By Manny Pinol
North Cotabato, which in 2006 was lifted out of the ignominious club of the 10 Provinces with the highest number of poor families, once again fell back to being one of the poorest areas with 43.9 percent of its people earning less than P14,000 a year.
The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the government agency monitoring social, economic and political indicators in the country, reported that North Cotabato is the second poorest in Region XII behind Saranggani.
The latest statistics reported by NSCB confirmed what people in the province have been experiencing – tougher life as job opportunities have become scarce and prices of farm commodities, especially rubber have plummeted.
In 1998, the poverty incidence per family in North Cotabato was at 52% but this drastically went down to 29.3 in 2006 following the implementation of massive livelihood and jobs programs by the provincial government.
Added to that, the prices of farm commodities, especially rubber, went up to unprecedented levels. Rubber cuplumps were priced at over P90 per kilo.
In 2006, the poverty incidence per family went down further to only 24.4.
In its 2012 statistics, however, NSCB reported that North Cotabato’s poverty incidence went up to 43.9% and this is expected to worsen as the prices of farm commodities have fallen to very low levels.
Here are the statistical figures released by the NSCB:
First Semester Per Capita Poverty Threshold
and Poverty Incidence among Families, by Region and Province:
2006, 2009 and 2012
2006, 2009 2012
PHILIPPINES 6,703 8,448 9,385 23.4 22.9 22.3
2006 2009 2012
North Cotabato 5,963 7,321 8,969 29.3 24.4 43.9
Saranggani 6,422 7,890 9,303 40.8 45.4 46.5
South Cotabato b/ 6,858 8,439 9,797 28.5 26.8 28.0
Sultan Kudarat 6,925 8,508 8,642 51.9 44.2 41.6
Cotabato City a/, b/ 7,459 9,172 10,168 33.6 24.5 41.5
Caraga 6,996 8,905 9,779 43.3 43.3 34.1
Agusan del Norte 6,943 8,860 9,528 37.3 33.5 32.0
Agusan del Sur b/ 7,292 9,251 9,847 45.7 51.3 38.6
Surigao Del Norte 6,980 8,881 10,122 45.3 47.7 34.6
Surigao Del Sur 6,734 8,571 9,636 45.1 43.2 31.8
ARMM 6,319 8,257 10,027 43.0 42.0 46.9
Basilan 6,347 8,191 9,541 31.2 37.4 32.5
Lanao del Sur 6,443 8,309 10,970 38.1 51.4 68.9
Maguindanao 6,241 8,048 9,530 47.7 37.6 57.8
Sulu 6,860 8,837 9,996 42.9 37.9 30.3
Tawi-tawi b/ 5,691 7,289 8,244 50.6 48.3 20.8
Source: National Statistical Coordination Board