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In Paraguay, they set up a visual survey to help poor people assess their level of poverty on 50 indicators across six dimensions, such as whether they have proper sanitation, whether their children have been vaccinated, etc. (Burt, 2015)

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These types of services gave opportunities to unemployed workers such as drivers and optometrists. Other than these, there are also food on wheels services that helps unemployed cooks. These innovations also helped in the economy as it caters people who cannot go out for their convinience.

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Shoppers, including myself, have been dependent on online shopping platforms ever since the pandemic started. It really gave huge economic growth for these business sectors as it gives significant convinience to people.

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Understanding the effects and unpredictability that the pandemic has brought and keeps on bring us, a recommended tip could be reducing occupational immobility. Every year, there is a large number of workers and fresh graduates every year who fall into unemployment. By putting them in retraining courses, they can gain new skills that are necessary to garner them a place in the workforce. For economic matters, a lot of businesses strived during the pandemic, with some working independently from home. Us fellow Filipinos, let us still continue in #SupportLocal practices and their online platforms. This little movements hugely means a lot to every business owner, especially if they support their families by "isang kain, isang tuka".

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The National Economic and Development Authority

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November 4, 2021

Unemployment slightly increased in September 2021 as the country's economic centers remained under stringent quarantines and as weather disturbances affected agriculture, but employment prospects remain promising as the country shifts to granular lockdowns, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.

As reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority today, unemployment increased from 8.1 percent in August to 8.9 percent in September 2021.

The labor force participation rate also marginally declined from 63.6 percent to 63.3 percent in the same period.

"These results were expected as many parts of the country remained under stringent and blanket quarantines for most of the survey period. In particular, the modified enhanced community quarantine was extended in the National Capital Region (NCR) up to September 15," said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua.

The higher unemployment rate, combined with the lower labor force participation rate, led to a net employment loss of 642,000.

The biggest driver of the net employment loss during the period was agriculture, as Typhoon Jolina affected some 30,000 hectares of agricultural land across the regions of Central Luzon, Calabarzon, MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas, and contributed to the around 900,000 employment loss in the sector. This decline came after the sector regained 1.9 million employment in August.

Meanwhile, employment increased by 414,000 in the services sector, mostly driven by wholesale and retail trade, tempering the net employment loss in September.

Underemployment also continued to decrease from 14.7 percent in August to 14.2 percent in September, as more people find more productive work.

Chua added that better labor outcomes in October can be expected when the country sees the full impact of the implementation of granular lockdowns in NCR. This strategy has been effective in bringing down cases from its peak in early September, he said.

"Overall, the economy has generated 1.1 million employment above the pre-pandemic level. This signals the Philippines' continuing recovery. We look forward to the expansion of the alert level and granular lockdown system to the whole country to recover more jobs and livelihoods," said the NEDA chief.

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PH UNEMPLOYMENT SLIGHTLY INCREASES, GRANULAR LOCKDOWNS TO HELP BRING BACK MORE EMPLOYMENT - NEDA - The National Economic and Development Authority

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November 4, 2021 Unemployment slightly increased in September 2021 as the country's economic centers remained under stringent quarantines and as weather disturbances affected agriculture, but employment prospects remain promising as the country shifts to granular lockdowns, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.

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THE RANKS of unemployed Filipinos increased in April, when the government tightened lockdown restrictions in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to curb a surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

Preliminary results of the PSA's April 2021 round of the Labor Force Survey showed an unemployment rate of 8.7%, inching up from 7.1% in March.

Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal were placed under an enhanced community quarantine from March 29 to April 11 as the government tried to slow the surge in COVID-19 cases that were overwhelming hospitals. This was later relaxed to a more lenient modified enhanced quarantine from April 12 to 30.

The April unemployment rate was still lower than 17.6% in April 2020 - at the height of the strictest form of lockdown in Luzon at the onset of the pandemic.

In absolute terms, there were 4.138 million unemployed Filipinos in April, higher than 3.441 million in March and 7.228 million in April 2020.

The underemployment rate - the proportion of those already working but still looking for more work or longer working hours - worsened to 17.2% in April from 16.2% in March. This translated to 7.453 million underemployed Filipinos, more than 7.335 million in the previous month.

The latest figure was lower than April 2020's 18.9% underemployment rate, though there were fewer underemployed Filipinos (6.398 million) because many had left the labor force that time.

The size of the labor force was about 47.407 million in April, down from 48.772 million in March. This brought the labor force participation rate to 63.2% of the working age population in April from 65% a month earlier.

In a joint statement, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and Budget Secretary Wendel E. Avisado noted that while the results in April were "substantially better" than last year, there was "temporary reversal" of the gains made in the previous months due to the lockdowns.

"The impact of the enhanced community quarantine and modified enhanced community quarantine on unemployment is more pronounced in regions with stricter quarantine measures, further highlighting the sensitivity of the labor market to the quarantine level," they said.

The economic managers said unemployment rates in the National Capital Region and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) regions, where the strictest quarantines were imposed, were the highest in April at 14.4% and 13.4%, respectively.

"Meanwhile, the unemployment rate outside NCR continued its general downward trend, declining from 8.7% in January 2021 to 7.9% in April 2021. This reflects the gains from the safe reopening of the economy in the provinces," they said.

They also noted that total employment in April remained above pre-pandemic levels: "While the economy lost 8.7 million jobs at the height of the quarantines last April 2020, the economy generated 9.4 million jobs or a net of 0.7 million jobs between April 2020 and April 2021. Improving the rate of job creation will be crucial in our recovery effort this year," they added.

In an e-mail, Security Bank Corp. Chief Economist Robert Dan J. Roces said the April result "underscores the sensitivity of sectors to stricter mobility curbs."

The employment rate - the proportion of the employed to the total labor force - stood at 91.3% in April, down from 92.9% in March. This was equivalent to 43.269 million Filipinos in April compared with 45.332 million in the previous month.

The service sector made up 57.4% of total employment in April, slightly up from 57.2% in March. Agriculture remained mostly unchanged with 24.4%, while industry edged down to 18.2% from 18.4%.

Between April 2020 and April 2021, services saw the most jobs generated on a net basis at about 5.509 million, followed by industry's 2.131 million and agriculture's 1.799 million. Among subsectors, wholesale and retail trade led with 3.391 million net jobs created followed by agriculture and forestry (1.55 million) and construction (1.346 million).

In contrast, 2.062 million net jobs were lost between March and April led by industry (917,484), services (575,124), and agriculture (569,742). On a month-on-month basis, construction posted the largest drop in net employment among subsectors (804,893), followed by agriculture and forestry (492,608) and wholesale and retail trade (456,747).

"Moving forward, the main challenge to economic authorities will be to restore business confidence on the back of gradual reopenings that should result in more persons joining the labor force. With the recent decision by authorities to start the 'phased implementation' of the vaccination of workers in essential industries (A4 sector), a turnaround in confidence is possible soon and should lead to better employment numbers and contribute to the pace of the economic recovery beginning in the second half of this year," Mr. Roces said.

In a separate e-mail, Asian Institute of Management economist John Paolo R. Rivera said normalization would only happen once herd immunity is achieved and the economy is fully opened.

"The employment figures so far, given measures to contain the pandemic, can be an indication that we still cannot expect significant improvements in GDP (gross domestic product) growth figures. Steep growth rates are constrained by the 'opening-lockdown-opening' approach because momentum is not sustained," he said.

"There might be a need to channel resources in enabling enterprises to stay afloat and allowing consumers to sustain consumption through assistance or amelioration programs. It cannot be a one-time-big-time provision. It has to be strategically and systematically done," he added. - Lourdes O. Pilar with inputs from Beatrice M. Laforga

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Joblessness picks up in April amid tighter lockdowns - BusinessWorld Online

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THE RANKS of unemployed Filipinos increased in April, when the government tightened lockdown restrictions in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to curb a surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

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Considering the factors driven by the pandemic, it dramatically affected employment in each infrastructure, may it be in NCR or provincial. It led to closing a number of stores and branches, cutting personnel and budget, which resulted to a falling slope of the economy as well. According to the PSA, the country's unemployment rate was estimated at 17.6 percent, which translates to roughly 7.2 million total unemployed Filipinos.

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According to the Provincial Government office, Employment rate in the province is at 95.3 percent. This is higher than that of the region. Unemployment rate is at 4.7 percent, respectively. Factors which contribute to unemployment in the province are the belief that there is no work available, temporary illness/disability, bad weather, awaiting the result of previous job applications, and waiting for rehiring/job recall.

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About Quezon Province, Philippines. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://www.islandsproperties.com/places/quezon.htm.

Quezon Province. Quezon. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://www.quezon.gov.ph/general-information/about.

Lando, R. (2021, August 6). Quezon province history, geography, Economy - PeoPlaid profile. PeoPlaid. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://peoplaid.com/2019/03/05/quezon-province-history/.

Rey, A. (2020, October 28). Food security frontliners: Coronavirus lockdown pushes farmers, fisherfolk into deeper poverty. Rappler. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/coronavirus-lockdown-farmers-fisherfolk-poverty.

Jr., D. T. M. (2019, October 23). Quezon Farmers dare gov't execs: Live with us for a day. INQUIRER.net. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1180641/quezon-farmers-dare-govt-execs-live-with-us-for-a-day.

Dy, R. T. (2018, June 18). Rich provinces, poor provinces. INQUIRER.net. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://business.inquirer.net/252612/rich-provinces-poor-provinces.

GREEN CURRENCY: BRINGING LIGHTS AND INCOME TO POOR COCONUT FARMERS. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://www.uclg-cisdp.org/sites/default/files/observatory/files/2021-06/Tayabas_FR.pdf.

Land Bank of the Philippines: News. Land Bank of the Philippines | News. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://www.landbank.com/news/landbank-joins-drive-against-hunger-and-poverty-in-quezon-province.

Philippine Statistics Authority | Republic of the Philippines. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/survey/labor-and-employment/labor-force-survey/title/Employment%20Situation%20in%20July%202020.

Ph unemployment slightly increases, granular lockdowns to help bring back more employment – Neda. The National Economic and Development Authority. (2021, November 4). Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://neda.gov.ph/ph-unemployment-slightly-increases-granular-lockdowns-to-help-bring-back-more-employment-neda/.

Written by Martin Burt, C. E. O. (n.d.). How technology can help US eliminate, not alleviate, poverty. World Economic Forum. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/09/how-technology-can-help-us-eliminate-not-alleviate-poverty/.

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The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) initiated a Memorandum of Understanding along with participating provincial government agencies for the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) initiative for Quezon Province held last May 21, 2021.

EPAHP or the Enhanced Partnership Against Poverty and Poverty is a collaborative program of the national government which aims to contribute to ending hunger and poverty in the country by collaborating relevant programs of partner agencies to maximize results for the benefit of the poor.

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LANDBANK Quezon Lending Center Head, Assistant Vice President Joel S. Babaan (standing, 2nd from right) and regional officials from various government agencies sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to fight hunger and poverty in Quezon Province last May 21, 2021.

Under the EPAHP, efforts toward community-driven development approaches in agro-enterprise, and other livelihood programs and food security programs, aims to enhance the prospects for poverty reduction and hunger elimination in urban and rural areas.

LANDBANK 9-month 2021 profit surges 21% to P16.72B

State-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) posted double-digit growth in net income, assets, deposits and capital year-on-year for the nine-month period ending 30 September 2021. The Bank's net income grew by 21.2% to P16.72 billion from P13.8 billion in the same period last year, due to lower cost of funds and provision for losses. As a result, the Bank is on track to meet its net income target of P19.68 billion by year-end. Total assets went up 13.6% to P2.564 trillion from P2.257 trillion in September 2020. This was propelled by deposits amounting to P2.267 trillion, which expanded by 14.68%. Meanwhile, LANDBANK's capital significantly rose by 25.77% year-on-year to P208.17 billion from P165.52 billion, attributed to the P27.5 billion equity infusion made by the National Government in February 2021 plus the net income for the year. "LANDBANK has shown remarkable resilience against the economic shocks of the pandemic. As we continue to exceed our year-end targets in total assets and deposits, we are optimistic that the Bank's overall financial performance will keep in step with the country's continuing recovery," said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. In terms of financial ratios, LANDBANK's return on equity reached 10.74%, which is well above the industry average of 6.48%. LANDBANK's financial muscle is driving the fulfillment of its social mandate of providing financial and support services not only to the agriculture sector, but contributing at large to the country's recovery and development efforts. As of 30 September 2021, LANDBANK's total outstanding loans to the agriculture sector reached P228.21 billion. The total number of farmers and fishers assisted stood at 2.97 million, closer to reaching the year-end target of three million. LANDBANK strikes a balance in fulfilling its social mandate while remaining financially viable, making it unique among universal banks in the country.

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LANDBANK funds expansion of Nueva Ecija-based rice mill

With LANDBANK's support, RVR Ricemill is regularly supplying aromatic rice varieties to Metro Manila and various provinces, while providing stable employment to almost 100 employees and a market for 6,000 rice farmers to sell their palay produce at premium prices. LUPAO, Nueva Ecija - Spouses Glenda and Alex Rommel Romano have come a long way from initially trading only a few sacks of palay and milled rice two decades ago. Now, they run a thriving rice milling business which regularly supplies Metro Manila and various provinces with tons of aromatic rice varieties. The couple's RVR Ricemill business also provides stable employment for about 100 residents of this third-class municipality, as well as a market for up to 6,000 small rice farmers to sell their palay produce at premium prices. The expansion of the Romanos' business operations in the last five years was made possible through loans from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) in 2016 and 2017. Aside from boosting their working capital, the couple used the funds for the construction of a rice mill complex and warehouse, including modern machinery and drying facilities. "The agribusiness sector is a primary driver in the country's road to recovery. LANDBANK will continue to service their requirements toward boosting food security and generating employment opportunities, especially in the countryside," said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. Through the increased capital and improved operations, the RVR Rice Mill now buys more palay directly from small farmers and supplies milled rice to different markets every day-far from having only two deliveries per month before expanding their business. "Dito sa business namin, kapag malaki ang puhunan, mas malaki ang napapaikot na pera at mas maraming rice farmers ang natutulungan. Napakalaking tulong ng LANDBANK kasi kung hindi dahil sa tiwala at suportang ibinibigay nila, hindi po lalaki ang business namin," said Mr. Romano. For the first nine months of 2021, LANDBANK's outstanding loans to small, medium and large agribusiness enterprises have reached P145.75 billion. These involved loans to private enterprises in agri-processing, aqua-business, and other related industries engaged in the food and agriculture value chain. LANDBANK remains steadfast in helping agribusiness enterprises expand their operations as part of its main mandate to deliver intensified support to the agriculture sector.

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LANDBANK app now allows direct payments to merchants via QR code

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has enhanced its Mobile Banking App (MBA) to allow users to make quick, convenient, and secure payments using quick response (QR) code to over 20,000 participating merchants nationwide. The LANDBANK MBA has adopted the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (BSP) QR Ph Person-to-Merchant (P2M) feature to benefit both customers and merchants with a convenient and secure digital payment option, in line with the Government's thrust of promoting digital transactions in the country. With this new QR feature, clients can pay for goods and services directly to merchants such as department stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, and restaurants. "LANDBANK is one with the BSP in making and receiving payments a more convenient, reliable, and seamless experience through the national QR code standard or QR Ph. This contactless payment feature builds on our timely and relevant digital initiatives to keep clients safe, as we continue to follow strict health protocols in the new normal," said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C Borromeo. Apart from having a wide set of merchants that accept QR payments, LANDBANK clients who will use the QR payment feature will also benefit from having cost-effective transactions, minimized encoding errors, and encrypted payment information and data transfers. "QR Ph empowers consumers by giving them the freedom to choose their digital payment service through its interoperable feature, and this is aligned with the United Nations principle on responsible use of digital payments," said BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno during the virtual launch of the QR Ph P2M on 12 October 2021. The LANDBANK MBA continues to record a surge in usage in the first three quarters of 2021, as transactions grew 50% to 73.26 million with a significant 124% rise in amount facilitated to P119.65 billion, year-on-year. LANDBANK's digital banking platforms power the delivery of responsive and innovative financial products and services towards greater financial inclusion.

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LANDBANK Quezon Lending Center Head, Assistant Vice President Joel S. Babaan (standing, 2nd from right) and regional officials from various government agencies sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to fight hunger and poverty in Quezon Province last May 21, 2021.

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Quezon has the lowest poverty threshold among CALABARZON’s provinces, but it has the highest poverty incidence: 22.7 percent. Quezon is also the only province in CALABARZON with poverty incidence that is higher than the national average.

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FOOD SECURITY FRONTLINERS: Coronavirus lockdown pushes farmers, fisherfolk into deeper poverty

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FOOD SECURITY FRONTLINERS: Coronavirus lockdown pushes farmers, fisherfolk into deeper poverty

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FOOD SECURITY FRONTLINERS: Coronavirus lockdown pushes farmers, fisherfolk into deeper poverty

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It took a pandemic for the national government to realize the need to buy directly from farmers and fishermen

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Quezon farmers dare gov't execs: Live with us for a day

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Quezon farmers dare gov't execs: Live with us for a day

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LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Philippines - "Come live with us even for a day and have a personal experience of how to be poor, hungry and helpless."

This was the challenge posed by some 100 protesting farmers from Quezon province to national and provincial government officials last week as they marked World Food Day.

"For these officials to understand better, and therefore have a sense of how it is to be poor and hungry, we dare them to live with and among hungry and poor farmers," Jansept Geronimo, spokesperson of Kilusan Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan (Katarungan), said in a statement.

Katarungan, along with Ugnayan ng mga Magsasaka sa Gitnang Quezon and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bondoc Peninsula, organized a protest rally near the provincial governor's office here last week.

The farmers urged the government to address what they called as the "worsening situation" of coconut farmers. They demanded the immediate return of the multibillion-peso coconut levy fund and a stop to the plunging copra prices.

They also raised the revocation of certificates of land ownership award issued to local agrarian reform beneficiaries in Sariaya town. They bewailed the lack of government support for land reform beneficiaries in Quezon's Bondoc Peninsula district.

Geronimo said farmers would accommodate the stay of the officials for a day "so they may experience their difficulties due to the failure of government to address the root causes of hunger and poverty."

"Before going to sleep in their modest houses, these public officials will surely have a chance to talk with farmers and know why they are not eating the right quantity and quality of food and why their children are not able to go to school, among other things," he said.
Suarez declines
Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez said he sympathized with the plight of the farmers but he turned down their invitation.

"I already know how to be poor. I was born poor and struggled very hard to improve my life condition," said Suarez, who worked as a room boy and toilet cleaner in a hotel to sustain his studies.

He said the government could not do anything about the dropping price of copra.

The fluctuating price was "cyclical and beyond our control or any government agency," the Philippine Coconut Authority said, adding that price is dependent on coconut oil prices in the global market.
Coco levy fund
Suarez, a former Quezon representative, urged Congress to expedite the passage of the coconut levy fund bill to help address the plight of coconut farmers. In February, President Duterte vetoed a bill seeking to create a P100-billion trust fund for coconut farmers.

While waiting for the release of the coconut levy fund, Suarez said the provincial government had implemented the coconut development program road map to serve as the template for plans to improve the lives of coconut farmers.

One approach under this program is to diversify the local coconut industry and shift its focus away from just producing copra.

Suarez said the provincial government was conducting a massive coconut replanting program in the province, with over 150,000 seedlings before the end of the year.

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Quezon farmers dare gov't execs: Live with us for a day

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LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Philippines - "Come live with us even for a day and have a personal experience of how to be poor, hungry and helpless." This was the challenge posed by some 100 protesting farmers from Quezon province to national and provincial government officials last week as they marked World Food Day.

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There are rich regions and poor regions.

But how does one reconcile the wide disparities in poverty within a region when they are geographically connected? Or when provincial borders are artificial?

This article will analyze the data on poverty incidences within a region with physically contiguous areas.

Central Luzon has one of the lowest poverty incidences among regions but it presents contrasts. There are wide disparities in poverty incidences from low single digits (e.g., Bataan, Bulacan and Pampanga) to high double-digits (e.g., Nueva Ecija and Aurora).

The high poverty of Aurora is understandable as it is the most remote province facing the Pacific. Baler, the capital, is 275 kilometers (km) away from Manila and is almost six hours travel by car. By contrast, Iba, Zambales ,is 242 km, or 4.5 hours from Manila.

What is baffling is the high poverty of Nueva Ecija (22.6 percent), which borders Pampanga (4.9 percent) and Bulacan (4.5 percent). Nueva Ecija is a rice granary and a high rice yielder. Similar story for Tarlac.

Calabarzon is the industrial corridor of Luzon. Four of the five provinces there have low poverty. By contrast, Quezon has a poverty incidence of 22.7 percent, higher than the national average. This can be partly explained by its distance from Metro Manila and absence of industrial zones. Its heavy dependence on low-yield coconuts (the largest area in the country), poor infrastructure, and ongoing insurgency are contributory factors.

Western Visayas is an enigma. Guimaras, Capiz and Aklan have a lower poverty level compared to the larger provinces of Iloilo and Negros Occidental. Certainly, tourism is a factor for Aklan with Boracay in its midst.

What is very surprising is that Antique, the source of the sacadas in the past, has a lower poverty rate than Negros Occidental. The reason could not be agriculture. Negros has far more extensive agriculture than Antique. It is likely remittances. For example, there is large Antique diaspora in Mindanao, especially Cotabato.

Northern Mindanao is a study in contrast. Misamis Oriental has low poverty principally because of Cagayan de Oro, the services center, as well as industrial estates along Macalajar Bay. Phividec Industrial Estate alone has 30 locators. The other provinces have high poverty incidences.

The most perplexing is Bukidnon, an agribusiness center.

Over half of its people are poor. Its land area is almost 60 percent of Northern Mindanao with good climate and varied topography.

It is a major producer of rice, corn, pineapple, sugar, banana, coffee, rubber, tomato, flowers, cassava, and vegetables. It is also a major producer of chicken, hogs, and cattle. And yet, it has a high poverty incidence.

Davao, the premier agribusiness region in the country, remains poor with a poverty incidence tying the national figure.

Davao is a major player in banana, coconut products, banana chips, fruits, cacao and coffee. The chocolate industry is a sunrise development. Davao City is the services hub of the island.

The higher poverty of Davao del Norte, the banana capital of the country, as compared to Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley, is hard to understand.

What causes the large disparities among provinces in the same region? These are likely quality of local governance, economic opportunities, farm productivity, remittances and culture.

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There are rich regions and poor regions. But how does one reconcile the wide disparities in poverty within a region when they are geographically connected? Or when provincial borders are artificial? This article will analyze the data on poverty incidences within a region with physically contiguous areas.

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As poverty continues to be an alarming issue, who are affected? Who are our real victims?

Our farmers. Other than being famous for supplying coconuts, Quezon is also the main source of rice in the market. But because of the pandemic, it urges farmers to extreme poverty.

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Poverty in general has one of been the biggest issue around the world. It entails  the lack of income and sustainable resources to ensure a decent future for an individual. In a smaller scale, Quezon Province continues to face poverty especially during these hard times of the pandemic, where human resources have been compromised.

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#QuezonProvinceSTSAreaFIX is a program where we identify problems aound the province that needs action which involves 2 of 17 UNSDGs! Are you ready? 👀

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Outside the capital city of Lucena, agriculture is the main economic activity in the province where coconut and rice are the main outputs. The province has one of the longest coasts among the 81 province and therefore, fishing is a very important industry.

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As per 2015 census by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Quezon Province has a total population of 2,122,830 with an average annual population growth rate of 1.33 percent. By 2020, total population is projected to be at 2,334,200.

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Part of Quezon was divided among the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija.

In 1591, the province was called Kaliraya and was later changed to Tayabas.

Tayabas was among the first provinces to join the Philippine Revolution of 1896 against Spain. After the Filipino-American War, a civil government was established in the province in 1901, with Lucena as its capital.

On September 7, 1946 , Manuel A. Roxas, president of the Philippine Republic, changed the province's name from Tayabas to Quezon, in honor of Manuel L. Quezon,

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Let's discover Quezon Province! Tara! 🌴🥥

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Let's discover Quezon Province! Tara! 🌴🥥

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WELCOME TO THE PROVINCE OF QUEZON! Maligayang pagdating! Ito ang mainit na pagtanggap mula sa mga Tagalog! Scroll down to learn more about the Land of Coconuts! Enjoy your stay here!

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What uniquely makes Quezon Province "Quezon Province"?

Quezon Province is part of the CALABARZON region in Luzon. With its geographic coordinates 13.9347° N, 121.9473° E, the province is located in the southern part of Luzon, hence called "Southern Tagalog".