Biliran tops national poverty incidence improvement for 2006

By RAY P. GASPAY
March 8, 2008

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  The province of Biliran has marked the highest improvement against poverty in the country for 2006 with an improvement rating of 15.1% from that of 2003 according to the latest 2006 Philippine Poverty Statistics released on Wednesday by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

Biliran improved dramatically to the top post from being ranked 75 in 2003 followed by the provinces of Siquijor and Quirino who were then in rank 61 and 25 respectively of the same year.

In Region 8, Northern Samar dropped significantly to rank 77 from rank 30 in 2003, Eastern Samar to rank 68 from rank 12 in 2003, Leyte to rank 63 from rank 50 in 2003, Samar to rank 36 from rank 26 in 2003, while Southern Leyte has improved to rank 14 from rank 67 in 2003.

For poverty situation in 2006, Biliran improved to 31.4% from 46.5% in 2003, while Southern Leyte has improved to 29.0% from 31.9% in 2003. The province of Samar has slightly worsen its poverty situation in 2006 to 40.2% from 38.7% in 2003, Leyte has worsen to 40.5% from 34.6% in 2003, Eastern Samar to 42.7% from 33.9% in 2003, while the big casualty is Northern Samar to 52.2% from 33.8 in 2003.

Southern Leyte remained to be the least poor province in Eastern Visayas while Northern Samar is a new entrant in the ten poorest provinces in 2006 at rank 7 along with other new entrants of Tawi-Tawi (rank 1), Apayao (rank 4), Lanao del Sur (rank 6) and Abra (rank 9).

Tawi-Tawi was listed the poorest province in 2006 with 8 out of 10 families classified as poor. Provinces that remained among the 10 poorest provinces from 2003 to 2006 were Zamboanga del Norte (rank 2), Maguindanao (rank 3), Surigao del Norte (rank 5), Masbate (rank 8) and Misamis Occidental (rank 10).

In the national level however, poverty worsened from 2003 to 2006. Poverty incidence increased to 26.9% for families in 2006 compared to 24.4% in 2003. This is however lower than the 27.5 % poverty incidence in 2000. In terms of poverty incidence among population, out of 100 Filipinos, 33 were poor in 2006, compared to 30 in 2003.

The statistical board defines “poor” as those who cannot afford basic needs for food, health, education, housing and other social amenities. The poverty threshold refers to the cost of minimum basic needs, food and nonfood. The statistical board said a Filipino family of five needed a monthly income of P6,274 in 2006 to stay out of poverty. For Metro Manila, where the cost of living is higher, a family of five needs P8,569 monthly income to keep out poverty.

Ranking of Provinces in Region 8 in Terms of Improvement in the Poverty Incidence Among Families from 2000 to 2006

SOURCE: National Statistical Coordination Board