Young children, boys and men, and holiday swimmers at rivers and unguarded beaches face the highest risk of drowning in the Philippines, and the danger peaks in April. In 2021, children aged 1 to 14 made up just under three in ten recorded drowning deaths (PSA data as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2023), and police reports from Holy Week show rivers and beaches as the most common places (Inquirer, April 2024).
This guide is general information, not a substitute for training. In an emergency, call 911.
Children
Drowning hits the youngest hardest. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data for 2021, as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (2023), recorded 370 deaths among children aged 1 to 4, 356 among ages 5 to 9 and 330 among ages 10 to 14. That is 1,056 in all, out of 3,604 drowning deaths (the total is our sum of the three age bands).
A review of Global Burden of Disease estimates found about 27,928 children aged 0 to 14 died from drowning between 2008 and 2017, and 52.7% were aged 5 to 14 (Guevarra et al., Children, 2021). Rates fell over the period, especially for children under 5.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says drowning is the fourth leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4 and the third for ages 5 to 14 worldwide, and that "the risk of drowning increases when children interact with water outside of active adult supervision" (WHO drowning fact sheet, 2026 edition).
Why children are at risk, according to the Philippine research (Guevarra et al., 2021):
- constant adult supervision is missing;
- water is unprotected, such as open wells, creeks and drains;
- children cannot swim and do not recognise danger;
- drowning rates are higher when children are out of school, such as during school holidays.
During Holy Week 2023 the PNP said that, among minors, "the children were left by themselves to swim in the sea" (Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 2023). The Philippine Life Saving Society (PLSS) has also reported, as quoted by Cebu Daily News, that an adult was only about two metres from each child who drowned in its Holy Week count, which is why "being nearby" is not the same as watching. We could not find the PLSS study itself, so treat this as the group's own account.
Boys and men
Boys face a higher risk than girls at every age. In the Guevarra study, the 2017 drowning rate for boys aged 5 to 14 was 7.86 per 100,000, against 4.62 for girls. For ages 0 to 4 it was 11.20 for boys and 7.26 for girls (Guevarra et al., 2021). An older Safe Kids Philippines, PLSS and DOH study of 1963–2003 data found boys were twice as likely to die from drowning as girls of the same age (reported by Manila Bulletin, 2009, via the International Life Saving Federation). Worldwide, WHO says the drowning death rate among males is more than twice that of females (WHO drowning fact sheet).
Among adults, police counts are heavily male. Of 223 people involved in drowning incidents from 1 January to 28 March 2024, the PNP counted 184 men and 39 women (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2024).
Alcohol comes up repeatedly. WHO lists "drinking alcohol before swimming alone" among the riskier behaviours that may explain higher male drowning rates (WHO drowning fact sheet). At a Manila press conference in October 2024, WHO Western Pacific's Dr Hiromasa Okayasu linked most adult drowning deaths to alcohol (GMA News, 17 Oct 2024). In 2023 the PNP spokesperson said most of that Holy Week's victims had been drinking (as reported via the Malay Mail, AFP, 10 Apr 2023). We have no Philippine national rate for alcohol-related drowning, so we do not give a number.
When drownings peak
- April. A column citing PSA data for 2006–2013 reports that April had the highest monthly average, 355 deaths, followed by May with 316, and that Sunday had the highest daily average, 606 deaths, followed by Saturday with 576 (Henrylito D. Tacio, Edge Davao, 9 April 2024). More recently, the PSA's 2022 monthly counts peaked in April (391), then May (345) and March (317), as quoted by Sen. Win Gatchalian's office.
- Holy Week and school break. The Philippine National Police (PNP) counts drownings every Holy Week:
| Year | PNP Holy Week drowning figures as reported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 72 deaths in 67 incidents, as of 6 pm on 9 April (PNP, via Inquirer and AFP) | Most deaths in Calabarzon (19), Ilocos (14) and Central Luzon (10). About 23 victims were minors |
| 2024 | 37 deaths on beaches and rivers, 24–31 March (Inquirer); 12 of them minors (Gatchalian's office) | Mostly rivers, then beaches. Earlier tallies were lower: 29 (SunStar) |
| 2025 | Reports differ: 15 deaths in 18 incidents, 13–18 April (Tribune); 31 incidents on Easter Sunday (GMA News), of which 19 involved adults (People's Tonight via Journal Online); and a final count of 64 drowning cases for 13–21 April (ABS-CBN) | Different cut-off dates and definitions (incidents versus deaths). The 64 figure is the latest PNP total we found |
These are police incident counts for short periods, not annual totals, and the numbers vary between reports. We link the news reports of each PNP tally because we could not open PNP's own releases.
Plan for the peak: if you are travelling for Holy Week, summer break or a long weekend, see Where and how drownings happen.
Who else is at higher risk
From Philippine research on child drowning (Guevarra et al., 2021): children from low socio-economic and rural families, large households, homes without piped water and families who live near unprotected water. The authors also note the impact of disasters such as typhoons and floods, and the amount of inter-island travel by boat and ferry, which official drowning figures do not capture.
Warning signs that a place is higher risk
- no lifeguard, flags or rescue equipment;
- a river after rain, where current and depth change quickly;
- open water you cannot see the bottom of;
- an open well, drain or large water container within a child's reach;
- crowded boats without life jackets.
What lowers the risk
The Department of Health (DOH) has advised close child supervision, wearing of flotation devices, participation in water safety awareness activities, training in first aid and basic life support, and basic survival swimming for both children and adults, according to Journal Online (3 April 2024). Practical steps:
- Give young children your full attention near water. No phone, no chores.
- Choose places with lifeguards, and swim where they can see you.
- Put a properly fitted life jacket on non-swimmers, including adults.
- Do not mix alcohol with swimming or boating.
- Learn to swim and learn basic rescue and CPR. See Learning to swim in the Philippines.
More: Kids and water safety, How to prevent drowning. For families with young swimmers, see our Kids collection.
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Sources
- Philippine Daily Inquirer. "Drowning, a 'serious public health issue,' makes Holy Week break tragic for some" (2023), reporting PSA 2021 deaths by age. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1754570/drowning-a-serious-public-health-issue-makes-holy-week-break-tragic-for-some
- Guevarra JP, Peden AE, et al. Preventing Child Drowning in the Philippines. Children 8(1):29, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8010029 (full text: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7825742/)
- World Health Organization. Drowning fact sheet (2026 edition). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drowning
- GMA News. "WHO: Drowning-related deaths slightly increased in PH" (17 October 2024). https://gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/924053/who-drowning-related-deaths-slightly-increased-in-ph/story
- Manila Bulletin (20 December 2009), coverage of the Safe Kids Philippines, PLSS and DOH 1963–2003 study, reposted by the International Life Saving Federation. https://ilsf.org/?p=687
- Cebu Daily News. Report of a Philippine Life Saving Society press conference (undated in our copy). https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/?p=29183
- Tacio HD. "Think on these: watch out when swimming," Edge Davao, 9 April 2024, citing PSA data for 2006–2013. https://edgedavao.net/vantage-points/2024/04/think-on-these-watch-out-when-swimming/
- Office of Sen. Win Gatchalian, statement of 8 April 2024 (PSA 2022 monthly counts; Holy Week 2024). https://wingatchalian.com/?p=32390
- PNP Holy Week reports 2023, as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1754421/fwd-pnp-62-died-of-drowning-during-holy-week/amp) and AFP via the Malay Mail, 10 April 2023 (https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2023/04/10/philippines-police-confirm-72-dead-from-drowning-after-week-long-holiday-leading-to-easter/64063)
- PNP Holy Week reports 2024, as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1924760/pnp-on-monitoring-37-deaths-due-to-drowning) and SunStar (https://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/pnp-29-dead-due-to-drowning-during-holy-week-2024); PNP January–March 2024 counts, Inquirer (https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1923914/over-200-individuals-died-due-to-drowning-from-january-to-march-pnp/amp)
- PNP Holy Week reports 2025, as reported by The Tribune (19 April 2025, https://tribune.net.ph/2025/04/19/drowning-claims-15-during-holy-week), GMA News (20 April 2025, http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/943268/pnp-logs-53-holy-week-incidents-drowning-tops-list/story), Journal Online (21 April 2025, https://journalnews.com.ph/?p=292623) and ABS-CBN (21 April 2025, https://abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/21/pnp-records-64-drowning-cases-during-holy-week-2025-1033)
- Dalizon AP. "Learn to swim to avoid drowning, PNP advises public," Journal Online, 3 April 2024, reporting DOH advice. https://journalnews.com.ph/?p=206514
Last reviewed: 12 October 2026.
