Behind the most detailed Philippine demographic map ever 📍

Religious affiliation, now mapped by barangay.

There are deeper things which bring us together and divide us beyond politics. Religion plays a central role in the lives of Filipinos. We have always talked anecdotally in the ways we are divided religiously, but have never visually grasped how these divides emerge.

Understanding the undercurrents of Filipino society extends beyond qualitative measures. Demography is best aided with objective data as the first point of analysis. By unraveling the religious landscape of our country in a scale never seen before, we are able to look at our nation from a new, objective lens which paves forth a multitude of possibilities in digging deeper to the things which unite and divide us as a people.

From a political lens, from which I chiefly began, demography bridges the gap between electoral outcomes and the people who voted. I, and many others, have often talked about the results of elections here and there, but have often failed to give an objective why as **to why election results are as they are. This is where demography plays a critical role. Demographics, after all, is the story of people and how they choose to live. It allows us to develop endless possibilities to providing whys to our elections. Many whys will come forth for we are a multifaceted people. Not one demographic variable will explain all which meets the eye. Nevertheless, a holistic understanding of different demographic datasets goes a long way in fostering a more nuanced and data-driven perspective of Philippine politics.

This map on religious affiliation will be the first a several part demographic dive series, eventually aiming to provide a more well-rounded perspective on the nature of Philippine electoral outcomes on the most granular scale possible.

Behind the Map