THE number of Filipino families who tagged themselves as poor declined to a record-low 42 percent or an estimated 9.8 million in the first quarter of 2018, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its latest survey.
The survey, conducted from March 23 to 27, found that the 42 percent of families who considered themselves poor was down by two-percentage points from the 44 percent, or an estimated 10 million families, recorded in December last year.
The SWS noted that the self-rated poverty all throughout the country fell by two-percentage points because of a sharp 10-percentage-point decrease in Mindanao, from 52 percent in December 2017 to 42 percent -- the lowest since December 2011's 38 percent.
This was offset by the two-percentage-point rise in Metro Manila (30 percent from 28 percent) and one-percentage-point increase in VIsayas (54 percent from 53 percent).
Self-rated poverty in Balance Luzon remained unchanged at 40 percent.
Residents in Metro Manila need a monthly budget of P20,000, those in Balance Luzon and Visayas should have P10,000, and people from Mindanao want P15,000, in order for them to not consider themselves poor, the SWS said.
The same poll also showed that 29 percent or an estimated 6.7 million families rated their food "poor," three-percentage points below the 32 percent or an estimated 7.3 milliion in December 2017.
This was also the new record-low since the 30 percent registered in September 2016.
The three-percentage-point decline was due to decreases in Balance Luzon (24 percent from 32 percent), Mindanao (31 percent from 36 percent), and Metro Manila (18 percent from 22 percent), but with a sharp increase in Visayas (45 percent from 32 percent).
So as not to deem their food as poor, residents in Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao need a monthly food budget amounting to P8,500, P6,000, P5,000, and P8,000, respectively, the SWS stressed.
On Friday, April 27, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the government was pleased to know that there was a decline in the number of Filipino families who see themselves as poor.
"Our poverty-alleviation efforts are thus gaining ground as we continue to assure everyone that no one will be left in the Duterte administration," he said in a statement.
"We would enhance our social protection mechanisms, which include quality healthcare and conditional cash transfers through revenues generated by the first package of the comprehensive tax reform program while expanding regional and countryside development to bring comfortable life to the marginalized and disadvantaged families," he said.
The SWS interviewed 1,200 respondents by using sampling error margins of ±3 percentage points for national percentages, and ±6 percentage points each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. (SunStar Philippines)