The OECD Development Center also notes that poverty incidence in the Philippines remains the highest among the ASEAN’s five founding members (including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore), with about 25 million or one fourth of the population in the Philippines living below the world’s poverty threshold of $1/day or P45/day. In the first place, last year’s supposed growth should better be referred to as a mirage, as its 6.6% was computed from a low base -- the 3% dismal growth rate of the country’s economy the year before.
Sinasabi rin ng OECD Development Center na ang insidente ng kahirapan sa Pilipinas ay nananatiling pinakamataas sa hanay ng limang myembrong nagtatag ng ASEAN (kabilang ang Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand at Singapore), kund saan 25 milyong o sangkapat ng populasyon ng Pilipinas ay nabubuhay sa ilalim ng tantos ng kahirapan na $1/araw o P45/araw. Antemano, ang umanong paglago noong nakaraang taon ay dapat ituring na isang panlilinlang, dahil ang 6.6% ay kinwenta mula sa mababang basehan -- ang 3% na nakadidismayang tantos ng paglago ng ekonomya ng bansa, isang taoon ang nakaraan.