11.2M families still considered themselves poor in Q2 2015 – SWS

(Updated 8:50 a.m.) Some 11.2 million families or 51 percent of Filipino families considered themselves poor, according to a 2015 second quarter poll taken by the Social Weather Stations.

Self-rated poverty was also at 51 percent the previous quarter, and was at 52 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014.

The second quarter’s self-rated poverty numbers were also the lowest since 2013’s third quarter figure of 50 percent, and better than 2014’s 54-percent average.

The SWS poll also found that 8.1 million families or 37 percent considered themselves food-poor, slightly higher than the 36 percent (7.9 million) in the first quarter.

The survey was released as President Benigno Aquino III is set to deliver his last State of the Nation Address this afternoon.

In September 2010, the SWS released its self-rated poverty survey conducted before Aquino’s inauguration. In the survey conducted from June 25 to 28, 50% with an estimated equivalent of 9.4 million households.

The rating went down to 48%, with an estimated equivalent of 9 million households, during Aquino’s three months in office, based on the SWS’ survey released on Oct. 20, 2010.

Geographically

Self-rated poverty in Metro Manila rose two points to 33 percent in the second quarter. Nevertheless, second quarter numbers were seven points below the 2014 average of 40 percent.

Self-rated poverty in the Visayas dropped to 58 percent in the second quarter, down 12-points from the previous quarter. This was also nine points below the 2014 Visayas average of 67 percent and the lowest since the 57 percent during 2013’s second quarter.

In Balance Luzon, self-rated poverty dipped a point to 43 percent. This was five points below the 2014 average of 48 percent, and the lowest since the 42 percent during 2013’s third quarter.

However, in Mindanao, second quarter self-rated poverty rose eight points to 70 percent. This was also eight points above the 2014 average of 62 percent.

Food poverty

There was a significant drop in self-rated food poverty in the Visayas, falling to 40 percent in the second quarter from the first’s 45 percent.

The Visayas’ second quarter numbers were 11 points below the 2014 average of 51 percent and the lowest since 39 percent during 2011’s third quarter.

In Balance Luzon, self-rated food poverty rose slightly to 29 percent from the first quarter’s record-low of 28 percent. The second quarter figures were below the 2014 Balance Luzon average of 36 percent.

In Mindanao, self-rated food poverty rose six points to 58 percent from the previous 52 percent. This was eight points above the 2014 Mindanao average of 52 percent and the highest since the 63 percent during 2012’s fourth quarter.

In Metro Manila, it rose to 23 percent from the first quarter’s 20 percent. This was four points below the 2014 average of 27 percent.

Poverty thresholds

The median self-rated poverty threshold is the monthly budget the poorer half of poor households need for home expenses so as not to consider themselves poor in general.

Metro Manila registered an increase in the poverty threshold, rising to P20,000 the second quarter from the previous quarter’s P15,000.

Balance Luzon’s threshold fell by P5,000 to P10,000, while those of the Visayas and Mindanao stayed at P10,000.

The SWS pointed out that the second quarter median self-rated poverty thresholds in Metro Manila and Mindanao were the highest ever reached in those areas.

Median self-rated food poverty threshold, the monthly budget that the poorer half of food-poor households need for food so as not to consider themselves “food-poor,” rose by P1,000 to a record-high of P10,000 in Metro Manila.

It fell to P5,000 in Balance Luzon, went up by P250 to P5,000 in the Visayas and stayed at P5,000 in Mindanao.

Again, the SWS pointed out that second quarter median self-rated food poverty thresholds in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao were the highest ever reached in those areas.

The SWS poll was taken from June 5 to 8 among 1,200 adults nationwide, with sampling error margins of ±3 points for national percentages, and ±6 points each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The poll results were posted on the Business World website. — Joel Locsin/DVM/ALG GMA News

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