AROUND 31 percent of Filipino families escaped poverty in 2017, according to the Social Weather Stations' latest survey.
Results of December 8 to 16 poll showed that 17 percent rated themselves as "usually non-poor" while 14 percent labeled themselves as "newly non-poor."
SWS noted that "usually non-poor" used to be poor five or more years ago while "newly non-poor" used to be poor one to four years afgo.
"The figure for December 2017 is the highest rate of newly non-poor families since the 13.8 percent recorded when the question was first surveyed in December 2014," the pollster said.
The survey found that 25 percent described themselves as "always non-poor" since they have never experienced poverty.
A total of 56 percent was "non-poor," the SWS said.
Meanwhile, SWS stressed that 44 percent considered themselves poor, with 31 percent of them believing they are "always poor" as they have never experienced being non-poor.
About 6.4 percent were "usually poor" while the other six percent were "newly poor."
"Usually poor" used to be non-poor five or more years ago while "newly poor" used to be noon-poor one to four years ago.
Communications Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar gave assurance that President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-poverty drive would continue to make headway to help the poor sector.
"The President's program, most especially about poverty alleviation, continues to progress... Our economy will certainly become inclusive. Meaning, it will be felt. [Benefits of improved] economy will trickle down [to the poor]," Andanar told state-run dzRB.
SWS interviewed 1,200 adult respondents using sampling error margins of ±2.5 percentage points for national percentages, and ±6 percentage points each for Metro manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. (SunStar Philippines)