The Performance of the Aquino Administration (2010-2016) Figure VII.5. Philippine Poverty Incidence, 1991-2014
Source: Balisacan 2015 Moreover, our performance in poverty reduction vis-à-vis our Asian neighbors has been weak primarily because of the “lost decade” in the 2000’s, which is characterized by low income growth and high inequality of access to employment and social development (Balisacan, 2015 p.13) This observation by Balisacan (2015) was confirmed by the alternative assessment in the 2016 UP NCPAG Public Lectures on the Aquino Administration and Presidency. Despite the prioritization of poverty, alleviation assessors from the academe lament the still high poverty incidence especially when compared with the statistics of neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. Both point to jobless growth, as the reason why poverty incidence in the country remains high. Both academics also posed criticism to the DSWD flagship program Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), in particular the inclusion and exclusion errors, and the conditionalities that come with the cash transfers. Prof. Ofreneo and Prof. Raquiza both stated that interventions such as 4Ps do not necessarily address the root cause of poverty. They both noted the shrinking industrial and agricultural sectors, which are both labor-intensive sectors. Both concluded that a structural transformation is needed to truly address poverty. The PNoy administration claims to have brought down the unemployment rate from 7.4% in 2010 to 5.5 in January 2016. Similarly, the underemployment rate declined from 19.3% in 2011 to 18.3% in 2016. Furthermore, under the PNoy administration’s watch, employment expanded by more than 4 million. However, the Philippine office of the International Labor Organization (ILO) said that the expansion is “just sufficient to keep pace with the rapid growth in the labor force.” Relative to our neighbors, the Philippine unemployment rate is the highest in the Southeast Asian region. ILO also reported that in 2013, around 14.6 million workers were vulnerably employed (defined as either own-account or contributing family workers) who are less likely to have social protection and are more vulnerable in the event of economic and environmental crisis. Taking into account the vulnerable employment statistics of the different Southeast Asian countries, the combined unemployment and vulnerable employment rate of the Philippines fare better than other countries in the region as shown in Table VII.11.
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