Camiguin Island: Facts & Figures

Camiguin Island has the smallest population in Region X; and in the Philippines, it is second to the smallest. Its population was 68,039 in 1995 according to the National Statistics Office which is 5% more than that of 1990.

The municipality of Mambajao had the largest population reaching 27,770 persons in 1995 which is 40.8% of the island’s total population. The municipality of Catarman followed with a population of 14,756 (21.7%), Mahinog with 11,351(16.7%), Sagay with 9,243(13.6%), and Guinsiliban with 4,919 persons only (7.2%).

photo by benny_yap

Although Guinsiliban has the smallest population among the municipalities, it has the highest population growth rate of 2.37% from 1990 to 1995. Mambajao has 1.83% growth while Sagay has a negative growth rate of 0.50% during the same period. The rate of growth of Camiguin's population slowed down from an annual average of 1.18% (1980-1990) to 1.08% from 1990 to 1995.

In Camiguin Island, there are more males than females. The sex ratio (number of males per 100 females) increased from 102.4 in 1980 to 105.4 in 1990. By 1995, the ratio only slightly decreased by 105. Population is relatively young, with almost 39% below 15 years of age in 1995, or nearly two-thirds under the age of 30.

photo by benny_yap

Among those under 30 years old, males outnumber the females with a sex ratio of 109, a figure which is higher than the provincial ratio of 105 for the whole population in 1995. At the other end of the age scale, the number of aged females, 70 years old and above, outnumbered their male counterparts with a sex ratio (number of females per 100 males) of 125 in 1995. This indicates that the women of Camiguin Island have a higher life expectancy than the men folk.

Population Density

Coastal villages have denser populations while those in the upland areas, such as the upland villages of Balite and Cuna in Sagay are sparsely populated with only 50 and 81 inhabitants per square kilometer, respectively. The population density for each municipality is as follows: Mahinog (348), Mambajao (312), Catarman (275), Sagay (209), and Guinsiliban (205).

photo by benny_yap

The coastal village of Benoni in Mahinog, which is the main sea port of the island, has a population density of 1,415 inhabitants per sq. kilometer. Looc in Catarman and Balite in Guinsiliban, which are also coastal villages, have 1,109 and 1,062 inhabitants per square kilometer, respectively.

Climate

The mean annual temperature of Camiguin Island is 23.64 degrees Centigrade with the lowest temperature averaging around 23.41 degrees Centigrade between the month s of April and August. The rainy season occurs between the months of November and February and these are the coldest months in the island. With the dry season usually starting in April and lasts for two to three months, relative humidity averages near 76.77% all year round.

photo by benny_yap

The north-eastern part of Camiguin Island receives an average of 2,300mm of rainfall because of the northeast monsoons while that of the western part receiving a slightly lower rainfall of 2,000 mm. The island is always visited by typhoons from the southeast, creating high winds and rain occurrences between the months of October and February.

Source: hawaiianwebmaster.com/province.html

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