Even though the Philippines is a country that is rich in natural resources and has a highly literacy rate of around 92%, poverty still remains to be a significant problem in the county. In 2005 it was recorded that 14% of the population were unemployed and 40% of the population lived below the poverty line.

There are several contributing factors to Philippines poverty situation. The first main factor, is the country`s struggle to pay off its enormous $32 billion foreign debt. The annual payment of this accumulating debt accounts for almost half of the national budget. The second main factor is degradation and exploitation of the country’s natural resources coupled with the high rate of natural disasters. These along with several other factors result in economic and political instability within the country.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam_in_action/where_we_work/philippines.html

The project that Oxfam Japan supports in the Philippines focuses on improving the emergency relief management systems of the local government units in the disaster-prone region of Pampaganda.