BAGUIO CITY – The Philippine Statistics Authority – Cordillera Administrative Region (PSA-CAR) held the annual Regional Dissemination of CAR’s 2023 Full Year Official Poverty Statistics last Wednesday, October 16 at the Ballroom Hall of Lafayette Luxury Suites Hotel.
Statistics show that there has been a growth rate in the Provincial Poverty Threshold in CAR since the last results in 2021. According to the Regional Director of PSA-CAR Villafe Alibuyog, 4.4% in the 2023 statistics result in full year poverty among families increased which means 5 in every 100 families are considered below the poverty threshold or poor.
Meanwhile, there is a decrease in poverty incidence among families and the population is currently at 7.0% in 2023 meaning there are 7 in every 100 families in the poverty threshold. All in all, the poverty threshold growth rate in CAR from 2021 to 2023 is 12.3%.
The full year subsistence incidence among families in 2023 is 0.7% which means 7 in every 1000 families do not have sufficient income for both food and non-food needs. It was then emphasized that there is a great difference between poverty incidence of national and regional poverty.
“Mababa ang poverty incidence ng CAR,” Alibuyog said.
PSA-CAR Chief Statistical Specialist Aldrin Bahit Jr. further tackled the average income and expenditure of families in the region based on the survey which resulted in an increase of 2.0% in income and 2.5% in expenditure. The results showed that there is growth in average annual family income by per capita income docile in CAR by 21.9% since 2021.
The full year magnitude of poor families in CAR decreased by 20.44% following the decrease in magnitude of food poor families which dropped by 3.33% and food poor population by 23.79%.
The PSA-CAR grouped the provinces based on the lowest to highest income and expenditure among families which resulted in Abra and Mt. Province being the lowest while Baguio, Kalinga, and Apayao were ranked the top 3 highest.
The source of data inputs for Poverty Threshold was said to come from Price surveys and Family Income and Expenditure Survey of PSA where 9,777 CAR respondents answered and the Food Threshold data came from Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI).
Right before the closing, Assistant Regional Director of NEDA-CAR Apollo Pagano highlighted the measurements being taken to improve the results in the next full year of statistics like improvements in aspects of infrastructure and property situations. This is to help families and individuals who pay rent which were shown to be a big contribution to expenditures and big cost to incomes recorded in the Cordillera.
“Matatag, Maginahawa, at Panatag na buhay,” Pagano said.
The final results showed both positive and negative sides of income and inflation wherein both families and population individuals are affected resulting in growth in poverty. By Audree Lumauig
