Nearly 3 in every 10 families in Eastern Visayas are poor

By PSA-8
February 2, 2022

TACLOBAN CITY – Poverty incidence among families in Eastern Visayas in the first semester of 2021 was estimated at 28.9 percent. This implies that in the first semester of 2021, nearly 3 in every 10 families in the region were poor or have income that were below the poverty threshold, or the amount needed to buy their basic food and non-food needs.

In the first semester of 2021, poverty incidence among families in Eastern Samar was estimated at 36.0 percent; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at 31.3 percent; Samar at 30.0 percent; Southern Leyte at 25.5 percent; Northern Samar at 23.1 percent; and Biliran at 22.4 percent.

Significant improvements in poverty incidence among families between the first semester of 2018 and first semester of 2021 were noted in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. Poverty incidence among families in Eastern Samar dropped to 36.0 percent in the first semester of 2021 from 43.0 percent in the first semester of 2018. The province of Northern Samar, meanwhile, registered 23.1 percent poverty incidence among families in the first semester of 2021, lower than the 30.0 percent in the first semester of 2018. On the other hand, poverty incidence among families in Biliran significantly increased to 22.4 percent in the first semester of 2021 from 18.0 percent in the same semester of 2018 (Fig. 1).

Given the new master sample, PSA was able to generate reliable statistics down to the provincial level as well as for highly urbanized cities (HUCs). Poverty incidence among families for Tacloban City, the lone HUC in the region, was recorded at 14.7 percent in the first semester of 2021.

36 out of 100 individuals in Eastern Visayas are poor

Poverty incidence among population in Eastern Visayas in the first semester of 2021 was estimated at 36.0 percent. This implies that in the first semester of 2021, 36 in every 100 individuals in the region belong to the poor population whose incomes were not sufficient to buy their minimum basic food and non-food needs.

In the first semester of 2021, poverty incidence among population in Eastern Samar was estimated at 43.1 percent; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at 39.1 percent; Samar at 37.0 percent; Southern Leyte at 31.7 percent; Northern Samar at 31.0 percent; and Biliran at 30.7 percent.

Significant improvements in poverty incidence among population between the first semester of 2018 and first semester of 2021 were noted in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. Poverty incidence among population in Eastern Samar dropped to 43.1 percent in the first semester of 2021 from 52.0 percent in the first semester of 2018. The province of Northern Samar, meanwhile, registered 31.0 percent poverty incidence among population in the first semester of 2021, lower than the 36.6 percent in the first semester of 2018. On the other hand, poverty incidence among population in Biliran significantly increased to 30.7 percent in the first semester of 2021 from 24.9 percent in the same semester of 2018 (Fig. 2).

Poverty incidence among population in Tacloban City in the first semester of 2021 was recorded at 20.1 percent.

Subsistence Incidence among Families

The subsistence incidence among families in Eastern Visayas in the first semester of 2021 was estimated at 13.2 percent. This means that in the first semester of 2021, about 13 in every 100 families in the region have incomes below the food threshold or the amount needed to buy their basic food needs and satisfy the nutritional requirements set by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) to ensure that one remains economically and socially productive.

In the first semester of 2021, subsistence incidence among families in Eastern Samar was estimated at 18.7 percent; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at 16.0 percent; Samar at 11.7 percent; Southern Leyte at 10.4 percent; Biliran at 8.7 percent; and Northern Samar at 7.1 percent.

Subsistence incidence among families in Northern Samar significantly improved to 7.1 percent in the first semester of 2021 from 12.2 percent in the first semester of 2018. On the other hand, subsistence incidence among families in Biliran significantly increased to 8.7 percent in the first semester of 2021 from 5.7 percent in the first semester of 2018. Southern Leyte registered 10.4 percent subsistence incidence among families in the first semester of 2021, significantly higher than the 7.9 percent in the first semester of 2018 (Fig. 3).

Subsistence incidence among families in Tacloban City in the first semester of 2021 was recorded at 5.3 percent.

Subsistence Incidence among Population

Subsistence incidence among population in Eastern Visayas in the first semester of 2021 was estimated at 17.3 percent. This translates that in the first semester of 2021, about 17 in every 100 individuals in the region have incomes below the food threshold or the minimum amount needed to buy their basic food needs.

In the first semester of 2021, subsistence incidence among population in Eastern Samar was estimated at 24.6 percent; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at 21.1 percent; Samar at 15.4 percent; Southern Leyte at 13.9 percent; Biliran at 13.1 percent; and Northern Samar at 10.6 percent.

Subsistence incidence among population in Northern Samar significantly improved to 10.6 percent in the first semester of 2021 from 16.1 percent in the first semester of 2018. On the other hand, subsistence incidence among population in Biliran significantly increased to 13.1 percent in the first semester of 2021 from 7.8 percent in the first semester of 2018. The province of Southern Leyte registered 13.9 percent subsistence incidence among population in the first semester of 2021, significantly higher than the 10.3 percent in the first semester of 2018 (Fig. 4).

Subsistence incidence among population in Tacloban City in the first semester of 2021 was recorded at 7.6 percent.

Food Threshold

In the first semester of 2021, a family of five in Eastern Visayas needed at least P7,904 per month, to meet the family’s basic food needs. This amount represents the average monthly food threshold for a family of five. This figure is 11.2 percent higher compared with its first semester 2018 level of P7,106.

In the first semester of 2021, the average monthly food threshold for a family of five in Eastern Samar was estimated at P8,451; Southern Leyte at P8,445; Biliran at P8,352; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at P7,835; Northern Samar at P7,660; and Samar at P7,319.

Increases in food threshold between the first semester 2018 and first semester 2021 were observed in all provinces. Biliran posted the biggest increase in food threshold at 19.4 percent (Fig. 5).

Meanwhile, average monthly food threshold for a family of five in Tacloban City was estimated at P8,224 in the first semester of 2021. This registered an increase of 19.3 percent compared with its level in the same semester in 2018.

The average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five in Eastern Visayas in the first semester of 2021 was estimated at P11,292, an increase of 11.1 percent from its first semester 2018 level of P10,163. This represents the amount needed every month to meet the family’s basic food and non-food needs.

In the first semester of 2021, the average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five in Eastern Samar was estimated at P12,103; Southern Leyte at P12,088; Biliran at P11,957; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at P11,232; Northern Samar at P10,977; and Samar at P10,494 (Fig. 6).

Increases in poverty threshold between the first semester of 2018 and first semester of 2021 were observed in all provinces. Biliran posted the biggest increase in poverty threshold at 19.2 percent.

Meanwhile, average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five in Tacloban City was estimated at P11,777 in the first semester of 2021. This registered an increase of 19.1 percent compared with its level in the same semester in 2018.

Clustering of Provinces based on Poverty Incidence

All provinces in the country were clustered from 1 to 5 using poverty incidence among families as the clustering variable. Cluster 1 comprises the bottom poor provinces and cluster 5 comprises the least poor provinces.

In the first semester of 2021, two (2) provinces moved one (1) cluster lower from their cluster category in the first semester of 2018, namely Leyte and Biliran. The rest of the provinces maintained their first semester 2018 cluster categories.

Three (3) provinces: Biliran, Northern Samar, and Southern Leyte belonged to cluster 3. Meanwhile, Eastern Samar, Leyte (including Tacloban City) and Samar were classified in cluster 2 (Table 6).