PSA-12: SOCCSKSARGEN 2015 population is 4.5 million

KORONADAL CITY – The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in
Region 12 has released the 2015 census of population for the SOCCSKSARGEN
region.

Lawyer Maqtahar Manulon, PSA-12 regional director, said the
region’s population as of August 2015 is 4,545,276, higher by 435,705 as compared
with the population of 4.11 million in 2010, and by 1,323,107 compared with the
population of 3.22 million in 2000.

Manulon said the annual growth rate of Region 12 during the
2010-2015 period was 1.94 percent.

During the data dissemination of population count of the 2015
Census of Population (POPCEN 2015) here, Manulon said among the four provinces
of Region 12, North Cotabato had the biggest population of 1,379,747,
constituting 30.3 percent of the region’s population.

It was followed by South Cotabato (excluding Gen. Santos City)
with 915,289, Sultan Kudarat (812,095) and Saranggani (544,261).

Manulon said Gen. Santos City, the only highly urbanized city in
the region, had a population of 594,446 while Cotabato City had 299,438.

He also said North Cotabato was the fastest growing province with
an average annual population growth rate (PGR) of 2.27 percent from 2010-2015
followed by South Cotabato with 1.94 percent, Saranggani with 1.67 and the
slowest growing province was Sultan Kudarat (1.6 percent).

Manulon explained that in migration and out
migration were a major factors in the population increase aside from natural
factor like birth.

One of the factors that made the province fastest
growing in terms of population in the last five years was armed conflict that
sends people to safer places. North
Cotabato is beside Maguindanao, one of the conflict affected provinces in the
autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

By population density (persons per square
kilometre), Cotabato City has the highest with an average of 1,701 person per
square kilometre followed by Gen. Santos City with 1,206.

Of the four provinces in the region, South Cotabato has
the highest population density of 221 persons per square kilometre while
Sarangani province has the least population density of 139.

Manulon also announced that South Cotabato’s first
legislative district and Maguindanao’s 1st district were included in
the Top 10 legislative districts in the country in terms of population in the
2015 census.

In the 5th spot was South Cotabato’s 1st
district, composed of the towns of Tupi, Tampakan, Polomolok and the city of
Gen. Santos, whichhas 856,536 while Maguindanao’s 1st district (6th
spot), composed of the city of Cotabato and the towns of Datu Odin Sinsuat,
Upi, Parang, Buldon, Barira, Sultan Mastura, Sultan Kudarat and Datu Blah
Sinsuat and Northern Kabuntalan has 821,475.

The population count by legislative district in
Region 12 is as followsand For North Cotabato’s 1st district
(525,690), 2nd district (394,534) and 3rd district
(459,703) for Sarangani’s lone district (544,261) South Cotabato’s 1st
district including Gen. Santos City (856,536), 2nd district
(653,199) Sultan Kudarat 1st district (403,706) and 2nd district
(408,389).

Manulon said Midsayap in North Cotabato was the most
densely populated municipality in the region at 532 persons per square
kilometre. It is the only municipality
in Region 12, according to Manulon, that has a population density of 500
persons per square kilometers as of August 2015 census of population.

On the other hand, the sparsely populated
municipality was Columbio in Sultan Kudarat with only 36 persons per square
kilometer.

The most populous city is Cotabato City (299,438),
followed by Koronadal (174,942), Kidapawan (140,195) and Tacurong
(98,316). Pikit in North Cotabato was the
most populous municipality with 154,441 followed by Polomolok (152,589), Glan
in Sarangani (118,263) and Malungon, also in Sarangani (103,604).

Region 12 is composed of one highly urbanized city,
four component cities, 45 municipalities and 1,195 barangays.

Manulon explained that his office is still working
on other important statistics like how many were women, men, among others. We prioritize the statistics on population,
we are working on other details and will be made public very soon,” he said.