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Self-rated poverty up as 12.1M families considered themselves poor in Q2 – SWS
(Updated 9:23 a.m.) Around 500,000 more Filipino families saw themselves poor in the second quarter of 2014, according to a Social Weather Stations poll released Monday, hours before President Benigno Aquino III was to deliver his State of the Nation Address.
According to the poll, this brought the number of families who considered themselves “mahirap” to 12.1 million from 11.5 million in March.
In the survey, 55 percent of respondents claimed to be poor, up from 53 percent in March.
Also, the SWS poll found that nine million families or 41 percent claimed they were poor in terms of food, up from nine million families or 39 percent last March.
The second-quarter survey was taken from June 27 to 30. The poll used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 Filipinos who were asked to choose whether their families were poor, not poor or on the line.
Respondents were also asked how much money would be required for their households not to be considered poor. Error margins of ±3% for national and ±6% for area percentages applied to the survey.
Geographical divisions
Increases in self-rated poverty in the Visayas and Mindanao offset declined in Balance Luzon, the SWS said.
Self-rated poverty went up by 15 points in Mindanao to 71 percent in June, and rose 10 points in the Visayas to 74 percent.
Poverty stayed at 37 percent in Metro Manila and declined to 45 percent in Balance Luzon.
Self-rated food poverty rose by 15 points to 55 percent in Mindanao and by eight points to 54 percent in the Visayas.
It increased two points to 27 percent in Metro Manila and declined seven points to 32 percent in Balance Luzon.
Poverty threshold
The SWS poll found that the self-rated poverty threshold, or the monthly budget poor households needed for home expenses so they would not consider themselves poor in general, fell to a median of P12,000 from P15,000 in Metro Manila.
This remained at P10,000 in Balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
Meanwhile, the self-rated food poverty threshold, or the monthly food budget that food-poor households need so they would not consider themselves food-poor, dropped to a median of P6,000 from P7,000 in Metro Manila.
It also fell to P4,500 from P5,000 in Mindanao, and stayed at P5,000 in the Visayas and Balance Luzon. — Joel Locsin with Andreo Calonzo/DVM/KG/RSJ, GMA News
According to the poll, this brought the number of families who considered themselves “mahirap” to 12.1 million from 11.5 million in March.
In the survey, 55 percent of respondents claimed to be poor, up from 53 percent in March.
Also, the SWS poll found that nine million families or 41 percent claimed they were poor in terms of food, up from nine million families or 39 percent last March.
The second-quarter survey was taken from June 27 to 30. The poll used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 Filipinos who were asked to choose whether their families were poor, not poor or on the line.
Respondents were also asked how much money would be required for their households not to be considered poor. Error margins of ±3% for national and ±6% for area percentages applied to the survey.
Asked for the administration's reaction to the rise in the number of Filipinos who consider themselves poor, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the government is taking steps to create jobs and to improve the quality of life in the country.
"Government has prioritized social protection programs to address the specific needs of families belonging to the lowest quintile that are most vulnerable," Coloma said in a text message.
"By investing in their development we enable them to join the mainstream in terms of job opportunities and higher quality of life," he added.
Geographical divisions
Increases in self-rated poverty in the Visayas and Mindanao offset declined in Balance Luzon, the SWS said.
Self-rated poverty went up by 15 points in Mindanao to 71 percent in June, and rose 10 points in the Visayas to 74 percent.
Poverty stayed at 37 percent in Metro Manila and declined to 45 percent in Balance Luzon.
Self-rated food poverty rose by 15 points to 55 percent in Mindanao and by eight points to 54 percent in the Visayas.
It increased two points to 27 percent in Metro Manila and declined seven points to 32 percent in Balance Luzon.
Poverty threshold
The SWS poll found that the self-rated poverty threshold, or the monthly budget poor households needed for home expenses so they would not consider themselves poor in general, fell to a median of P12,000 from P15,000 in Metro Manila.
This remained at P10,000 in Balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
Meanwhile, the self-rated food poverty threshold, or the monthly food budget that food-poor households need so they would not consider themselves food-poor, dropped to a median of P6,000 from P7,000 in Metro Manila.
It also fell to P4,500 from P5,000 in Mindanao, and stayed at P5,000 in the Visayas and Balance Luzon. — Joel Locsin with Andreo Calonzo/DVM/KG/RSJ, GMA News
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