‘Day of the Unborn’ set Oct. 15

President Marcos has declared Oct. 15 of every year as “National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day” to honor infants lost due to pregnancy complications and acknowledge the grief and suffering of their mothers and families. Signed on Oct. 2, Proclamation No. 700 repealed Proclamation No. 586, which previously mandated the observance of the “Day of the Unborn” on March 25 of every year.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that 20,072 infant deaths, or the death of infants before reaching one year of age, were recorded in 2022. Six out of 10 infant deaths in 2022, or 11,572, were males. The current infant mortality rate is 17.225 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, a decline from 18.392 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021. Around the world, countries observe Oct. 15 as “Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day” in support of parents and families who experienced the early loss of their infants, and to remember the infants who were gone too soon. —JULIE M. AURELIO