More Filipinos consider themselves poor: SWS
A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed an increase in the number of Filipinos who consider themselves as poor.
In an SWS survey released on Saturday, 45 percent or at least 11.1 million Filipino families rated themselves as poor.
This is seven points higher than the record-low 38 percent or 9.5 million families in March.
The survey was conducted from June 22-26 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults with sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
"The rise in the proportion of Self-Rated Poor (SRP) families comes after a 14-point decline over the previous three quarters. It went down from 52 percent in September 2018, to 50 percent in December, and then to 38 percent in March 2019," SWS said.
The survey also found a significant increase in the percentage of families who have rated themselves as "food poor."
As of June, thirty-five percent or an estimated 8.5 million families see themselves as food poor.
The result is eight points above the 37 percent or 6.8 million families which is a record-low in March.
"Similar to the SRP percentage, the rise in proportion of Self-Rated Food Poor (SRFP) families comes after a nine-point decline over the previous three quarters. It went down from 36 percent in September 2018, to 34 percent in December, and then to 27 percent in March 2019," SWS added.
According to SWS, the significant seven point increase in the national proportion of Self-Rated Poor families was due to a 19 point increase in Mindanao, five points in Balance Luzon, and three points in Metro Manila.
The increase in proportion of Self-Rated Food Poor families is also attributed to the increase of 20 points in Mindanao, six points in Balance Luzon, and three points in Metro Manila.
SWS said of the estimated 24.6 million total households in June 2019, 12.1 percent or 30 million used to be poor one to four years ago. These population is considered as "newly-non poor." The "usually non poor" or those who used to be poor five or more years ago reached 13.8 percent or 3.4 million. While the "always non poor" or those who have never considered themselves as poor equates to 28.7 percent or 7.1 million.
Meanwhile out of the 45 percent of families who rated themselves as poor, 4.8 percent or 12 million used to be non poor one to four years ago. SWS categorized them as "newly poor."
About 3.3 percent or 814,000 families are "usually poor" or used to be non-poor for five or more years ago, SWS said.
Those who consider themselves as poor or the "always poor" are 36.9 percent or 9.1 million families. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS