MIMAROPA’s agricultural population breaches 900 thousand individuals

The 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) collected data on Sustainable Development Goals 5a.1 to determine the proportion of agricultural population with legally recognized documents of ownership of agricultural land or the right to sell it or the right to bequeath it over the total agricultural population.

The 2022 CAF recorded 904,168 individuals aged 18 and above who were members of households with at least one agricultural operator from 01 January to 31 December 2022 referred to as agricultural population. Out of the total agricultural population, about 465.1 thousand or 51.4 percent were males, while nearly 439.1 thousand or 48.5 percent were females. (Table A)
 

Nearly one in every five of the agricultural population owns or secures rights over their agricultural land

Of the total agricultural population, individuals who reported owning or having secure rights over their agricultural land accounted for 19.3 percent or 174.9 thousand individuals. Of this, approximately 120.7 thousand or 69.0 percent, are males, while 54.2 thousand or 31.0 percent are female. (Table A)

Among the five provinces and highly urbanized city of the MIMAROPA Region, Oriental Mindoro stood out with the highest proportion of its agricultural population 18 years old and over (21.8%) who holds ownership or secure rights over agricultural land. Palawan excluding the City of Puerto Princesa (21.4%), and Occidental Mindoro (20.2%) are also notable for exceeding the regional average proportion of their agricultural population with secure rights over agricultural land. On the other hand, the City of Puerto Princesa (11.0%) had the lowest proportion of agricultural population with secure land rights, followed by Marinduque (12.7%). (Figure 2 and Table A)

Among male agricultural population, 120.7 thousand (26.0%) hold secure rights over agricultural land. Meanwhile, nearly 54.2 thousand (12.3%) of the female agricultural population have ownership or secure rights. This highlights a significant gender disparity, with women being 13.6 percentage points less likely than men to own or have secure rights to agricultural land. (Figure 3 and Table A)

Further, males significantly outnumber females across all provinces and highly urbanized city in the MIMAROPA Region. Among females, Palawan excluding the City of Puerto Princesa recorded the highest proportion of agricultural landowners and right bearers (13.6%), followed by Oriental Mindoro at 13.4 percent and Romblon at 12.9 percent. These provinces exhibit comparatively stronger representation of women in agricultural land ownership than other provinces in the MIMAROPA Region. Meanwhile, the City of Puerto Princesa (4.7%) and Marinduque (8.9%) had the lowest proportions of agricultural land ownership among the female agricultural population. (Figure 3 and Table A)

One in every three members of the agricultural population with full ownership of agricultural land were female

During the same reference period, approximately 73.9 thousand members of the agricultural population aged 18 and over reported full ownership of their agricultural land, meaning they held a formal title of ownership. Of these, nearly 49.4 thousand (66.8%) were males, while almost 24.5 thousand (33.2%) were females. Romblon led in female full ownership of agricultural land, with 42.8 percent, followed by Marinduque with 37.0 percent. Furthermore, the City of Puerto Princesa reported that at least 22.7 percent of individuals in the city had full ownership of agricultural land were females. (Figure 4 and Table B)

More than three in every ten individuals with owner-like possession over agricultural land were female

On the other hand, about 71.8 thousand individuals had owner-like possession over agricultural land, comprising 49.4 thousand (68.8%) males and 22.4 thousand (31.2%) females. Thus, the share of women among owners and holders of secure rights stood at less than one-third for both fully owned agricultural lands and those under owner-like possession. Romblon also topped female owner-like possession over agricultural land at 42.1 percent and was followed by Marinduque with 37.0 percent. The highly urbanized City of Puerto Princesa reported 14.4 percent share of women among agricultural population aged 18 years old and over with secure rights over their lands in owner-like possession. (Figure 5 and Table B)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5.a undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.

SDG 5.a.1 are those agricultural population with legally recognized documents of ownership of agricultural land or the right to sell it or the right to bequeath it over the total agricultural population.

Indicator 5.a.1
a. Percentage of people with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land (out of total agricultural population), by sex
b. Share of women among others or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure

 
The results are based on the 2022 CAF conducted among members of the agricultural households that operated agricultural activities from 01 January to 31 December 2022. Household interviews for the 2022 CAF were conducted from September to November 2023.

(SGD) LENI R. RIOFLORIDO
Regional Director

MLLM / RRL