Contribution of Forestry to Poverty Alleviation - APFNet
Contribution of Forestry to Poverty Alleviation - APFNet
Contribution of Forestry to Poverty Alleviation - APFNet
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and basic services like health and education. <strong>Poverty</strong> is also multidimensional and is appreciated<br />
geographically through the Human Development Index (HDI) which summarizes a composite index<br />
<strong>of</strong> life expectancy, adult literacy rate, combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrolment ratio<br />
and GDP per capita, among others. The country improved its HDI rating from 0.735 in 1995 <strong>to</strong> 0.753<br />
in 2002, or an increase <strong>of</strong> 2.4% (MTPDP 2004-2010). Among the <strong>to</strong>p five provinces with high HDI<br />
in 2000 are Bulacan (0.76), Bataan (0.746), Cavite (0.735), Rizal (0.733), and Batanes (0.717) while<br />
Sulu (0.351), Tawi-tawi (0.396), Basilan (0.425), Ifugao (0.461), and Maguindanao (0.461) are the five<br />
provinces with the least HDI.<br />
According <strong>to</strong> Virola (2009), a Filipino needed Philippine peso (PhP) 974 (US$ 21) in 2009 <strong>to</strong> meet<br />
monthly food needs or PhP 1,403 (US$ 32) per month <strong>to</strong> stay out <strong>of</strong> poverty. Thus, a family <strong>of</strong> five needed<br />
PhP 7,017 (US$ 160) monthly or PhP 84,200 (US$ 1,914) <strong>to</strong> stay out <strong>of</strong> the poverty line (exchange rate<br />
<strong>of</strong> US$1 = PhP44). Around a fifth (20.9%) <strong>of</strong> the families in the Philippines lived below this poverty<br />
threshold level in 2009, translating <strong>to</strong> around 3.9 million families.<br />
There is not much <strong>of</strong> a difference in the country’s poverty incidence in 2003, 2006, and 2009 at 20%,<br />
21.1%, and 20.9%, respectively. However, these recent estimates are lower than the 1991 statistics where<br />
the percentage poverty incidence among the families was at a high <strong>of</strong> 28.3%. Subsistence incidence<br />
also improved slightly, from 11.7% in 2006 <strong>to</strong> 10.8% in 2009, or one Filipino per 100 was lifted out<br />
<strong>of</strong> food poverty for the period (Virola 2011). Among the regions with high poverty incidence among<br />
families (with 30% and higher) in 2009 are as follows: Region V (36%), Region VII (30.2%), Region<br />
VIII (33.2%), Region IX (36.6%), Region X (32.8%, Caraga (39.8%), and ARMM (38.1%). Caraga and<br />
ARMM consistently posted the highest poverty incidence among families in 2006 and 2009.<br />
Regions with still high forest areas have a low population density and high poverty incidence. Region<br />
IV-B (Mimaropa) for example has the highest per capita forest cover (PCFC) in the country at 0.48 per<br />
ha per person but its poverty incidence is also high at 26.7% (Table IX.3). Caraga region (in northeastern<br />
Mindanao) has the highest poverty incidence at 39.8% but it has the second highest PCFC at 0.23%. On<br />
the other hand, Region IV-A (Calabarzon) has the second lowest poverty incidence and lowest PCFC<br />
(0.02%) outside <strong>of</strong> NCR (National Capital Region). Another interesting region is Eastern Samar that<br />
has the fourth highest PCFC, but ranks fifth in poverty incidence.<br />
The common denomina<strong>to</strong>rs among areas with high population and low PCFC but consequently,<br />
low poverty incidences, are urbanization, industrialization, and more employment opportunities.<br />
Nevertheless, these regions depend much on the resources and production from rural areas, particularly<br />
agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. In regions with high poverty incidence, forests constitute a significant<br />
resource that can contribute <strong>to</strong> reducing poverty if they can be harnessed effectively. The prevailing<br />
conditions in these areas like economic isolation, low or no industrialization, low levels <strong>of</strong> education,<br />
poor integration with commercial markets, and producing primary goods with little value-added are<br />
fac<strong>to</strong>rs that reinforce poverty.<br />
Table IX.3. Regional summary <strong>of</strong> population, forests and poverty incidence<br />
Region<br />
Total land<br />
area (sq km)<br />
2007<br />
Population<br />
Forest area<br />
2003 (ha)<br />
Forest per<br />
capita (ha)<br />
Philippines 308,993.59 88,574,614 7,159,280 287 0.08 20.9<br />
NCR - National Capital<br />
Region (Metro Manila)<br />
633.11 11,553,427 2,820 18,249 0.00 2.6<br />
CAR - Cordillera<br />
Administrative Region<br />
19,422.03 1,520,743 672,360 78 0.44 17.1<br />
Region I (Ilocos Region) 13,012.06 4,545,906 189,800 349 0.04 17.8<br />
Region II (Cagayan<br />
Valley)<br />
28,228.83 3,051,487 1,149,860 108 0.38 14.5<br />
Region III (Central<br />
Luzon)<br />
22,014.63 9,720,982 589,500 442 0.06 12.0<br />
Region IV-A<br />
(Calabarzon)<br />
16,873.31 11,743,110 289,660<br />
272<br />
696 0.02 10.3<br />
Region IV-B<br />
(Mimaropa)<br />
29,620.87 2,559,791 1,193,830 86 0.47 27.6<br />
Region V(Bicol) 18,155.82 5,109,798 156,490 281 0.03 36.0