The municipality of Jordan, Guimaras, had a total population of 39,566 persons based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH). The household population of 39,403 persons comprised 99.59 percent of the total population recorded as of the time of census-taking.

Of the 39,403 total household population in Jordan, 13.73% or 5,412 individuals experienced functional difficulties, of which 55.27% were females and 44.73% were males. Most of the males aged 5 to 64 years old have mild to severe functional difficulties, while women of age group 65 and over have mild to severe functional difficulties higher than males.

A large gender gap was noted among male and female household populations with functional difficulties for age groups 65 years old and over, wherein women outnumbered men by 17.13 percentage points.

Moreover, the total household population aged 15-64 with functional difficulties was male- dominated with a gender gap of 15.69 percentage points, while the household population aged 5-14 years old, with male ascendency, had a lesser gender gap of 1.44 percentage points.

The six (6) categories of functional difficulty include struggle in seeing even if wearing glasses, in hearing even if using a hearing aid, Walking/Climbing Steps, Remembering/ Concentrating, Self Caring (washing all over/dressing), and difficulty in Communicating, affecting individuals' ability to perform daily activities.

Among the six categories of functional difficulty, the highest proportion was among individuals having difficulty seeing even if wearing glasses, accounting for 45.84% of the total households with functional difficulty, which most affected women (56.75%) than men (43.25%). Likewise, functional difficulty walking or climbing steps (15.69%) followed, affected women with 54.06% and a gender gap of 8.13 percentage points from their male counterparts comprising 45.94%.

Furthermore, the household population in Jordan with difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid comprised 14.39% of the municipal total, including most females with 53.53% share, higher by 7.06 percentage points than males. Meanwhile, challenges related to remembering or concentrating affected 13.25% of the household population. Additionally, those with difficulties in self-caring (washing all over/dressing) and communication were less prevalent, at 5.62% and 5.21%, respectively. The percentage of men was higher than in women in those with difficulty communicating, with a gender gap of 9.93 percentage points.

In terms of severity, the household population in Jordan with mild difficulty accounted for the bulk comprising 83.20% dominated by females, followed by those with moderate difficulty, which accounted for 11.31%, female dominance, and those with severe difficulty had the least with 5.49% share, still dominated by females.

Additionally, the percentage distribution of functional difficulty by sex in the Municipality of Jordan, Guimaras, as revealed by the 2020 CPH result showed that female household members got a higher proportion, accounting for 55.27% translating to 2,991 individuals. Meanwhile, males comprised 44.73% equivalent to 2,421 individuals.

Of the 2,991 total female household population with functional difficulty, 26.02% had difficulty in seeing even if wearing glasses, followed by those with difficulty walking/climbing steps comprising 8.48%, closely followed by those with difficulty in remembering/concentrating, and hearing even if using a hearing aid with 7.83% and 7.71%, respectively. Furthermore, household population with challenges in self-caring (washing all over/dressing), and in communicating had lesser percentage of 2.88% and 2.35%, respectively.

Figure 2 shows the percentage distribution of household population in Jordan, Guimaras with functional difficulties, wherein males had a lesser number than females accounting for 44.73% and 55.27%, respectively.

Of the total 2,421 males (44.73%) experiencing functional difficulties, 19.83% had difficulty in seeing even if wearing glasses, 7.21% had difficulty in walking/climbing steps, 6.69% with hearing impairment even if using a hearing aid, and 5.41% had difficulty in remembering/concentrating.

Moreover, the household population with challenges in communicating, and self-caring (washing all over/dressing), had lesser percentages of 2.86% and 2.73%, respectively.

The top three functional difficulties experienced by household members which accounted for 75.92% of the municipal total included: seeing even if wearing glasses, hearing even if using a hearing aid, and walking/climbing steps.

The mild functional difficulty in seeing even if wearing glasses, was higher among females than in males starting in the age groups 15-19 up to 80 years old and over, except for the age group 30-34 with a minimal gender gap. While moderate and severe functional difficulty in seeing even if wearing glasses were higher among females than males.

Household population in Jordan with difficulty in walking/climbing steps, mild and severe cases was higher among females while for moderate cases, it was higher among males. Moreover, in the household population with hearing impairment even if using a hearing aid, mild and moderate cases were higher among females than males, but for severe cases, the number was higher among males. Cases soared among age groups 50 years and over.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The Philippine Statistics Authority conducted the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH) in September 2020, with 01 May 2020 as reference date.

The 2020 CPH was the 15th census of population and 7th census of housing that was undertaken in the Philippines since the first census in 1903. It was designed to take inventory of the total population and housing units in the country and collect information about their characteristics.

The Philippine Standard Geographic Codes as of April 2022 was used for the disaggregation of geographic levels of the 2020 CPH.

Age refers to the interval of time between a person’s date of birth and their last birthday prior to the census reference date, expressed in completed years or whole numbers.

Functional Difficulty is a limitation in performing daily activities due to impairments in seeing, walking, hearing, remembering, self-caring, or communicating.

Household is a social unit consisting of a person or a group of persons who sleep in the same housing unit and have a common arrangement in the preparation and consumption of food.

Household Population refers to all persons who are members of a household.

Mild is a level of functional difficulty where an individual experiences some limitations but can still perform daily tasks with minimal assistance.

Moderate is a level of functional difficulty where an individual faces noticeable challenges in performing daily activities and may require occasional support.

Severe is a level of functional difficulty where an individual experiences significant impairments, requiring substantial assistance or specialized care.

Severity is the extent or degree of difficulty an individual faces in carrying out daily activities due to functional impairments.

Sex is the biological and physiological reality of being male or female.