In this Article
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations implemented two interventions in BARMM to reduce poverty by providing support to farmers and fishers, focusing on risk-informed, shock-responsive social protection and improved access to programs.
Image Source: FAO
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in the Philippines faces significant socio-economic and environmental challenges, with a poverty incidence of 29.8% in 2021, more than twice the national average of 13.2%. The region’s development has been hindered by prolonged conflict and constant exposure to natural hazards like flooding, landslides, and El Niño.
FAO implemented two key interventions in BARMM: (1) support to farmers, fishers, and their livelihoods during the pandemic, and (2) assistance in the immediate aftermath of Typhoon Paeng. These interventions sought to reduce poverty in BARMM by providing support to farmers and fishers, focusing on risk-informed, shock-responsive social protection and improved access to programs. Limited access to these initiatives remains a significant factor in persistent poverty, as shocks increase the likelihood of vulnerable groups returning to poverty.
FAO and its partners advanced efforts to build an adaptive, shock-responsive social protection system in BARMM, with tools and results handed over to the regional government. These include a vulnerability risk assessment tool maintained by the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), a poverty registry integrated into the Ministry of Social Services and Development’s (MSSD) management system, and anticipatory action frameworks for droughts and typhoons incorporated into the regional disaster risk plan.
Reference:
FAO. 2025. Delivering shock-responsive social protection to farmers and fishers in the Philippines. Retrieved July 15, 2025 from https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/c930c45c-e09b-4b21-8dbc-13a63dea74d3/content
