A study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) titled "Child Poverty in the Philippines" showed that the child poverty rate in the country continues to climb despite of the country's recent economic gains.
Data showed that in 2009, around 13.4 million which is 36 percent or one-third of all children below 18 are considered income poor. There were around 4 million children who were severely deprived of sanitary toilet facilities and lacked access to safe water. Around 260,000 lacked decent shelter.
"Poverty in the country, whether in terms of income or deprivation in amenities as basic as water and sanitation, is largely a rural phenomenon. Three out of 4 income poor children are living in the rural areas. Eight (seven) of ten who are severely deprived of sanitary toilet (safe water) are found in rural areas," the study stated.
Because of poverty, children are forced to work to earn family income and stops pursuing education which affects their ability to find better work opportunities in the future. The new K-12 program posed another challenges for families to keep their children in school.
The study identified regions Zamboanga Peninsula, Eastern Visayas and Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao where the condition of children is "dismal" in many aspects.
"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,” PIDS Senior Researcher Dr. Celia Reyes said.
National surveys and administrative records of various government agencies were used to assess and conclude the key findings of the study.//
