Fewer Filipinos consider themselves poor – SWS

Fewer Filipinos consider themselves poor – SWS

By the end of former President Benigno Aquino III’s term, 45 percent, or around 10.5 million Filipino families consider themselves “mahirap” or poor, according to a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The June 24-27 survey results are slightly lower than the 46 percent self-rated poverty rate in April, and just 2 points short of beating the all-time lowest 43 percent, or only 8.1 million Filipino families saying they were poor in March 2010 – during the administration of now Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The highest self-rated poverty rate is recorded in Mindanao with 54 percent, followed by 52 percent in the Visayas, 44 percent in Luzon and 32 percent in Metro Manila.

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The survey polled 1,200 adults nationwide and has a margin of error of ±3 percent. The results were first published on BusinessWorld Thursday.

It is part of SWS’ second quarter survey conducted days before President Rodrigo Duterte took office.

Also read: President Duterte vows to restore Filipinos' faith in government

Meanwhile, 31 percent of respondents, equivalent to around 6.9 million Filipino families, consider themselves “food-poor” or are generally unsatisfied with the food they eat. It is the lowest in almost six years– the same self-rated food-poverty rate was recorded also in March 2010.

The number of respondents seeing themselves as food-poor is highest still in Mindanao with 39 percent, followed by the Visayas with 37 percent, Luzon with 27 percent and Metro Manila with 20 percent.

The survey also said the lowest monthly budget needed by a Filipino family not to be considered poor is ₱20,000 in Metro Manila, ₱15,000 in the rest of Luzon and ₱10,000 in both the Visayas and Mindanao.

Government statistics, however, are less staggering. 

Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that only two in 10 or 21.1 percent of Filipino families are poor as of the first semester of 2015.

It also said a family of five only needed an average of monthly income of at least ₱6,365 to meet their basic food needs, ₱9,140 for food and non-food necessities.