PALO, Leyte - Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Monday said that the country poverty rate rose to 18.1%.

This is translated to around 20 million individuals or 3.5 million families whose per capita incomes are unable to meet their basic foods and non-food needs.

This means that these families lived below poverty threshold of about 12,030 per month for a family of five.

The above data is exacerbated by the continuing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Relief (2022) reported that there is virtually no aspect of livelihood and employment that COVID-19 has not interfered with.

The pandemic has disrupted every area of the healthcare system worldwide and has had a particularly devastating impact on women and children.

Women have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19," according to a senior vice president of international programs.

Job losses, increased pressures of care and domestic work, reduced hours and strains on both physical and mental health have contributed to the disproportionate socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 for women globally.

Gender-based violence has also intensified since the pandemic began, it continued. #RNPC-CPD.