About 1 in every 5 families in Eastern Visayas is poor

Poverty incidence among families in Eastern Visayas in 2023 was estimated at 20.3 percent. This implies that in 2023, about 1 in every 5 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 2023, poverty incidence among families in Samar was estimated at 24.9 percent; Eastern Samar at 24.7 percent; Northern Samar at 21.8 percent; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at 21.7 percent; Biliran at 8.5 percent; and Southern Leyte at 7.1 percent.

Significant improvements in poverty situation among families between 2021 and 2023 were noted in Biliran and Southern Leyte. Poverty incidence among families in Biliran dropped to 8.5 percent in 2023 from 19.9 percent in 2021. The province of Southern Leyte registered 7.1 percent poverty incidence among families in 2023, lower than the 16.0 percent in 2021 (Table 1).

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 10.6 percent in 2023.

Around 27 out of 100 individuals in Eastern Visayas are poor

Poverty incidence among population in Eastern Visayas in 2023 was estimated at 27.3 percent. This implies that in 2023, around 27 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 2023, poverty incidence among population in Eastern Samar was estimated at 33.4 percent; Samar at 32.3 percent; Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) at 29.3 percent; Northern Samar at 29.2 percent; Biliran at 13.1 percent; and Southern Leyte at 11.9 percent.

Significant improvements in poverty situation among population between 2021 and 2023 were noted in Biliran and Southern Leyte. Poverty incidence among population in Biliran dropped to 13.1 percent in 2023 from 27.2 percent in 2021. The province of Southern Leyte registered 11.9 percent poverty incidence among population in 2023, lower than the 21.5 percent in 2021 (Table 2).

Poverty incidence among population in Tacloban City in 2023 was recorded at 15.5 percent.

Poverty Threshold

The average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five in Eastern Visayas in 2023 was estimated at PhP 13,492, an increase of 20.6 percent from the 2021 level of PhP 11,187. This represents the average amount needed every month to meet the family’s basic food and non-food needs.

In 2023, the average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five in Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) was estimated at PhP 14,057; Northern Samar at PhP 13,947; Eastern Samar at PhP 13,411; Southern Leyte at PhP 13,104; Samar at PhP 12,100; and Biliran at PhP 11,989 (Figure 3).

Increases in poverty threshold between 2021 and 2023 were observed in all provinces. Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) posted the biggest increase in poverty threshold at 27.4 percent.

Meanwhile, average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five in Tacloban City was estimated at PhP 14,354 in 2023. This registered an increase of 24.1 percent compared with its level in 2021.

Clustering of Provinces based on Poverty Incidence

All provinces/HUCs in the country were grouped from 1 to 6 using poverty incidence among families as the clustering variable. Group 1 comprises the poorest provinces/HUC with poverty incidence among families greater than or equal to 50.0 percent, and group 6 comprises the provinces/HUC with poverty incidence among families greater than or equal to zero but less than 10.0 percent.

In 2023, Northern Samar moved one (1) group lower from its group category in 2021. Biliran and Southern Leyte moved one (1) group higher from its group category in 2021, while the rest of the provinces and the Highly Urbanized City of Tacloban maintained their 2021 group categories.

Biliran and Southern Leyte belonged to group category 6, while the rest of the provinces, were under the group category 4. The City of Tacloban, meanwhile, was categorized under group 5 (Table 4).

Definition of Terms

Poverty Threshold - the minimum income/expenditure required for a family/individual to meet the basic food and non-food requirements.

Notes: Basic food requirements are currently based on 100% adequacy for the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI) for protein and energy equivalent to an average of 2000 kilocalories per capita, and 80% adequacy for other nutrients. On the other hand, basic non-food requirements, indirectly estimated by obtaining the ratio of food to total basic expenditures from a reference group of families, cover expenditure on: 1) clothing and footwear; 2) housing; 3) fuel, light, water; 4) maintenance and minor repairs; 5) rental of occupied dwelling units; 6) medical care; 7) education; 8) transportation and communication; 9) non-durable furnishings; 10) household operations; and 11) personal care and effects.

Poverty Incidence - the proportion of families/individuals with per capita income/expenditure less than the per capita poverty threshold to the total number of families/individuals.

SGD. WILMA A. PERANTE  
Regional Director