Poverty Threshold and Poverty Incidence Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold (in Pesos) 13,348 16,841 Poverty Incidence of Families (%) 21.1 20.9 Poverty Incidence of Population (%) 26.4 26.5 Food Threshold and Subsistence Incidence Annual Per Capita Food Threshold (in Pesos) 9,257 11,686 Subsistence Incidence of Families (%) 8.7 7.9 Subsistence Incidence of Population (%) 11.7 10.8
Source: National Statistical Coordination Board
Indicators and Metadata (Updated 15 February 2012) I. MONETARY-BASED (INCOME/EXPENDITURE) INDICATORS A. Official Statistics A.1 FAMILY INCOME AND EXPENDITURE SURVEY - National Statistics Office (NSO) A.2 OFFICIAL POVERTY STATISTICS - National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) B. OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY POVERTY INDICATORS B1. City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates - NSCB B2. National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTSPR) - Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) B3. Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) - Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
II. NON-MONETARY-BASED INDICATORS HEALTH AND NUTRITION A. Official Statistics A1. National Demographic and Health Survey - NSO A2. Field Health Information System - Department of Health (DOH) A3. National Nutrition Survey (NNS) - Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) B. OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY POVERTY INDICATORS B1. Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS)- Department of interior and Local Government (DILG) B2. National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTSPR) - Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
EDUCATION A. OFFICIAL STATISTICS A1. Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) - NSO A2. Basic Education Information System (BEIS) - DepEd A3. Higher Education Information System - CHED A4. Technical Education and Skills Devt. Authority A5. Annual Poverty Indicator Survey (APIS) - NSO A6. Census of Population and Housing (CPH) - NSO B. OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY POVERTY INDICATORS B1. National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTSPR) B2. Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS)
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT A. OFFICIAL STATISTICS A1. Labor Force Survey (LFS) - NSO A2. Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) - DepEd A3. Survey on Overseas Filipinos (SOF) - CHED A4. Census on Population and Housing (CPH) A5. Occupational Wages Survey (OWS) - NSO A6. Survey on Children - NSO B. OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY POVERTY INDICATORS B1. National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTSPR) B2. Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS)
SHELTER A. OFFICIAL STATISTICS A1. Census of Popuplation and Housing (CPH) A2. Annual Poverty Indicator Survey (APIS) B. OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY POVERTY INDICATORS B1. Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) B2. National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTSPR) B3. Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS)
PEACE AND ORDER A. OFFICIAL STATISTICS A1. Philippine National Police (PNP) B. OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY POVERTY INDICATORS B1. National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTSPR) B2. Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS)
ENVIRONMENT A. OFFICIAL STATISTICS A1. Annual Poverty Indicator Survey (APIS) A2. Census of Population and Housing (CPH) B. OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY POVERTY INDICATORS B1. National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTSPR) B2. Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS)
GOVERNANCE A. OFFICIAL STATISTICS A1. Annual Poverty Indicator Survey (APIS) B2. Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS)
A. On the Official Poverty Statistics In 2009, what is the minimum income needed by a 5-member family so as not to be considered poor? For 2009 1 , Filipino families consisting of five members should be earning on the average a combined monthly income of PhP 7,017 in order to meet their most basic food and non-food needs for this year. On the other hand, a sole breadwinner in a five-member family residing at the National Capital Region (NCR) is expected to find a difficult task in bringing the entire family above the poverty line if he/she earns less than PhP 317 per day. How many are poor in the country? Latest statistics released by the NSCB on 8 February 2011 indicate that the poverty incidence among families in 2009 stood at 20.9%, which was a slight reduction from 2006 at 21.1%. Annual per capita poverty threshold for the Philippines in 2009 stood at Php16,841. In terms of magnitude of poor families, there was an increase of about 185,000 poor families from 3.67 million in 2006 to 3.86 million in 2009. In terms of population, the poverty incidence had a slight increase from 26.4% in 2006 to 26.5 in 2009. The magnitude of poor population increased by almost 970,000 Filipinos from 22.2 million in 2006 to 23.1 million in 2009 by 4.4%. Which are the poorest provinces? The bottom cluster of provinces or the poorest provinces in 2009 in terms of poverty incidence among families are the following: Province Poverty Incidence among Families Estimate (%) 90% Confidence Interval Lower Limit Upper Limit Agusan del Sur 51.2 43.5 58.9 Bohol 41.0 33.6 48.4 Camarines Sur 38.7 33.8 43.6 Davao Oriental 42.5 36.4 48.6 Eastern Samar 45.8 37.6 54.1 Lanao del Norte 39.0 31.9 46.1 Maguindanao 44.6 37.7 51.6 Masbate 42.5 36.6 48.3 Northern Samar 41.7 32.4 51.0 Romblon 43.0 36.3 49.8 Saranggani 40.7 34.0 47.3 Surigao del Norte 47.9 43.1 52.8 Zamboanga del Norte 52.9 46.0 59.8 Zamboanga Sibugay 43.2 35.4 50.9 Source: National Statistical Coordination Board Six of these provinces were included in the bottom cluster of provinces in 2003 and 2009. The bottom cluster refers to provinces with poverty incidences that are relatively high in comparison with the other provinces. The complete set of the clustering of provinces based on the poverty incidence among families is available in the NSCB website through the following link:http://www.nscb.gov.ph /poverty/2009/table_15.asp. How do we estimate the countrys poor? In accordance with NSCB Resolution No. 9, Series of 2011, Approving the Refinements in the Official Poverty Estimation Methodology, estimation of poverty starts with the computation of the food threshold, which is determined by using provincial food bundles costed using provincial prices. The one-day provincial food bundles were developed based on an indicative nationally representative food bundle formulated by nutritionists from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) and were subjected to the Test of Revealed Preferences such that the food bundle of a province will be the cheapest in comparison with the bundles of other provinces. It has the following characteristics: Nutritionally adequate, that is, it satisfies the 100% Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes (RENI) for energy and protein and 80% RENI for vitamins and minerals. Food items in the food bundle are locally available and low cost Least cost 2
Visualizable; and Edible The cost of each provincial food bundle is estimated using the actual prices collected by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) for agricultural commodities and the National Statistics Office (NSO) for non-agricultural food items. This is then multiplied by 30.4 (the average number of days per month) and 12 months to come up with the Annual Per Capita Food Threshold. After the computation of the provincial food threshold (urban-rural), the estimation of the poverty threshold to include the additional income required for the sustenance of the minimum non-food basic needs follows. Non-food basic needs include the following: food; clothing and footwear; fuel; light and water; housing maintenance and other minor repairs; rental or occupied dwelling units; medical care; education; transportation and communications; non-durable furnishing; household operations; and personal care and effects. Hence, to compute for the poverty threshold, the food threshold is divided by the ratio of the food expenditures (FE) to total basic expenditures (TBE). This proportion is generated using the average of the nationally determined FE/TBE ratio of families near the food threshold in the 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009 FIES. This shall be used for 12 years starting 2009 to ensure consistency across space and over time for at least two administrations. The resulting estimate is the Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold. Why are the latest available poverty incidences for 2009? Official estimates of poverty incidence, which is the proportion of families/individuals with per capita income less than the per capita poverty threshold to the total number of families/individuals, are released every three years. This is due to the triennial conduct of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) by the National Statistics Office (NSO), which is the primary source of income and expenditure data of households used for poverty estimation. Which are the poorest municipalities/cities in the country? Based on the 2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates, which is a Project implemented by the NSCB with funding assistance from the World Bank, the top 10 poorest municipalities/cities in 2003 are: Siayan, Bacungan and Godod in Zamboanga del Norte, Tanudan in Kalinga, Sominot, Midsalip and Lapuyan in Zamboanga del Sur, Tangkal in Lanao del Norte, Bagulin in La Union, and Jose Abad Santos in Davao del Sur. The complete set of city and municipal level poverty estimates is available at the NSCB website:http://www.nscb.gov.ph/poverty/sae/2003%20SAE%20of%20poverty%20 (Full%20Report).pdf. What are the basic sectors in the country? Why are the poverty statistics available only for the eight sectors? Based on Republic Act (RA) 8425, or the Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act, it was declared that the State should adopt an area-based sectoral and focused intervention to poverty alleviation. Section 3 of RA 8425 defined the basic sectors as the disadvantaged sectors of the Philippine society, namely: farmer-peasant; artisanal fisherfolk; workers in the formal sector and migrant workers; workers in the informal sector; indigenous peoples and cultural communities; women; differently-abled persons; senior citizens; victims of calamities and disasters; youth and students; children; urban poor; cooperatives; and non-government organization. In 2004, the NSCB, in an attempt to further serve the needs of planners and policy-makers both at the national and local levels, embarked on a project on the Development of Poverty Statistics for the Basic Sectors with funding assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and in collaboration with the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC). Based on the findings/recommendations of the Project, poverty statistics can only be obtained in the following sectors: farmers; fishermen; workers in the formal sector and migrant workers; women; senior citizens; youth; children; and population living in urban areas. Poverty statistics for the remaining six sectors were not generated due to data constraints from existing censuses and surveys. What are the poorest sectors in the country? In 2006, fishermen, farmers and children comprised the poorest three sectors with poverty incidences among population of 41.4%, 37.2%, and 34.8%, respectively. All the eight basic sectors posted increases in poverty incidence between 2003 and 2006. Sector Poverty Incidence among population (%) 2003 2006 Fishermen 35.0 41.4 Farmers 37.0 37.2 Children 32.7 34.8 Women 24.0 25.1 Youth 19.0 20.8 Senior Citizens 15.1 16.2 Workers in the formal sector and migrant workers 14.6 15.7 Urban Population 11.1 12.5 Source: National Statistical Coordination Board These estimates are based on the refined methodology which was approved in February 2011. The 2009 Official Poverty Statistics for the Basic Sectors will be released in October 2011.
B. On the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (Question Nos. 1-7 were lifted directly from the FAQ of the NHTS-PR from the DSWD website - http://nhts.dswd.gov.ph/index.php/faqs) What is the NHTS-PR? The NHTSPR is a data management system that identifies who and where the poor are in the country. The system makes available to the public a database of poor households as reference in identifying beneficiaries of social protection programs. Why do we need a targeting system instead of just giving goods or money indiscriminately? Our resources are limited. Thus, we need a targeting system in order for the government to equitably distribute its resources and services to the poor. With the system, the issue of the leakage (of non poor being included) and deprivation (poor being excluded as beneficiaries) of social services will be addressed. A recent study cited by the World Bank revealed that poorly targeted social services result in the exclusions of the poor from necessary social services and the waste of resources on those who are not actually poor. Thus, spending P1B- 2B wisely on an objective targeting system is better than wasting P20-30B on a poorly targeted rice subsidy program for an example. When do we conduct the targeting? Assuming that the 2009 budget is approved and money for the targeting system is released, the database shall be available within one year after release of funds. Where do we administer the targeting system (household assessment)? We will be initially administering the targeting system in the 20 poorest provinces, municipalities with 60% and above poverty incidence, and in highly urbanized cities with large pockets of poverty. An estimated 2.6M households shall be surveyed and assessed in these areas. Who are involved in the targeting system? The NHTS-PR is led by the DSWD through a Program Management Office with a National Technical Advisory Group composed of the National Statistics Office (NSO), National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), and the academe. How do we administer the targeting system? The targeting system uses a paper and a pencil approach for its data gathering. After data gathering, the data will then be encoded into a computer system. A statistical formula calculates the households approximate income using proxy socio-economic variables that would predict household income and allow for objective ranking and classification of households into non-poor, poor and food poor. How much budget is allocated to the National Household Targeting System? The Department of Budget and Management has already approved a P1B budget for its nationwide implementation for this year. However, the total budgetary requirement for a complete nationwide targeting system is P1.7B. When to use the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)? The NHTS-PR aims to collect data from all households in the municipalities/provinces identified as the poorest to determine prospective beneficiaries of nationwide social protection programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Social Pension, and Rice Subsidy for the Poor Farmers and Fisherfolks.
C. On the Community-Based Monitoring System (Lifted directly from the FAQ of the CBMS - http://cbmsphilippines.webs.com/apps/faq/) What is CBMS? The Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) is an organized process of data collection and processing at the local level and of integration of data in local planning, program implementation and impact-monitoring. It is a system that promotes evidence-based policymaking and program implementation while empowering communities to participate in the process. It was developed in the early 1990s under the Micro Impacts of Macroeconomic Adjustment Policies (MIMAP) Project-Philippines to provide policymakers and program implementers with a good information base for tracking the impacts of macroeconomic reforms and various policy shocks. Currently, coordination on CBMS work is being handled by the CBMS Network Coordinating Team. What is the rationale for CBMS? Standard poverty monitoring systems (PMS) in the Philippines generally rely on surveys such as Income-Expenditure surveys, Health surveys, Censuses, etc. However these national censuses and surveys: Are too costly to be replicated frequently; Are conducted at different time periods making it impossible to get a comprehensive profile of the different socio-demographic groups of interest at a specific point in time; and Have sampling designs that do not usually correspond to the geographical disaggregation needed by local governments. In addition, the implementation of decentralization policy, which devolves the delivery of basic services to local governments, creates greater demand for data at thelocal level. CBMS seeks to address the existing data gaps at the local level for diagnosing extent of poverty at the local level in determining the causes of poverty, formulating appropriate policies and program, identifying eligible beneficiaries and assessing impact of policies and programs. It also supports the decentralization process by capacitating LGUs to collect, analyze and use data in local planning and program implementation. What are the key features of CBMS? The CBMS has several features that enhance the capacity of local governments in detecting and reducing poverty: (a) LGU-based while promoting community participation; (b) taps existing LGU personnel and community volunteers as monitors; (c) has a core set of indicators; (d) involves complete enumeration of all households; and (e) establish databanks at all geopolitical levels. How is CBMS being implemented? Once a local government unit decides to adopt the CBMS, a number of activities are needed to be carried out. Technical assistance is being provided for free by the CBMS Team and its partner agencies. These include provision of technical support in the conduct of training workshops on data collection, computerized data processing, data validation and preparation of socioeconomic profiles and development plans using CBMS data. Computerized processing system softwares, such as the CBMS Encoding System, Statistics Simulator and the CBMS-NRDB, are also being provided for free to partner LGUs. What kind of statistics/data that the CBMS can generate? Although the CBMS can generate a wide range of LGU-specific indicators, at the very minimum there are 14 core indicators that are being measured to determine the welfare status of the population. These indicators capture the multidimensional aspects of poverty and have been confined to output and impact indicators. Other information that can also be generated from the CBMS are the following: migration, community/political participation and access to programs, among others. All household level data from the CBMS can be disaggregated by purok, barangay and municipality/city while all individual level data can be disaggregated by sex. What are the uses of CBMS data? CBMS has a number of potential concrete uses particularly in the areas of local governance and poverty monitoring. Specifically, data gathered from CBMS can: Build the capacities of LGUs and communities CBMS can be used to further nourish if not build the capacities of local government units as well as members of communities in addressing the needs of their respective localities by maximizing the use of their existing resources. Facilitate resource allocation One the most common dilemmas among local chief executives is how to efficiently and effectively use and manage the meager financial resources of the local government unit given the many competing projects and programs that need to be delivered in their localities. CBMS tries to address this issue by providing the necessary information that would reveal to decision makers an up- to-date development situation of communities in terms of core areas of welfare. Enrich existing databases CBMS can complement existing databases by providing a regular source of information on socioeconomic attributes of communities to further enrich the contents and usefulness of existing databases. A number of local government units were able to get funding support from international organizations in the past for setting up databanks containing information on children, environment and the like. CBMS can help enrich these databases by providing a complete set of household, barangay, municipal/city and provincial level information. Serve as inputs for preparation of development profiles CBMS data also provide vital baseline information for the preparation of barangay, municipal/city, and provincial socioeconomic profiles, annual investment plans, land use plans, infrastructure project proposals, and other related development reports. Aid the design, targeting and impact monitoring of social services and development programs CBMS provides disaggregated information that reveal the communitys needs based on the CBMS household survey and corresponding explanations for such deficiencies as gathered during the validation forum and supplemented by information gathered from the barangay profile questionnaire. Serve as inputs in poverty mapping CBMS, through poverty mapping, aids in identifying the location of municipalities, cities, barangays and even households which are in dire need of basic services. It has also been found that the local policymakers and the communities understanding of the poverty situation in their localities was greatly facilitated by the use of maps. Can be used as a tool in localizingthe MDGs CBMS can be used as a tool in monitoring the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the local level. Through CBMS, indicators of the MDGs can be generated providing LGUs with critical information needed in the attainment of the MDGs. How many LGUs in the country are currently implementing CBMS? As of August 31, 2010, 60 provinces, 32 of which is province wide, 698 municipalities and 45 cities, covering a total of 18,269 barangays have already joined the CBMS bandwagon and are at varying stages in implementing the CBMS. The costs of implementation have been borne largely by the local government units, indicating that they see the usefulness of the system. This bodes well for the sustainability of the system. In some cases, NGOs, donor agencies and other stakeholders have contributed to the implementation. What is the level of government support for CBMS? Memorandum circulars and policy issuances have been prepared by key national government agencies supporting the use of CBMS: DILG Memorandum Circular 2001-105 Issued in August 2001, the circular enjoins all local chief executives to undertake local programs on poverty reduction and economic transformation and emphasized the need to designate Local Poverty Reduction Action Officers (LPRAOs) and to formulate a Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan (LPRAP). NAPC En Banc Resolution No. 7 Issued in March 2003, the resolution directs LGUs to adopt the 13 core local poverty indicators as the minimum set of community-based information for poverty diagnosis and planning at the local levels and integrate such information in their local poverty monitoring system and local level action plans and program. DILG Memorandum Circular 2003-92 Issued in April 2003, it provides policy guidelines for the adoption of the 13 core local poverty indicators for planning. The guidelines shall aid the LGUs in assessing and understanding poverty and its dimensions at the barangays, municipalities, cities and provinces with the end view of formulating an LPRAP and implementing the plans and programs to reduce poverty. DILG Memorandum Circular 2004-152 Issued in November 2004, the circular encourages LGUs to intensify efforts in implementing programs, projects and activities towards the achievement of the millennium development goals (MDGs). NSCB Resolution No. 6, Series of 2005 Issued in January 24, 2005, the resolution recognizes and enjoins support to the community-based monitoring system as a tool to strengthen the statistical system at the local level. It resolved further that the NSCB Technical Staff should initiate and coordinate an advocacy program for the adoption of the CBMS by the LGUs, through the RSCCs, the technical arm of the NSCB Executive Board in the regions.
LMP Memorandum Circular 027-2006 Issued in June2006, enjoining all CBMS-implementing municipalities to adopt/sustain the adoption of the CBMS as a tool for local poverty diagnosis and ensure the incorporation of the MDG targets and utilization of CBMS data in the formulation of local development plans. SDC Resolution No. 3, Series of 2006 Issued on July 19, 2006, the resolution adopts the CBMS as the prescribed monitoring tool for the generation of the Core Local Poverty Indicator Database. It further enjoined the NAPC, DILG, other government agencies and LGUs to coordinate with the CBMS Network Coordinating Team towards the fast-tracking and full implementation of the CBMS. Partnerships The CBMS Network Coordinating Team have partnered with a number of agencies to scale up the implementation of the CBMS. Department of the Interior and Local Government lead agency in providing capacity building to local government units and other government agencies. Trainings on the CBMS Modules have been provided to selected staff of Bureau of Local Government Development and to some of their regional offices. National Anti-Poverty Commission have been active in advocating CBMS especially in Mindanao. Selected staff have also been trained on the CBMS Modules. League of Municipalities of the Philippines lead advocates of the CBMS in the municipalities. National Economic and Development Authority in particular Region IVA has collaborated with the CBMS Team for the implementation of CBMS in sites in the CALABARZON area, specifically in selected sites in Quezon. NGOs such as the Social Watch. The Dawn Foundation and Kagabay are also actively advocating for the implementation of CBMS in their sites. On the other hand, Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) has been providing resources to finance poverty interventions identified through the CBMS. Donor agencies Development partners, e.g., UNDP, World Bank, UNFPA and UNIFEM, have also been actively supporting the implementation of CBMS. The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation also supports the CBMS implementation in specific sites in Region V. Other Relevant Information What are the sources of differences between the 5.2 million poor families identified by the NHTS-PR and the 3.9 million poor families from the Official Poverty Statistics? On the reference year of the income data The income data used by the NSCB in generating the Official Poverty Statistics for 2009 is based on the 2009 FIES, while the income data in the NHTS-PR was indirectly estimated based on modeling technique using non-income variables collected by the DSWD in 2009-2010. On the poverty thresholds used As the Official Poverty Statistics being estimated is for 2009, the methodology used the 2009 official poverty thresholds based on the refined poverty estimation methodology approved in February 2011. On the other hand, NHTS- PR used the 2006 official poverty thresholds, which was the latest data available when the NHTS-PR started in 2008, based on the old poverty estimation methodology approved in January 2003. On the methodology used The Official Poverty Statistics directly estimated the annual per capita income collected from the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES), which is compared with the official provincial poverty thresholds. On the other hand, NHTS-PR employed the proxy means test (PMT), a statistical tool wherein a model is developed to determine the poverty status of households without using reported income as reference. The PMT was developed based on the 2003 FIES and Labor Force Survey (LFS). Income of the household is first estimated using non-income variables found to be significantly correlated to income. This is then compared with the official provincial poverty thresholds released by NSCB. On the income data used The Official Poverty Statistics used income data collected from a battery of questions on actual income in the 2009 FIES. The questions include: Primary Income Salaries and wages from employment Commissions, tips, bonuses, family and clothing allowance, transportation and representation allowance and honoraria Other forms of compensation and net receipts derived from the operation of family operated enterprises/activities and the practice of a profession or trade Income from other sources Imputed rental values of owner-occupied dwelling units Interest Rentals including landowners share of agricultural products Pensions, royalties and dividends from investments Gifts, support in any form (physical, material and financial) and the value of food and non-food items received as gifts by the family (as well as the imputed value of services rendered free of charge to the family) Cash received out of salaries/wages and other sources of income of a family member who is a contract worker abroad and also cash receipts sent by a family member/relative of the household with a status of residency abroad other than that of a contract worker Receipts from family sustenance activities, which are not considered as family operated enterprise The NHTS-PR estimates income based on non-income variables using the Proxy Means Test (PMT), which was developed based on the 2003 FIES-LFS. Non- income variables collected in NHTS-PR include: Household composition; Education of the household member; Occupation; Housing conditions; Access to basic services; Ownership of assets; Tenure status of housing; and Regional dummy variables pertaining to poverty thresholds per region based on 2003 FIES. ________________ 1 Why the latest poverty statistics is for 2009 will be discussed in Question #5. 2 Provincial food bundle passed the Test of Revealed Preference