MANILA - The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has recorded 20,840 probable COVID-19 deaths last year, aside from 9,300 confirmed ones, it said in its latest report.

The deaths probably due to COVID-19 in the PSA report are those classified under “COVID-19 virus not identified”, the agency said, explaining that its data "are based on the descriptions written on the medical certificate portion of all death certificates received which were certified by the Local Health Officers."

The DOH, for its part, based its tally through a surveillance system, said the PSA.

The Department of Health (DOH) counted only 9,244 total COVID-19 deaths at the end of 2020, ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido said.

• PH confirms 4,114 more COVID-19 cases, lowest in 2 weeks

The DOH earlier said that they only list fatalities due to COVID-19 when it is confirmed, which means that the cause of death is validated, as well as a complete date of death.

The PSA noted in its report that their classifications were based on World Health Organization’s statistical coding. Its tally of 9,300 confirmed COVID-19 deaths last year was generated following detection or confirmation by a laboratory test of the COVID-19 virus, it said.

• PH confirms 4,114 more COVID-19 cases, lowest in 2 weeks

COVID-19 is among the top leading causes of death in the Philippines last year, according to the PSA report, which listed ischaemic heart diseases, neoplasms, and cerebrovascular diseases as the top three.

The confirmed COVID-19 deaths last year account for 1.5 percent of the country's total fatalities, making it the top 14 cause of death during the year.

ABS-CBN News reached out to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire for comment on the PSA's report but has yet to respond as of press time.

NCR LEADS REGIONS WITH MOST COVID-LINKED DEATHS IN 2020

Based on the PSA's report, Metro Manila led the regions in the country with the most COVID-19-linked (confirmed and probable) deaths last year, with 13,004 or 43.1 percent of the cumulative total.

Calabarzon placed second with 7,000 deaths, and Central Luzon with 2,690.

Quezon City, meanwhile, listed the most number of deaths linked to the respiratory disease among localities in Metro Manila, with 2,637, followed by Manila (1,961), Pasig (1,465), and Makati (995).

The Philippines is still battling the COVID-19 pandemic more than year since it confirmed its first case, with variants of the virus already reported in some of those who were infected.

The country's inoculation program against the disease, which kicked off last March 1, is marred by the limited vaccine supply and delivery delays.

The country has so far confirmed a total 1,445,832 COVID-19 cases, of which 49,613 are active.

As of Tuesday, the death toll stood at 25,296.

• Total COVID-19 deaths in Philippines cross 25,000

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