Half of Filipinos considered themselves ‘poor’ in 2015 – SWS poll

MANILA, Philippines – Half of Filipino families considered themselves poor in 2015, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed.

The previous year’s average self-rated poverty is lower by 4 points than in 2014.

Meanwhile, the average self-rated food poverty – those who consider themselves poor in terms of food – stood at 35%, an improvement from the previous year’s 41%.

“These latest results from the SWS encourage us in the administration to further maximize the country’s resources toward greater inclusivity,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said on Wednesday, January 6.

“Our 2016 budget attests to this commitment,” Lacierda added.

The Departments of Health (DOH), Education (DepEd), and Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are among the agencies that received the biggest chunk of the 2016 allocations.

Such agencies implement poverty alleviation and nutrition-related programs such as livelihood projects and capacity building, free vaccination, school feeding, conditional cash transfer, nutrition education and campaigns, among others. 

Ups, downs

The self-rated poverty and food poverty rates have declined in the past years, but results vary across regions.

According to the 4th quarter SWS survey, self-rated poverty is highest in the Visayas region at 71%, followed by Mindanao at 51%, and Luzon at 46%. The National Capital Region (NCR) had the lowest rate at 37%.

Mindanao had the sharpest drop among all regions by 19 points from September to December. However, the NCR, Visayas, and Luzon climbed by a few points. – Rappler.com