Fifty-one percent of Filipinos considered themselves “poor” in a March, 2015, survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
The nationwide SWS survey for the first quarter of the year found 51 percent of Filipinos – equivalent to about 11.4 million families – felt they are poor. This is statistically no different from the 52 percent recorded in the previous survey in December, 2014.
The result of the 2015 first-quarter survey conducted last March 20-23 among 1,200 respondents was first published in BusinessWorld last Tuesday, May 5.
The respondents were asked: “Saan po ninyo ilalagay ang inyong pamilya sa kard na ito? (Where would you place your family oin this card)?” The card gave the following choices: “hindi mahirap” (not poor), “sa linya” (on the line), and “mahirap” (poor). Of the respondents, 51 percent said “mahirap.”
SWS reported a 12-point decline in the poverty rate in Metro Manila (from 43 percent in December, 2014, to 31 percent in March, 2015). But there was a 5-point increase in the Visayas (from 65 percent to 70 percent). In Mindanao, the number of poor households remained almost the same (from 60 percent to 62 percent). In the rest of Luzon, the number also remained almost the same (from 45 percent to 44 percent).
In the same survey period, the respondents were asked to rate themselves in terms of food. They were asked: “Tungkol naman sa klase ng pagkain ng pamilya ninyo, saan po ninyo ilalagay ang inyong pamilya sa kard na ito (Based on the type of food eaten by your family, where would you place your family in this card)?” The card gave the following choices: “hindi mahirap” (not poor), “sa linya” (on the line), and “mahirap” (poor).
The March, 2025, results: 36 percent (7.9 million families) rated themselves food-poor. This was down from
41 percent (9.1 million families) in December, 2014. There was a four-point decline in Metro Manila (from 24 percent to 20 percent), a nine-point drop in the rest of Luzon (from 37 percent to 28 percent), and a six-point drop in the Visayas (from 51 percent to 45 percent). It remained the same in Mindanao at 52 percent.
Malacañang yesterday credited the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program and other poverty reduction programs of the government for the decline in self-rated poverty in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the Aquino administration will continue to intensify efforts to further reduce poverty incidence in the country.
Manila Bulletin
