Poverty incidence among Maranaos in Mindanao has been rated as the worst in the Philippines, according to a study released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap).
Based on the Asia and the Pacific SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Progress Report 2022, multidimensional poverty headcount by caste and ethnicity in selected Asia-Pacific countries showed poverty incidence among Maranaos reached 23.4 percent followed by another Mindanao ethnic group, the Tausugs, at 18.4 percent.
According to the 2021 estimates, the Asia-Pacific region is home to half of the worldwide total 1.3 billion multidimensionally poor people living in 109 countries.
“Even in countries with low levels of poverty, inequality is high. For instance, in the Philippines, the incidence of poverty among Maranao people is more than 10 times than among Visaya, Ilokano or Kapampangan populations,” Unescap said.
Unescap data showed poverty incidence among other castes and ethnicities in the Philippines was at 11.2 percent; Cebuano, 5.6 percent; Ilonggo, 4.7 percent; and Waray, 4.5 percent.
The data also showed poverty incidence among the Bikolanos is at 3.5 percent; Tagalog, 2.6 percent; Kapampangan and Ilokano, 2.3 percent; and Visaya, 2.2 percent.
“Achieving Goal 1 of the 2030 Agenda will not be possible without focusing on hard-to-reach groups, minorities and indigenous populations who are at risk of being left behind even in countries with a low level of poverty,” the report stated.
Unescap said Southeast Asia, which includes the Philippines, is not on track to achieving the 17 SDGs by 2030.
The report stated the region needs to accelerate progress or reverse current trends in Goals 4 on quality education for all; SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation; SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, and SDG 11 on reducing inequalities.
Unescap also said more effort must be exerted on achieving SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production; SDG 13 on climate action; SDG 14 on life below water: SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions; and SDG 17 on partnerships if the sub-region is to meet the 2030 deadline.
“A better understanding of development outcomes for distinct population groups and intersecting vulnerabilities is key to a fairer recovery. The Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without protecting the most vulnerable, many of whom have been particularly affected by the pandemic,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-secretary-General and Executive Secretary of Unescap.
Unescap said average progress in the region disproportionately excludes some groups with distinct demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.
The UN agency said those furthest behind, including women, persons with disabilities, rural populations and poorer households, are also facing increased vulnerabilities.
For many vulnerable populations, Unescap said, food security, education and livelihoods have also deteriorated during the pandemic.
Unescap said the challenges of achieving the SDGs in the region have been magnified in recent years by an increase in the frequency and intensity of human made crises and natural disasters, as well as the challenges of responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Progress on the 17 SDGs have tremendously slowed down and with each passing year, the Goals are moving further out of reach for the region. At its current pace, Asia and the Pacific is now only expected to achieve the SDGs by 2065—more than three and a half decades behind the original goalpost,” Unescap said in a news statement.
Unescap said, however, that the number of SDG indicators with data available have doubled since 2017. Collaboration between national and international custodian agencies has significantly contributed to enhancing the availability of data.
The report encouraged countries to continue this cooperation to close the remaining gaps, as 57 of the 169 SDG targets still cannot be measured.
Based on the report, the Philippines is leading in Asia and the Pacific in terms of data availability. The top 5 in the region are the Philippines, Armenia, Thailand, Georgia, and Indonesia.
The Unescap said out of the 231 SDG indicators, the Philippines has sufficient data for 145 indicators. The country, however, has insufficient data for 31 SDG indicators and has no data for 55 indicators.
“The top 5 countries in the region for data availability are the Philippines, Armenia, Thailand, Georgia and Indonesia, where approximately 75 percent of the indicators have data,” the report stated.
“On the other side of the spectrum, 16 countries or territories still report data for less than 50 percent of the indicators,” it added.
The report is a flagship annual publication produced by Unescap in partnership with 10 other UN agencies.
The report uses the latest data for global SDG indicators to determine where additional effort is needed in the region and where momentum for future progress is building.
