With a poverty incidence of 0.5 percent, Ilocos Norte continues to be the least impoverished province in the Ilocos Region, owing to initiatives implemented by the provincial administration to combat poverty.
According to the preliminary findings of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) for the first half of 2023–which are made public by the Philippine Statistics Authority every three years as of last July–Ilocos Norte was deemed to be among the "least poor" in the country.
LGU’s continuous efforts
According to Gervy James Gumarit, head of the Ilocos Norte government's communication and media office, the province’s current standing is a result of its ongoing efforts to prioritize programs on poverty reduction, increasing agricultural output, education, and employment, among other things.
“Ilocos Norte consistently ranks among the provinces with the lowest poverty rates. This achievement reflects the Provincial Government's dedicated efforts to prioritize the needs of our mannalon (farmers) and mangngalap (fishers)--the main drivers of our economy,” he said
“These actions contribute significantly to the economic growth and stability of our province,” he added.
The rate of poverty in Ilocos Norte is comparable to that of the provinces of Benguet, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Rizal, and Siquijor, as well as the National Capital Region.
Various programs
Agri Ka Dito, a program designed to improve the livelihood of farmers and fishermen, is one of several provincial government initiatives that aim to reduce poverty by increasing employment possibilities, promoting tourism, and assisting small and medium-sized businesses.
The PSA has already identified Ilocos Norte, a first-class province in terms of revenue, as one of the provinces with the lowest incidence of poverty over the previous ten years.
According to PSA, the percentage of families (or people) that earn less per capita than the poverty line relative to the total number of households or populations is known as the poverty incidence.
