Poverty in the Philippines

Poverty in the Philippines is a major obstacle to the success of future generations of the Filipino. But we can break the Philippine poverty cycle and reduce unemployment in the Philippines.

Because it poses such a significant threat to political stability, poverty in the Philippines is a very serious problem.

Munyan Children and I (Mindoro)

It is mainly a rural problem, and tends to be worse in the southern Philippine islands of Visayas and into Mindanao.  However, Luzon and the northern islands have a considerable number of Filipino people living below the poverty line.

In fact, almost a third of all of the population of the Philippines lives below the poverty threshold, which is a number inconceivable to most people in America and western Europe.

According to the most recent data collected by international sources concerning poverty in the Philippines, 44% of the population survives on less that $2 US per day!

I know many people will say, “Yeah, but everything costs so much less over there”, but, in my experience, the cost of most necessary items in the Philippines seem to be about one quarter to one third of comparable prices in the U.S. Many luxury items, like electronics, are priced about the same as in the U.S.

Do the math, and you’ll quickly see the seriousness of the situation. Could your family live on less than $3,000 per year in the U.S.? Now, that would be poverty!

The fact of the matter is that the average Philippine family spends almost half of its income solely on unprepared food items. On average, American families spend less than 10%.


In addition to the poverty caused by natural disasters and the continuing conflict in Mindanao, poor agricultural productivity, high Filipino population growth, minimal social services, and lack of significant investment continue to weigh heavily on the Philippine people living in rural areas.

An additional and related result of these problems is a rate of high unemployment in the Philippines.

Poverty in the Philippines is a crisis.

The poverty threshold itself weighs in at around $1.70 per day, or about $600 per year. Approximately 33% of the population lives below this poverty line. In addition, despite advances in sanitation, nearly 20% of the population still does not have access to clean and safe drinking water.

Approximately the same number of people do not have electricity. Amazingly, there is still a vast number (>14%) who do not have the “luxury” of a sanitary toilet, but instead use a latrine or the nearest bush.

A boy in Banaue

What about nutrition itself? The primary cause of malnutrition is related to the poor distribution of food which certainly manifests itself in the widespread poverty and high unemployment in the Philippines.

Protein and fat sources are much more difficult to find among the poor, with the primary staple being rice.

Rice is high in carbohydrates, but is a starch which turns to sugar when ingested.

This is a main factor in the spread of diabetes among the Philippine people, which is devastating to the poor who already have inadequate access to medical help.

It is not all bad news, however. As the Lord continues to raise up those who understand the causes of poverty in the Philippines – and the resources to respond – the situation is improving with each passing decade.

Filipinos are a people of hope, work ethic, and resourcefulness, and the onslaught of poverty will slowly begin to be repelled and the victory won.

Together we can all work to break the cycle of poverty in the Philippines and give these children a chance to live productive and happy lives.



http://www.poverty-in-the-philippines.com/2010/05/poverty-in-philippines-philippine.html