The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is set to revisit and will likely adjust the methodology used in deriving the food threshold for poverty, as the agency also admitted the current level is deemed “insufficient.”
Claire Dennis Mapa, national statistician and PSA undersecretary, said in a press conference in Quezon City yesterday the food menu, or the basis for the food threshold of P9,581 for a family of five or roughly P64 per person per day, is subject for review.
“The PSA is always updating its methodology, and this was already supposed to be up for revision in 2021, but it (did not push through) due to the pandemic because we had a different consumption pattern from the other years,” Mapa said.
“We are revisiting because we know that the consumption pattern of families in the country changed, so we are capturing that,” he added.
The food menu indicates the national food bundle sample is derived based on standard energy and nutrient requirements.
Mapa said when the food and poverty threshold are set, these are based on the minimum basic needs.
For example, the cost of the food indicated in the reference menu is not comparable to the prices set by eateries, as it is based on the cost of raw food materials, with the meals personally prepared at home.
“As I said, it is most likely insufficient. But that is how the threshold is computed. The idea basically is this methodology has been consistent since 2003. And the idea is to show the progress that we’re making as a nation in terms of reducing the number of families and individuals from that threshold,” Mapa said.
Mapa said seven sample food menus are now being considered for review by the PSA together with scientists and nutritionists from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
The PSA will also review the food and non-food ratio to take into consideration the changing consumption habits of Filipinos.
Meanwhile, the PSA also reported yesterday that 11 out of 18 regions recorded significant decreases in poverty incidence in 2023.
Caraga showed the most notable improvement with a poverty incidence among families of 14.9 percent in 2023, a decrease of 11 percentage points from its poverty incidence of 25.9 percent in 2021.
Among the regions, nine had poverty thresholds higher than the national average. This was led by Central Luzon with a poverty threshold of P16,046, followed by the National Capital Region (NCR) at P15,713 and Calabarzon at P15,457.
NCR remained the least poor among the regions, with a poverty incidence among families estimated at 1.1 percent in 2023.
In contrast, Zamboanga Peninsula recorded the highest poverty incidence among families at 24.2 percent for the same year, followed by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at 23.5 percent and Negros Island Region at 22.6 percent. Angela Celis
