THE Philippines’s poorest town in 2012, Bacolod-Kalawi in Lanao del Sur, had a poverty incidence rate of 84.8 percent, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Based on the 2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates recently released by the PSA, Bacolod-Kalawi was the poorest province in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the entire archipelago.
This was the third-highest poverty incidence rate recorded since the government adopted the small area estimates (SAE) methodology in computing poverty incidence rate for municipalities and cities nationwide in 2000. The highest poverty incidence rate recorded was in 2003 at 97.5 percent in Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte. The province again became the poorest town in 2009, with a poverty incidence rate of 79.86 percent.
In the 2012 data, Siayan posted a poverty incidence rate of 70.5 percent. While this was lower than in 2009, the town is still considered the poorest in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Meanwhile, poverty incidence in some regions showed that the poorest and least poor town in an entire region can be found in the same province.
These regions include Western Visayas where the poorest town is Salvador Benedicto, with a poverty incidence of 40.7 percent and the least poor is Bacolod City, with a poverty incidence of 3.2 percent. Both places are in Negros Occidental.
Another region with the same trend is Central Visayas, where the poorest is Ayungon, with a poverty incidence rate of 51.3 percent and the least poor is Dumaguete City, with 6.5 percent. Both places are in Negros Oriental.
The same trend was also observed in the Davao region and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City).
In the Davao Region, the poorest was Don Marcelino, with a poverty incidence rate of 73.8 percent, and the least poor is Padada, with a poverty incidence of 14.1 percent. Both places are in Davao del Sur.
In Soccsksargen, the poorest was Lake Sebu, with a poverty incidence rate of 63.5 percent, while the least poor is General Santos City, with 19.3 percent. Both places are in South Cotabato.
Yolanda corridor
DATA from the 2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates showed that the poorest town or city in the Yolanda Corridor was General McArthur in Eastern Samar, which had a poverty incidence of 53.8 percent. This was followed by Hernani in Eastern Samar and Daram in Samar, both with poverty incidence rates of 52.7 percent.
Other towns considered among the poorest in the Yolanda Corridor are Balangkayan in Eastern Samar, with a poverty incidence rate of 51.8 percent; Quinapondon in Eastern Samar with 50.9 percent; Matag-ob in Leyte with 49.6 percent; and Pastrana in Leyte with 49.5 percent.
The least poor towns or cities in the Yolanda corridor in 2012 were Kalibo in Aklan with a poverty incidence rate of 5.8 percent; Lezo in Aklan, 8.4 percent; and Tacloban, 9.8 percent.
The least poor in the Yolanda corridor in 2012 also include Banga in Aklan with a poverty incidence rate of 11.3 percent and Malay also in Aklan with 12.1 percent.
However, given that the survey period for the 2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates was conducted in July 2012 and January 2013, the impact of Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) was not yet factored in these estimates.
The impact of Yolanda in these places will be assessed in the 2015 round of the Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates.
The PSA will be conducting the 2015 round of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey and a five-year census this year.
Cai U. Ordinario