Data: Number of poverty-stricken families in Normin down

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

THE number of impoverished families in northern Mindanao declined by 17.2 percent in 2018, records of the Philippine Statistics Authority show.

According to PSA-10 director Ruben Abano Jr., the figure is considerably lower than the poverty incidence in the region in 2015 which was at 32 percent.

Abano presented the findings during the regional dissemination forum dubbed: “Full Year 2018 Official Poverty Statistics at a resort in Barangay Cugman, this city.

He said five provinces in the region showed significant declines in their poverty incidence which includes Bukidnon that registered a 22.2 percent poverty incidence in 2018 when compared to the 26.6 percent in 2015.

Camiguin’s poverty incidence in 2018 was pegged at 3.8 percent compared to its 2015 record of 10.1 percent. Lanao del Norte showed stark improvement with only four percent poverty incidence in 2018 from 19 percent in 2015.

Misamis Occidental had a poverty incidence of 11.4 percent in 2015 but has recovered with only 4.3 percent in 2018.

Misamis Oriental’s poverty incidence was pegged at 2.3 percent in 2018 which is a far cry from 5.1 percent in 2015.

“The proportion of families in the region whose income falls below the food threshold, known as subsistence incidence among families, was estimated at 3.9 percent in 2018, significantly lower by 10.9 percentage points from its recorded subsistence incidence of 14.8 percent in 2015. The 3.9 percent subsistence incidence translates to 43 thousand families in the region who cannot afford to buy their basic food needs,” Abano said.

He said Bukidnon emerged on top of the five provinces in the region showing a 21 percent reduction of subsistence incidence from as high as 26.6 percent in 2015 to only 5.6 percent in 2018.

The other five provinces also fared well in the reduction of subsistence incidence.

Camiguin marked a 3.8 percent in 2018 while their subsistence incidence in 2015 was pegged at 10.1 percent. Lanao del Norte dropped its subsistence incidence from 19 percent in 2015 to only four percent in 2018.

 In Misamis Occidental, the province’s subsistence incidence in 2018 was 4.3 percent from 11.4 percent in 2015.

Misamis Oriental’s subsistence incidence in 2015 was pegged at 5.1 percent and improved at 2.3 percent in 2018.

 Overall, Abano bared that poverty and subsistence incidence in Northern Mindanao have declined from 38.4 percent in 2015 to 23 percent in 2018.

“The subsistence incidence among Region 10 population was six percent in 2018, significantly lower than the recorded subsistence of the same period in 2015 at 19.4 percent,” said Abano.

On the food and poverty threshold, Abano bared, the poor families in Northern Mindanao would need a minimum income so they could meet the basic food needs as advised on the nutritional requirement by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute to be able to remain economically and socially productive.

“Poverty threshold, (on) the other hand is the minimum income required to meet the basic food and non-food needs such as clothing, fuel, light, water, housing, transportation, health, and education expenses,” Abano explained.

He said a family of five in Northern Mindanao would need a monthly income of P7 thousand to P10 thousand for the family to be able to buy their daily needs.

“In 2018, a family of five needed at least P7,227 on average, every month to meet the family’s basic food needs and at least P10,333 on average, every month to meet both basic food and non-food needs. These amounts represent the monthly food threshold and monthly poverty threshold, respectively,” said Abano.

For her part, National Economic and Development Authority-10 assistant director Leonila Cajarte said the decline in the number of poor families in the region can be attributed to the national government’s programs like the 4Ps, college subsidy, social pension, and health care.