46% ALMOST HALF OF FILIPINO FAMILIES FEEL POOR, SWS

Filipinos feels their poor according to a survey (Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN News)

The number of Filipino families who say they are poor has slightly decreased, based on the results of the Social Weather Station (SWS) survey, reaching 12.9 million Filipino families who say they are poor in March 2024 compared to 13 million in December 2023.

The survey was conducted from March 21 to March 25 where 1,500 respondents were asked. 46% of Filipino families consider themselves poor, 33% said they are food poor.

30% said they were between poor and not poor, while 23% did not consider themselves poor.

"As of March 2024, the percentage of Self-Rated Poor families was highest in the Visayas at 64 percent, followed by Mindanao at 56 percent, Balance Luzon at 38 percent, and Metro Manila at 33 percent," the SWS said.

According to the SWS, during the previous nine quarters, the national median Self-Rated Poverty Threshold (SRP Threshold), or the minimal monthly budget that self-rated poor households stated they need not be deemed poor, stayed at PHP15,000.

The Self-Rated Poverty Gap (SRP Gap) decreased from PHP7,000 in December 2023 to PHP5,000 in March 2024, representing a national median.

This is the amount of household expenses that self-rated poor respondents claim they don't have in comparison to their declared SRP the limit.

The Social Weather Stations did, however, reveal a rise in self-reported food poverty in Metro Manila and the Visayas.

For the past five quarters, the national average threshold for self-rated food poverty has been P8,000, while for the prior ten quarters, the national median self-rated food poverty gap has been P3,000.

Source: Philippine News Agency

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