Poverty level still the same despite economic growth

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

MANILA (Updated) -- Poverty incidence in the Philippines has remained unchanged despite the 6.6 percent economic growth rate that the country posted last year, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) said on Tuesday.

In a press briefing, NSCB Secretary General Jose Ramon Albert said that poverty incidence among population was estimated at 27.9 percent during the first semester of 2012.

"Comparing this with the 2006 and 2009 first semester figures estimated at 28.8 percent and 28.6 percent, respectively, poverty remained unchanged as the computed differences are not statistically significant," he said.

Poverty incidence is the proportion of people below the poverty line to the total population.

The first semester 2012 poverty incidence was extracted from the data of the Family Income Expenditure Survey (FIES) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in July last year.

Albert said that during the first semester of 2012, a Filipino family of five needed P5,458 to meet basic food needs every month and P7,821 to stay above the poverty threshold (basic food and non-food needs) every month.

To eradicate poverty during the first half of last year, he said the government needs P79.7 billion.

It should be noted that the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the conditional cash transfer program, which benefits poorest households, was P39.4 billion for the entirety of 2012, he said.

Contrary to previous years wherein official poverty statistics were only released every three years, the NSCB official said that starting this year, the poverty statistics will be available in two series for every year in which the FIES is conducted -- once, for the first semester, and secondly, for the entire year.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a news briefing in Malacanang, said the government hopes to cut poverty incidence in the remaining years of the Aquino administration.

"We've identified priority areas where we can put in resources to be able to generate more jobs and to provide more to those who need it the most," she said. (SDR/Sunnex)

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/04/23/poverty-level-still-same-despite-economic-growth-279055

____________________________________________________________________

Poverty was never a new issue in our country. It has been a predicament since birth, or even when I'm still not in the womb of my mother. It has been in the sight of every Filipino, and is very evident everywhere: those beggars I see in the streets, those homeless people under public sheds, they are all products of poverty. But as a student, the least I can do is not to be corrupt myself: to stay honest and trustworthy in the house, in the community and even at school. In my own little ways, I can lessen the root of poverty which is corruption and maybe can even inspire other people to do the same.

For me, poverty is still eradicable. It is not too late to change the face of the Philippines as a poor country. It is not too late to make the division of the people's wealth equal. It is still not too late to make a change; a change that will benefit people, rich and especially, the poor.

Fighting against poverty may not produce an instant outcome, but I know and I can see that the present administration are doing the best they can to serve people, especially the poor and marginalized.

Heads up, Filipinos! Habang may buhay, may pag-asa. :)