About 1 in every 4 families in Eastern Visayas is poor

By PSA-8
January 18, 2024

TACLOBAN CITY – Poverty incidence among families in Eastern Visayas in the first semester of 2023 was estimated at 26.1 percent. This implies that in the first semester of 2023, about 1 in every 4 families in the region was 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 2023, poverty incidence among families in Samar was estimated at 35.8 percent; Eastern Samar at 35.6 percent; Northern Samar at 27.5 percent; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at 23.8 percent; Southern Leyte at 16.6 percent; and Biliran at 13.2 percent.

Significant improvements in poverty situation among families between the first semester of 2021 and first semester of 2023 were noted in Biliran, Leyte (excluding Tacloban City), and Southern Leyte. Poverty incidence among families in Biliran dropped to 13.2 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 22.4 percent in the first semester of 2021. The province of Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) registered 23.8 percent poverty incidence among families in the first semester of 2023, lower than the 31.3 percent in the first semester of 2021. Poverty incidence among families in Southern Leyte decreased to 16.6 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 25.5 percent in the same semester of 2021.

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 13.2 percent in the first semester of 2023.

Around 34 out of 100 individuals in Eastern Visayas are poor

Poverty incidence among population in Eastern Visayas in the first semester of 2023 was estimated at 33.7 percent. This implies that in the first semester of 2023, around 34 in every 100 individuals in the region belong to the poor population whose per capita income was not sufficient to buy their minimum basic food and non-food needs.

In the first semester of 2023, poverty incidence among population in Eastern Samar was estimated at 44.9 percent; Samar at 43.5 percent; Northern Samar at 36.2 percent; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at 31.3 percent; Southern Leyte at 23.8 percent; and Biliran at 19.7 percent.

Significant improvements in poverty situation among population between the first semester of 2021 and first semester of 2023 were noted in Biliran, Leyte (excluding Tacloban City), and Southern Leyte. Poverty incidence among population in Biliran dropped to 19.7 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 30.7 percent in the first semester of 2021. The province of Leyte (excluding Tacloban City), registered 31.3 percent poverty incidence among population in the first semester of 2023, lower than the 39.1 percent in the first semester of 2021. Poverty incidence among population in Southern Leyte decreased to 23.8 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 31.7 percent in the same semester of 2021.

Poverty incidence among population in Tacloban City in the first semester of 2023 was recorded at 19.2 percent.

Subsistence Incidence among Families

The subsistence incidence among families in Eastern Visayas in the first semester of 2023 significantly decreased to 10.9 percent from the 13.2 percent subsistence incidence among families in the first semester of 2021. This figure means that in the first semester of 2023, approximately 1 in every 10 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.

In the first semester of 2023, subsistence incidence among families in Eastern Samar was estimated at 19.2 percent; Samar at 17.7 percent; Northern Samar at 11.9 percent; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at 8.3 percent; Southern Leyte at 4.9 percent and Biliran at 3.5 percent.

Significant decreases in subsistence incidence among families between the first semester of 2021 and first semester of 2023 were noted in Biliran, Leyte (excluding Tacloban City), and Southern Leyte. Subsistence incidence among families in Biliran declined to 3.5 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 8.7 percent in the first semester of 2021. The province of Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) registered 8.3 percent subsistence incidence among families in the first semester of 2023, lower than the 16.0 percent in the first semester of 2021. Subsistence incidence among families in Southern Leyte went down to 4.9 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 10.4 percent in the first semester of 2021. On the other hand, subsistence incidence among families in Northern Samar significantly increased to 11.9 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 7.1 percent in the first semester of 2021. Samar registered 17.7 percent subsistence incidence among families in the first semester of 2023, higher than the 11.7 percent in the first semester of 2021.

Subsistence incidence among families in Tacloban City in the first semester of 2023 was recorded at 3.5 percent.

Subsistence Incidence among Population

Subsistence incidence among population in Eastern Visayas in the first semester of 2023 was estimated at 14.9 percent. This translates that in the first semester of 2023, about 3 in every 20 individuals in the region have per capita income below the food threshold or the minimum amount needed to buy their basic food needs.

In the first semester of 2023, subsistence incidence among population in Eastern Samar was estimated at 25.0 percent; Samar at 23.1 percent; Northern Samar at 17.1 percent; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at 11.7 percent; Southern Leyte at 7.6 percent; and Biliran at 5.8 percent.

Significant decreases in subsistence incidence among population between the first semester of 2021 and first semester of 2023 were noted in Biliran, Leyte (excluding Tacloban City), and Southern Leyte. Subsistence incidence among population in Biliran dropped to 5.8 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 13.1 percent in the first semester of 2021. The province of Leyte (excluding Tacloban City), registered 11.7 percent subsistence incidence among population in the first semester of 2023, lower than the 21.1 percent in the first semester of 2021. Subsistence incidence among population in Southern Leyte decreased to 7.6 percent in the first quarter of 2023 from 13.9 percent in the first semester of 2021. On the other hand, subsistence incidence among population in Northern Samar significantly increased to 17.1 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 10.6 percent in the first semester of 2021. The province of Samar registered 23.1 percent subsistence incidence among population in the first semester of 2023, significantly higher than the 15.4 percent in the first semester of 2021.

Subsistence incidence among population in Tacloban City in the first semester of 2023 was recorded at 5.8 percent.

Food Threshold

In the first semester of 2023, a family of five in Eastern Visayas needed at least P8,955 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 13.3 percent higher compared with the first semester 2021 level of P7,904.

In the first semester of 2023, the average monthly food threshold for a family of five in Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) was recorded at PhP 9,389; Southern Leyte and Eastern Samar both at P9,249; Northern Samar at P8,730; Biliran at P8,378; and Samar at P8,320.

Increases in food threshold between the first semester 2021 and first semester 2023 were observed in all provinces. Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) posted the biggest increase in food threshold at 19.8 percent.

Meanwhile, average monthly food threshold for a family of five in Tacloban City was estimated at P9,524 in the first semester of 2023. This registered an increase of 15.8 percent compared with its level in the same semester in 2021.

Poverty Threshold

The average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five in Eastern Visayas in the first semester of 2023 was estimated at P12,897, an increase of 14.2 percent from the first semester 2021 level of P11,292. This represents the amount needed every month to meet the family’s basic food and non-food needs.

In the first semester of 2023, the average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five in Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) was estimated at P13,428; Southern Leyte at P13,247; Eastern Samar at P13,246; Northern Samar at P12,517; Biliran at P11,938; and Samar at P11,925.

Increases in poverty threshold between the first semester of 2021 and first semester of 2023 were observed in all provinces, except in Biliran, which recorded a 0.2 percent decrease. Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) posted the biggest increase in poverty threshold at 19.6 percent.

Meanwhile, average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five in Tacloban City was estimated at P13,665 in the first semester of 2023. This registered an increase of 16.0 percent compared with its level in the same semester in 2021.

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 2023, Samar moved one (1) cluster lower from its cluster category in the first semester of 2021. Biliran and Southern Leyte moved one (1) cluster higher from its cluster category in the first semester of 2021, while the rest of the provinces maintained their first semester 2021 cluster categories.