25 towns, city with sub
20% poverty incidence
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—If the World Bank’s Small Area Estimation (SAE) technique in determining the city and municipal level poverty estimates were to be given weight, 25 towns and Tagbilaran City had a population poverty incidence of 20% or below in 2023.
That figure used to be only 13, in 2021, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Chief Supervising Statistical Specialist Jessamyne Anne Alcazaren shared.
The data PSA shared was from its 2023 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates which uses the Small Area Estimation (SAE) technique developed by the World Bank.
In order to produce reliable poverty estimates at the city and municipality level for 2021, the SAE methodology uses the results of the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, the merged data sets of the 2021 Family Income and Expenditure Survey, the January 2022 round of the Labor Force Survey, and the 2021 Updating of the List of Establishments, as basis, explains the PSA.
Moreover, the PSA also explored other data like the 2021 Night time Lights Data taken from the Earth Observation Group of the Colorado School of Mines, to provide an estimation on the state of economic improvement in populations.
In 2021 for example, towns which improved their poverty incidence in their population to below 20 percent are Anda (26.1 % to 19.4%), Balilihan (23.0 to 17.1%), Bilar (23.4% to 19.6%), Calape (22.2% to 18.0%), Catigbian (27.5% to 19.3%), Clarin (23.2% to 18.3%), Dimiao (22.6% to 19.2%), Duero (23.3% to 17.6%), Garcia Hernandez (22.2% to 20.0%), Guindulman (24.0% to 19.7%), Jagna (20.8% to 16.8%), Loon (21.1% to 17.4%), Sagbayan (25.0% to 18.6% and Tubigon (23.4 to 16.8%).
Other than the towns above, maintaining the poverty incidence of less than 20% of its population are Alburquerque (15.6%), Antequera (14.2%), Baclayon (11.0%), Corella (9.8%), Cortes (14.5%), Dauis (17.0%), Loay (17.6%), Loboc (15.9%), Maribojoc (11.8%), Panglao (19.9%), Sikatuna (12.1%), and Tagbilaran City (10.2%).
Based on the PSA ‘s SAE, Bohol towns with still keeps a poverty incidence of over 20% in 2023 include Alicia (20.5%), Batuan (20.7%), Buenavista (24.3%), Candijay (21.3%), Carmen (21.2%), Dagohoy (22.1%), Danao (26.5%), Inabanga (25.5%), Getafe (24.9%), Lila (24.9%), Mabini (23.5%), Pilar (23.5%), President Carlos P. Garcia (26.5%), San Isidro (20.7%), San Miguel (20.5%), Sevilla (21.4%), Sierra Bullones ((24.1%0, Talibon (22.6%), Trinidad (22.9%), Ubay (21.6%), Valencia (24.1% and Bien Unido (24.8%).
In 2018 SAE, there were already 19 towns which achieved below 20% poverty incidence in its populations, based on the PSA data.
These are Alburquerque (10.4%), Antequera (15.6%), Baclayon (11.2%), Calape (17.4%), Clarin (17.4%), Corella (10.1%), Cortes, (12.5%), Dauis (10.8%), Garcia Hernandez (17.6%), Jagna (17.9%), Lila (17.9%), Loay (10.4%), Loboc (12.8%), Loon (17.8%), Maribojoc (10.8%), Panglao (12.6%), Sikatuna (15.6%), Tagbilaran City (3.4%) and Tubigon (16.3%).
The pandemic which shut down the economy of the country in 2020, displaced thousands of workers which aggravated the situation and was considered the biggest economic setback the country ever had in decades. (PIAbohol)
FROM 13 TO 25. PSA Chief Statistical Specialist Jessamyne Anne Alcazaren shared the PSA Coties and municipalities level poverty estimates and noted that 25 LGUS are now with below 20% poverty incidence in its population, which is a huge improvement from the 13 LGUS in 2021. (PIABohol)

