The municipality of San Lorenzo, Guimaras had a total population of 29,444 based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH). The household population of 29,439 comprised 99.99 percent of the total population recorded as of the time of census-taking.

Of the 29,439 total household population in San Lorenzo, 2,302 individuals, or 7.82 percent experienced functional difficulties. Among them, 52.13% were females and 47.87% were males, indicating a higher prevalence of functional difficulties among women.

Table 1 shows that the number of individuals experiencing functional difficulties increases with age, with the highest prevalence among those aged 65 and above. The majority of cases fall under the mild category, while moderate and severe difficulties are less common.

Gender differences are also evident, as females generally outnumber males in experiencing functional difficulties across all age groups and severity levels. This disparity is most pronounced in the elderly population, where 738 females report functional difficulties compared to 537 males. This trend may be attributed to women’s longer life expectancy, which also exposes them to age related health issues for a more extended period.

The middle-aged group (15 to 64 years) also shows a significant number of individuals with functional difficulties, totaling 909 individuals. However, more severe impairments are less common in this group compared to the elderly, suggesting that functional difficulties become more pronounced with aging. Meanwhile, children aged 5 to 14 have the lowest recorded cases, indicating that functional difficulties are generally age-related.

A gender gap of 12.77 percentage points was observed between men and women in the household population aged 65 years and above who experienced functional difficulties. Moreover, the total household population aged 15-64 years old with functional difficulties were male dominated with a gender gap of 12.86 percent, while the household population aged 5-14 years old, with female ascendancy had a lesser gender gap of 0.08 percentage point.

Functional difficulty is categorized into six (6) types: difficulty in Seeing even if wearing glasses, in Hearing even if using 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 recorded among individuals who experience difficulty in seeing even when wearing glasses, accounting for 33.32 percent of the total households with functional difficulty. This condition disproportionately affects women, who make up 55.93 percent of the affected population, creating a gender gap of 11.86 percentage points compared to men, who comprise 44.07 percent.

Difficulty in walking or climbing is the second most prevalent functional difficulty, affecting 20.76 percent of the household population in San Lorenzo. Unlike vision-related difficulties, this condition is more common among males, who account for 51.46 percent, a slight but notable 2.93 percentage points higher than females.

Hearing difficulties, even when using a hearing aid, rank as the third most reported functional challenge, affecting 15.81 percent of the total household population. Additionally, 13.38 percent of individuals struggle with remembering or concentrating, a condition more commonly observed among males.

Meanwhile, difficulties in communication and self-care are less prevalent, impacting 9.08 percent and 7.65 percent of the population, respectively, with both conditions also being more frequent among men.

Additionally, the percentage distribution of functional difficulties by sex in the municipality of San Lorenzo, Guimaras in 2020 revealed that female had a higher prevalence, accounting for 52.13 percent or 1,200 individuals, while males comprised 47.87 percent or 1,102 individuals. Among the 1,200 females experiencing functional difficulties, 18.64 percent had difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses, making it the most common challenge. This was followed by 10.08 percent who struggled with walking or climbing steps. Meanwhile, 8.86 percent reported hearing difficulties even when using a hearing aid, and 7.25 percent experienced challenges in remembering or concentrating.

Figure 2 illustrates the percentage distribution of the household population in San Lorenzo, Guimaras, with functional difficulties, revealing that males accounted for a lower proportion (47.87%) compared to females (52.13%).

Among the 1,102 males experiencing functional difficulties, the most common challenge was difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses, affecting 14.68 percent. This was followed by mobility issues, with 10.69 percent struggling to walk or climb steps. Additionally, 6.95 percent reported hearing impairments even when using a hearing aid, while 6.13 percent experienced difficulty remembering or concentrating.

Furthermore, a smaller proportion of males faced challenges in communication and self-care, with 5.30 percent and 4.13 percent, respectively.

The top three functional difficulties experienced by household members in San Lorenzo—difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses, walking or climbing steps, and hearing even when using a hearing aid—collectively accounted for 69.90 percent of the municipal total.

For vision difficulties, mild cases were more prevalent among females, whereas moderate to severe cases were more common among males. A similar pattern was observed in mobility challenges, where mild cases of difficulty walking or climbing steps were more frequent among females, while moderate and severe cases were predominantly experienced by males.

This trend was also evident in hearing impairments. Mild cases were more common among females, while moderate and severe cases were more prevalent among males.

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.