There are no official data on the practice of female genital cutting (FGC) in the Philippines. Informal surveys conducted by international non-governmental organisations and academics suggest that the prevalence of FGC in the Philippines is 80–86% of girls and women in Muslim communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindana (BARMM).
A National Demographic and Health Programe survey (DHS) was carried out in the Philippines in 2022, but it did not include any questions related to FGC. There have not been any other national surveys that include references to the practice. This Short Report, therefore, is primarily based on a 2020 survey conducted in the five provinces making up the Bangsamoro region by CARE Philippines in conjunction with two of the Philippines’ civil-society organisations, Leading Individuals to Flourish and Thrive (LIFT) and Women for Justice in the Bangsamoro.1 The sample was 413 women and 45 men. The women included several (an unspecified number) panday (traditional birth attendants), and the men included several (an unspecified number) religious leaders.