MANILA, Philippines --- The National Statistics Office (NSO) has reported that the total population of the Philippines as of May 1, 2010 is 92,337,852, citing the 2010 Census of Population and Housing.
The census was made official with the signing by President Benigno S. Aquino III of Proclamation No. 362 on March 30, 2012.
"The 2010 population is higher by 15.83 million compared to the 2000 population of 76.51 million. In 1990, the total population was 60.70 million," said NSO Administrator Carmelita N. Ericta.
On an annual average during 2000 to 2010, the country's population increased at the rate of 1.9 percent, which meant that two persons were added per year for every 100 persons in the population.
Among all the country's regions, Calabarzon (Region IV-A) receives the biggest chunk of the population with 12.61 million, followed by the National Capital Region (NCR) with 11.86 million and Central Luzon (Region III) with 10.14 million. The population of these three regions together comprised more than one-third (37.47 percent) of the Philippine population.
Meanwhile, among the provinces, Cavite has the largest population with 3.09 million. Bulacan is second with 2.92 million and Pangasinan, third with 2.78 million.
Six other provinces surpassed the two million mark. These include Laguna with 2.67 million; Cebu, excluding its three highly urbanized cities Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City with 2.62 million; Rizal with 2.48 million; Negros Occidental, excluding Bacolod City, with 2.40 million; Batangas with 2.38 million; and Pampanga, excluding Angeles City, with 2.01 million.
The provinces with a population of less than 100,000 persons are Batanes with 16,604, Camiguin with 83,807, and Siquijor with 91,066.
Further, four of 33 highly urbanized cities (HUC) have surpassed the one million mark. These are Quezon City with 2.76 million, City of Manila with 1.65 million, Caloocan City with 1.49 million, and Davao City with 1.45 million.
"The 2010 Census of Population and Housing (2010 CPH) was undertaken by the National Statistics Office in May-June 2010 pursuant to Batas Pambansa Blg. 72 and Commonwealth Act 591," explained Ericta. "About 82,000 field workers, majority of who were DepEd public school teachers, were deployed during the nationwide census taking in 2010. The 2010 CPH was designed to take an inventory of the population and housing units in the Philippines nationwide and to collect information about their characteristics. Information on the count of the population and living quarters were collected with 12:01 a.m. of May 1, 2010 as the census reference time and date."
The NSO attributes the successful completion of census-taking to the support of the local and national officials, government agencies, local government units, media, private agencies, and non-government organizations
