SWS: Poverty 'drops' to 9.1M households at end-2011
Fewer Filipinos considered themselves poor at the end of 2011, with pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) saying the decline in self-rated poverty neared a record low.
According to a report of BusinessWorld, the December 3-7, 2011 survey saw 45 percent of respondents (or equivalent to around 9.1 million households) saying they were “mahirap” (poor).
This figure is a seven-point improvement from 52 percent rating (equivalent to around 10.4 million families) three months earlier.
The SWS survey was based on interviews with 1,200 adults. Sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national and ±6 percent for area percentages applied to the survey.
SWS noted the latest figure was just two points above the all-time low of 43 percent recorded in March 1987 and March 2010 in the nearly 30 years the SWS has been conducting the self-rated poverty count.
About 36 percent (or about 7.2 million households) consider themselves as poor in terms of food, five points down from 41 percent (estimated 8.2 million) in September.
It marked the third time that this level, five points higher than March 2010’s record low of 31 percent, was hit in the last six quarters.
The SWS pointed oiut the poverty result was the lowest so far under President Benigno Aquino III’s watch.
However, the 2011 poverty average for 2011 at 49 percent, was still up a point from 2010.
On the other hand, the SWS said the food-poor count average was 38 percent, two points higher compared to 2010.
Improvements not across the board
The SWS said the improvements were not across the board as self-rated poverty plummeted by 19 points to 38 percent in Mindanao, eased by eight to 45 percent in Balance Luzon and by a point in the Visayas to 52 percent.
But it worsened by eight to 47 percent in Metro Manila.
In rural areas a 13-point improvement to 49 percent was recorded, but it was a modest two to 41 percent in towns and cities.
Self-rated food poverty also plunged by 14 points to 30 percent in Mindanao and by eight points to 37 percent in Balance Luzon, but it added six and four points, respectively, to 31 percent in Metro Manila and 43 percent in the Visayas.
Belt-tightening
The SWS said families continued to tighten their belts, with the self-rated poverty threshold or the monthly budgets poor households say they need so as not to consider themselves poor stayed sluggish despite rising inflation.
It fell to P10,000 in Metro Manila, P6,000 in Balance Luzon and P6,000 in the Visayas, while it stayed at P6,000 in Mindanao.
Median food-poverty thresholds fell to P5,000 in Metro Manila and P3,750 in the Visayas, but stayed at P4,000 in Balance Luzon and P3,500 in Mindanao. - VVP, GMA News
According to a report of BusinessWorld, the December 3-7, 2011 survey saw 45 percent of respondents (or equivalent to around 9.1 million households) saying they were “mahirap” (poor).
This figure is a seven-point improvement from 52 percent rating (equivalent to around 10.4 million families) three months earlier.
The SWS survey was based on interviews with 1,200 adults. Sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national and ±6 percent for area percentages applied to the survey.
SWS noted the latest figure was just two points above the all-time low of 43 percent recorded in March 1987 and March 2010 in the nearly 30 years the SWS has been conducting the self-rated poverty count.
About 36 percent (or about 7.2 million households) consider themselves as poor in terms of food, five points down from 41 percent (estimated 8.2 million) in September.
It marked the third time that this level, five points higher than March 2010’s record low of 31 percent, was hit in the last six quarters.
The SWS pointed oiut the poverty result was the lowest so far under President Benigno Aquino III’s watch.
However, the 2011 poverty average for 2011 at 49 percent, was still up a point from 2010.
On the other hand, the SWS said the food-poor count average was 38 percent, two points higher compared to 2010.
Improvements not across the board
The SWS said the improvements were not across the board as self-rated poverty plummeted by 19 points to 38 percent in Mindanao, eased by eight to 45 percent in Balance Luzon and by a point in the Visayas to 52 percent.
But it worsened by eight to 47 percent in Metro Manila.
In rural areas a 13-point improvement to 49 percent was recorded, but it was a modest two to 41 percent in towns and cities.
Self-rated food poverty also plunged by 14 points to 30 percent in Mindanao and by eight points to 37 percent in Balance Luzon, but it added six and four points, respectively, to 31 percent in Metro Manila and 43 percent in the Visayas.
Belt-tightening
The SWS said families continued to tighten their belts, with the self-rated poverty threshold or the monthly budgets poor households say they need so as not to consider themselves poor stayed sluggish despite rising inflation.
It fell to P10,000 in Metro Manila, P6,000 in Balance Luzon and P6,000 in the Visayas, while it stayed at P6,000 in Mindanao.
Median food-poverty thresholds fell to P5,000 in Metro Manila and P3,750 in the Visayas, but stayed at P4,000 in Balance Luzon and P3,500 in Mindanao. - VVP, GMA News
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