The PSA presented the 2023 city- and municipal-level poverty estimates using the Small Area Estimation (SAE) technique during its monthly press conference on February 16, 2026.
The methodology, developed with support from the World Bank, enables more accurate poverty measurement at the local level by combining various data sources and statistical modeling.
Chief Statistical Specialist Jessamyn Anne Alcazaren said the estimates integrate key datasets, including the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, the merged results of the 2023 Family Income and Expenditure Survey and the January 2024 Labor Force Survey, and the 2023 Updating of the List of Establishments.
Additional inputs, such as nighttime lights data from the Earth Observation Group of the Colorado School of Mines, were also used to enhance the reliability of local-level estimates.
The data showed that 26 municipalities and one city in Bohol recorded poverty incidence rates of 20 percent or below in 2023, significantly higher than the 13 municipalities recorded in 2021 under the same Level 1 classification.
This indicates that more local government units have moved into the lower poverty incidence category over the two years.
Meanwhile, the number of municipalities classified under Level 2, or those with poverty incidence between 20.1 percent and 40 percent, declined to 22 from 35 in 2021.
The shift suggests a gradual improvement in poverty conditions in several areas of the province.
During the same press conference, the PSA also reported that inflation in Bohol increased to 2.2 percent in January 2026, up from 0.2 percent in December 2025, but lower than the 2.7 percent recorded in January 2025.
Transportation contributed the largest share to the increase at 55.1 percent, followed by food and non-alcoholic beverages at 29.6 percent, and furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance at 6.5 percent.
The latest poverty estimates provide local governments and policymakers with detailed data to guide programs and interventions aimed at further reducing poverty and improving living conditions across communities.
Bohol, recognized globally for its environmental and cultural significance through its UNESCO Global Geopark status, continues to strengthen governance and development strategies to support inclusive growth and effective public service delivery. (𝐏𝐈𝐌𝐎/𝐌𝐀𝐏𝐈)
