Human Capital and Urban-Rural Income Disparities in Samar Province

Abstract

This study examined the role of educational attainment in local government unit-level urban-rural income disparities in Samar Province, Philippines. Addressing limited within-province spatial evidence on local inequality, it analyzed all 26 local government units using an area-level GIS-based and statistical design. The study constructed a relative household-income capacity proxy, an Educational Attainment Index, an Infrastructure Access Index, and an urban-rural location variable from Philippine Statistics Authority and National Mapping and Resource Information Authority data. Descriptive maps, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical regression were used to compare area-level patterns. Results showed spatially uneven income-capacity scores, with higher values generally appearing in city and service-linked local government units. Educational attainment had the strongest association with the income proxy (r = .64, p < .001). Geographic location explained R² = 0.28 of the variance, and adding educational attainment increased explained variance to R² = 0.45. Adding infrastructure produced little additional explanatory gain. The findings suggest that education is the strongest observed statistical factor in the local government unit-level model. However, its income relevance depends on infrastructure functionality, institutional support, labor-market absorption, and local livelihood conditions. The study contributes a cautious spatial-development perspective: human capital can support income capacity when connected to place-specific economic opportunities rather than treated as a stand-alone solution.