CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is urging residents of Oriental Mindoro to participate in its provincewide 2024 Population Census and Community-Based Monitoring System (POPCEN-CBMS).

According to PSA OIC Chief Administrative Officer Charlyn R. Cantos, the census began on July 15, 2024, with 678 enumerators covering 14 towns and one city in the province. The PSA aims to gather data from 221,643 households, with 54,990 households already covered as of Aug. 12, 2024.

The census will run until Sept. 15, 2024.

Meanwhile, the PSA is also continuing its campaign for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registration, which aims to provide a valid proof of identity for Filipino citizens and resident aliens.

The program seeks to establish a robust identification system for all individuals in the Philippines.

As of Aug. 9, 2024, the province has achieved 83.65% completion of the step 2 registration process, covering individuals aged 1 and above. Children below 5 years old must be accompanied by their parents and present a birth certificate with the parents’ complete names.

The PSA has also set up Philippine Registration Centers in various towns, including Puerto Galera, Baco, Naujan, Calapan City, and Pola in the first district, and Pinamalayan, Gloria, Roxas, Mansalay, and Bulalacao in the second district.

2020 CENSUS
According to the 2020 census, Oriental Mindoro now has a total population of 908,339 people.

The province, which is part of the MIMAROPA region in Luzon, has seen its population grow steadily over the years.

In 2015, the population stood at 844,059, indicating a positive growth rate of 1.56% or an increase of 64,280 people in the past five years.

Oriental Mindoro is divided into 14 municipalities and 1 city, with a total of 426 barangays.

The most populous municipality is Naujan with 109,587 residents, followed by Pinamalayan with 90,383 and Bongabong with 76,973. The city of Calapan, which is the provincial capital, has a population of 145,786.

The province covers an area of 4,238.38 square kilometers, resulting in a population density of 214 inhabitants per square kilometer.

The age group with the highest population is 5 to 9 years old, with 99,870 individuals, while the group with the lowest population is 80 and over, with 6,608 residents.