A child is defined as an individual whose age is less than 18 years.

Male children outnumbered females

Based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (CPH) results, the City of Marikina had a total population of 147,579 children. The total population comprises 76,339 or 51.6 percent males—exceeding females by 5,099 persons—resulting in a sex ratio of 107 males for every 100 females.

Figure 1 illustrates the percentage of children by sex in City of Marikina for 2020.
 

At the barangay level, Barangay Malanday registered the highest child population with 19,247, or 13.0 percent, followed by Barangay Tumana, with 19,230, or 13.0 percent. Meanwhile the smallest child population was in Barangay Sta. Elena, with 1,528 or 1.0 percent.

Five in every 1,000 boys and girls married before reaching the age of 18

In 2020, 722 children in the city married at a young age, which is 0.5 percent of that population, while 981 were common-law or in a live-in setup.

On the other hand, 31, or 0.02 percent of the population, have been divorced, separated, or annulled. Additionally, two, or 0.001 percent, lost their wife or husband through death.

The remaining eight accounted for children whose marital status was unknown.
 

Birth registration among children in the city is notably high

City of Marikina had a positive birth registration count of 145,769 or 98.8 percent, but there were 1,700 or 1.2 percent unregistered births. On the other hand, over 70 (0.1 percent) don’t know if their births are registered while around 30 (0.02) people had no report.

Figure 2 depicts the distribution of children by birth registration in City of Marikina for 2020.
 

Self-caring is the most prevalent functional difficulty among children in Marikina

There are six core indicators of functional difficulty among children aged five to 17 years old, namely: (a) seeing even if wearing eyeglasses; (b) hearing even if using a hearing aid; (c) walking or climbing steps; (d) remembering or concentrating; (e) self-caring; and (f) communicating using his/her usual customary language.

Based on the 2020 CPH, self-caring such as washing all over or dressing has the highest severity among the six indicators. With a total case of 56 or 0.05 percent, followed by communicating using his/her usual customary language, with 52 cases or 0.05 percent. Next is walking or climbing steps with 35 cases or 0.03 percent. Meanwhile hearing even if using a hearing aid records 16 cases or 0.02 percent. On the other hand, the lowest functional difficulty among children records 15 cases or 0.01 percent go to seeing even if wearing eyeglasses.

Basic literacy rate nearly equal among male and female children

In City of Marikina, 100,733 children (95.6%) aged five to 17 years old can read and write simple messages. The literacy rates for both sexes are nearly equal at 95.6 percent.

Majority of Children Aged 5 to 17 Attained Grade-Level Education

In 2020, 101,023 (95.8%) of children aged five to 17 completed and had reached or completed a grade level. However, 4,399 children had not completed any grade, while data for others were not reported.

More than half the number of children aged five (4,497, or 55.0%) in City of Marikina had reached or completed early childhood education. Among those aged 6 to 11, 87.6 percent had reached or completed elementary education under the K to 12 Curriculum. Meanwhile, seven in every 10 children aged 12 to 15 (23,932 or 73.9%) had reached or completed junior high school.

On the other hand, about two in every five (6,418 or 42.9%) children aged 16 to 17 have reached or completed senior high school.
 

Almost 140,000 children are OFWs

The number of children aged who work overseas was recorded at 154 individuals, representing 0.7 percent of the children’s population ages 15 to 17 years in the city. The total includes 78 or 50.6 percent in males and 76 or 49.4 percent in females.


HELEN L. ADOLACION
Chief Statistical Specialist

_JGA/BBC