Food and Poverty Thresholds

In the first semester of 2023, an Aklanon family of five members needed at least PhP8,541, on the average, in order to meet their family’s basic food needs for a month or at least PhP285 per day, satisfying the nutritional requirements based on the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI). This amount is referred to as the food threshold.

Moreover, no less than PhP12,226, on the average, was needed by an Aklanon family of five in order to meet both basic food and non-food needs, translating to PhP408 per day. This amount indicates the poverty threshold. These values were 8.5 percent and 8.3 percent higher than the food and poverty thresholds from the first semester of 2021, respectively.

Both food and poverty thresholds in the province of Aklan is below the regional threshold levels with PhP10,005 and PhP14,206, respectively.

Furthermore, Aklan has the lowest threshold values among the provinces of Western Visayas, in which the province of Negros Occidental posted with highest food and poverty thresholds of PhP10,238 and Php14,631 and was followed by Iloilo with food threshold of PhP9,740 and poverty threshold of Php13,969.

Poverty among Aklanon families and individuals

In the first semester 2023, poverty incidence among population or the proportion of poor Aklanons whose per capita income fall short to meet their basic food and non-food needs was estimated at 8.6 percent or 53.18 thousand Aklanons. Poverty incidence significantly dropped by -16.4 percent compared to 24.9 percent or 152.29 thousand poor Aklanons recorded in the first semester of 2021.

Meanwhile, subsistence incidence was estimated at about 1.1 percent or 6.89 thousand Aklanons whose per capita income cannot buy even their basic food needs. Subsistence incidence significantly declined by -8.1 percent compared to 9.2 percent or 56.35 thousand food poor Aklanons recorded in the first semester of 2021.

Moreover, poverty incidence among families pegged at 6.2 percent or 10.02 thousand Aklanon families, -12.2 percent lower from 18.4 incidence reported in the first semester of 2021. Also, subsistence incidence  significantly dropped to 0.9 percent or 1.5 thousand food poor Aklanon families from 6.1 percent incidence reported in the first semester of 2021.

Aklan has the lowest poverty and subsistence incidence among the six provinces in Western Visayas. In the first semester of 2023, Aklan is considered a least poor province, together with Guimaras in the region.

Income and Poverty gap

On the average, per capita income of poor families was short by 15.1 percent of the poverty threshold in the first semester of 2023. This simply means that a poor family of five will need an additional income of PhP2,220, on the average, in order to get out of poverty. This income gap went down by 33.8 percent compared to Php3,352 income gap in the first semester of 2021.

Additionally, poverty gap was estimated at 0.9 percent in the first semester of 2023, significantly decreased by -3.6 percent compared to 4.5 percent in the first semester 2021. This means that total per capita income of poor families was PhP138 less than the poverty threshold. It further resulted in the decrease in level of severity of poverty with 0.3 percent during the reference period compared to 1.6 percent in first semester 2021.

Poverty Threshold – the minimum income/expenditure required for a family/individual to meet the basic food and non-food requirements

Food Threshold - the minimum income/expenditure required for a family/individual to meet the basic food needs, which satisfies the nutritional requirements for economically necessary and
socially desirable physical activities

Poverty incidence – the proportion of families/individuals with per capita income/expenditure less than the per capita poverty threshold to the total number of families/individuals

Subsistence incidence - the proportion of families/individuals with per capita income/expenditure less than the per capita food threshold to the total number of families/individuals

Income gap – the average income shortfall, expressed in proportion to the poverty threshold, of families/individuals with income below the poverty threshold

Poverty gap - the total income/expenditure shortfall (expressed in proportion to the poverty threshold) of families/individuals with income/expenditure below the poverty threshold, divided by the total number of families/individuals

Severity of poverty - the total of the squared income/expenditure shortfall (expressed in proportion to the poverty threshold) of families/ individuals with income/expenditure below the poverty threshold, divided by the total number of families/ individuals. This poverty measure is sensitive to income distribution among the poor.

Note:
p - This is based on the preliminary results of the First Visit of the 2023 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES

ANTONET B. CATUBUAN
Chief Statistical Specialist