Artesian well in Mercedes, Eastern Samar, one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines.
The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) will be commemorating the National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty from October 17-23, 2015 with the theme, “Building a sustainable future: Coming together to end poverty and discrimination”.
The said event is in accordance to the Presidential Proclamation No. 269 series of 1993, declaring October 17 as National Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty, and Presidential Proclamation No. 717, series of 2004, declaring October 17-23 as National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty. It is likewise in line with the United Nations’ “International Day for the Eradication of Poverty” on October 17, 2015. This is conducted to encourage various sectors to help in putting an end to poverty.
According to NAPC, poverty incidence in 2014 increased to 25.8%. Meaning, 1 in 4 Filipinos lives in poverty (20% or 1 out of 5 Filipino families) which is 1.2% higher compared to the 2013 first semester poverty statistics. The higher count of poor people is because food prices and the result of super typhoon Yolanda.
What is poverty incidence? It is the proportion of poor individuals/families to the population; those whose income fall below the poverty threshold or those who cannot afford to provide for their basic needs.
To be considered non-poor, a family with 5 members must earn at least P8, 778 a month. An individual also needs to earn at least P10, 534 for six months so he or she won’t be considered poor.
Following are the Top 10 provinces in the Philippines that have the highest poverty incidence among families from 2006 to 2012:
1. Lanao del Sur
Lanao del Sur, is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). It remains to be number 1 among the provinces with the most number of Poor Families with 67.3% poverty incidence. 2010 Census and Housing Population conducted by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) also shows that there was a drastic drop of the population in the said province with 933,260 number of people which is −6.98% from 1,138,544 in 2007.
2. Eastern Samar
Eastern Samar is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. It is now the second poorest province in the Philippines with 55.4% poverty incidence. Its main economic resource is agriculture and fishery.
3. Apayao
Apayao is part of the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. It is the least densely populated province with an area of 4413.35 square kilometers and a population of only 112,636 as of 2010. And it comes 3rd among the poorest provinces of the Philippines with 54.7% poverty incidence.
4. Maguindanao
Maguindanao is under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). It is 4th among the poorest provinces in that country with 54.5% poverty incidence. This province became one of the most talked-about provinces because of the Maguindanao massacre wherein 57 people were killed, including the wife and sisters, supporters of Buluan Vice-Mayor, Esmael Mangudadatu, local journalists, and bystanders. And when the bloody Mamasapano encounter happened on January 25, 2015 where 44 members of the Special Action Force were killed allegedly by Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano after they killed the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir aka Marwan.
5. Zamboanga del Norte
Zamboanga del Norte is located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region. From being the poorest province of the Philippines back in 2006 with a poverty incidence rate of 64.6%, it is now at the 5th spot with 48.0% poverty incidence.
6. Sarangani
Sarangani is part of the South Cotabato-Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-Gen. Santos City (SOCCSKSARGEN) and has a poverty incidence rate of 46.0%. Although it is located in Mindanao, Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion in this province 63% of the population being Roman Catholics.
7. North Cotabato
North Cotabato is also a part of SOCCSKSARGEN region and is located in the middle of Mindanao. With a 44.8% rate of poverty incidence, this province is a new member of the poorest provinces in the Philippines. Just like Sarangani, Roman Catholicism is the major religion in this province with 58% of the population being Roman Catholics. The reason for that is said to be because 71% of Cotabato’s population are actually from Luzon and Visayas, while the 18% of its population are indigenous communities namely, Maguindanao, Manobo, and T’boli.
8. Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental or “Eastern Negros” is a province of the Philippines located in the southeastern half of the Negros Island region. Despite the fact that it has been an electricity supplier to its neighboring provinces and having a good agricultural land, it still has a poverty incidence rate of 43.9%.
9. Northern Samar
Northern Samar is one of the three (3) provinces comprising the Island of Samar. Its tourism industry has great potential but is remains unknown to most tourists. Based on NAPC’s report, it has a poverty incidence of 43.5% which might be lessened once the tourist attractions of this province become fully utilized.
10. Western Samar
Western Samar is another new entry in the list of the poorest provinces in the country with 43.5% incidence of poverty, same with Northern Samar. This province was one of the most affected areas by the super typhoon Yolanda on 8 November 2013 which damaged the livelihood of the locals.
There are many factors that cause poverty like; employment issues, and high population growth, but the main factor affecting our country’s economy and the livelihood of Filipinos is the governance issues such as corruption which is rampant in the Philippines and security issues which are prevalent in Mindanao and other poor areas. Entrepreneurs will not be interested in investing money in a place where there is violence, which results to low employment opportunity and a bad economy.
Other References:
https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2015%20PIF.pdf
https://psa.gov.ph/old/data/census2007/index.html
About Lyza R. Sabornido
Lyza writes to share the colorful and wonderful Filipino culture to the world. She's a seasoned writer, researcher and news reporter. She's the editor for lifestyle, culture and travel of FAQ.PH. Follow her on Twitter at @lyza_lyz.
sleeping or absentee tongressman. them people deserve what they got, voted for crocodiles instead of humans. got paid for a day only to suffer for six years. irony.
i think there is something wrong with no. 7.. north cotabato is not included in that. SoC SK Sar Gen stands for South Cotabato,Sultan Kudarat pa pala.. Sarangani, and Gen San. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOCCSKSARGEN
North Cotabato is actually called the Cotabato Province. So, basically, SOCCSKSARGEN is fit to include the province. It stands for South Cotabato-Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-Gen San. Cotabato in the word SOCCSKSARGEN stands for the province, not the city. And yes, Wikipedia gave the answer. I’m from the province.
Sori..but thats not true..north cotabato is not included in socsksargen..and it is too far in our place to be included..
I agree! I don’t know why they have included North Cotabato or Cotabato in SOCSKSARGEN.
Hello, Actually it is SoCCSKSarGen and it stands for SoC- South Cotabato; C- Cotabato Province (NorthCot); SK-Sultan Kudarat; Sar- Sarangani; Gen- GenSan.
“Don’t ask what the country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country” – JFK
As a native of Guiuan, Eastern Samar who has somehow manage to get a good job in Manila, I am saddened to see my province as the 2nd. I want to help uplift the lives of the people. My wife and I together with other Waraynons have created an online fund raising campaign in Indiegogo and although this is just small, we believe that this can be a good start of something bigger. For bigger things come from small beginnings.
So help us by sharing your blessings and contributing to this campaign. Tell your friends about this by forwarding the link. Your contributions will not just help our province but the entire country as well.
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/boost-the-craft/
Ever since Marcos ruled the Philippines and destroyed the economy, every single President has run on the promise of helping the poor. In that time, the bottom 20% of the population has become poorer. Now we hear the same from guys like BInay, who constantly say they champion the poor but where are the results?
Unless the Philippines gets serious with the family dynasties and the power and wealth being in the hands of 40 families, things will not change. Guys like Binay and Marcos, keep the poor down so they can get votes. It’s easier to hand out 500 pesos on election night to get votes than doing something constructive for the poor. The Filipino people only have themselves to blame when they accept the handouts, elect family members or celebrities and then wonder why things don’t change.
Ahhh. Kaya pala 15% lang ang poverty incidence ng Ilocos Norte ngayon…
Mr Bouwman , Marcos rule was thirty years ago and you put the blame on him ? Obviously , your statement and analysis lack objectivity . I don’t know if you are a foreigner or a Filipino disguising with a foreign name but I urge you to study the facts before stating assumptions . Or better yet , if you are not a Filipino , refrain from being bias and just shut up . By the way , Ilocos Norte is not on the list , that’s Marcos province.
Some facts may be true on this list. However this was from 2006 to 2012. For the current situation of the province of Negros Oriental, with the leadership of the new governor, this list can’t be applicable anymore. Governor Degamo is leading the province into some level of greatness. Go to that province and you will be amazed at the development going on. The money circulating in that province is like crazy. The BSP can attest to that. More shops opening, more bpo companies setting up, malls getting constructed, more banks opening branches, more tourist spots getting developed, more industries being put up, etc. That means more job opportunities for the people. With more people getting a job, the more happy they become, the more they spend, the more money gets to circulate, the more people can benefit, the more it is lucrative for investors to get in, the more the province will prosper. Visit the province and you will feel the vivrance, the life, the positive outlook of the people for their future.
The Philippines is very rich in natural and human resources but the big problem lies in our public servants supposed to be statemen for the good of the country. Our public servants are politicians in business form as during their candidacies in election time they made capitalizations or spend money in campaigning with the end in view if elected they could easily recovered on what they have spent and of course pocketing some money on their projects budget and receiving lobby or bribe money from other sources becomes their incentives. PEI-Production Enhancement Initiatives. Country’s development neglected.
You are right. Most of our politicians enters politics to enrich themselves. Kawawa ang mahihirap at lalong naghihirap, samantalang iyong mga politicians they are the only ones who gets rich. Sa dami nang mahihirap at sa dami nang nakakaramdam nang hapdi nang sikmura sa gutom, their only recourse to overcome this problem is to steal, to rob and at times to kill.
Visit these places that are in the Top 10’s especially the Nos. 2, 9 and 10. There you will discover that the people who mann (POLITICIANS) in the said places have mansions. Don’t you wonder, Why almost all SAMAR areas are in the list? The areas where communities seeking for BBL implementation are included in the 10 Poorest Province? Some of these Mindanao residents are paving their own land goodbyes and decided to migrate to other areas in the Philippines because of the unsafe situations. Let’s be realistic here. Do we really need to implement BBL?
Maybe the Romualdez can do something, share their blessings
This is the reason why FEDERALISM is important so it will never depend on the mercies of imperial Manila for its resources.Government involvement in agrarian cooperatives in an institutionalized setting will uplift the local farmers with the means ,the tools, the advise and administration from experts etc.Army Corps of Engineers stationed in these provinces to help with small scale infrastructure project and checking the corruption index to make sure that funds allocated are audited and transparent. A Marshall Plan and a vision with blue print is important and a timed goal is also important.
You have made more sense than anybody here. I read these entries by everyday people from the PI to learn of the geo-political climate because I want to come there and build ports, with docks and facilities, to help the farmers get better prices and better access to buyers. I plan to import cheaper fuel for agriculture and aquaculture use, install solar and wind power grids and schools in places that need them most. These are my long range goals, but I have to be smart about it.,I have to start in places with the highest prospect of success, and fund the riskier ones later. I know there are places that will have greater need that where ever it is I start, but the support system must be in place first, before I can venture into the more dangerous places.
C.O.A. must investigate TONGREASEMEN, MAYORS, GOVERNORs in this province, why it remains poor?,,,and if found guilty of CORRUPTION,,punish them lifetime in PRISON. OUR GOVERNMENT PUBLIC OFFICIALS does not know how to run a simple community,,they are just GOOD in STEALING PEOPLES MONEY to enrich themselves,,A BARBARIC IGNORANCE
As long the Tagalog will be running the country, Visayas, Mindanao will be poor. Durterte will be the hope for this people. Federalism is a must.
Northern Samar is a rich province. It is reach in its natural resources. The islands have very high grade mineral deposits. But notice howbthe rich getting filthy rich while the poor getting mesirably poorer? Is I corruption? Is it the lack of concern of elected officials for their constituents? I pray that corruption will be curbed ASAP otherwise. Kawawa ang mga mahihirap!!!!
This is sad! I think these provinces has great potential but was enveloped in corruption and nepotism…
How in the hell did Religion became a factor or indicator in measuring poverty? I don’t think Sarangani and North Cotabato are in the top 10 poorest provinces because they are predominantly Roman Catholic provinces