and highly urbanized city in the region, only the City of Puerto Princesa surpassed the 50.0 percent mark on the proportion of deaths occurring in health facilities, at 72.8 percent. Meanwhile, registered deaths in the remaining five provinces occurred at home with Marinduque posting the highest proportion at 73.6 percent of their total reported deaths, and Romblon showing the lowest proportion at 62.1 percent. (Figure 6 and Table E)

Most deaths were registered on time

A total of 18,298 deaths in the region were registered timely. This constitutes 97.7 percent of the total deaths were registered within 30 days of its occurrence.  Four out of five provinces exceeded the regional proportion of timely registration of deaths. Marinduque was the highest at 99.8 percent and was followed by Oriental Mindoro at 99.2 percent. In addition, Occidental Mindoro and Romblon both posted 99.0 percent timely registration of deaths.  (Figure 7 and Table F)

However, the City of Puerto Princesa (95.6%) and Palawan (94.5%) had their registration rate that fell below 97.7 percent, indicating a significant share of delayed registration in the region. (Figure 7 and Table F)

One in every three infant deaths occurred in Oriental Mindoro

Infant deaths are deaths that occurred before reaching age 1. In 2023, a total of 634 infant deaths were registered in the MIMAROPA Region. This accounts to 2.9 percent of the country’s total of 21,593 registered infant deaths. (Table G)

In terms of infant’s sex with males accounting for majority at 357 cases or 56.3 percent. Among all provinces in the region, Oriental Mindoro posted the highest number of infant deaths recording 211 cases (33.3%), and was followed by Palawan excluding the City of Puerto Princesa with 116 cases (18.3%), and Occidental Mindoro with 107 cases (16.9%). In addition, 100 infant deaths were registered in the City of Puerto Princesa, accounting to a 15.8 percent share to the regional total. Meanwhile, Marinduque recorded the lowest number of infant deaths, with 38 cases (6.0%). (Figure 8 and Table G)

Nearly two in every five maternal deaths reported Palawan as place of usual residence

A maternal death is defined by the World Health Organization as, “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.”

In 2023, the MIMAROPA Region recorded a total of 71 maternal deaths. This accounts to 3.8 percent of the country’s 1,868 total registered maternal deaths. Among all provinces and highly urbanized city in the region, Palawan (excluding City of Puerto Princesa) recorded the highest number of maternal deaths with 38.0 percent share to the regional total. This was followed by Occidental Mindoro (26.8%), and Oriental Mindoro (16.9%). On the other hand, Marinduque posted the least number of maternal deaths with 4.2 percent share to the regional total maternal deaths. (Figure 9 and Table H)

Oriental Mindoro recorded the highest number of fetal deaths

Fetal death refers to the death of a fetus irrespective of the duration of pregnancy prior to complete expulsion or extraction of a product of conception from the mother's womb.

In 2023, the MIMAROPA Region reported a total of 235 deaths with a share of 3.2 percent to the country’s total of 7,389 registered fetal deaths. Among province / highly urbanized city of usual residence of the mother within the region, Oriental had the highest number with 63 cases or 26.8 percent of the regional total. This was followed by Occidental Mindoro with 58 cases (24.7%) and Palawan excluding the City of Puerto Princesa with 43 cases (18.3%).  Meanwhile, Romblon posted the lowest number of reported fetal deaths with nine (9) cases or 3.8 percent of the regional total. (Figure 10 and Table I)

(SGD) LENI R. RIOFLORIDO
Regional Director

MLLM / VFM / RRL