BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – Poverty alleviation remains a challenge in Western Visayas, according to the Regional Development Council (RDC).
The RDC noted the region’s poverty incidence among families worsened from 15.9 percent in 2018 to 19.2 percent in 2021, which was a bit higher compared to the national poverty incidence of 18 percent.
The upward regional poverty trend is higher than the end-of-plan target of 15 percent to 16 percent poverty incidence.
The above figures account for more than 374,000 poor families living below the annual per capita poverty threshold of P13,519, whose incomes are not enough to buy their basic and non-food needs.
Of the three Visayas regions, the council stressed that Western Visayas had the lowest poverty incidence among families in the first quarter of 2021 and even ranked eighth among the 17 regions of the country.
Likewise, poverty incidence and magnitude of poor families in all provinces of the region increased, the council said.
Negros Occidental and Antique posted the highest incidence of poor families in the first semester of 2018 and 2021.
On the other hand, Guimaras recorded the highest incidence of poor families at 6.4 percent in the semesters of 2018 and 2021, while Iloilo recorded the lowest increase at 2.4 percentage points.
The subsistence incidence among families, or the proportion of families whose income is not enough to meet even the basic food needs, also increased from 4.8 percent in the first quarter of 2018 to 6.9 percent in the first semester of 2021.
The annual per capita food threshold, which was estimated at P8,322 in 2018, rose to P9,455 in 2021.
The council pointed out that the havoc brought by the pandemic triggered the soaring poverty and subsistence incidence in the region.
“Poor households and other vulnerable sectors lost jobs and sources of income due to closure of establishments, retrenchments, and strict community quarantines,” the council added.
It noted that from 91,200 in 2018, the magnitude of subsistence poor families rose to 133,300 in the first semester of 2021. Negros Occidental, Iloilo and Antique have posted the most number of subsistence-poor families.
Likewise, inflation continued to escalate from 2019 – 2021, but within the plan target set for the period. It surged to 6.6 percent in 2021, posting a 3.1 percent increase from 5.5 percent in 2021, and higher than the country’s inflation rate for the region.
“The rise in the region’s inflation reflects the threats and effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, weather-related disturbances, African Swine Fever (ASF), and rising global oil and fuel prices on the cost of food and non-food items,” the council said.
Recently, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Region 6 reported that inflation in Western Visayas continued to increase.
A special release on summary inflation stated the region’s inflation rose to 3.1 percent in March 2024 from 2.7 percent in February 2024.
The region posted an average inflation in the region of 2.6 percent from January to March 2024. The inflation rate in March 2023 was higher at 9.1 percent.
The higher annual increase in the index of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 5.5 percent inflation in March 2024 from 4.6 percent in the previous month was among the factors to the inflation in the region in March 2024.
By the end of 2028, Western Visayas Regional Development Plan 2023-2028 targets the region to achieve a gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth rate of 7.5 to 8.6 percent its 2021 base.
“Unemployment rate is targeted to decline from 6.6 percent baseline value from 4.5 to 5.0 percent as the region pursues activities that will generate more quality jobs and employment opportunities,” the council said.
The RDC stressed the region will endeavor for inclusive growth which will be manifested by low poverty incidence from 19 in 2021 to a range of 7 – 8 percent by the end of 2028.
It added the overall impact of the factors will be taken into consideration such as overall inflation from 6.6 percent in 2022 to 2 to 5 percent by 2028, as well as the inflation, which is targeted to be within 2 to 5 percent by the end of the plan period./PN
