SOUTH COTABATO, PHILIPPINES – Committed to its tagline “South Cotabato Angat Ka Sa Lahat” – the Provincial Government of South Cotabato recorded a significant decrease in the province’s poverty incidence rate over the years as per the Provincial Planning and Development Office.
Data from the Province’s planning and development office suggests a significant decrease in the province’s poverty rate since 2015, with only 26,000 families out of the total of approximately 975,000 (2020 data), living in the poverty threshold
The province, through the leadership of Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr. initiated the region’s first-ever Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan for the province further to lower the poverty incidence rate in the province.
Key factors affecting the decrease in the poverty incidence rate include improved employment opportunities, the vibrancy of the local economy, and the influx of outside investors to boost local job openings and the economy.
South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr. remains steadfast in addressing these issues, citing setting up target areas of concern and collaborative meetings with various department heads.
“May ara na kita sang outline kung diin ang aton target areas para ma-reduce naton ang aton poverty rate sa probinsya… dahil jan, magkakaroon kami ng meeting with various regional offices para istoryahan kung papaano ma alleviate ang poverty sa probinsya..” – Governor Tamayo said in a press conference.
Furthermore, South Cotabato continues to implement programs aimed at addressing the community’s needs on the ground – and making government basic services available for communities, especially in the geographically isolated areas (GIDA)
Meanwhile, South Cotabato records the lowest poverty incidence rate across provinces in the SOCCSKARGEN Region.
