BAGUIO CITY: Benguet towns girding this city are relatively doing better in terms of poverty incidents compared to other municipalities in the Cordillera Region.

National Statistical and Coordination Board Regional Director Benjamin Navarro said that latest census data Small Area Estimates of poverty revealed that the Top Ten least poor municipalities in the region belong to the Blistt (Baguio-La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan,Tuba and Tublay) area.

Baguio City, which is the regional center, ranks number 1 as the least poor. La Trinidad ranks second, Itogon is third, Tuba ranks fourth and Sablan 10th.

Other municipalities in the top 10 least poor include Mankayan, also in Benguet province (5), Bontoc in Mountain Province (6), Bangued in Abra province (7), Tabuk City in Kalinga (8) and Lamut in Ifugao province (9).

He said that that the survey reflects the poverty incidence indicated by the having the lowest proportion of poor residents in the areas and it is indicated by the improvement in the quality of life in the respective cities and municipalities.

The survey results of the Small Area Estimates of poverty which was recently released by the NSCB was discussed during the ‘Kapihan sa Baguio’ forum last week launching the 23rd National Statistics Month with the theme, “Monitoring Progress on Decent Work Through Statistics: Pathway to Inclusive Growth.”

National Statistics Office Regional Director Olivia Gulla explained that the decrease of poverty incidence in these and other areas in region as well is because of the different intervention done by the government to address the poverty.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is implementing core and supporting programs to address the poverty in the region and the Blistt area in particular, Brenda Consolacion of DSWD-Cordillera, said.

Among the core programs being implemented are the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services or the Kalahi-CIDSS; Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or the 4Ps; the Conditional Cash Transfer and the sustainable livelihood programs.

Supporting programs of the DSWD include the supplemental feeding for day care children, social pension for senior citizens and the core shelter assistance program for those affected by the disasters, according to Consolacion.

Navarro said that the decrease of poverty incidence is an indicator in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal No. 1, which is eradication of poverty by 2015.