
In
2000, poverty incidence was very high in the province - 50.2% in terms of
population (NSCB 2000), affecting mostly farmers and fisherfolk (PPDO 2001). In
the same year, the province was one of the poorest twenty in the country (18th
out of the 82 provinces) using monetary measures as criteria (NSCB 2000). The alarming thing was that the poverty
incidence increased by 27% as compared to the 1997 base figure (ibid). Also,
the United Nations Development Program ranked Bohol
as 7th in its list of 20 poorest provinces in 2001 (GPF 2006).
Bohol, since then, has become a leading example of how one province can lift itself out from poverty. Bohol is no longer one of the top poorest provinces of the country. Economically, the province relies on tourism, more particularly on its white sandy beaches, rivers, forests, caves for economic growth and development. It has been argued that this significantly altered Bohol's growth trajectory.
Bohol, since then, has become a leading example of how one province can lift itself out from poverty. Bohol is no longer one of the top poorest provinces of the country. Economically, the province relies on tourism, more particularly on its white sandy beaches, rivers, forests, caves for economic growth and development. It has been argued that this significantly altered Bohol's growth trajectory.