More than 56,000 Aklanons live in extreme poverty

The number of poor Aklanons increased in the first six months of 2021, according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Aklan.

Based PSA records, poverty incidence among Aklanons in the first half of 2021 went up to 24.9 percent from 19.8 percent in 2018. This is equivalent to 152,300 persons.

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

Subsistence incidence, or the proportion of Aklanons in extreme poverty, also increased to 9.2 percent in the first semester of 2021 from 6.0 percent in 2018. This translates to about 56,400 persons.

The per capita food threshold, or the minimum amount needed to meet a person’s basic food needs, was estimated at P9,445.00, which translates to P1,574 per month or P52 daily.

This means that a family of five needs at least P7,870.00 per month to meet the family’s basic food needs.

Meanwhile, the first semester per capita poverty threshold, or the minimum income required to meet the basic food and non-food needs of Aklanon families, was estimated at P13,542.00.

This means that a family of five would need to earn at least P11,285.00 per month to provide for their daily nutritional sustenance and other non-food basic requirements.

Among Aklanon families, poverty incidence was estimated at 18.3 percent in 2021, higher by 24.49 percent compared to 14.7 percent reported in 2018.

This is equivalent to 28,300 families living below poverty line last year, compared to 21, 700 families in 2018.

On the other hand, subsistence incidence among Aklanon families was estimated at 6.1 percent in the first semester of 2021, compared to 4.1 percent recorded three years ago.

This means that 9,500 families live in extreme poverty last year compared to 6,100 families in 2018.

In the first semester of 2021, on average, incomes of poor families were short by 24.7 percent of the poverty threshold.

This means that on average, an additional monthly income of P3,345.00 is needed by a poor family with five members to move out of poverty in the first semester of 2021.