Situationer - Poverty in the Philippines
National Situation
According to 2009 National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) data:
- 26.5% of Filipinos are poor. This means that 23.1 million Filipinos earn less than PhP 16,841.00 yearly (equivalent to PhP 1,403.42 per month or PhP 46.14 per day).
- In order to stay out of poverty, a family of five will need to earn PhP 7,017 monthly. The family will need to earn PhP 4,869 just to meet basic food needs.
- The average poverty incidence is 26.5% among population.
- Almost half of the cities and municipalities in the country have a poverty incidence between 32.1 to 60%. There are also 67 municipalities that have a poverty incidence higher than 60%. The poorest identified municipality in the Philippines, Siayan in Zamboanga del Norte, had a 79.86% poverty incidence.
Rural Poor in the Philippines
The rural poor in the Philippines are prone to the following:
- Low farm harvests
- Lack of employment opportunities
- Absence of facilities to help increase current income levels
- Absence and/or restricted ownership of lands
- Vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters
- Limited/no access to basic services, leading to poor health conditions and low literacy
- Pervasive powerlessness
Given this, the NCDDP defines poverty as a condition of deprivation, wherein people are denied:
- Participation in decision-making;
- Opportunities and access to basic services;
- Ownership of assets to allow sustained income; and
- Resources to meet basic needs
