Poverty rate drops in Calabarzon 

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) 4A (Calabarzon) announced on Friday the decrease of poverty incidence in the region, according to a report by Philippine News Agency.

In a presentation of the 2023 Full Year Official Poverty Statistics held Friday at Hotel Marciano here, Charity O. Bautista, Officer-in-Charge of the Statistical Operations and Coordination Division, said in 2023, the poverty rate stood at 7.9 percent, meaning 79 out of every 1,000 residents were considered poor.

This, she noted, showed a reduction from 10.2 percent (or 102 out of 1,000 residents) in 2021.

It was highlighted that the total number of poor individuals in the region dropped by 331,310, from 1,676,350 in 2021 to 1,345,040 in 2023.

Among the provinces, Quezon reported the highest poverty incidence at 10.2 percent; followed by Rizal at 8.5 percent; Laguna at 7.9 percent; Batangas at 7.6 percent; and Cavite at 6.7 percent.

Looking at the poverty incidence and magnitude of poor families, the rate was estimated at 5.1 percent in 2018, which increased to 7.2 percent in 2021, and then declined to 5.3 percent in 2023. This means that about 53 out of every 1,000 families in the region lacked sufficient income to meet basic food and non-food needs.

In terms of numbers, the region had 226,670 poor families in 2023, a decrease of almost 69,000 from 295,640 in 2021.

Laguna province has the largest share of poor families at 24 percent; followed by Cavite at 22 percent; Rizal at 19.4 percent; Batangas at 17.4 percent; and Quezon at 17.2 percent.

For a household of five, the minimum monthly income required to cover basic food and non-food needs, known as the Poverty Threshold, is PHP15,457.

Among the provinces, Cavite has the highest threshold at PHP17,399; followed by Rizal at PHP16,273; Laguna at PHP16,038; Batangas at PHP14,742; and Quezon at PHP12,108.

Notably, the average poverty threshold in 2023 rose by 19.4 percent compared to 2021 and increased by approximately 32.8 percent compared to the pre-pandemic level of PHP11,673.

“The records reflect a decline in poverty incidence in the region post-pandemic. With more job opportunities available, we can anticipate further reductions as individuals gain the capacity to meet their basic needs,” PSA-4A Regional Director Charito C. Armonia said.