President Marcos has declared Oct. 15 of every year as the National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day to raise awareness and provide support for affected families.

Proclamation No. 700 was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, by authority of the President, on Oct. 2.

In his EO, Marcos cited the need to designate a specific day to increase awareness and provide comprehensive support for affected families, including mental health services, community programs, and informed healthcare guidance.

"The observance... shall honor and remember the infants lost during or shortly after pregnancy, and acknowledge the mothers and their families who have suffered through these losses," he said.

Pregnancy and infant loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth, are influenced by factors such as maternal age, prior losses, health conditions, lifestyle, and maternity care.

"[It has] affected many Filipino families emotionally and psychologically," the President wrote in his proclamation.

With this, Marcos directed the Department of Health (DOH) to lead, coordinate, supervise, and identify the programs, activities, and projects aligned with the observance.

He likewise ordered other government agencies and offices, including government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs) and state universities and colleges to participate and render necessary support for its effective implementation.

Meanwhile, all local government units, non-government organizations, professional associations, and the private sector are encouraged to give support.

Since 2004, the Philippines has been observing the "Day of the Unborn" every March 25 to recognize the need to develop quality and timely interventions before, during, and after pregnancy through comprehensive health services.

The observation likewise aimed to stimulate public awareness to prevent and effectively manage complications of pregnancy and childbirth.

By the numbers

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country recorded 20,072 infant deaths in 2022. Six out of 10 deaths were males (11,572 or 57.7 percent share).

The three regions with the highest number of infant deaths recorded were Calabarzon (3,350 or 16.7 percent share), the National Capital Region (2,780 or 13.9 percent share), and Central Luzon (2,529 or 12.6 percent share).

In the same year, the PSA reported a total of 8,493 fetal deaths. Fetal death refers to a fetus' death irrespective of the duration of pregnancy before the complete expulsion or extraction of a product of conception from the mother's womb.

A 2021 report by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) revealed that over 60,000 children in the Philippines die annually before their fifth birthday because of complications of premature birth, intrapartum complications, and infectious disease.

It added that more than 25,000 babies in the country are stillborn annually.

The Unicef called on the Philippines to "increase access to quality maternal and child health and nutrition services, achieve full vaccination of all children, and deliver on commitments for ensuring good health and nutrition through the first 1,000 days of life so that children will not only survive but thrive."

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that the stillbirth rate (per 1,000 births) in the Philippines in 2021 was 10.17.