2021 Eastern Visayas poverty situation

22 in every 100 families in Eastern Visayas are poor

By PSA-8
October 14, 2022

TACLOBAN CITY - Poverty incidence among families in Eastern Visayas in 2021 was estimated at 22.2 percent. This implies that in 2021, about 22 in every 100 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.

Among provinces, Eastern Samar posted the highest poverty incidence in 2021 at 29.4 percent, while Southern Leyte registered the lowest poverty incidence among families at 16.0 percent. Eastern Samar and Samar registered higher poverty incidences among families than the regional level in 2021, while the rest of the provinces posted lower poverty incidences than the regional estimate at 22.2 percent.

Significant improvements in poverty incidence among families were noted in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. Poverty incidence among families in Eastern Samar dropped to 29.4 percent in 2021 from 40.9 percent in 2018. The province of Northern Samar, meanwhile, registered 19.3 percent poverty incidence among families in 2021, lower than the 27.6 percent in 2018. On the other hand, poverty incidence among families in Biliran significantly increased to 19.9 percent in 2021 from 13.7 percent in 2018. Samar registered 27.0 percent poverty incidence among families in 2021, significantly higher than the 22.2 percent in 2018 (Table 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 significantly higher in 2021 at 10.7 percent compared with its recorded 5.3 percent poverty incidence among families in 2018.

Around 29 out of 100 individuals in Eastern Visayas are poor

Poverty incidence among population in Eastern Visayas in 2021 was estimated at 28.9 percent. This implies that in 2021, around 29 in every 100 individuals in the region belonged to the poor population whose income were not sufficient to buy their minimum basic food and non-food needs.

Among provinces, Eastern Samar posted the highest poverty incidence among population in 2021 at 37.7 percent, while Southern Leyte registered the lowest poverty incidence among population at 21.5 percent. Eastern Samar, Samar, and Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) registered higher poverty incidences among population than the regional figure in 2021, while the rest of the provinces posted lower poverty incidences than the regional estimate at 28.9 percent.

Significant improvements in poverty incidence among population between 2018 and 2021 were noted in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. Poverty incidence among population in Eastern Samar dropped to 37.7 percent in 2021 from 49.5 percent in 2018. The province of Northern Samar, meanwhile, registered 25.9 percent poverty incidence among population in 2021, lower than the 34.3 percent in 2018. On the other hand, poverty incidence among population in Biliran significantly increased to 27.2 percent in 2021 from 19.6 percent in 2018 (Table 2).

Further, poverty incidence among population in Tacloban City in 2021 significantly increased to 15.6 percent from 8.1 percent in 2018.

Subsistence Incidence among Families

The subsistence incidence among families in Eastern Visayas in 2021 was estimated at 7.2 percent. This means that in 2021, about 7 in every 100 families in the region have income 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.

Among provinces, Eastern Samar posted the highest subsistence incidence among families in 2021 at 12.1 percent, while Northern Samar registered the lowest subsistence incidence among families at 3.7 percent. Eastern Samar, Samar, and Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) registered higher subsistence incidences among families than the regional figure in 2021. The rest of the provinces posted lower subsistence incidences than the regional estimate at 7.2 percent.

Significant improvements in subsistence incidence among families between 2018 and 2021 were noted in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. Subsistence incidence among families in Eastern Samar declined to 12.1 percent in 2021 from 16.5 percent in 2018. The province of Northern Samar, meanwhile, registered 3.7 percent subsistence incidence among families in 2021, lower than the 7.2 percent in 2018. On the other hand, subsistence incidence among families in Biliran significantly increased to 6.6 percent in 2021 from 2.2 percent in 2018 (Table 3).

In addition, subsistence incidence among families in Tacloban City significantly increased to 2.1 percent in 2021 from 1.0 percent in 2018.

Subsistence Incidence among Population

Subsistence incidence among population in Eastern Visayas in 2021 was estimated at 10.4 percent. This translates that in 2021, about 10 in every 100 individuals in the region have income below the food threshold or the minimum amount needed to buy their basic food needs.

Among provinces, Eastern Samar posted the highest subsistence incidence among population in 2021 at 17.1 percent, while Northern Samar registered the lowest subsistence incidence among population at 5.8 percent. Eastern Samar, Samar, and Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) registered higher subsistence incidences among population than the regional figure in 2021. The rest of the provinces posted lower subsistence incidences than the regional estimate at 10.4 percent.

Significant improvements in subsistence incidence among population between 2018 and 2021 were noted in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. Subsistence incidence among population in Eastern Samar decreased to 17.1 percent in 2021 from 22.0 percent in 2018. The province of Northern Samar, meanwhile, registered 5.8 percent subsistence incidence among population in 2021, lower than the 10.6 percent in 2018. On the other hand, subsistence incidence among population in Biliran significantly increased to 10.1 percent in 2021 from 3.5 percent in 2018 (Table 4).

Subsistence incidence among population in Tacloban City significantly increased to 3.3 percent in 2021 from 1.6 percent in 2018.

Food Threshold

In 2021, a family of five (5) in Eastern Visayas needed at least P7,819 per month, to meet the family’s basic food needs. This amount represents the average monthly food threshold for a family of five (5). This figure is 6.5 percent higher compared with the 2018 level of P7,345.

Biliran posted the highest food threshold among the provinces in Eastern Visayas with P8,471 average monthly food threshold for a family of five (5) in 2021. On the other hand, Samar had the lowest average monthly food threshold for a family of five (5) at P7,342 in the same year (Figure 5).

Increases in food threshold between 2018 and 2021 were observed in all provinces, except in Eastern Samar, which registered a -0.5 percent decrease in food threshold. Biliran posted the biggest increase in food threshold at 20.5 percent (Table 5).

Meanwhile, average monthly food threshold for a family of five (5) in Tacloban City was estimated at P8,075 in 2021. This registered an increase of 16.4 percent compared with its P6,940 level in 2018.

Poverty Threshold

The average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five (5) in Eastern Visayas in 2021 was estimated at P11,187, an increase of 7.4 percent from its 2018 level of P10,411. This represents the amount needed every month to meet the family’s basic food and non-food needs.

Among the provinces, the highest average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five (5) was observed in Eastern Samar at P12,052 in 2021. On the other hand, Samar registered the lowest average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five (5) at P10,525 in the same year (Figure 6).

Increases in poverty threshold between 2018 and 2021 were observed in all provinces, except in Eastern Samar, which registered a -0.5 percent decrease in poverty threshold. Biliran posted the biggest increase in poverty threshold at 16.8 percent.

Meanwhile, average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five (5) in Tacloban City was estimated at P11,564 in 2021. This registered an increase of 16.4 percent compared with its P9,935 level 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 2021, two (2) provinces moved one (1) cluster lower from their cluster categories in 2018, namely Biliran and Samar. Two (2) provinces, Northern Samar and Southern Leyte, moved one (1) cluster higher from their cluster categories in 2018. The rest of the provinces maintained their 2018 cluster categories.