CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Poverty incidence in Northern Mindanao declined in 2025, with
about 241,890 individuals lifted from poverty, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority-10
(PSA-10).

Janith C. Aves, PSA-10 regional director, said poverty incidence among the local population fell
to 20.3% in 2025 from 25.3% in 2023. The number of people considered poor also decreased
from 1.31 million to 1.07 million during the period.
Poverty incidence among families, likewise, declined to 14.4% from 18.4%, equivalent to about
195,000 poor families in 2025, down from 227,000 in 2023.
Despite the improvement, Northern Mindanao’s poverty rates remained higher than the national
estimates of 9.7% among the population and 6.4% among families.
Bukidnon recorded the highest poverty incidence in the region, at 27.7% among the population
and 21% among families. Camiguin had the lowest rates, at 8.2% among the population and
5.3% among families.
For the highly urbanized cities, Iligan recorded a family poverty incidence of 8%, while Cagayan
de Oro posted 4.5%.

Aves also reported a decline in subsistence poverty, which measures whether people have enough
income to meet their basic food needs.
According to her, subsistence incidence stood at 6% among the population and 3.8% among
families, equivalent to about 314,000 individuals and 51,000 families unable to afford minimum
basic food needs.
The number of food-poor individuals also declined from 394,000 in 2023, while food-poor
families decreased from 59,000 during the same period.
“The result is encouraging. The reduction in poverty is a significant achievement, but it is not a
reason for us to be complacent,” said Mylah Faye Aurora B. Cariño, regional director of the
Department of Economy, Planning and Development-Northern Mindanao (DEPDev-10).
With approximately one-fifth of the region’s population still poor, Cariño said more work was
needed to sustain progress amid geopolitical tensions, energy constraints, and climate risks that
could affect the economy and household incomes.
“Our economy continues to be strong; it has expanded, but we want a MAS ASENSO Northern
Mindanao, where our economic gains really translate into substantial reductions in poverty,” she
said.
Cariño said resources are directed toward interventions that create opportunities, raise incomes
and protect families.
Sarah B. Balagbis, chief statistical specialist of PSA-10, said the poverty statistics provide
policymakers, planning officers and stakeholders with reliable data to guide poverty reduction
programs and promote inclusive, resilient communities.
Balagbis also reported the preliminary results of the 2025 Family Income and Expenditure
Survey (FIES), which showed that both family income and expenditure in Northern Mindanao
increased in 2025, with spending growing faster than earnings.
Total annual family income rose by 23.2%, from P366.37 billion in 2023 to P451.35 billion in
2025, while total annual family expenditure rose by 37.9%, from P250.32 billion to P345.21
billion. Average annual family income reached P333,730, up 12.6%, while average annual
expenditure climbed by 26% to P255,250.
Balagbis said wages and salaries remained the primary source of family income, accounting for
52.6% of total annual income in 2025, followed by entrepreneurial activities at 17.9%.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for the largest share of family expenditure at
37.1%, followed by housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 18.8%, according to the
survey.

Balagbis said the data also showed that lower-income families allocated a larger proportion of
their budgets to food, while higher-income households devoted relatively larger shares to
transport, health and other services. (Apipa Bagumbaran/PIA-10)