Births from unwed mothers still higher

The Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) 2022 report shows that the percentage of illegitimate births surpasses the legitimate births, with 60 percent from unwed mothers to 40 percent from married mothers. Of the total number of births in the province, 3,977 babies were born from unwed couples, while 2,677 babies were born from married couples.
Sogod and Maasin are among the places with the highest number of illegitimate births. Maasin City had 1,482 illegitimate babies compared to 995 legitimate babies; followed by Sogod with 1,104 illegitimate babies and 714 legitimate babies. Hinundayan had 15; Libagon had 45, Liloan had 121; Limasawa, 4; Padre Burgos had 37; Pintuyan, 147; Saint Bernard, 99; and Silago, 26, and Tomas Oppus, 45. San Ricardo town tied in legitimacy status, with 5 to 5 births.
Meanwhile, Anahawan, Bontoc, Hinunangan, Macrohon, Malitbog, and San Francisco towns were tagged as municipalities with more children born from married couples, than from unwed couples.
In the 1186th issue of Southern Leyte Times, it reported that during the first quarter of the year 2022, illegitimate births were higher than the legitimate births; 58.42% non-marital children, and 41.58% legitimate children. This was during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the persons interviewed then commented that the government program of birth control was no longer a priority program; and that teenagers got pregnant early.