SWS: Families of less educated got lowest amount of gov’t aid amid COVID-19 threat

Families headed by non-elementary graduates received a lesser government subsidy than those families whose members had college education amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed. 

The SWS poll, conducted last July 3-6 as a national mobile phone survey, showed that the amount of government money-help received by families of non-elementary graduates reached an average of P5,516—an amount smaller than the amounts received by families of more educated respondents which breached the median amount of P6,000.

Families of those who had high school education received an average government financial aid worth P6,384, while the amount received by families who had some vocational education got a slightly higher amount of P6,643. 

Families of those who had some college education received P7,107 worth of government aid, while families of those who have college or post-graduate degrees only received P6,307. 

To help families affected by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the national government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development gave cash subsidy to some 23 million families through the Social Amelioration Program in two tranches ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 per month. Local government units also implemented their own programs to give cash subsidies to beneficiaries in need.

The same SWS poll also revealed that by location, families residing in Metro Manila got the highest amount of government subsidy amid the COVID-19 pandemic at an average of P8,354.

This was followed by those residing in Balance Luzon with P6,701, the Visayas with P5,988 and Mindanao with P5,441.

Families in urban areas also received an average of P7,118—an amount higher than the average amount of government financial aid received by those in the rural areas at P5,500.

The amount of SAP distributed was based on the minimum wage for each region.

Since the National Capital Region’s (NCR) daily minimum wage is valued at P537, the SAP amount for NCR reached P8,000 per family.

The SAP amount for the rest of the regions ranged from P5,000 to P6,500 since the amount of daily minimum wage amount of the regions ranged from P310 to P420.

The SWS poll was conducted among 1,555 adult Filipinos aged 18 years old and above nationwide. 

Of the over 1,500 respondents, 306 were in the National Capital Region, 451 in Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside of Metro Manila), 388 in the Visayas, and 410 in Mindanao. 

The sampling error margins are ±2% for national percentages, ±6% for Metro Manila ±5 for Balance Luzon, ±5% for the Visayas, and ±5% for Mindanao. —KG/RSJ, GMA News