PSA: Family in Cebu earning P14,700 a month not poor

Local

A FAMILY of five in Cebu Province who has a monthly income of at least P14,757 is not considered poor.

This was revealed during the presentation of the 2023 Full-Year Official Poverty Statistics on Tuesday, December 17, by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Cebu Province.

This highlights the poverty threshold and the number of poor individuals in Cebu and its highly urbanized cities.

Engr. Leopoldo Aflanta, chief statistical specialist of PSA Central Visayas, led the discussion, noting trends over the past five years and their implications on families’ ability to meet basic needs.

Aflanta explained that in 2023, a family of five in Cebu Province needed an average of P14,757 per month to afford essential food and non-food requirements.

This threshold increased from P13,898 in 2021 and P10,761 in 2018. Similar trends were seen in Cebu’s highly urbanized cities (HUCs).

In Cebu City, families required P15,233 per month in 2023, up from P14,596 in 2021 and P10,971 in 2018.

Families in Lapu-Lapu City needed P15,200 in 2023, compared to P14,596 in 2021 and P10,950 in 2018.

In Mandaue City, the poverty threshold climbed to P14,856 in 2023, rising from P14,596 in 2021 and P11,073 in 2018,

In contrast, PSA also presented Cebu's data to regional and national figures. In Central Visayas, the poverty threshold reached P14,397 in 2023, up from P13,510 in 2021 and P10,820 in 2018.

Nationally, families needed an average of P13,873 per month in 2023 to meet basic needs. This reflected an increase from P11,998 in 2021 and P10,756 in 2018.

Alfanta addressed the possible disparity between the poverty threshold and reality, admitting that the methodology used is outdated.

He explained that components of the factors considered, including the pricing of the food bundle, are still based on 2003 data, which is two decades old.

Alfanta added that they are working to update the methodology for the next poverty statistics.(MyTVCebu)