11 million Filipino families consider themselves poor

THE number of Filipino families considering themselves as poor have went up to 11.1 million in the second quarter of 2018, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its latest survey.

Around 48 percent or an estimated 11.1 million families believed they now belong to the poor sector, up by sixpercentage points from March’s 42 percent or an estimated 9.8 million families, according to the June 27 to 30 poll.

The latest survey results was also the highest since the 50 percent in March 2017, the SWS noted.

Of the 48 percent self-rated poor families, 36 percent never experienced being non-poor (always poor), six percent were not poor five or more years ago (usually poor), and six percent were those who used to be non-poor one to four years ago (newly poor ) .

The self-rated poverty nationwide rose by sixpercentage points because of sharp increases in Mindanao (60 percent from March’s 42 percent), Metro Manila (43 percent from March’s 30 percent), and the Visayas (67 percent from March’s 54 percent).

This was offset by the five-percentage-point decrease in Balance Luzon, from 40 percent in March to 35 percent in June.

A monthly minimum budget of P20,000 for Metro Manila residents, P15,000 for those in Balance Luzon and in Mindanao, and P11,000 for people in Visayas were needed in order for them not to be poor, the SWS said.

The SWS survey also found that 34 percent or an estimated 7.8 million families consider themselves “poor,” up by five percentage points from the 29 percent or an estimated 6.7 million families recorded in March.

The five-percentagepoint increase was due to increases in Mindanao (23 percent from March’s 31 percent), Metro Manila (23 percent from March’s 18 percent), and Balance Luzon (26 percent from March’s 24 percent), and an unchanged proportion in the Visayas (45 percent).

In order not to consider themselves as poor, residents in Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao need a monthly food budget of P10,000, P5,000, P6,000, and P7,000, respect i vel y.