More families consider themselves poor in Q2

MANILA, Philippines — In a span of three months, the number of Filipinos who said their families are poor has increased by 1.3 million, according to a latest survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The second quarter survey, conducted from June 27 to 30, showed that self-rated poverty in the country rose to 48 percent from 42 percent in March. This translates to an increase from an estimated 9.8 million to 11.1 million.

The SWS said this is the highest self-rated poverty figure in the country since the 50 percent obtained in March 2017.

Based on survey results released last Friday, self-rated poverty increased in all areas except in balance Luzon, where it decreased from 40 percent in March to 35 percent in June.

The number of Filipinos who said their families are poor jumped by 13 points in Metro Manila (from 30 percent to 43 percent) and Visayas (from 54 percent to 67 percent), and 18 points in Mindanao (from 42 percent to 60 percent).

The same survey also showed that the self-rated poverty threshold, or the monthly amount needed by a family for them to not consider themselves poor, increased to P15,000 from P13,000 in March.

Those who considered their families poor said they lack an average of P6,000 every month for them to reach their stated poverty threshold, the highest recorded value for the self-rated poverty gap since it was first surveyed in 2010.

Food poverty

Meanwhile, the number of Filipinos who said that their families are “food-poor” – or those who rated themselves as poor based on the food that they eat – increased to 34 percent or 7.8 million families.

The figure is up five points from the record-low 29 percent or 6.7 million families recorded in March.

The SWS said the increase might be attributed to the double-digit jump of self-rated food poverty in Mindanao: from 31 percent in March to 45 percent in June.

Figures also increased in Metro Manila — from 18 percent to 23 percent — and rest of Luzon — from 24 percent to 26 percent —  while it remained at 45 percent in Visayas.

The survey had 1,200 adult respondents and an error margin of +/- three percent for national percentages.