Bugasong, Antique Demography:
1.1 Historical Growth of Population
In the first Censal year of 1903, Bugasong has a population of 11,102. Fifteen years later, the population decreases by 0.11 percent. Thereafter from 1939 to 1995, the population of the municipality increased at varying rates. It has an erratic trend of growth rates. The highest population growth rate was in 1980 where it recorded 3.7 percent.
1.2 Population Distribution
The municipality of Bugasong is composed of 27 barangays. Four of them are classified, as urban barangays while 23 are rural. As of 1995 Census of Population, the Municipality has a total population of 26,721 distributed in 5,246 households. This gives an average household size of 5 members per household.
Furthermore, the household population of Bugasong has a difference of 25 to the total population. This implies that there are 25 persons who are not members of a household and are residing in an institutional living quarters like lodging houses, convents, construction and public work camps. In the case of Ilaya and Pojo these persons refer to the nuns and priests who are living in the church and inside the St. Joseph Academy campus.
For urban and rural population distribution, only 24.63 percent of the population are living in the urban areas while the majority which shares 75.37 percent to the total municipal population are residing in the rural barangays.
1.3 Population Density
Bugasong occupies a total land area of 20,370 hectares. This constitutes 8.08 percent of the total provincial area that is 252,200 square kilometers.
Population density by barangay shows that Ilauod, an urban barangay is the most densely populated with 12.70 persons/sq, km. This is followed by a rural barangay that is Paliwan with ll.07-persons/sq, km. These barangays occupy smaller area but more people are living in the said places. The availability of opportunities and infrastructure support facilities are sometimes the push factor that attracts people to stay in a certain place.
On the other hand, Igsoro that is the farthest barangay of Bugasong is the least dense. According to reliable sources, one has to walk five hours in order to reach the barangay.
Bugasong Coastline taken from Sabang East Mountains
1.4 Age Group Composition
Females outnumbered males in Bugasong. Basing from the 1995 data, the female comprised 50.15 percent while males represent 49.85 percent of the total municipal population. This means that for every 100 females born there are 100 males born. As to age group, both males and females are experiencing the same trend wherein there are cases wherein males are plural than females in one specific age group and vice versa.
1.5 Dependency Ratio
The ages that constitutes the dependents are 0-14 as young dependents and 65 and over as old dependents.
Bugasong has a total of 26,696 household populations in 1995. Out of this figure 10,223 or 38.29 percent constitutes the young dependents while 6.17 percent are old dependents. In totality, the dependents comprised 11,869 or 44.46 percent. On the other hand, the working or productive age group comprised of population with age group 15-65. Bugasong has a total of 14,827 productive persons, which shares 55.54 percent of the total household population. Computing for the dependency ratio is 80 percent, which means that for every 100 persons of working age, 80 persons are depending on them.
1.6 Migration and Its Measures
The migration pattern data involves household population 5 years old and over. As of 1995, the municipality has a total of 21,087 persons belonging to this age group.
Among them, a great number of these persons (96.08%) have been residing in the municipality for almost five more than five years while 3.92 percent are migrants. The 2.22 percent or 469 of these migrants came from other provinces and 1.38 percent is from other municipalities within the province. There are also 14 persons who are from other countries and · presently residing in Bugasong. On the other hand, 52 persons in Bugasong are of unknown residence five years ago. Common among migrants are females that represent 51.25 percent.
1.7 Marital Status
Information on marital status will cover household population 10 years old and over. As of 1995, Bugasong has 19,748 household populations belonging to this age bracket.
There are household populations between 10-14 years old whose marital status are legally married, widowed and engaged into a live-in relationship. Generally, almost 48 percent of the household population is single followed by married, which represents 42.41 percent while 6.31 percent are widowed. The rest are separated, live-in and unknown marital status.
Among the age group, a higher percentage of married are in the age bracket 40-44 years old, which constitute 83 percent of the total household population 10 years old and over while almost of 15-19 years old household population are single. On the other hand, household population that belongs to the age bracket 80 years old and over, more than 50 percent (57.88%) of them are widowed. Further separation among couples usually exists at age group 30-34 years old and live-in relationship are common among household population belonging to 25-29 years old.
The proportion of married and single are higher among males (51.32% and 43.80%) than among females. In contrast, the widowed, separated, live-in and unknown relationship are higher among females.
1.8. Mother Tongue
There are 13 dialects spoken in the municipality. Harntikanon (96.89%) is the most widely spoken by the population. This followed by Hiligaynon (1.72%) and Tagalog (0.41%). In the provincial data, these also comprise the three most often reported mother tongues.
1.9 Religious Affiliation
The municipality has 15 religious affiliations. However, most of the household population is Roman Catholics followed by Aglipay. Likewise, there are two Bugasongnons who are affiliated to Islam and other Evangelical churches.
Inside the Bugasong Catholic Church with Father Laude
1.10 Literacy Rate
The National Statistics Office (NSO) defined literacy as the ability of the person to read and write simple message in any language or dialect. Oppositely, a person who cannot read and write simple message is illiterate.
It shows that 86.11 percent of the household population is literates while only 13.89 percent are illiterates. More of these literates and illiterates are residing in rural areas. However, in terms of percentage distribution of the total household population by type, almost 93 percent of the total household population in urban areas are literates while rural residents has only 83.62 percent literates.
On the other hand, age group 15-19 has the largest percentage of literates with 94.03 percent. Low literacy rate is common in age group 80 years old and over (61.28%).
1.11. Highest Educational Attainment
The highest educational attainment applies to household population 5 years and over.
The data shows that 9.73 of the household population have not completed any grade in school. The 43.70 percent or 989 of them have ages ranging from 20 years old and over. It is assumed that part of this group comprised the illiterates of the municipality.
Generally a large number of this household population in Bugasong (48.68%) have undergone or finished elementary education. Only 23.36 percent reached high school while 13.07 percent graduated or undergone college. Further it was reported that there are 219 Bugasongnons who have attained post baccalaureate degree. Of which, most of them belong to age group 35 years and over.
1.12 Labor Force
Labor force represents the population 15 years old and over who are either employed or unemployed. Employed persons refer to persons who work for pay in any government or private enterprises or those who work for profit with or without pay on the farm or business operated by a member of the same household related by blood marriage or adoption regardless of the number of hours devoted for work. Unemployed persons include all those who are reported wanting and looking for work on a full time basis. The difference among the household population fifteen (15) years old and over and those in the labor force (employed, unemployed) will be those not in the labor force.
As of 1990 Census of Population, Bugasong has a total of 14,467 household population 15 years and over. This represents 58.98 percent of the total municipal household population. The 49.07 percent of them are in the labor force while 50.93 percent
are not. Among those in the labor force, almost 91 percent of them are employed and only 9 percent are unemployed. On the other hand, comparative employment analysis shows that more males are employed. In contrast, females have the most number of unemployed.
2.0 Population Projection
Population Projection/ estimates are required for the analysis of various trends to measure shifts in population and for determining the allocation of public funds or political representatives in government. They are needed for estimating future needs of various factors such as education or manpower under various alternative future conditions and determining the level of demand for future facilities and serves as indices of most urban and local problems. There are basically three methods in projecting the future level of population, the mathematical method, economic method and component or cohort-survival method.
2.1 Yearly Municipal Population Projection
In computing the projected municipal population, the geometric rate formula was adopted.
Using the 1990 and 1995 data, the average growth rate of Bugasong is 1.9 percent. It is presumed that from 1996-2010, the population of the municipality will be increasing at the same rate.
Hence, by 2010 the population will be 34,510, an increase of 4,910 from the 2001 that is 29,600.
2.2 Yearly Population Projection by Barangay
Population projection by barangay was computed using the percentage share or participation rate of each barangay to the municipality's total projection. The 1995 population data was used as the base year.
The result of the projection shows that Centro Pojo is the most populated area contributing a percentage share of 7.39 percent followed by Centro Ilaya with 6.95 percent. Zaragoza ranked third and fourth is Bagtason.
2.3 Population Projection
by Age Group
Age group projection adopted the same method in projecting barangay population with participation rate as its bases. A higher percentage of population in Bugasong belonged to age bracket 5-9 followed by age group 10-14 and 15-19 years old.
However in totality, age group 15-49 years old that comprised the MACRA (Marital Couple on Reproductive Age) constitutes the most number of population (45.82 %). The young population that belonged to age bracket below 14 years old represents 38.20 percent while 15.92 percent are population whose age ranges from 50 years old and over, the same trend will be observed for the next ten years, from 2001-2010.
2.4 Projected Labor Force
Using the 1990 and 1995 data, the household population of Bugasong has an annual growth rate of 1.70 percent. This growth rate will be used in projecting the 10 years total household population and the 15 years old and over of the municipality. The result of the computation shows that from 1999 to 2005, the 15 years old and over will comprise 57 percent of the total household population. Of which 49 percent of them constitute are not in the labor force.
Out of the total labor force population, a great number of them are employed (91%) while only 9 percent are unemployed. Through the years from 2001-2010, participation rate of employed and unemployed of the labor force population will follow the same trend.
The Atis of the modern Bugasong