Self-rated poverty up in Q1 – SWS

Filipino families who rated themselves “mahirap” or poor rose by 1.5 million in the first quarter of the year, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The SWS March 25-28 poll showed 50 percent of 1,200 respondents, or an estimated 11.5 million families, rating themselves poor, six points above the 44 percent or an estimated 10 million recorded

in December 2016.

Self-rated poverty had been either steady or declining for nine consecutive quarters, from the fourth quarter of 2014 to the fourth quarter of 2016, the SWS noted.

The highest increase was recorded in balance Luzon, from 42 percent in December 2016 to 50 percent in March, followed by Mindanao, which registered a sixpoint rise to 53 percent.

Self-rated poverty also rose in Metro Manila by five points to 36 percent, and in the Visayas by a point to 57 percent.

The survey also found 35 percent or 8.1 million families considering themselves “food-poor,” higher by a point from 34 percent (7.7 million families) in December 2016.

“Self-rated food-poverty had been either steady or declining from the third quarter of 2015 to the third quarter of 2016,” the SWS added.

The one point increase in selfrated food poverty in the first quarter was attributed to the nine-point increase in balance Luzon (to 41 percent) that was offset by decreases of 10 points in the Visayas to 33 percent, three points in Metro Manila to 20 percent and two points in Mindanao to 35 percent.

The median poverty threshold – or the monthly home expense budget “that would satisfy the poorer half of poor households” – is P20,000 in Metro Manila and P10,000 each in balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

“The minimum home budget is less than the minimum income that a poor family needs because it excludes work-related expenses, such as transportation,” the SWS said, noting that the latest amounts for Metro Manila and Mindanao “are the highest levels reached in those areas.”

Results of the latest SWS poll were printed in the newspaper BusinessWorld yesterday.

The nationwide survey used face-to-face interviews and has sampling error margin of plus or minus three percentage points for national percentages and plus or minus six percentage points each for Metro Manila, balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Palace: Gov’t must intensify response

Malacañang admitted that the government and other stakeholders have to do more to uplift the lives of the poor.

“Government therefore needs to intensify its response in addressing the problem of poverty, with the help of business, civil society and other vital stakeholders, and it also has to heighten awareness of the programs and projects of the government in helping the poor,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

“While circumstances are quickly improving, people need to know what is available out there,” he added.

Abella then cited the pro-poor initiatives of the government including higher pension for seniors, free medicine for indigents, additional incentive and combat duty pay for police and soldiers, gratuity pay to job order and contract workers in the government, and regularization of employees.

He said the Duterte administration also gives certificates of land ownership awards to farmer-beneficiaries, turns over farm machinery and equipment to farmers, and distributes fishing boats to fishermen.

The government is also fasttracking infrastructure spending and promoting easy access to microfinance, the presidential spokesman added.