IN what is being hailed as a landmark achievement transcending mere economic progress, the Philippines has reduced its poverty rate to a historic single-digit low of 9.7 percent—three full years ahead of the 2028 target, according to Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon.
“This milestone is not merely a statistic; it’s the nation’s most potent weapon against insurgency in recent memory.”
The anti-poverty presidential adviser underscored this economic breakthrough during a recent discussion with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
He emphasized that the dramatic poverty reduction directly undermines the very conditions that insurgent groups have long exploited to recruit vulnerable communities, particularly in GIDA or Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas.
“Poverty reduction has an immense and direct impact on insurgency. It’s the root cause that insurgents manipulate—but when people have access to decent livelihoods, irrigation, fair wages, and assured markets for their crops, they lose every reason to take up arms.”
“Development eradicates the desperation that armed groups depend on to thrive,” the anti-poverty czar explained.
Gadon noted that farmers—who are among the most frequently targeted by the New People’s Army—alongside residents of GIDA and former conflict zones, are now experiencing tangible government support.
“Where development reaches, recruitment falters. When a farmer can earn an honest living without resorting to violence, insurgency loses its strongest foundation,” he pointed out.
Addressing skeptics, Gadon stood firm on the credibility of the government’s statistics—including the single-digit poverty figure and the country’s elevation to upper-middle-income status.
He further noted that critics lack access to the full breadth of government records and clarified that the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio of 62 percent remains well within international benchmarks, especially when compared to Japan’s 220 percent and the United States’ 88 percent.
He cited LandBank’s expanded loan offerings ranging from ₱500,000 to ₱50 million for business expansion, while the Small Business Corporation provides collateral-free loans from ₱30,000 to ₱5 million. For larger ventures, the Development Bank of the Philippines extends financing from ₱50 million to ₱300 million.
Gadon called on the public to place their trust in the Marcos administration’s whole-of-nation approach, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to uplifting every Filipino.
