The Philippine Online Chronicles

More than half of Filipino families, or around 10.4 million, consider themselves as “poor” and “food-poor” based on the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

Based on the survey conducted from September 4 to 7, 52 percent of respondents consider themselves “mahirap” or “poor”, higher than the 49 percent registered in June.

The third quarter poverty survey involved face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide, with sampling error margins at ±3% for national and ±6% for area percentages.

The number of families who claimed to be poor in terms of food also climbed, up to 41 percent (8.2 families) in September from 36 percent (7.2 million) three months ago.

BusinessWorld said the results are consistent with the hunger survey results released last month, which showed a 6.4 percentage point-increase in the number of families experiencing hunger.

While self-rated poverty declined in the Visayas (53 percent from 61 percent), Mindanao (57 percent from 62 percent) and Metro Manila (39 percent from 43 percent), poverty rate jumped by 15 points to 53 percent in Balance Luzon.

SWS noted that self-rated food poverty in Balance Luzon jumped to its highest since 2006 to 45 percent in September, as compared to the record-low 28 percent recorded in June.

“The result, again, overwhelmed improvements in the Visayas (nine points to 39%), Metro Manila (three points to 25%) and Mindanao (one point to 44%),” BusinessWorld reported.

The pollster added that median poverty threshold for poor families in Metro Manila rose by P4,000 to P15,000, and by P2,000 to P10,000 in the Visayas. Meanwhile, the threshold stayed at P6,000 in Mindanao and fell by P200 to P7,500 in Balance Luzon.

Reacting to the latest SWS survey, Malacañang said the higher poverty statistics were caused by higher commodity prices as well as the onslaught of typhoons (Juaning and Kabayan) that allegedly caused food prices to climb.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government “is extending several forms of assistance such as buying damaged rice and replacing damaged seeds.”

BusinessWorld noted that survey results for the fourth quarter could be worse given damage caused by Pedring in September, using storms as a benchmark.