THE number of Filipino families that consider themselves poor went up in the third quarter Social Weather Stations survey released yesterday.
The nationwide survey conducted from Sept. 15 to 23 with 1,200 respondents found out that 52 percent (12.2 million) consider themselves as poor, four points above the 48 percent (11.1 million families) in June 2018, and is the highest since the similar 52 percent in December 2014.
The SWS pointed out that this is the second consecutive increase in self-rated poverty in 2018, and since the 42 percent recorded in March 2018, self-rated poverty has increased by a total of 10 points.
It attributed the four-point increase in the nationwide self-rated poverty in the third quarter of 2018 to sharp increases in the rest of Luzon and Mindanao and offset by a sharp decrease in Metro Manila and an unchanged proportion in Visayas.
Self-rated poverty rose by 12 points in the rest of Luzon, from 35 percent in June 2018 to 47 percent in September 2018. This is the highest since the 50 percent in September 2017.
It rose by five points in Mindanao, from 60 percent in June to 65 percent in September. This is the highest since the 70 percent in September 2015.
However, it fell by 17 points in Metro Manila, from 43 percent in June to 26 percent in September. It is a new record-low for Metro Manila, overtaking the previous record-low of 28 percent recorded in December 2000, June 2017, and December 2017.
The self-rated poverty meanwhile was unchanged in Visayas at 67 percent in June and September, and the highest since the 71 percent in December 2015.
The September 2018 survey also found out that of the 52 percent self-rated poor families, eight percent used to be non-poor one to four years ago (“newly poor”), and six percent used to be non-poor five or more years ago (“usually poor”).
The remaining 39 percent, or about three out of four poor families, have never experienced being non-poor (“always poor”). (Ellalyn V. Ruiz)
