TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Aug. 13 (PIA) -- Two towns in Bohol recorded a drop in their population over the last two decades, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Census on Population and Housing in 2020 (CPH 2020).

During the public presentation of the CPH 2020 results recently, PSA showed that Loon town registered a decrease of at least 1,000 in 2020 compared to its population in 2000.

The same is true with Candijay town, which logged a drop of 270 in its population over the last two decades.

Both Bohol towns recorded negative population growth rates (PGR) in 2000 to 2010.

While posting a positive growth rate in 2020, these are still insubstantial enough to surpass the two-decades old population count.

While already enjoying a negative .55% PGR in 2000, Loon logged a .33% population growth rate increase in 2020, but the rate is not enough to surpass the 45,215 population in 2000 as against its present count of 44,224, data from the PSA showed.

On the other hand, Candijay which recorded a negative .45% growth rate of population in 2000, moved up to .36% PGR in the 2020 CPH.

For its May 1, 2000 population of 30,389, Candijay managed to move its population higher from the negative growth rate in 2000 to 30,119. 

Meanwhile, Bohol which recorded a population of 1,139,130 at 1.77% during the May 1, 2000 census, logged an increase of 1.74%.

The decrease in PGR, however, negligibly registered the difference when the May 1, 2020 census population for Bohol increased by 255,199 to nearly straddle over the 1.4 million population mark.  

Tagbilaran City, despite a 2.22 PGR in 2000, posted a 0.81% PGR in 2020.  

Tagbilaran City now has a population of 104,976, after an increase of 27,276 residents was recorded in the CPH 2020.

This, according to the PSA, is a 0.81% increase from its 77,700 count in 2000.

Ubay town, which posted a consistent PGR increase from 1.37% in 2000 to 1.78 in 2020, now has a population count of 81,799 and sits as the second most populous town in the province after Tagbilaran City. 

Talibon is Bohol’s 3rd most populous town with a population count of 71,272, from the 2000 CPH data which was only at 54,147.

This year, there are 17,125 more residents in this port town in northern Bohol.

Dauis, the 4th most populous town, now has a population count of 52,492, despite a largely decreased population increase rate from 4.09% in 2000 with 26,415 to 2.90% PGR in 2020.

The town in the heart of Bohol, Carmen, now has 49,191 population count.

In 2000, the town recorded a 40,713 population count, making it the 5th most populous town in Bohol. 

Inabanga town is the 6th most populous town with 48,534 population count in 2020.

This used to be 40,714, or some 7,820 more after 20 years.    

From 40,385, Tubigon town makes it to the 7th spot now with 47,886 population count, registering a PGR of .64% in 2020.

Loon ranks 8th place still, while Bohol’s main resort town Panglao is 9th with 39,834 population count at the highest population growth rate in 2020 with 3.37%.

On the 10th place is Jagna which now has a population of 35, 832, from 30,643 in 2000.   (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)