Poverty list down by 0.9M — PSA
PSA data showed a lower poverty rate of 22.4 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 23.7 percent in the same period in 2022.
Daily TribunePSA data showed a lower poverty rate of 22.4 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 23.7 percent in the same period in 2022.
The number of poor Filipinos decreased in the first half of this year as the country recovered from a pandemic that derailed the progress made in lowering the poverty rate.
Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority released on Friday showed 25.24 million poor Filipinos in the first half of 2023, lower than the 26.14 million in the same period in 2021.
The number translated to a lower poverty rate of 22.4 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 23.7 percent in the same period in 2022.
In a briefing, PSA chief and National Statistician Dennis Claire Mapa said about 900,000 Filipinos were able to rise above the poverty line from January to June 2023.
He said a five-person household in the first half of 2023 should have earned at least P13,797 monthly to cover essential food and non-food expenses. Families with incomes below this threshold were deemed poor.
"Two hundred twenty-four (224) out of every 1,000 Filipinos have families whose earnings were insufficient to meet their basic food and non-food needs in the first six months of 2023," Mapa said.
Substinence incidence
Meanwhile, the subsistence incidence fell from 9.9 percent in the first semester of 2021 to 8.7 percent in the same period in 2023, indicating a decline in the number of Filipinos who do not make enough money to cover their basic needs.
Food-poor Filipinos fell by 9.79 million in the first half of this year, compared to 10.94 million in 2021.
The National Capital Region has the lowest poverty rate in the country at 5.1 percent. In comparison, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has the highest poverty rate, with 44.8 percent of the population living in poverty.
The PSA stated that Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, both in BARMM, are among the provinces in the lowest cluster.
The statistics office gathered data from 8 July to 31 July, sampling 171,588 families from January to June 2023. Data on poverty is released by the PSA once every few years.
Government's stance
Earlier this week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the hefty P5.768-trillion national budget for the coming year into law, outlining the government's strategy to fight poverty, guard the borders, and spur economic expansion.
The Philippines, home to over 110 million people, is preparing for a challenging first few months of 2024 due to the El Niño phenomenon, which could potentially ruin the nation's efforts to combat inflation.
To account for the effects of the dry spell on the consumption-driven economy, the economic managers have lowered the growth target range for 2024 from 6.5-8.0 percent to 6.5-7.5 percent.
In the same briefing, National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the Marcos administration prioritizes reducing poverty to a single-digit rate.
"We will continue to prioritize the creation of high-quality and high-paying jobs to address the rising issue of vulnerable employment," Balisacan said.
He added that the government will guarantee the stability of the nation's macroeconomic foundations, "enabling (the country) to sustain growth in the medium and long term."
To foster an atmosphere supportive of trade, investment, and innovation, Balisacan said the government will keep encouraging policy measures.
"These programs will generate more high-quality jobs, create various opportunities for workers, and contribute to our goal of significantly reducing poverty in the country," he said.