The Second Mindanao

Mindanao is a land of contrasts: it is blessed with an expansive territory, bountiful natural resources and a vast potential for human capital. Truly a land of promise but its people have yet to reap the island’s bounty.

The findings of the Garilao Study (commissioned by PBSP) suggest that a second and much poorer Mindanao exists, consisting of the ARMM and parts of SZOPAD.

Here are some of the data in the study:

44% of the population live below the poverty line
People live 12 years shorter than people in Luzon and Visayas
63 out of 100 infants die annually
320 out of 100,000 mothers die annually
Only 88% are able to read and write
Only 3 out of 10 students finish elementary and only 6 out of 10 graduate from high school
ARMM and SZOPAD provinces of Basilan and Lanao del Norte belong to the bottom 10 provinces (based on the Human Development Index)