The Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic and the economic shutdown that it triggered could worsen poverty in the Philippines. A new report--#TawidCovid: A Pulse on Poverty through Application of Citizen-Centered Innovation--outlines the importance of an inclusive and timely response as it presents evidence on the detrimental impacts of the pandemic on the livelihood and income of the poor and vulnerable.

The report draws from the first data collection phase of the ZEP-UNDP COVID PULSE PH survey. The survey was commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines in partnership with the Zero Extreme Poverty Philippines 2030 (ZEP PH 2030) —a coalition of Non-Government Entities (NGEs) and networks — to seek innovative ways to reach across the digital divide and gather the sentiments of the poor and vulnerable.

The first phase of the survey revealed proof to the long standing fears of development actors regarding income loss, food insecurity, and rise in poverty as effects of the pandemic. This phase of the survey also proved that the use of messenger chatbots is a viable solution not only for rapid data collection and open feedback among citizens during crises, but also for providing a safe space for the poor to share their experiences throughout the COVID pandemic.