Seventeen out of 100 CAR families lived in poverty in 2009
The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) revealed that the poverty incidence of families in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) stood at 17.1 percent in 2009. This is an improvement over the incidence of 18.6 percent in 2006. Poverty incidence of families is the proportion of poor families to total families. In magnitude, the total number of poor families declined by 2.5 percent or from 56,346 families in 2006 to 54,949 families in 2009.
Similarly, poverty incidence of population, which is the proportion of
poor individuals to the total population in the region was calculated at
22.9 percent in 2009. This is nearly the same as the 2006 estimate of 23.0
percent. However, in magnitude, the total number of poor individuals
actually grew by 2.3 percent to reach 346,193 individuals in 2009.
The poverty line or the poverty threshold, which refers to the annual per
capita income required or the amount to be spent to satisfy basic food
requirements and other non-food basic needs. From 2006-2009, the annual
poverty threshold in CAR rose by 24.2 percent or from P12,976 to P16,122
per year. This means that a family of five would need at least P80,610
annually or P6,717.50 monthly in order not to be considered poor.
On one hand, the poverty situation in Apayao, Kalinga and Mountain
Province improved with the decline in poverty incidence of families from
2006 to 2009. Among CAR provinces, Kalinga is the most improved in terms
of poverty incidence among families and population with a decline of 14.1
percentage points and 13.8 percentage points respectively during the
period.
On the other hand, the poverty situation in Benguet, Abra, and Ifugao
worsened with poverty incidence of families all posting higher rates in
2009. At 36.3 percent, Apayao still had the highest poverty incidence
among families in CAR. However, in terms of magnitude, Abra had the most
number of poor families in CAR with 15,182 families living below the
poverty line in 2009. Abra accounted for more than a quarter or 27.6
percent of all poor families in the region.
Page uploaded: April 28, 2011