The number of children living in poverty in the Philippines
continues to climb despite the country's recent economic gains.
According to
a study titled “Child Poverty in the Philippines” by state think tank
Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), there were already about
13.4 million Filipino children living in poverty in 2009.
“This number
represents 36 percent or more than one-third of all Filipino children aged
below 18. Being poor, they suffer from deprivations of food, shelter, health,
and education," said Dr. Celia Reyes, PIDS senior research fellow and lead
author of the study.
Using data
collected from national surveys and administrative records of various
government agencies, the key findings of the study demonstrate that both the
number and severity of poverty among Filipino children have been increasing
through the years.
Around 10
million of these children face at least two overlapping types of severe
deprivation in basic amenities while an estimated .75 million face at least
five kinds of deprivation simultaneously.
During the
same year, there were around 4 million children who did not have access to
sanitary toilet facilities while 4 million did not have access to safe water.
Another 260,000 kids did not have decent shelter.
“There were
1.4 million children living in informal settlements, 6.5 million did not have
access to electricity in their homes, and 3.4 million did not have means to
access information,” Ms. Reyes said.
In terms of
education, the key issues are low cohort survival and poor level of
achievement. In the last ten years, the percentage of students who were able to
complete elementary and secondary levels have hardly improved.
“Largely
because of poverty, 5.5 million children are forced to work in 2011 to augment
family income. These children are unable to pursue their education and this
affects their ability to find better work opportunities in the future,” the
study noted.
Poverty in
the country is largely a rural phenomenon. The study estimates that three out
of four children from income poor families are living in the rural areas. At
the same time, eight of 10 who are severely deprived of safe water and sanitary
toilet are found in the rural areas.
Zamboanga
Peninsula, Eastern Visayas, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
were identified by the study as the regions where the condition of children is
dismal in many aspects and therefore should be prioritized in interventions.
“The updated
Philippine Development Plan recognizes the need to have spatial focus to
address the specific needs of provinces and has identified priority provinces.
A more targeted approach will hopefully address the varying needs of children
across the provinces,” Ms. Reyes stated.
Population
growth, the lack of inclusivity of economic growth, and the exposure of the
country to natural calamities, are expected to worsen child poverty within the
next few years.
“In the
Philippines, despite the country's recent economic progress, poverty continues
to affect millions of families with young children. This is visible in the
number of young ones who wander the streets in urban areas, scavenge for
resources, or those who, at an early age, are forced to drop out of school to
work to supplement their family income,” Reyes explained.
According to
the study, the problem goes beyond mere lack of income or assets for these
children's families. Their situation speaks of a roster of factors that range
from lack of appropriate skills to inability to control fertility intertwined
with lack of job opportunities and other economic problems. (PIDS)
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