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Release Date :
Reference Number :
2002-142

 

Population increased by 1.7 percent

The total population of Masbate, as of May 1, 2000, was 707,668 persons. This implied an increase of 53,816 persons over the 1995 census figure (with September 1, 1995 as reference date) or an average annual growth rate of 1.7 percent, slightly higher than that of the 1990 to 1995 period (1.64 percent). A corresponding increase on the number of households was also recorded at 138,945 households, higher by 10,085 and 24,538 households over the 1995 and 1990 figures, respectively. This resulted to an average household size of 5.09 persons, slightly higher than the average household size (5.07 persons) recorded five years ago.

The population of the province to double after four decades

If the average growth rate of the population continues at 1.71 percent, the population of Masbate is expected to double after forty years, increasing by 12,101 persons every year or about 33 persons per day.

Masbate, the capital town, the most populous municipality

Of the eleven municipalities in Masbate, the municipality of Masbate, the capital of the province, was the largest in terms of population size, accounting for about 10.1 percent of the total population of the province. This was followed by the municipalities of Aroroy (8.3 percent), and Cawayan (7.4 percent). The smallest was the municipality of Batuan (1.7 percent).

Masbate, the home of Masbatenon

The predominant ethnic group in this province was Masbateño or Masbatenon. Over 64 percent of the total household population classified themselves as Masbateño or Masbatenon. Close to 59 percent was recorded in 1995. The proportion of the population who classified themselves as Cebuano was about 27 percent. The remaining nine percent included Hiligaynon/Ilonggo, Bikol/Bicol and Bisaya/ Binisaya.

Sex ratio recorded at 104

In 2000, there were approximately 104 males for every 100 females in the province. This was the highest ratio recorded since 1970.

Half of the population below 18 years old

Masbate had a median age of 18 years, higher than the 1995 median age of 17 years. This implied that half of the total population of the province were below 18 years old.

Dependency ratio dropped by 2.1 percentage points

About 52 percent of the total population belonged to productive ages (15 to 64 years). This resulted to a 9.4 percent increase from the 1995 figure of 336,032 persons. Over 44 percent of population were young dependents (aged 0 to 14 years) while about four percent were old dependents (aged 65 years and above). The overall dependency ratio in 2000 was 92.5, lower than the 1995 ratio of 94.6. This meant that for every 100 persons aged 15 to 64 years, there were about 92 dependents, i.e., 84 young dependents and eight old dependents.

More than two out of every five females belonged to the childbearing ages

Women in childbearing or reproductive age group (15 to 49 years) comprised 43 percent of the total female population. The same proportion was reported in 1995.

About half of the population belonged to voting ages

There were 352,404 persons or about 50 percent of the total population belonging to voting age (18 years old and over). Among them, the proportion of males was slightly higher (51 percent) than that of the females (49 percent).

About 87 percent of total population five years old and over had attended education

About 60 percent of the total population five years old and over had attended elementary; over 18 percent, high school; and about 9 percent with higher education.

Females dominated among those who had attended school. Also, females had the higher proportion, as compared to males, starting from high school to post baccalaureate level.

Single men outnumbered single women

Married persons in 2000 accounted for over 47 percent of the total population 10 years old and over, a drop by three percentage points from the reported figure in 1995 (50 percent). Never-married or single persons also dropped by two percentage points, from 42 percent in 1995 to 40 percent in 2000. In contrast, the proportion of widowed increased to 4.3 percent in 2000 from 3.7 percent in 1995. Those with other arrangements constituted about seven percent, up from 3.2 percent in 1995.

Among married persons, the proportion of males (51 percent) was slightly higher than the females (49 percent). There were more single men (54 percent) than women (46 percent). However, the proportion of widows was noticeably higher (74 percent) than the widowers (26 percent).

Majority of the households preferred single houses

Majority of the housing units were single houses (97 percent). Over 62 percent of the housing units needed no repair or if needed one, with minor repair only, and over 49 percent were built from 1996 to 2000.

Median floor area at 18 square meters

The houses in Masbate had a median floor area of 18 square meters. It implied that half of the total housing units had a floor area of below 18 square meters. About 29 percent of the housing units had a floor area of 10 to 19 square meters; 27 percent, less than 10 square meters; and 18 percent, 20 to 29 square meters. Over three percent of the total housing units reported to have floor area of at least 120 square meters.

Majority of the houses made of native materials

Most housing units in Masbate used native materials for their houses. Over 68 percent used either of cogon, nipa or anahaw for their roof, while about 23 percent used galvanized iron. As to construction materials of the outer walls, 50 percent used either bamboo, sawali, cogon, nipa or anahaw and over 22 percent used wood.

MASBATE

Masbate is one of two island provinces in the Bicol region. It is bounded on the north by the Burias Pass and Ticao Pass, on the east by Samar Sea, on the west by the Sibuyan Sea, on the south by the Visayan Sea.

The province consists of three major islands (Masbate, Ticao and Burias) and 14 small islands. Masbate Island partially encloses Asid Gulf which slopes into the Visayan Sea, giving it a shape of an arrowhead.

Ticao Island lies in the center of the Philippine Fault but Masbate and Burias are safely out of it. The entire province, however, is in the direct path of typhoons. Mainland Masbate has a short dry season while Ticao and Burias have no dry season at all.

The Americans organized Masbate as a province in 1901, but made it a sub-province of Sorsogon in 1905. Finally, on December 15, 1920 the Philippine Legislature, through Act No. 2934, made Masbate an independent province.

Source: CM LANCION, JR., Fast Facts About Philippine
Provinces, Tahanan Books Manila

(Sgd.) CARMELITA N. ERICTA
Administrator

 

Table 1. Population Distribution of Top Five Municipalities: Masbate, 2000

MunicipalitiesTotal PopulationPercent
MASBATE707,668100.00
     Masbate (Capital)71,44110.10
     Aroroy58,7518.30
     Cawayan52,2567.38
     Cataingan46,5936.58
     Milagros44,5756.30

Source: NSO, 2000 Census of Population and Housing

Table 2. Total Population by Age Group, Sex and Sex Ratio: Masbate, 2000

Age GroupTotal PopulationMaleFemaleSex Ratio
MASBATE707,668361,695345,973104.5
     Under 5110,29056,51953,771105.1
     5-9108,23955,23453,005104.2
     10-1493,17647,56445,612104.3
     15-1968,19535,75232,443110.2
     20-2451,54826,31925,229104.3
     25-2945,79523,87821,917108.9
     30-3442,96121,94821,013104.4
     35-3938,66720,19118,476109.3
     40-4434,57518,06616,509109.4
     45-4927,29614,09313,203106.7
     50-5421,81310,93010,883100.4
     55-5919,4369,4669,97094.9
     60-6417,4158,3659,05092.4
     65-6911,6905,6766,01494.4
     70-748,0733,8244,24990.0
     75-794,6012,2192,38293.2
     80 and over3,8981,6512,24773.5

Source: NSO, 2000 Census of Population and Housing

Table 3. Household Population 5 Years Old and Over by Highest Educational Attainment and Sex: Masbate, 2000

Highest Educational AttainmentHousehold Population
5 Years Old & Over
MaleFemale
MASBATE596,773304,702292,071
     No Grade Completed44,95123,56221,389
     Pre-school14,1287,2186,910
     Elementary356,804187,052169,752
     High School110,22053,24656,974
     Post Secondary8,5934,1694,424
     College Undergraduate27,78613,71814,068
     Academic Degree Holder13,5145,4788,036
     Post Baccalaureate1,9848241,160
     Not Stated18,7939,4359,358

Source: NSO, 2000 Census of Population and Housing

Table 4. Household Population by Ethnicity and Sex: Masbate, 2000

EthnicityBoth SexesMaleFemale
MASBATE707,055361,218345,837
     Mabateño/Masbatenon455,451232,528222,923
     Cebuano190,01097,09492,916
     Hiligaynon/Ilonggo31,62416,26215,362
     Bikol/Bicol14,3427,4966,846
     Bisaya/Binisaya3,3941,6791,715
     Others7,9103,9363,974
     Not Reported4,3242,2232,101

Source: NSO, 2000 Census of Population and Housing

Table 5. Total Population 10 Years Old and Over by Age Group and Marital Status: Masbate, 2000

Age GroupTotal Population
10 Yrs & Over
SingleMarriedWidowedDivorcedOthersUnknown
MASBATE488,537195,504230,83220,9963,21132,5865,408
     Below 20161,297148,0986,0054221512,9973,624
     20 to 2451,41926,51018,2082142365,569682
     25 to 2945,71310,04529,3893203295,302328
     30 to 3442,8714,31833,0514864314,399186
     35 to 3938,6102,24331,4607284433,613123
     40 to 4434,5191,40528,5721,1263992,913104
     45 to 4927,25989522,4601,3203632,17051
     50 to 5421,79163917,4841,7352751,58870
     55 to 5919,41439215,0532,3322121,38045
     60 to 6417,40033512,6323,0991641,11852
     65 to 6911,6842427,9482,69110266734
     70 to 748,0711944,7362,5365151044
     75 to 794,594892,3991,8493219332
     80 and over3,895991,4352,1382316733

Source: NSO, 2000 Census of Population and Housing

Table 6. Occupied Housing Units by Construction Materials of Outer Walls and Roof: Masbate, 2000

CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS OF THE
OUTER WALLS
Total
Occupied
Housing
Units
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS OF THE ROOF
Galvanized
Iron/
Aluminum
Tile/
Concrete/
Clay Tile
Half
Galvanized,
Iron/Half
Concrete
WoodCogon/
Nipa/
Anahaw
Makeshift/
Salvaged/
Improvised
Materials
Asbestos/
Others
Not Reported
MASBATE137,65931,4686642,3221,61694,0542,2575,278
     Concrete/Brick/Stone15,80312,655396296342,3411368
     Wood30,8189,2247440997919,645156331
     Half Concrete/Brick Stone and Half Wood11,8415,983561,092844,5223173
     Galvanized Iron/Aluminum471185105214198-12
     Bamboo/Sawali/Cogon/ Nipa68,8452,621-41543964,264381725
     Asbestos1748063104--17
     Glass104461941--34
     Makeshift/Salvaged/ Improvised Materials3,129140-15111,2871,62947
     Others/Not Reported6,3234594029451,758353,957
     No Walls151756-5391214

Source: NSO, 2000 Census of Population and Housing

 

TECHNICAL NOTES

Average Household Size - average number of people who live in the household

Growth Rate - the rate at which the population is increasing (or decreasing) in a given year due to natural increase and net migration, expressed as a percentage of the base population

Median Age - the age at which exactly half of the population is young and half is old

Sex Ratio - the ratio of males to females in a given population expressed as the number of males per 100 females

Age-Dependency Ratio - the ratio of persons in the "dependent" ages (under 15 years and over 64 years) to those in the "economically productive" ages (15 to 64 years old) in the population

Household - a social unit consisting of a person or a group of persons who sleep in the same housing unit and have common arrangements in the preparation and consumption of food

The 2000 Census of Population and Housing (Census 2000) was undertaken by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in May 2000, as mandated by Commonwealth Act No.591, Batas Pambansa Blg. 72 and Executive Order No 121. It was the 11th census of population and 5th census of housing undertaken in this country since the first census in 1903. It was designed to take an inventory of the total population and housing units all over the Philippines and to collect information about their characteristics. Census day for the Census 2000 was May 1, 2000 (12:01 a.m.). Enumeration started on May 1, 2000 and lasted for about 30 days.

 

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