MANILA — The Philippines’ poverty level can be brought down to 9 percent in the next 6 years, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

• 19.99 million Filipinos poor in 2021 as poverty incidence rises to 18.1 percent: PSA

This can be done by “bringing growth to a higher level, enhancing the quality of growth through the creation of quality jobs and improving the social protection system, among others,” the Office of the Press Secretary said, citing Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan’s pronouncement during a meeting in Malacañang.

“Growth and jobs and paying attention to social protection to address shocks like typhoons and crises” will help the Philippines “achieve faster reduction of poverty from where it is today to single digit, at 9 percent actually," Balisacan said.

• Poverty incidence rises to 18.1 percent

In 2021, the Philippines’ poverty incidence rose to 19.1 percent, which is equivalent to 19.99 million Filipinos, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The figure is higher compared to the 16.7 percent poverty incidence in 2018.

Balisacan also cited “the Philippines’ “rapid growth recovery… despite global headwinds” as another reason for his optimistic outlook.

The country's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 7.6 percent in the third quarter, faster than the revised 7.5 percent expansion in the second quarter. GDP expanded 8.2 percent in the first quarter.

Economic managers are expecting GDP to grow between 6.5 to 7.5 percent this year. To achieve this, the economy needs to grow 3.3 percent to 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter

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