Agricultural Population in NCR

The 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) collected data that focused on Sustainable Development Goal 5a.1, which aimed to determine the percentage of the agricultural population who legally owned their farmland or had the right to sell to or bequeath it over the total agricultural population.

The CAF recorded approximately 19.68 million individuals aged 18 years old and over who were part of households with at least one agricultural worker in 2022, referred to as the “agricultural population.” Of this population, roughly 101,727 were from NCR, 49.02 percent were males and 50.98 percent were females. (Table 1)

Agricultural Population with Ownership or Secure Rights over Agricultural Land

Of the total agricultural population, individuals who reported owning or having secure rights over their agricultural land accounted for 18.9 percent or 19,186 in NCR.

Among sixteen (16) highly urbanized cities and one (1)  municipality in the NCR, the Pateros stood out with the highest proportion of its agricultural population 18 years old and over (38.7%) holding ownership or secure rights over agricultural land. The cities of Malabon (29.9%), Las Piñas (28.7%), Makati (27.2%), Marikina (22.8%), Pasig (22.3%), and Quezon City (20.6%) are also notable for having higher than the regions’ average proportions of their agricultural population with secure rights over agricultural land.

On the other hand, the City of Navotas (6.1%) had the lowest proportion of agricultural population with secure land rights, followed by the City of Muntinlupa (11.9 %) and the City of Taguig (12.2%). 
 

Among the male agricultural population in NCR, 10,329 (20.7%) hold secure rights over agricultural land. Additionally, the cities of Navotas (6.6%), Pasig (8.6%), and Muntinlupa (9.1%) had the lowest proportions of agricultural land ownership among the female agricultural population. (Figure 1)

Meanwhile, only 8,857 (17.1%) of the female agricultural population have ownership or secure rights. This highlights a significant gender disparity, with women being 3.6 percentage points less likely than men to have secure rights to agricultural land. (Table 3)

Males significantly outnumber females across the region’s agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land. Among females, Pateros recorded the highest proportion of agricultural landowners and right bearers (48.6%), followed by the City of Malabon (29.4%) and the City of Las Piñas (22.9%). These cities and municipalities exhibit comparatively stronger representation of women in agricultural ownership. (Figure 1)

Agricultural Population of 18 Years and Over with Full Ownership and Owner-like Possession Over Agricultural Land

During the same reference period, approximately 13,054 members of the agricultural population aged 18 years and over reported full ownership of their agricultural land, meaning they held a formal title of ownership. Of these, 7,030 (53.9%) were males, while 6,024 (46.1) were females. Pateros led in female full ownership of agricultural land, with 100.0 percent, followed by the City of San Juan with 62.2 percent. (Figure 2 and Table 4)

Among NCR, the City of Malabon recorded the highest agricultural population with full ownership of agricultural land, totaling 4,781 individuals. Of these, 2,419 were females, representing 50.6 percent of the total. The city of Caloocan ranked second, with 2,212 individuals reporting full ownership, of which 992 or 44.8 percent were females. The Quezon City followed in third place with 1,979 individuals, including 800 females, accounting for 40.4 percent of the total.

Furthermore, the Pateros with the Cities of San Juan, Mandaluyong, Manila, and Malabon reported that at least 50.0 percent of individuals with full ownership of agricultural land were females. Notably, in Pateros all 18 agricultural population members aged 18 years and over who held full ownership of agricultural land were females. (Table 4)

On the other hand, about 3,685 individuals in NCR had owner-like possession over agricultural land, compromising 1,996 males (54.2%) and 1,689 females (45.8%). The City of Manila also topped female owner-like possession over agricultural land at 58.7 percent. (Table 5) 

The City of Caloocan led an agricultural population with owner-like possession of agricultural land, reporting 1,337 individuals. Quezon City ranked second with 719 individuals, and the City of Malabon followed with 480 individuals. The share of women in three cities with owner-like possession of agricultural land is at least one-third, 47.6 percent, 52.6 percent, and 33.5 percent respectively.

The highly urbanized cities of Las Piñas, Makati, Manila, Navotas, Pasay City, and Quezon City all reported having at least 50.0 percent share of women among an agricultural population aged 18 and over with secure rights over their lands in owner-like possession.

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.

PACIANO B. DIZON
Regional Director

TECHNICAL NOTES

The Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) is a large-scale government undertaking, geared towards the collection and compilation of basic information on the agriculture and fishery sectors in the Philippines.

Computation of Indicators of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5.a.1

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 other forms of property, financial services, inheritance, and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.

SDG 5.a.1 are those agricultural populations 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

1. Percentage of people with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land (out of total agricultural population), by sex

2. Share of women among owners or right-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure

Right to Sell

It refers to the ability of an individual to permanently transfer the asset in question in return for cash or in-kind benefits.

Right to Bequeath

It refers to the ability of an individual to pass on the asset in question to another person after his/her death/ by written will or instate succession.

Agricultural Population

It refers to the household member s of the household engaged in operating agricultural activities or the household with at least one member engaged in operating agricultural activities during a specific reference period.

Agricultural Population with ownership or secure rights

It refers to the adult members of agricultural households aged 18 years old and over, who own or are right-bearers of agricultural land/parcel used in operating agricultural activities during a specific reference period.

Parcel

Is one contiguous piece of land one form of tenure without regard to land use. Both the contiguity and one form of tenure conditions should be met for a piece of land to be classified as one parcel.