January 25, 2002, AFP, Philippines poverty rises to over a third of population,

January 25, 2002, AFP, Philippines poverty rises to over a third of population,

MANILA, Jan 25 (AFP) -

The number of Filipinos living in poverty rose to more than one-third of the country's population, according a government survey released here Friday.

The 2000 Family Income and Expenditures Survey found 33.7 percent of the population was living in poverty, up from 31.8 percent in the last survey conducted in 1997, the government statistics office said.

The government says the poverty level is based on a minimum amount needed to buy food and other basic needs for one month but does not give specifics because this minimum amount would vary from place to place.

Poverty incidence varied widely with the highly-urbanized capital of Metropolitan Manila having only 8.7 percent of the population officially considered poor while in the largely rural areas outside, the poverty incidence rose to as high as 46.9 percent, the statistics office said in a statement.

The government did not say why poverty had risen from 1997 to 2000.

However the country's economic growth slowed significantly after the 1997 currency crisis hit Asia and amid political scandals under deposed-president Joseph Estrada from 1998 to early-2001.