Registered Births in SOCCSKSARGEN Region increased by 28.20 Percent

In the First Semester of 2023, SOCCSKSARGEN Region recorded a total of 31,401 registered live births by Usual Residence of Mother, marking a significant increase of 28.20 percent from the same period in 2022 (see Table 1). South Cotabato Province exhibited the highest growth rate in birth registrations, with a remarkable increase of 282.41 percent in the First Semester of 2023, followed by Sultan Kudarat Province.

During the same period, Cotabato Province and Sarangani Province also showed increases in birth registrations, with growth rates of 36.98 percent and 13.98 percent, respectively.

Of the 31,401 registered live births in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region during the First Semester of 2023, 52.03% were male (16,338 babies), while 47.97% were female (15,063 babies) (Table 1 & Figure 1). This indicates a higher number of male births compared to female births in the region during that period. 

The computed sex ratio for the semester was 108, meaning there were 108 male babies for every 100 female babies born.

On average, there were 107 live births per month, translating to approximately 24 live births per week or a minimum of 4 babies born per day in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region (see Table 1).

South Cotabato Province Had the Highest Number of Registered Live Births 

Among the four provinces in the region, South Cotabato recorded the highest number of registered live births at 11,847, constituting 37.73 percent of the total registered live births in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region during the First Semester of 2023. Cotabato followed with 10,498 registered live births, accounting for 33.43 percent. Sultan Kudarat recorded 5,476 births, making up 17.44 percent, while Sarangani had 3,580 births, comprising 11.40 percent of the total. 

Least Number of Birth Registrations in Sarangani 

Least number of birth registrations are shown in the figure 3. Sarangani had least recorded birth registration of 3,580 in the First Semester of 2023 with 799 registered in January; 695 in February, 784 in March, 619 in April, 636 in May and 47 recorded live birth in June (see Figure 3).

Definition of Terms

Live Birth is a complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, which after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached; each product of such a birth is considered live born. 

Civil Registration is a recording of vital acts and events in the civil registers and the resulting documents are called vital events. 

Vital Acts and Events includes births, deaths, marriages and all such events that have something to do with an individual’s entrance and departure from life together with the changes in civil status that may occur to a person during his/her lifetime. 

Usual Residence of the Mother refers to the place where the mother habitually resides.