The Committee on the Rights of the Child (2009) found a high number of children living below
the national poverty line, and large disparities in the level of standard of living between the
ditferent regions as well as in access to basic services. The Committee further found
widespread poverty among minorities and indigenous peoples and limited enjoyment of their
rights to social security, health and education.
Reliance on the MDG indicators to portray poverty in the country may be problematic, largely
due to changes in the formulae to measure the scale and extent of poverty in the Philippines.
The two tables below, sourced from official data, show markedly different figures, as these are
based on different formulae.
Goal 1. Eradicate bdreme Poverty and Hunger
Tarqet 1a: Reduce bv half the proportion of people living on less than one dollar a dav
Midterm
Philippine lndicators
Baseline Year
Target
Second
Report
Progress
indicated in
2015*
Report (2005)
0*
eoon
**
**
1.1 Proportion of
population below
national poverty
45.3
22.7
(1ee1)
Fourth
Progress
Report
Probability of
Meeting
(20r0)
H9:'
Medium
30.4
30.4
32.9
(2003)
(2003)
(2006)
8.0***
7.0***
7.7
(2000)
(2003)
(2006)
5.6***
5.9***
6.0
(2000)
(2003)
(2006)
threshold
1.2 Poverty gap ratio
13.0
6.5
(1e91)
1.3 Share of
quintile in
poorest
national
lncreasing
6.2
(1ee1)
Sources:
i National Statistical Coordination Board, MDG Watch as of September 2010, http://www.nscb.gov.ph/stats/mdg/mdg_watch.asp.
** National Economic and Development Authority
*** Based on the Fourth Progress Report (20'10) of the National Economic and Development Authority
**** National Statistical Coordination Board, MDG Watch as of October 2012, http://www.nscb.gov.ph/stats/mdg/mdg_watch.asp
Tr
the
Philippine lndicators
1a: Reduce bv half
Goal 1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
rortion of people living on less than one dollar a d
Baseline Year
Target
MDG
indicated in Q
201s
Watch
Probability of
Meeting Target
(2011)
'l
.1
Proportion
of
population below
national povertv threshold
'l .2 Poverty gap ratio
33.1
(1991)
16.6
8.6
4.3
1.3 Share of poorest quintile in national
6.2
(1ee1)
Source: National Statistical
Coordination
Medium
2.7
High
(2009)
(1991)
consumption
26.5
(2009)
lncreasing
6.2
(2009)
2012,
http://www.nscb. gov. ph/stats/md g/mdg_watch.asp
The
Rigltb
Eelucdion
The right to education has yet to be fully enjoyed by Filipino children. The United Nations
Committee on the Rights of the Child (2009) found a deterioration of school enrolment and
completion rates and increasing number of children who drop out of school or do not attend
school; the decline is attended by poor schooling facilities, particularly in remote barangays,
including insutficient number of classroom seats, textbooks and other schooling supplies. This
indicates a lack of equal access to education particularly by children living in poverty, children
with disabilities, working children, children in armed conflict, indigenous children, children
I