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CEBU CITY — Cebu has seen a significant drop in poverty incidence in 2023, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). This decline also includes the province’s highly urbanized cities (HUCs) of Cebu City, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
The poverty rate in Cebu fell to 16.9 percent in 2023, down from 28.6 percent in 2021, leaving approximately 897,930 individuals living in poverty, a decrease from 1.47 million in 2021.
In Cebu City, the number of poor individuals dropped sharply to 75,450 from 136,530 in 2021, though it remains higher than the 64,030 recorded in 2018.
Lapu-Lapu City saw a similar reduction, with its poor population falling from 69,860 in 2021 to 42,130 in 2023. Mandaue City reported a decrease from 59,680 poor residents in 2021 to 29,090 in 2023.
Melchor Bautista, chief statistical specialist of PSA Cebu, presented these figures during a press conference on Dec. 17, highlighting the significant decline in poverty across the province.
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Additionally, the poverty threshold, the minimum monthly income required for a family of five to meet essential needs such as food, shelter, education and health care, has increased over recent years.
In 2023, the poverty threshold for Cebu, including its HUCs, rose to P14,835. This increase follows from P14,024 in 2021 and P10,798 in 2018, reflecting the rising costs of living.
Despite this improvement in poverty statistics, the number of poor families in Cebu has decreased to 157,460 in 2023, down from 292,590 in 2021. The proportion of poor families dropped to 11.7 percent in 2023, compared to 22.8 percent in 2021. However, this figure remains higher than the 11.3 percent in 2018.
Economist Fernando Fajardo expressed concern about the overall economic recovery in Cebu. He pointed out that, despite the decrease in poverty, the region’s poverty rate is still above the national average, which is 10.9 percent.
He emphasized that Cebu has yet to fully recover economically, four years after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fajardo stressed the need for government initiatives to address the root causes of poverty, particularly the lack of opportunities for families to generate adequate income.
PSA Central Visayas chief statistical specialist Leopoldo Alfanta acknowledged that the methodology for calculating the poverty threshold is outdated, still relying on food pricing data from 2003.
He added that the technical committee responsible for updating the methodology has yet to release the new framework but anticipates it will be available by 2025.
Alfanta emphasized that updating this methodology will provide more accurate data and improve policy planning for poverty alleviation.
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