Turtle Islands, Province of Tawi-Tawi

Summary data
Type	municipality
Island group	Mindanao
Region	Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
Province	Tawi-Tawi
Barangay count	2
Postal code	7507
Coastal/Landlocked	coastal
Marine waterbodies	Sulu Sea
Area (2013)	62.50 km² (24.13 sq mi)
Population (2020)	5,683
Density (2020)	91 / km² (236 / sq mi)
Coordinates	6° 4' North, 118° 19' East (6.0741, 118.3131)
Estimated elevation above sea level	6.3 meters (20.7 feet)

Turtle Islands, formerly known as Taganak, is a coastal municipality in the island province of Tawi-Tawi.

The municipality has a land area of 62.50 square kilometers or 24.13 square miles which constitutes 1.72% of Tawi-Tawi's total area. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 5,683. This represented 1.29% of the total population of Tawi-Tawi province, or 0.13% of the overall population of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 91 inhabitants per square kilometer or 236 inhabitants per square mile.

Barangays

Turtle Islands has 2 barangays.

Demographic profile of barangays

Local government units of Turtle Islands
Barangay	Population percentage (2020)	Population (2020)	Population (2015)	Change (2015‑2020)	Annual Population Growth Rate (2015‑2020)
Likud Bakkao	25.97%	1,476	1,351	9.25%	1.88%
Taganak Poblacion	74.03%	4,207	3,376	24.61%	4.74%
Turtle Islands Total		5,683	4,727	20.22%	3.95%

Economy

The annual regular revenue of Turtle Islands for the fiscal year of 2016 was ₱37,263,678.67.

details

Annual regular income of Turtle Islands (2009‑2016)
Fiscal Year	Annual Regular Income	Change
2009	23,134,813.00	–
2010	–	–
2011	26,272,181.50	–
2012	25,427,308.80	-3.22%
2013	26,741,572.93	5.17%
2014	30,013,533.00	12.24%
2015	33,697,401.80	12.27%
2016	37,263,678.67	10.58%
End notes: Annual Regular Income = Locally Sourced Revenue + Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) Current Year + Other Shares from National Tax Collection Locally Sourced Revenue = Real Property Tax (General Fund) + Tax on Business + Other Taxes + Regulatory Fees + Service/User Charges + Receipts from Economic Enterprises

Demographics

Households

The household population of Turtle Islands in the 2015 Census was 4,727 broken down into 782 households or an average of 6.04 members per household.

details

Number of households in Turtle Islands (1990‑2015)
Census date	Household population	Number of households	Average household size
1990 May 1	2,292	369	6.21
1995 Sep 1	2,359	389	6.06
2000 May 1	3,600	646	5.57
2007 Aug 1	6,194	1,210	5.12
2010 May 1	3,772	656	5.75
2015 Aug 1	4,727	782	6.04

Population by age group

According to the 2015 Census, the age group with the highest population in Turtle Islands is 5 to 9, with 615 individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population is 75 to 79, with 21 individuals.

details

Population of Turtle Islands by age group (2015 census)
Age group	Population (2015)	Age group percentage
Under 1	95	2.01%
1 to 4	507	10.73%
5 to 9	615	13.01%
10 to 14	513	10.85%
15 to 19	489	10.34%
20 to 24	440	9.31%
25 to 29	445	9.41%
30 to 34	378	8.00%
35 to 39	297	6.28%
40 to 44	244	5.16%
45 to 49	200	4.23%
50 to 54	190	4.02%
55 to 59	111	2.35%
60 to 64	75	1.59%
65 to 69	43	0.91%
70 to 74	29	0.61%
75 to 79	21	0.44%
80 and over	35	0.74%
Total	4,727	100.00%
Youth Dependency Ratio: 60.3 Old Age Dependency Ratio: 4.46 Total Dependency Ratio: 64.76 Median Age: 21.64

Historical population

The population of Turtle Islands grew from 449 in 1948 to 5,683 in 2020, an increase of 5,234 people over the course of 72 years. The latest census figures in 2020 denote a positive growth rate of 3.95%, or an increase of 956 people, from the previous population of 4,727 in 2015.

details

Population of Turtle Islands (1903‑2020)
Census date	Population	Growth rate
1903 Mar 2	–	–
1918 Dec 31	–	–
1939 Jan 1	–	–
1948 Oct 1	449	–
1960 Feb 15	536	1.57%
1970 May 6	389	-3.09%
1975 May 1	799	15.54%
1980 May 1	2,197	22.41%
1990 May 1	2,296	0.44%
1995 Sep 1	2,359	0.51%
2000 May 1	3,600	9.49%
2007 Aug 1	6,194	7.77%
2010 May 1	3,772	-16.52%
2015 Aug 1	4,727	4.39%
2020 May 1	5,683	3.95%

The total number of registered voters or electorate in Turtle Islands for the year 2019 was 5,876, broken down into 3,468 males and 2,408 females.

Location

The municipal center of Turtle Islands is situated at approximately 6° 4' North, 118° 19' East, in the island of Taganak. Elevation at these coordinates is estimated at 6.3 meters or 20.7 feet above mean sea level.

Distances

Based on the great-circle distance (the shortest distance between two points over the surface of the Earth), the cities closest to Turtle Islands are Puerto Princesa, Isabela City, Basilan, Zamboanga City, Lamitan, Basilan, Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur, and Sipalay, Negros Occidental. The nearest municipalities are Mapun, Tawi-Tawi, Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi, Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi, and Simunul, Tawi-Tawi. Its distance from the national capital is 986.18 kilometers (612.78 miles). The following list delineates such distance measurements.

great-circle distance

Nearest towns

Mapun, Tawi-Tawi, 102.35 kilometers (63.60 miles) to the North‑Northeast (N12°E)
Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi, 186.41 kilometers (115.83 miles) to the Southeast (S43°E)
Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi, 196.78 kilometers (122.27 miles) to the Southeast (S37°E)
Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, 198.62 kilometers (123.41 miles) to the Southeast (S54°E)
Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi, 206.30 kilometers (128.19 miles) to the East‑Southeast (S57°E)
Simunul, Tawi-Tawi, 207.66 kilometers (129.03 miles) to the Southeast (S52°E)

Nearest cities

Puerto Princesa, 408.16 kilometers (253.62 miles) to the North (N7°E)
Isabela City, Basilan, 410.68 kilometers (255.19 miles) to the East (N80°E)
Zamboanga City, 426.26 kilometers (264.86 miles) to the East‑Northeast (N77°E)
Lamitan, Basilan, 428.76 kilometers (266.42 miles) to the East (N81°E)
Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur, 598.34 kilometers (371.79 miles) to the East‑Northeast (N71°E)
Sipalay, Negros Occidental, 607.22 kilometers (377.31 miles) to the Northeast (N48°E)

Distance from Manila: 986.18 kilometers (612.78 miles) to the North‑Northeast (N17°E)

Notes

Unless otherwise specified, population count (excluding percentages), household data, and land area figures are derived from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Data on registered voters is from the Commission on Elections.
Postal code information is from the Philippine Postal Corporation.

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