The best is yet to come as the Philippines moves towards becoming an upper-middle income country this year, Malacañang declared Thursday.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo has voiced optimism about the country’s growth prospects after hailing
the latest survey results showing a drop in the country’s hunger rate.
“We are enthusiastic to witness our nation finally enter the upper-middle income country status this year, as per the Department of Finance,” Panelo said.
“The best is yet to come, as the Chief Executive continues to work double time in the remainder of his term to uplift more Filipino families out of poverty and hunger, towards a more comfortable and prosperous life for all,” he added.
Panelo said Malacañang welcomes the Social Weather Stations survey showing that hunger decreased to 10.5 percent in December 2018, citing that the President’s reforms were bearing fruit.
The survey found out that 10.5 percent, or an estimated 2.4 million households, “experienced involuntary hunger at least once.” It was lower than the 13.3 percent, or 3.1 million families, recorded last September.
The latest number brought the average hunger rate in 2018 to 10.8 percent.
“We are pleased that the 2018 average hunger rate, as per the polling firm, is the lowest figure recorded in 15 years,” Panelo said.
He said the latest positive development was consistent with an earlier poll result showing a decrease in the number of Filipino families who consider themselves as poor.
Such improvement in the lives of Filipinos was among the “paramount reasons why PRRD continues to win the trust and approval of the Filipino people,” he added.
“The President’s sincere endeavors, whether in taming inflation or running the bureaucracy, have started to bear fruits,” he said.
Panelo took pride anew of the administration’s bigger achievements in enhancing economic growth compared
to his predecessors.
“We stress that our economy under the first two years of the Duterte presidency, which averages 6.6 percent, is now the highest level of growth compared to the first two years of all previous post-EDSA administrations,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)
