Most Filipinos still feel poor or borderline poor — SWS

Majority of Filipinos rated themselves as either poor or borderline poor, according to results of the Second Quarter 2021 poll conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

Results of the poll found that 48% of Filipino families rate themselves as “mahirap” or “poor,” estimated to be about 12.0 million. This is slightly lower than the 49% recorded in the first quarter of the year but still above the 45% average in 2019.

Broken down, 1.8 million of the families were “newly poor,” 1.0 million were “usually poor,” and 9.1 million were “always poor.”

Some 29% of the respondents placed themselves as “borderline poor,” also lower than the 33% registered in the previous quarter.

A total of 23% of the respondents categorized themselves as “hindi mahirap” or “not poor,” indicating a climb from the 17% in the first quarter of the year.

“The movement of the Self-Rated Poor is compatible with the series of official poverty incidence rates. Still, it is both more up-to-date and revealing of the volatility of poverty during intermediate points of time,” the SWS said in an accompanying statement.

The proportion of self-rate poor is highest in the Visayas region with 70%, borderline poor at 24%, and not poor at 7%.

Mindanao follows where 51% respondents rated themselves as poor, 42% as borderline poor, and 7% as not poor.

Metro Manila reported 43% self-rated poor, 19% borderline poor, and 38% not poor, while other areas in Luzon recorded 38% self-rated poor, 28% borderline poor, and 34% not poor.

Self-Rated Poverty (SRP) Thresholds

The SRP Threshold — the amount needed for a family to say they are not poor — climbed to P15,000 in June from P13,000 in May.

The SRP Gap — the amount that a family lacks for them to say they are not poor — also rose to P6,000 from P5,000.

When it comes to food, the national median Self-Rated Food Poverty Threshold rose to P8,000 from P7,000; while the national median Self-Rated Food Poverty Gap stayed at P3,000.

Some 32% of Filipino families rated themselves as “food-poor,” 38% placed themselves as “borderline food-poor,” and 29% as “not food-poor.”

The survey was conducted from June 23 to 36, using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide. This includes 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The national percentages have a sampling error of ±3%, and ±6% for Metro Manila, Balanca Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. — RSJ, GMA News