ILOILO City – The population of Western Visayas increased by 1.14 percent annually from the 2015 to 2020, according to the Commission on Population (PopCom), citing Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.
According to PopCom regional director Harold Alfred Marshall, this was slightly lower than the rate at which the region’s population grew from 2010 to 2015 – 1.13 percent.
“Is it good or bad? If you have the resources to cope with an ever increasing population, no problem,” he commented.
Marshall further reported that even though Region 6 is not among the fastest growing regions in the country, it is one of the five most populous regions, with its population accounting for about 7.30 percent of the Philippine population in 2020.
“Sang una Top 4 kita but Central Visayas (Region 7) overtook us,” he noted.
Also in 2020, Guimaras had the smallest population among the six provinces but is the fastest growing province in the regoon, with an annual population growth rate (PGR) of 1.55 percent from 2015-2020.
Marshall said migrants and births are just among the factors of fastest PGR of the province-island.
Two of the region’s provinces, Negros occidental (with 2,623,172 population) and Iloilo province (2,051,899 population) are the most populous in Region 6, surpassing the two million population mark
Although Negros and Iloilo are the most populous, they have slow PGR at 1.04 percent and 1.23 percent respectively.
Other provinces and highly urbanized cities in the region and their respective population and PGR are Aklan 615, 475 (1.45 PGR), Antique 612, 974 (1.1 PGR), Capiz 804, 952 (1.18 PGR), Bacolod City 600, 783 (1.42 PGR), and Iloilo City 457, 626 (1.45 PGR).
Citing a study (Herrin and Costello, 1996), Marshall said the possible sources of population are unwanted fertility, wanted fertility and population momentum.
He also implied that the fast-paced population growth can present challenges as it can be major stumbling-stone in efforts to reduce poverty or improve quality of life.
He added that areas that are fast-growing in terms of population size must prepare for its boons and banes of population growth, such as efficient utilization of resources./PN
