BY IME SORNITO
ILOILO City – There has been a significant decrease in poverty incidence in both Iloilo city and province in the first semester of 2023, data from the Iloilo Provincial Statistical Office (IPSO) showed.
The city’s poverty incidence dropped to 9.1 percent from 11.4 percent in the first semester of 2021, said Jerry Dolutan, the IPSO supervising statistical specialist and officer-in-charge.
This decrease translated to a reduction in the number of individuals living below the poverty threshold, which was about P14,563 per month for a family of five.
The latest figures indicated that 42,950 individuals in the city were classified as poor.
Additionally, the subsistence incidence, which measured those whose income failed to meet even basic food needs, decreased to 2.4 percent, affecting around 11,180 persons.
For families in the city, the poverty incidence was estimated at 6.8 percent, equating to 6,870 poor families.
The subsistence incidence among families was reported at 1.7 percent or approximately 1,700 families unable to afford basic food requirements.
In the province of Iloilo, the poverty incidence fell to 26.0 percent in the first semester of 2023. This figure represented 549,670 individuals whose income was insufficient for basic food and non-food needs.
A family of five in the province requires at least P13,923 per month to meet these needs.
The subsistence incidence among the provincial population was estimated at 9.1 percent, affecting about 193,640 individuals.
Regarding families in the province, about 107,340 families or 20.2 percent were considered poor.
The subsistence incidence among these families stood at 64 percent, corresponding to roughly 33,930 families struggling to afford basic food necessities./PN
