Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26) — COVID-19 is no longer in the top 10 causes of deaths in the country, with ischemic heart diseases still the most fatal, a Philippine Statistics Authoritys (PSA) report covering the first nine months of 2022 showed.

The viral illness — which became the third deadliest disease in the Philippines in 2021 — dropped to 11th place, with 13,883 registered fatalities from January to September last year.

This count represents 3.3% of the total number of deaths during the period, according to the PSA.

Nationwide, the agency said Metro Manila lost the highest number of people due to COVID-19 at 3,444. Calabarzon came next with 2,257, followed by Central Luzon with 1,888.

The PSA also explained why its figures are higher than the ones released by the Department of Health (DOH).

For instance, in 2021 alone, the statistics body listed over 105,000 deaths in the country due to COVID-19. However, the DOH tracker as of Jan. 26, 2023 showed that overall COVID-19 death toll since the start of the pandemic in 2020 was at 65,730.

“The figures in this release were obtained from the certificates of death particularly the descriptions written on the medical certificate portion therein as reviewed by the health officer of the local government unit concerned,” the PSA said. “On the other hand, the figures released by the DOH were obtained through a surveillance system.”

It added that its figures refer to both confirmed and probable cases as of registration.

Ischaemic heart diseases still top list

In a briefing on Wednesday, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said COVID-19s decline in the ranking shows the country is able to manage the disease better.

“Sa ngayon po nakikita natin na ang mga top leading causes of deaths dito sa ating bansa ay bumalik na doon sa dati nating trends kung saan yun pong atake sa puso, yung ischemic heart disease parin ang nauuna,” she said.

[Translation: Currently, were seeing that the leading causes of deaths in the country were similar to before, where ischemic heart diseases lead the list.]

PSA data showed that 77,173 people died in the first nine months of 2022 due to ischemic heart diseases, accounting for 18.5% of the total deaths.

This kind of disease was also the most fatal in the country in 2021.

In September last year, the DOH said it was strengthening collaboration with the World Health Organization and other agencies to prevent deaths caused by heart conditions.

Meanwhile, completing the top three leading causes of deaths last year were cerebrovascular diseases (42,980 deaths, or 10.3% of the total) and neoplasms, commonly known as cancer (42,497 deaths, or 10.2%).

The PSA said other illnesses in the top 10 were diabetes mellitus, hypertensive diseases, pneumonia, other heart diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases, remainder of diseases of the genitourinary system, and respiratory tuberculosis.