In a span of nine months in 2020, Siquijor registered a total of 123 marriages, of which the month of January has the highest number of occurrence of marriages and followed in the month of February with 25 solemnized marriages.  The least number of marriages occurred in the month of March which can be recalled as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  It was also shown in the data that in April, there was no occurrence of marriages.  Since, during this time several categories of lockdowns have been imposed nationwide in which there are limitations in the movement of people.  COVID-19 outbreak caused disruptions in all aspects of the life of a person, thus affects in the formal union of couples. (Figure 1)

Figure 1. Marriages in Siquijor, January – September 2020.

Among the six (6) municipalities in the province of Siquijor, the Municipalities of Enrique Villanueva, Larena and San Juan have the same number of registered marriages for this period.  The Municipality of Siquijor has the highest number of solemnized marriages etched at 33, and then it was followed by the Municipality of Lazi which recorded 25 marriage occurrences.  Meanwhile, Maria has the least number of occurrences of marriage pegged at 14. (Figure 2)

Figure 2. Number of Marriages, by Municipality: January to September 2020

It can be observed those months after the lockdown, only a few engaged and committed to contract marriage.  Of the nine-month period, the highest number of 14 marriages happened in the month of January in the Municipality of Siquijor, while no occurrences of marriage in the month of April.  It was also depicted that in some other months, other municipalities also, showed no recorded marriages (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Number of marriages by Month and Municipality:  January to September 2020.

If we can take a look of Central Visayas at registered Marriages during this period, the month of April has the least number of marriage occurrences while the months of January and February have the flow of couples committed to contract marriage, thus it is common to all the provinces in the region. (Figure 4)

Figure 4. Marriages in Central Visayas, January to September 2020

Note:

Figures are results of actual registration without any adjustment of under-registration.  Civil Registration is a continuous process. Hence, there is a need to establish certain cut-off period.  The data presented herein are events occurred from January to September 2020 and are preliminary results.

(SGD.) AURELIA M. CANDA
Chief Statistical Specialist