The total fertility rate (TFR) in Western Visayas at 2.2 in 2024 remains stable amid the recorded 11.7 percent decline in births for the year.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 9, Commission and Population Development (CPD) Western Visayas Regional Director Harold Alfred Marshall said that births are indeed slowing down, but the TFR is a bit higher than the replacement level of 2.1, the worldwide accepted threshold for a locality to maintain a healthy population.

He hoped it would not go down to 2.1, given that the lower TFR will also have negative implications, like keeping up with the labor workforce and a very scarce market, which might impact prices and cost of inflation.

“We do not set a target for birth rate. We are only saying the healthy worldwide fertility rate, just to give a healthy population is 2.1,” he said.

However, others were saying that given the rate of the economy and the rising inflation rate, the TFR should be around 2, he said.

Data showed that registered births in the region dropped to 77,000 in 2024 from 87,204 in 2023.

In addition to a decline in births, CPD also noted a decrease in deaths by 13 percent last year, with 58,659 deaths in 2023 to 51,036 last year.

The CDP said the decline in deaths showed an “improving mortality situation in the region,” a reflection of better healthcare, stronger disease prevention and higher health awareness.

Among the three vital statistics, however, marriage registrations in the region have the highest decline at 24.7 percent, or 24,273 in 2024 from 32,230 in the preceding year.

The highest number of marriage registrations in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental was in Bacolod City, which dropped by 39.7 percent and Iloilo City with 32.1 percent.

“This decline reflects shifting priorities among Filipinos, with many delaying or forgoing marriage in favor of education, career advancement and financial stability,” the CPD said in a statement.

The agency said the changes call for balanced policies supporting families, promoting healthy aging and sustaining economic productivity.PNA