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MANILA, Philippines – On Sunday, July 27, the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) turns 100 years old. INC members nationwide and around the world will mark this momentous occasion with a grand celebration at the newly-opened Philippine Arena at the Ciudad de Victoria in Bulacan.
But just how many are the INC followers rejoicing in their church’s centennial anniversary? (LIVE BLOG: Iglesia ni Cristo 100th anniversary)
There are a total of 2,251,941 members of the INC in the Philippines, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO). It is a 28% increase, from 1,762,845 in 2000.
Check out the maps below to see more information about the Iglesia ni Cristo population per province. You can switch between views by clicking on the radio buttons. Click on each province for details.
Metro Manila has the biggest share of INC followers, with 373,147 or 16.57% of the whole INC population.
Most of the INC population are concentrated in Luzon. Nine of the top 10 provinces with the most INC members relative to the whole INC population are in central and southern Luzon, stretching from Pangasinan to Quezon.
They represent a combined 39.68% of the INC population nationwide.
| Province | INC Pop. (2010) | % of Total INC Pop. |
| Nueva Ecija | 114,208 | 5.07% |
| Cavite | 106,130 | 4.71% |
| Pampanga | 96,485 | 4.28% |
| Bulacan | 96,148 | 4.27% |
| Rizal | 95,186 | 4.23% |
| Tarlac | 94,449 | 4.19% |
| Pangasinan | 94,214 | 4.18% |
| Laguna | 73,994 | 3.29% |
| Isabela | 64,352 | 2.86% |
| Quezon | 58,358 | 2.59% |
Leading in Visayas is Negros Occidental, with 48,736 members or 2.16% of the total Iglesia population. Meanwhile, Davao del Sur has the most number of INC members in Mindanao, with 47,676.
Percentage of province’s population
However, when compared against the population of each province, Tarlac takes the lead, with 7.43% of its residents declaring themselves as INC followers. The Top 10 provinces in this category are still in Luzon, however.
Meanwhile, only 3.16% of the 11.8 million Metro Manila residents are Iglesia followers.
| Province | INC Pop. (2010) | % of Province Pop. |
| Tarlac | 94,449 | 7.43% |
| Aurora | 11,982 | 5.97% |
| Nueva Ecija | 114,208 | 5.85% |
| Nueva Vizcaya | 22,180 | 5.27% |
| Quirino | 9,301 | 5.27% |
| Zambales | 37,910 | 5.03% |
| Occidental Mindoro | 22,354 | 4.96% |
| Bataan | 30,642 | 4.47% |
| Ilocos Norte | 24,931 | 4.40% |
| Isabela | 64,352 | 4.32% |
In Mindanao, Surigao del Sur places first in this category, with 3.34% of the province’s population as INC members. In Visayas, Negros Occidental is still the top province, with 1.68% of its residents being affiliated with Iglesia ni Cristo.
Increase, decrease
The number of INC followers have increased compared to 2010 in all but 7 provinces. The biggest decrease is in Sulu, with only 40 members remaining, from 85 in 2010, or a decrease of 53%. It is followed by:
- Lanao del Sur (39% decrease)
- Basilan (14% decrease)
- Lanao del Norte (4% decrease)
- Kalinga (2% decrease)
- Maguindanao (2% decrease)
- Iloilo (1% decrease)
On the other hand, Rizal has the fastest-growing INC population, from 54,896 followers in 2000 to 95,186 in 2010, or an increase of 73%.
| Province | INC Pop. (2010) | % Change (from 2000) |
| Rizal | 95,186 | 73.39% |
| Bohol | 9,984 | 57.63% |
| Biliran | 1,610 | 50.89% |
| Dinagat Islands | 1,133 | 50.87% |
| Cavite | 106,130 | 46.13% |
| Cebu | 27,587 | 44.90% |
| Davao Oriental | 8,436 | 42.77% |
| Tarlac | 94,449 | 42.51% |
| Bulacan | 96,148 | 42.50% |
| Benguet | 19,319 | 40.58% |
According to the online INC Directory, there are over 4,800 INC churches and local congregations in the Philippines. Also, the Iglesia ni Cristo is present in around 100 countries and territories around the world. – Rappler.com
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