Aside from the rising income poverty, it is a disturbing situation when about half (44%) of all Filipino children are living in poverty. The lack of income can have more adverse impacts on them because unlike adults, children are still in certain developmental stages where proper nourishment is necessary and are most vulnerable to diseases. Moreover, families with inadequate income may be discouraged to send their children to school.
The 2006 Child Development Index showed that the human development of Filipino children has been deteriorating, especially in the period between 2003 and 2006 when the country’s poverty rate rose. The index is a composite of health, education, and quality of life indicators whose measure ranges from 0 to 1. Despite the worsening poverty situation of children in the Philippines, however, several key improvements have been marked. These include, among others, the improvements in child survival indicators. Notwithstanding such improvements, there is a need to come up with a roadmap for poverty reduction, in particular for the alleviation of the children’s situation.
