Philippine poverty

PH upper middle income by end 2022?: Just a number – IBON

February 12, 2022

The “upper-middle income” country status that the Duterte government is hoping to achieve this year is just a number. Even if reached, this is an empty achievement amid the weakest economy and worst joblessness in decades and will just reflect the prosperity of an elite few.

On World Food Day: Widespread hunger justifies more ayuda

October 16, 2021

Hunger and food insecurity are worsening amid the ongoing pandemic crisis. More ayuda has to be immediately given to millions of poor and vulnerable families to ensure that everyone has economic access to food.

Ayuda urgently needed to mitigate worsening poverty

August 21, 2021

The government has just announced the transition from ECQ to modified ECQ so the economy can supposedly recover. But the Duterte administration’s over-reliance on destructive lockdowns without effective and substantial health and economic response, like much-needed ayuda, is what’s really worsening the crisis and pushing more Filipinos into poverty.

Almost upper-middle-income country?

July 25, 2021

The government claims that the Philippines is close to being an upper-middle-income country. Yet its use of the very low poverty threshold of only Php71 per person per day or Php10,756 per month excludes millions of Filipinos with little earnings from those counted as poor.

People’s Review of SDG 1 & 10: Regressive gov’t policies hinder poverty, inequality eradication

July 7, 2021

Concerned groups and advocates held a forum to review and discuss the Philippine government’s progress in meeting by 2030 Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 10 on eradicating extreme poverty and reducing inequality. But the SDGs will not be achieved in the country as long as the government refuses to adopt progressive policies that bring about real development and pushes neoliberal policies that benefit the few.

Inequality in a time of pandemic: perspectives and proposals from the global South

February 5, 2021

The severity of inequality has never been starker during the pandemic. We need to break the barriers of social distancing and isolation to collectively call for urgent proposals, for after all, addressing inequality will start from social solidarity.

Poverty incidence of farmers and fisherfolk

October 17, 2020

The agriculture sector’s annual growth was only at 2.1% on average in 2017-2019, and its share in the economy has reached its smallest in Philippine history at 7.8% of GDP in 2019.