Philippines - More Filipino families rate themselves poor in survey

The number of Filipino families who consider themselves poor has grown, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, particularly in Luzon (excluding Metro Manila) where gloom about worsening conditions had expanded, eclipsing improvements seen in other areas.

The September 4-7 poll, first published in BusinessWorld, found that 52 per cent or some 10.4 million households considered themselves “mahirap” or poor, where in June the self-rated poverty was only at 49 per cent or 9.8 million households.

Those who said they were poor in terms of food (self-rated food poverty) accounted for 41 per cent or 8.2 million households, a rise from 36 per cent or 7.2 million households three months ago.

The self-rated poverty rating swelled in Luzon (excluding Metro Manila) to 53 per cent, a 15-point rise that erased decreases noted in Metro Manila (39 per cent, from 43 per cent ), Visayas (53 per cent, from 61 per cent) and Mindanao (57 per cent, from 62 per cent).

The rating for Luzon was at its lowest last June at 38 per cent since a record 22 per cent regarded themselves as poor in March 1987.

On the self-rated food poverty rating, Luzon (excluding Metro Manila) again showed a two-digit surge to 45 per cent from 28 per cent. Fewer families said they were food-poor in Metro Manila (25 per cent, from 28 per cent), Visayas (39 per cent, from 48 per cent) and Mindanao (44 per cent, from 45 per cent).

The median self-rated poverty threshold rose in Metro Manila (15,000 pesos or US$345, from 11,000 pesos) and Visayas (10,000 pesos, from 8,000 pesos) but declined in Luzon outside Metro Manila (7,500 pesos from 7,700 pesos) and Mindanao (6,000 pesos, from 8,000 pesos).

The median self-rated food poverty threshold stayed at 6,000 pesos in Metro Manila and increased in Luzon outside Metro Manila (4,000 pesos from 3,000 pesos), Visayas (5,000 pesos from 4,000 pesos) and Mindanao (3,500 pesos from 3,000 pesos).

The SWS, which polled 1,200 adults, found that 28 per cent among the self-rated poor, 16 per cent among those who rated themselves “not poor” and 13.4 per cent of those on the borderline, experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months.

The survey also found that 31.1 per cent of the self-rated food-poor, 14.8 per cent among those who rated themselves “not food-poor” and 14.7 per cent among those on the borderline, also experienced hunger.

SWS used face-to-face interviews for the noncommissioned survey, which had an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Ana Roa, Inquirer Research

Philippine Daily Inquirer

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