Q: What does the government mean by “poverty”?

A: In the Philippines, poverty is officially defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority as the “poverty threshold”. This is the minimum income a family needs to meet basic food and non-food needs, including shelter, clothing, education, healthcare, and transportation. The figures vary across provinces and regions due to local economic conditions. The latest figure for Catanduanes, from 2023, is ₱13,263 per month for a family of five. Families whose incomes fall below this level are considered “poor”. The PSA also defines a “food threshold”, which is the minimum income needed to meet basic nutritional requirements. This is ₱9,257 per month for a family of five. Families below this lower threshold are considered “food poor”, meaning they struggle to afford enough food, even before accounting for other necessities.

 

Q: How many families in Catanduanes are considered poor?

A: Based on the PSA’s 2023 data, 23.5 percent of families in Catanduanes Province were living below the poverty threshold. This translates to roughly 14,000 families whose incomes did not cover basic food and non-food needs. At the population level, the situation is more striking. Around 30.6 percent of individuals in the province — approximately 85,000 people — belonged to families classified as poor in 2023.

Q: Has poverty in Catanduanes gotten better or worse over time?

A: The trend over the past decade has been uneven. In 2015, Catanduanes had a relatively higher number of poor families. Poverty incidence then declined sharply by 2018, reflecting improvements in incomes and living conditions during that period.

However, progress stalled and reversed in the early 2020s. In 2021, about 16.8 percent of families were considered poor, or roughly 10,000 families. By 2023, that figure had risen again to 23.5 percent, indicating a significant increase in poverty over just two years. This reversal highlights how vulnerable the province is to economic shocks, disasters, and rising living costs.

 

Q: What about food poverty?

A: Food poverty remains a serious concern. In 2023, about 6.6 percent of families in Catanduanes had incomes below the food threshold. Among individuals, 9.3 percent were considered food poor. While food poverty affects fewer families than overall poverty, it represents a more severe condition, where households struggle to meet even their most basic nutritional needs.

 

Q: Why is poverty relatively high in Catanduanes?

A: Several factors explain the province’s poverty. First is the island’s geography: As an island province, Catanduanes faces higher transportation costs and limited access to markets, services, and employment opportunities. This raises the cost of living while constraining income growth. Second is exposure to natural disasters: Catanduanes lies in so-called “Typhoon Alley” and regularly experiences horrific winds, floods, and crop damage. These events can wipe out livelihoods overnight, especially for farming and fishing households. Third is heavy dependence on primary industries: Many families rely on agriculture, fishing, and related activities. These sectors are highly sensitive to weather conditions and price fluctuations, making incomes unstable.

Finally, low wages and little work: A lot of the employment here is informal or seasonal, offering limited job security and benefits. This makes it hard for families to depend on regular income.

 

Q: How does Catanduanes compare with the rest of the Philippines?

A: Nationally, poverty levels are much lower than in Catanduanes. In 2023, the poverty incidence among families nationwide was about 10.9 percent. In other words, roughly one in ten Filipino families across the country was considered poor. With 23.5 percent of families below the poverty threshold, Catanduanes’ poverty rate is more than double the national average.

 

Q: How does Catanduanes compare with the Bicol Region?

A: The Bicol Region has long had higher poverty rates than the national average, and Catanduanes fits this broader pattern. In 2023, the regional poverty incidence among families was about 20.3 percent. Catanduanes’ 23.5 percent places it above the regional average, though it is not the poorest province in Bicol. Sorsogon recorded higher poverty rates, while Masbate had lower rates than Catanduanes in the same year. Even so, Catanduanes remains among the poorest provinces in the region.

Q: What can be done to address poverty in Catanduanes?

A: Reducing poverty in Catanduanes requires a mix of short-term and long-term strategies. Improving infrastructure and transport links can lower costs and expand access to markets. Strengthening disaster resilience would help families recover more quickly from typhoons and floods. Expanding livelihood opportunities beyond traditional agriculture and fishing, such as tourism — while improving access to education and healthcare — would help households build more stable incomes.

Understanding the numbers behind poverty is only the first step. Turning those insights into effective policies and community-level action is what will ultimately determine whether families in Catanduanes can move sustainably above the poverty threshold.

 

 

 

 

Bryce McIntyre, PhD, resides in San Andres. He holds a doctoral degree from Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA.

ChatGPT was employed in research for this article.