Socio-Economic Characteristics of Sample

The findings of this study are based on a total of 2,759 interviews conducted in selected areas of mainland Mindanao with randomly selected adult residents (i.e. above the age of 18) in November and December 2010. This section provides demographic characteristics and the settlement status of people of five provinces and Cotabato City.

Figure 1: Sample distribution and characteristics in selected areas of mainland Mindanao, Philippines

* HH=Household

The sample included mostlymale-headed households (87%). 13 percent of households were headed by women. Ten percent of the households were headed by a widow(er), divorced, or never-married individual. The average age of the household head was 43.2 years. Most households reported that the head was able to read and write simple messages (93%). However, one in four head of households had no formal education(6%) or did not complete primary education (18%). Women heads of household were 1.5 times more likely to be illiterate compared to their male counterparts (O.R. 1.498, χ² = 7.08, 1d.f., p=0.008).[1]The average household was composed of 6 individuals, with an average of 3 children aged 14 years old or less, and 3 adults aged 15-59 years old, resulting in an average dependency ratio (dependents/active) of 1.

A majority of the population reported being Muslim (53%).46 percent indicated being Christians, with 1 percent reporting other beliefs. The ethnic distribution of the sample reflected the selected area’spopulation, with the Maranao (29%) representing the largest proportion, followed by the Maguindanaoan (23%), Ilongo (17%), Visayan (11%), Cebuano (9%), and Ilocano (4%). Together these six groups accounted for 89 percent of the population. Other groups were represented by 2 percent or less of the population.

Most respondents identified religion as the main factor defining their identity (65%), over clan (23%), ethnicity (7%), and nationality (5%). Religion was the most frequent defining factor among Muslim respondents (82%), compared to 46 percent among Christians, and 17 percent among those with another religious belief. Christian respondents and respondents with another religious belief frequently identified clans as being important to their identity (respectively 31% and42% of the respondents).

[1] O.R. or Odds Ratio is the ratio of the odds of one event affecting a group to the odds of that same event affecting another group. It indicates the strength of association between groups and events. The chi-square test is used to measure the strength and significance of that association, with a p-value below .05 being considered as statistically significant.