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POVERTY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Philippines’ poverty
incidence down in first
half of 2023
DEC 22, 2023 8:57 PM PHT

IYA GOZUM

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NEDA chief Arsenio Balisacan attributes the

decline in poverty incidence to the opening of
REACT the economy and lifting of COVID-19
NOW
restrictions
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MANILA, Philippines – There are less poor

Filipinos in the first half of 2023 as
compared to 2021 figures, the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on
Friday, December 22.

The report, released on Friday, December 22,

estimated that 16.4% or 4.51 million Filipino
families are below the poverty threshold of
P13,797 per month.

Poverty incidence is the proportion of poor

Filipino individuals or families whose per
capita income is insufficient to meet basic
food and non-food needs.

This is lower than figures from 2021 during

the pandemic, when poverty incidence
among families was registered at 18.1%.

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In terms of population, the survey estimated

that 22.4% or 25.24 million Filipinos are
below poverty threshold.

Meanwhile, 5.9% or about 1.62 million

Filipino families are food poor.

These are families below the monthly food

threshold of P9,550 per month, who cannot
buy even the basic food needs to satisfy
nutritional requirements for economic and
social physical activities.

In a statement released on Friday, President

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed the
development which makes “the goal of
attaining a single-digit poverty level by 2028
more achievable.

The decline is equivalent to 230,000

households escaping poverty, according to
National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) director general Arsenio
Balisacan.

Balisacan attributed this to the lifting of

COVID-19 restrictions.

“The decision to fully open the economy and

lift all COVID-19 restrictions in the country
starting in 2022 has allowed us to recover
from the unprecedented, combined impact
of the pandemic and the government’s policy
responses to the crisis,” the NEDA chief said
in a statement on Thursday.

Balisacan also said that the government’s

efforts to manage the effects of inflation
“have yielded significant results.”

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The passing year saw spike in prices of basic

food needs such as sugar, onions, and rice. In
the latest report released this December,
however, the PSA reported an easing in
inflation in light of the downtrend in food
prices.

Moving forward, the NEDA chief said they

will ensure effective implementation of
programs aimed at reducing poverty and the
creation of “high-quality and high-paying
jobs.”

Meanwhile, independent think tank Ibon

Foundation compared the 2023 figures to
the 2018 report.

“Poverty only seems lower because it’s

compared to when the economy was locked
down,” said Sonny Africa, Ibon Foundation
executive director, in a statement.

In 2018, the poverty incidence among

Filipino families was estimated at 16.1%.

Africa said that to combat poverty, the

government needs “to build the Filipino
industries so needed to create more jobs and
improve incomes.”

“Compared to the first semester of 2018,

there are 3 million more poor Filipinos or
472,000 more poor families– even by the
unrealistically low poverty line of just P91
per person per day.”

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Iya Gozum
@IYAGOZUM

Iya Gozum covers the environment,

agriculture, and science beats for Rappler.

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