BATANES province, which is prone to typhoons year round, is richer than sunny Davao City.

The scenic, peaceful, rich in marine life and Muslim-dominated Tawi-Tawi, meanwhile, has the highest poverty incidence all over the country.

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However, Davao City is the least poor among all 10 cities and municipalities in Southeastern Mindanao, along with Monkayo in Compostela Valley where much of the gold in the region are sourced.

These are just some of the quizzical data lifted from the handout "Poverty Statistics at the LGU level" released Friday by Estrella R. Turingan, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Southern Mindanao head, during the Kapihan Sa PIA in Davao City.

Batanes may not have all the amenities of a first class city like Davao but the fact is that the island in the northernmost part of Luzon has recorded a zero incidence of poverty, Turingan said.

Since the statistical data provided by NSCB is consumer price index-driven, this could only mean that prices of consumer products in Batanes is very much lower compared to that in Davao City and other parts of the country.

Tawi-Tawi, Turingan said has the highest poverty incidence with 78 percent and only 22 percent of their population is above the poverty level.

Davao City is recorded to have a 14.9 poverty incidence in the latest NSCB survey which is the least among all 10 areas of Southern Mindanao including Tagum City - 15.4, Digos City - 18.2, Padada - 22.0, Hagonoy - 22.6, Panabo City - 22.7, Monkayo - 25.3, Santo Tomas - 26.3, Bansalan 26.9 and Matanao - 28.4, in that order.

In the year 2006 the poverty level in Davao City is P6,226.00, monthly income for a family of five and P8,569.00 for the same number of family in Metro Manila, the NSCB statistics added. (PIA 11/Romy Sabaldan)

(November 23, 2008 issue)
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