SOCIO ECONOMIC PROFILE

NATURAL RESOURCES

The City of Cotabato is a marked landscapes of flat, level, very gently sloping to rolling lands. It is basically a delta formed by two big rivers, the Tamontaka River and Rio Grande de Mindanao. Of its total land area of 17,599 hectares, 70% is considered below sea level. The prevailing type of climate favors the cultivation of agricultural crops. The city is also crisscrossed by meandering and braided creeks and rivers like Matampay, Parang, Timako, Esteros and Miwaruy. These bodies of water serve as sources of agricultural, industrial and domestic water requirements of some rural barangays. These rivers also serve as the natural flow of the city’s wastes. As the major urban center and premier city of Region 12 and ARMM, the city has vast developable lands to contain future urban land use expansion areas.

FEATURES

DEMOGRAPHICS CHARACTERISTICS

Population Enumerated in Various Censuses
The first census count of Cotabato City taken in March 21, 1903 registered a population of 1,103 which was a mere 0.75% of the 146,779 population as counted in September 1995. Between 1980 and 1990, population increase was computed at 43,194 persons.

Source : NSO XII

In 1990, population rose to a significant 127,065 and in 1995 per official record of the National Statistics Office (NSO Region XII), population was pegged at 146,799 with five years time interval from the last national census conducted. This number of people is expected to reach 169,552 by year 2000 following a low assumption growth rate of 1.02 percent.

As an independent component city, Cotabato City’s population of 146,779 ranks 3rd in the regional hierarchy and first in Maguindanao province representing 22.17% of the province’s total population.

Population Projection
Cotabato City’s population is projected to reach 174,514 in 2001, 184,878 by 2003 and to hit 213,561 in the year 2008. This would mean an increase of 15,326 persons within the span of five (5) years is expected and 44,009 persons in the next ten years.

Of the 37 barangays, barangay Rosary Heights 10 has the most number at 10,363 people making up 7.06% of the city’s total population. Barangay Tamontaka 1 has the least population at 1,021 or 0.70% of the 146,779 city population. By year 2000, Barangay Rosary Heights 10 will still have the highest population and this is expected to reach 15,078 by year 2008. Conversely, Barangay Tamontaka 1 will still have the least population of 1,179 by 2000 and will slowly grow to 1,486 by 2008.

Population by Urban – Rural
In the 1995 Census of Population, out of the thirty seven (37) barangays making-up Cotabato City, 30 are considered urban while 7 possess more of rural characteristics. The 37 barangays are growing at different rates. Urban population is growing faster than rural population due to influx of migrants and settler.

Urban population was placed at 137,398 or 93.6% while rural population at 6.4% with 9,381 persons. Between 1990 and 1995, urban population grew by a slight difference of 18,797 persons while rural population at 0.3 % or 917 persons.

By year 2008, urban population is expected to reach 199,910 persons while rural population will reach 13,651.

Population Density

Cotabato City has a density of 8.34 persons per hectare given the population of 146,779 and a total land area of 17,599 hectares. Urban density is placed at 32 persons per hectare while rural density at 1.00 persons per hectare.

In 1990, population density in Cotabato City was placed at 724 persons per square kilometers having the same total land area of 176 square kilometers or 17,599 hectares. Between 1990 and 1995, there was an increased in population density of 834 persons per square kilometers. Out of the total land, only 16.78 sq. kilometers is classified as built-up area. This includes area with urban uses like commercial, industrial, institutional, parks and roads and street ways. While the remaining 139.24 square. kilometers are classified for agricultural, wet lands, grasslands, creeks and rivers.

Urban density, that is the proportion of urban dwellers over urban land is placed at 3,172 persons per square kilometers or 32 persons per hectare. However, it is projected to reach 46 persons per hectare or 4,615 persons per square kilometers in year 2008 unless more agricultural lands are converted to urban use. This proportion is much lower, but if rural migrants continues to migrate in the urban areas, it is expected that the proportion will also increase.

At present, most of the land are potentially buildable lands. However, if the process of urbanization remains unchecked, sporadic building and sprawl development will extend in almost every direction. Cotabato City as a whole is not overcrowded even assuming a gross density of 100 persons per hectare. The 6,523 hectares land area for future development is capable of accommodating conveniently 169,552 projected population by year 2000. The problem lies only on the irrational distribution of population vis-a-vis, the employment and supporting land use activities. Density per barangay in 1995 shown in table 6, reveals that Bagua 3 is the most densely populated at 5,826 persons per square kilometers while Poblacion 9, at a density of 109 persons per square kilometer is the most sparsely populated.

Population by Number of Households

Population by number of households revealed a total of 27,093, from the total population of 146,779. The average households size for Cotabato City declined from 5.6 persons in 1990 to 5.4 in 1995. This means that for every 100 households, the total number of members decreased by 20 persons. This figure is a bit higher than the average household size of Region XII of 5.2.

The number of households in 1995 registered an increase of 4,367 households over the 1990 figure which is 18.46 percent of the total population of the city. This is a bit higher over that of the 1990 placed at 17.89 percent.

Population by Sex, By Age Group

In the 1995 total population, female population outnumbered their male counterpart making up 51.20 percent against the 48.80 percent male population. Sex ratio, that is the number of males for every 100 females is 95.3 percent, while it was recorded at 94.6 percent in 1990.

The age structure of the population in Cotabato City deviated from the usual pyramid shape. It shows a protrusion at age group 15 to 19 of 18,579 persons. Children under 5 years old occupied the largest population at 13.2 percent of the total population of the city.

In the age groupings, male population within the age bracket of under 1 year old to 14 years old made up 38.94 percent or 27,889 persons which is slightly higher than the female population of 35.81 percent or 26,915 persons.

The age group of 15 to 64 years old makes up 88,995 persons or 60.63 percent over the total population. The elderly population aged 65 years old and above was pegged at 2,980 persons or 2.03 percent, while those ages under 1 to 14 years old reached as high as 54,804 persons or 37.38 percent of the total population.

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