71 dependents (62 young dependents and nine old dependents).

Close to nine out of ten persons were Roman Catholic

Majority (86.53 percent) of the population of Western Visayas were Roman Catholics. Aglipayan (4.01 percent) and Evangelicals (1.48 percent), followed, while 7.71 percent belonged to other religious affiliations.

About 93 percent were literate

The proportion of household population 10 years old and over in Western Visayas who were able to read and write a simple message was 93.02 percent. Females’ (93.58 percent) literacy rate was higher as compared to males’ (92.45 percent).

Average number of children ever-born was three

On the average, the number of children ever-born to ever-married women in this region was three. This is true for all provinces and in Bacolod City, except for the City of Iloilo with two as the average number of children ever-born.

The provinces with a high proportion of women with eight or more children ever born were in Capiz and Negros Occidental with 7.31 percent and 6.38 percent, respectively.

Median age at first marriage was 21 years

Western Visayas had a median age at first marriage of 21 years. This meant that half of the ever-married women 15 to 49 years old, who entered married life for the first time were below 21 years old.

Most of the overseas workers were males

In 2000, there were 82,185 overseas workers as compared to 58,073 overseas workers in 1995 POPCEN. More than half (52.66 percent) of these overseas workers were males.

The population of overseas workers in 2000, had a median age of 32 years. This meant that half of the overseas workers were below 32 years old. Female overseas workers had a median age of 29 years, younger than their male counterparts (34 years).

Electricity was the main source of lighting

Majority (57.07 percent) of the households used electricity for lighting and 37.78 percent used kerosene or gaas. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel for lighting was utilized by 0.80 percent of the total households.

Electricity was the main source of lighting in all provinces except in Guimaras, where majority of households in the province used kerosene (53.65 percent). Households using electricity in Guimaras accounted for 41.44 percent.

One in five households depended on shared, tubed/piped deep well for potable water

The main sources of water supply for drinking and/or cooking were shared, tubed/piped deep well (22.22 percent); dug well (17.30 percent); and spring, lake, river, rain, etc. (9.81 percent).

Majority of the households used wood for cooking

Majority of the households used wood (61.00 percent) as fuel for cooking; 22.39 percent, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); and only 1.54 percent, electricity.

About three out of ten households exclusively used water sealed, sewer/septic tank

The proportion of households with water sealed, sewer/septic tank, used exclusively by the households was 28.84 percent. About 18 percent had water sealed, other depository used exclusively by the households, and 15.58 percent used closed pit. Households which did not have any toilet facility accounted for 14.34 percent.

One in two households burned their garbage

Proper disposal of garbage leads to a good environment and good health. About 58 percent of the households in Western Visayas disposed their garbage through burning; 14.39 percent, picked up by garbage truck; and 10.46 percent, dumping in individual pit.

Garbage disposal through burning is true in all provinces, except for Iloilo City and Bacolod City. In these two highly urbanized cities, the usual manner of garbage disposal was through collection by a garbage truck (Iloilo City, 45.63 percent and Bacolod City, 50.57 percent).

Seven out of ten households owned/amortized their housing units

Majority (71.50 percent) of the households owned/amortized their houses. Those who occupied their housing units for free with consent of the owner comprised 19.16 percent while 3.41 percent rented their housing units.

Table 1. Total Population Distribution by Province/City: Western Visayas, 2000