Bataan population up to 760,650

BALANGA CITY — The province’s population rose to 760,650 as of August 2015, translating to about two percent increase annually as Bataan economy surges with growths in education and agriculture.

This is higher than the 2010 population of 687,482 and in year 2000 with 557,659, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Of the province’s 12 city/municipalities, Mariveles has the biggest population with 127,536; followed by Dinalupihan with 106,371; and Balanga with 96,061.

“The combined population of these city/municipalities accounted for about 43.4 percent of the population of Bataan in 2015,” PSA stated in its Highlights of the Population based on 2015 Census of Population.

Bagac is the smallest municipality in terms of population size with 28,936 persons.

This is followed by Morong with a population of 29,901 and Samal with 35,298.

Population sizes of other towns are Limay (68,071); Orani (66,909); Hermosa (65,862); Orion (56,002); Pilar (41,823); and Abucay (39,880).

The census also disclosed the population of the province’s 237 barangays.

Lamao in Limay, which hosts Petron Bataan Refinery that is the country’s largest oil refinery, is most populous with 19,329 persons.

This is followed by Alas-Asin with 15,047 people, and Camaya with 14,869, both barangays from Mariveles which hosts the Freeport Area of Bataan, the emerging hub of manufacturing industry in the country.

Bataan’s population increase comes along with the province’s growth in education and agriculture.

PSA reported that palay and corn, Bataan’s top two agricultural crops, saw increases in production with 140,067 metric tons (MT) and 10,753 MT harvested, respectively in 2013.

This is compared to the palay and corn production in 2012 with 134,960 MT and 7,230 MT generated, respectively.

The report also disclosed that 59,132 Bataeños were academic degree holders in 2010 compared to 25,402 in 2007. (PIA 3)