The number of poor Filipinos decreased in the first half of this year as the Philippines 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 that there were 25.24 million Filipinos in the first half of 2023, lower than the 26.14 million registered at the same time in 2021.

The number translated into a lower poverty rate of 22.4 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 23.7 percent in the same period in 2021.

In a briefing, PSA chief and National Statistician Dennis Claire Mapa said that about 900,000 Filipinos were able to rise above the poverty line from January to June 2023.

He added that a five-person household in the first half of 2023 should earn at least P13,797 per month to cover essential food and non-food expenses. Families with incomes below this threshold are deemed poor.

"Two hundred twenty-four (224) out of every 1,000 Filipinos have families whose earnings are 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, indicating a decline in Filipinos who do not make enough money to cover their basic needs.

The number of food-poor Filipinos fell by 9.79 million in the first half of this year, compared to 10.94 million Pinoys in 2021.

The National Capital Region has the lowest poverty rate in the country at 5.1 percent. However, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had the highest rate with 44.8 percent of the population living in poverty,.

The PSA states 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 and covering the period January to June 2023.

Data on poverty is only released by PSA once every few years.

Government's stance

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier this week signed the hefty P5.768 trillion national budget for the upcoming 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 weather phenomena, 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 its growth target range for 2024 from 6.5 percent to 8.0 percent to 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent.

In the same briefing, the National Economic and Development Authority secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that the Marcos administration prioritizes bringing poverty down to a single-digit rate.

"We will continue to prioritize creating high-quality and high-paying jobs to address the rising issue of vulnerable employment," Balisacan said.

Additionally, he stated, 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 that is supportive of trade, investment, and innovation, Balisacan said the government will also keep encouraging policy measures.

"These programs will generate more high-quality jobs, create various opportunities for Filipino workers, and contribute to our goal of significantly reducing poverty in the country," he said.