Western Visayas Poverty Rate Drops to 13.7% in 2023

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

The poverty rate in Western Visayas fell to 13.7% in 2023 from 17.2% in 2021, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The decline means that 664,000 individuals in the region are still living below the poverty threshold, defined as PHP 13,801 per month for a family of five.

Among families, the poverty incidence dropped to 9.8%, or roughly one in ten families, lower than the national average of 10.9%.

Western Visayas also reported the lowest poverty incidence among Visayas regions and ranked seventh nationwide.

The subsistence incidence, measuring those unable to meet even basic food needs, significantly dropped to 2.8% in 2023 from 5.5% in 2021.

About 137,000 individuals in the region remain food-poor, living below the food threshold of PHP 9,650 for a family of five monthly.

The income gap, representing the shortfall in income for poor families to rise above the poverty line, was 17.8% in 2023. This indicates that a poor family of five needed an additional PHP 2,457 per month to meet basic needs.

Despite these improvements, challenges persist as PSA data shows that nearly one in ten families still struggles to escape poverty.

The poverty gap, reflecting the average income shortfall relative to the poverty threshold, narrowed to 1.8% in 2023 from 2.6% in 2021.

The severity of poverty, which accounts for income inequality among the poor, also declined to 0.5% from 0.9% over the same period.

PSA emphasized that these figures excluded Negros Occidental, now part of the newly established Negros Island Region.

For some families, the improvements are evident but insufficient.

Nona Espartero, a mother of three living in Iloilo City, said her household has seen little change despite the promising statistics.

“We still struggle to make ends meet,” she said in Hiligaynon. “The prices of food and other basic needs keep rising, and what we earn from my husband’s construction job is never enough. We need more help, especially for our children’s education.”

Santos, whose husband earns around PHP 400 daily as a construction worker, says the family often has to choose between buying school supplies and putting enough food on the table.

“My eldest needs PHP 100 daily for transportation and lunch money. Sometimes we have to borrow from neighbors just to get through the week,” she explained, adding that their monthly electricity bill alone takes up PHP 1,500 of their budget.

She hopes the government can expand its educational assistance program beyond the current PHP 4,000 annual support per student under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

“The reports say things are getting better, but for families like us who live day-to-day, we’re still waiting to feel that improvement,” Santos said.

On the other hand, middle-income families acknowledge the improvements but remain cautious.

“Our lives are better now compared to a few years ago, but we still feel the pressure of inflation,” said Benjamin Lopez, a shop owner in Iloilo.

“When rice costs PHP 49 to 55 per kilo and jeepney fare is PHP 13 for the first four kilometers, it becomes challenging to make ends meet, especially since my customers are also spending less.”

“Every time fuel prices increase, it affects everything – from our daily transportation expenses to the cost of goods we sell. Even if poverty numbers are improving, many of us small business owners are just getting by,” Lopez added.

He noted that while his family’s income has improved since 2021, rising costs of basic commodities like eggs at PHP 8-9 each, sugar at PHP 95 per kilo, and cooking gas at more than PHP 1,000 per tank continue to strain their household budget.

“When you have children in school and elderly parents to support, every peso counts. We’re doing better than during the pandemic, yes, but we’re still careful with our spending,” Lopez said.