Monday, February 23, 2026

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)
Bohol’s 2.2 % January
Inflation, lowest in CV

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—Although the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) noted an increase in the over-all inflation rate in Bohol for January 2026 as against its December 2025 rate, the province still keeps the lowest inflation rate, even among the highly urbanized cities in Central Visayas.

This too, as Central Visayas posted the highest inflation rate in the country at 5.6 percent in January 2026, surpassing the national rate of 2.0 percent for the same month.

The Philippine Statistics Authority in Bohol, in its data dissemination report Monday, showed the latest data, noting that the January inflation rate in Bohol rate rose from 0.2 percent in December 2025 to 2.2 percent.

PSA Bohol Chief Supervising Statistician Jessamyne Anne Alcazaren said that the main sources of the acceleration of the beginning month’s inflation is transport which eats up 55.1 percent of the pie.

Passenger transport by sea and inland waterways shot up unpredictably from -36.4 percent in December 2025 to 58.6 in January, while motorcycles added with 0.0 percent in December to 0.2 in January.

Meanwhile, food and non-alcoholic beverages, which eats up 29.6 percent of the pie, grew from 0.8 percent in December to 2.3 percent this year, she pointed out.

Rice prices for example was -11.5 percent in December to -5.3 percent in January, milk and other dairy products including eggs from -1.6 percent to 3.2 percent and meat and other parts of slaughtered animals from 5.8 percent in December to 7.2 percent in January.

The third main source of inflation in Bohol is furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance which consumer 6.5 percent of the pie.

In December, inflation was pegged at 3.5 percent, which rose to 6.7 percent in January.

But the major contributors to the January inflation was food and non alcoholic beverages which recorded an over-all 2.3 provincial inflation rate.

Fish and other seafood had 9.0 percent, vegetables, tubers, plantains and cooking bananas including pulses at 17.2 percent and meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals had 7.2 percent inflation.

In Bohol, transport ranked second major inflation contributor with an overall 5.3 percent: passenger transport by sea and inland waterwats zoomed to 58.8 percent, parts and accessories for personal transport equipment at 4.2 percent and motorcycles at 0.2 percent.

Third ranked major inflation contributor for Bohol is furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance had and over all 6.7 inflation rate, with domestic and household services registering a double figure in 15.6 percent.

Bleak as this may be to Boholanos, the province stands a better ground in the region.

This as Central Visayas posted the highest inflation rate in the country at 5.6 percent in January 2026.

The national rate was 2.0 percent.

The 5.6 percent is a notable climb from December’s 3.8 percent, which again was still higher than 29. Percent as recorded in the beginning month of 2025.

Bohol’s 2.2 percent inflation pales in comparison with Cebu province rise at 7.3 percent, Lapu-Lapu City’s 7.2 percent, Cebu City’s 4.9 percent and Mandaue City’s 4.6 percent. (PIABohol)
FOOD AND TRANSPORT. PSA Chief Supervising Statistician Jessamyne Anne Alcazaren bared that the movement in the prices of transport especially in passenger transport by sea and inland waterways as well as price movement increments in food and non alcoholic beverages fueled the acceleration of provincial inflation. (PIAbohol)